City Guide: Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)
Abidjan is a metropolitan city in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, located between Ghana and Liberia. I first traveled there 3 years ago and loved the vibrant energy of the city and the contagious positivity of the locals.
From trendy rooftops to artwork, high-end museums, elegant restaurants, fascinating cultures and swooping architecture, the city has everything to offer to all kind of travelers. And it's safe too.
History
Côte d'Ivoire obtained its independence from France in 1960, after which the country went through two civil wars. Since 2011, things started to settle and tourism picked up pretty quickly.
Museums
- Musée des Civilisations built in 1942, for traditional and historical art from Côte d'Ivoire
African Art
- Galerie Cecile Fakhoury and Galerie Amani for contemporary African art
- CAVA: an Ali Baba cave for African art lovers
Creative workshops:
- Yakomin
-
Apero Colore for fun themed-painting evenings
- Atelier des Artistes
- Paint & Sip offers recycled bottle painting and couple painting workshops
- La Case du Potier for pottery
Outdoor Activities
- Domaine Bini for excursions in nature and ecotourism: fun guaranteed!
- Assinie to evade from the city and sunbathe by the pool or the sea with a piña colada in hand along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea (around 1h from Abidjan).
Concept Stores
- Couleur Concept in Cocody highlights premium African brands
- Comptoir des Artisans is a fabulous concept store with a restaurant and unique African craftsmanship pieces
- Villa76_Babi is a lifestyle shop with a boho-African theme
- Mikado curates original pieces full of fun, creativity and colour
- Cap Sud for shopping small and big brands
Rooftops
Where To Eat
- Bushman Café, an urban jungle in Abidjan with amazing art and delicious food
- Arlequin for shopping and healthy eating by the pool or the garden
- Bangko for thai, indian and ivorian food
- Village de Rêve, a dreamy restaurant in front of the lagoon, perfect for an early evening drink or dinner
- Le Mechoui for Lebanese food in an elegant setting
- Villa Di Sorrento for Italian food (try the outdoor bungalows for a relaxed atmosphere)
- Chez Ambroise to try the local specialties: grilled fish or chicken, alloco and attieke
- Le Débarcadère - good food in a beautiful setting
Influencers we love in Abidjan
- Sarah's city guides are amazing and contain a lot of information on various activities you can do in Abidjan, including her guide "Côte d'Ivoire for dummies - Welcome Pack". I have used all her guides to get around the city and plan my trips, I cannot recommend it enough!
Ladina's Tips
- Carry your ID with you at all times
- Download Yango on your phone to get around the city (the equivalent of uber)
- Download Glovo for ordering food (the equivalent of Deliveroo)
- Get a yellow fever vaccine before traveling (compulsory)
- Apply for a visa here
- Words to know: Akwaba, Yako, Bonjour, Merci!
- To go further: explore Jacqueville, and San Pedro