Ivory Coast travel guide

With reports of coups, civil wars and long term instability, travelers have long bypassed Ivory Coast; but the good news is that the country has emerged from its painful past and intrepid souls are once again discovering its charms. And the country is charming indeed: there are pristine tropical beaches backed by crumbling colonial relics; cool highlands home to waterfalls and untrammelled walking trails; and deep, dark forests where monkeys chatter and mysterious woven bridges appear overnight.

It is the culture that will really knock you off your feet, though. French-speaking Ivory Coast – Côte d'Ivoire – is a nation of artists and throughout the country talented craftspeople perfect their wares using methods unchanged for centuries, and villagers from different ethnic groups perform vibrant dances, not only to celebrate but also to mourn. In the high flying metropolis of Abidjan, meanwhile, the air throngs with reggae, jazz, Afrobeat and innovative coupé-decalé, a style and music movement that evolved during the long civil war.

Ivory Coast sits on the West African coast, overlooking the Gulf of Guinea, and shares a border with five nations. The south and the center of the country are flat and lush, home to plantations, forests and national parks. To the west are the mountains, the highland town of Man and Mount Nimba, the country’s highest peak at 1,750m. Further north, as you approach Mali and Burkina Faso, the landscape turns into arid savannah. Other than a few main highways, roads outside urban centers tend to be poor and can be impassable in the rainy season. Guided, small group tours keep things simple as you’ll be driven in a private vehicle and visit communities without disrupting local life.