코트디부아르

French is the official language and is used in business, signs and transport. English is spoken only in some hotels and by some younger people in Abidjan, so a few French phrases help a lot. Dioula (Jula) is the common trade language in markets and in the north. Many people also speak their own local language, such as Baoulé. In Abidjan you will also hear Nouchi, a street slang mixing French and local words. A common greeting for visitors is Akwaba, meaning "welcome".

• SIM cards: Orange, MTN and Moov sell prepaid SIMs at their shops and at the airport. You must show your passport to register the SIM. Orange generally has the widest coverage outside Abidjan.
• Coverage: mobile data is good in cities and along main roads, but weak or absent in remote areas and national parks.

• Yellow fever: a vaccination certificate is required to enter the country.
• Malaria is present throughout the country all year. Take antimalarial tablets on medical advice, and use repellent and a mosquito net. Dengue is also present.
• Water: do not drink tap water. Bottled water is cheap and sold everywhere.
• Medical care: private clinics in Abidjan are of a reasonable standard but expensive. Outside Abidjan, facilities are basic, and serious cases may need evacuation. Take out travel insurance that covers medical evacuation.
• Pharmacies are easy to find in towns, marked by a green cross. A rota of duty pharmacies (pharmacies de garde) stays open at night and on Sundays.
• Screening: travellers arriving from countries with an Ebola outbreak may face health checks on arrival.

Most visitors from outside West Africa need a visa, including citizens of the UK, the EU, the USA and Canada. Citizens of ECOWAS countries can enter without a visa.

• E-visa: apply online at SNEDAI – official e-visa portal before you travel. After approval, you complete the biometric registration and collect the visa on arrival at Abidjan airport. Apply at least 10 working days before you travel.
• What you need: a passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, a return flight booking, a hotel booking or invitation letter, and a yellow fever certificate.
• Currency: you must declare foreign currency when you arrive.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

• Greetings matter: always say Bonjour and ask how someone is before a question or a purchase. Shake hands with everyone when you join a group, and use your right hand to give or receive things.
• Dress: people dress neatly in towns. Cover shoulders and knees at mosques, churches and in villages. Beachwear belongs on the beach.
• Villages: when visiting a village, it is polite to greet the chief first, often through a guide, and to bring a small gift or contribution.
• Sacred places: some forests, masks and ceremonies are sacred, and women or outsiders may be excluded. Follow your guide's instructions.
• Photography: ask before photographing people, and never photograph soldiers, police or official buildings.
• Bargaining is normal in markets and for taxis without meters. Agree the price before you leave.
• Relationships: same-sex relationships are not legally recognised, and attitudes are conservative. Public displays of affection are uncommon for any couple.

On public holidays, government offices, banks and many shops close, while markets and maquis usually stay open. Both Christian and Muslim festivals are public holidays. Muslim holiday dates follow the lunar calendar and move each year, so check dates close to your trip.

Shops usually open from about 8:00 to 18:00 or later. Some close for a midday break, especially outside Abidjan. Most shops are closed on Sunday, although supermarkets and markets in Abidjan often open.

• By air: Air Côte d'Ivoire flies from Abidjan to Bouaké, Korhogo, San-Pédro, Man and Odienné. This saves a long day on the road for trips to the north and west. Korhogo and Odienné lie in or near northern areas covered by official travel warnings, so check current advice before booking.
• By bus: private coach companies run between Abidjan and all major towns from the bus stations in Adjamé and Yopougon. Book a seat a day ahead for long routes, and choose a larger company with a good safety record.
• Shared transport: minibuses (gbaka) and shared taxis (woro-woro) run fixed routes in towns and between nearby places. They are cheap but crowded.
• In Abidjan: orange taxis (taxis compteurs) should use the meter; agree a price if they do not. Water buses cross the lagoon between districts.
• With a driver: hiring a car with a local driver is the easiest way to reach beaches, parks and villages. Drivers know the roads and checkpoints.

Ivorian food is built on cassava, plantain, yam and rice, served with rich sauces, grilled fish or chicken. Breakfast is often bread with coffee or sweet fried dough from a street stall. Lunch is the main meal for many people. Dinner is often grilled fish with attiéké, a fermented cassava semolina that is the national staple. Try kedjenou, a slow-cooked chicken stew, and foutou, pounded plantain or yam served with palm-nut sauce. Alloco, fried ripe plantain with chilli, is the favourite street snack.

Most people eat at a maquis, an open-air eatery with plastic chairs and a grill. It is the best and cheapest place to eat and to meet locals, especially in the evening. Garba stalls sell attiéké with fried tuna for a quick lunch. For drinks, try bissap (hibiscus juice), gnamankoudji (ginger juice) and bangui (palm wine). Local lagers are sold in large bottles. Côte d'Ivoire is the world's largest cocoa producer, and Abidjan has several local chocolate makers.

Abidjan and the coast

• Abidjan: the largest city, built around a lagoon, with the high-rise Plateau business district, markets and a lively music and nightlife scene. Museum of Civilizations of Côte d'Ivoire has a large collection of masks and traditional objects. Banco National Park protects a patch of rainforest inside the city.
• Bingerville: the former colonial capital just east of Abidjan, with a botanical garden and the old governor's palace.
• Grand-Bassam: the first colonial capital, a UNESCO World Heritage town of faded colonial buildings between the lagoon and the ocean. National Costume Museum is in the former governor's palace. It is an easy day trip or weekend from Abidjan.
• Assinie: a long sandbar with beach resorts between the lagoon and the sea, popular on weekends. Further east, Îles Ehotilés National Park protects small forested islands in the Aby lagoon.
• West coast: Jacqueville and Grand-Lahou have quiet beaches and lagoons. Sassandra, San-Pédro and Grand-Béréby have some of the country's most beautiful coves and fishing villages.

The centre

• Yamoussoukro: the official capital, known for Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, one of the largest churches in the world. The sacred crocodiles in the lake by the former presidential palace are another local sight.
• Bouaké: the second-largest city and a busy market and transport hub.

The west and north

• Man: a mountain town surrounded by forested peaks, waterfalls and villages known for their masks and liana bridges.
• Taï National Park: one of the last large areas of primary rainforest in West Africa, a UNESCO site known for its chimpanzees. Visits are organised as guided trips.
• Korhogo: the main town of the Senufo people, known for weaving, painted cloth and wood carving in the surrounding villages. It lies in the Savanes region, parts of which are covered by official travel warnings, so check current advice first.
• Sudanese-style mosques: the north has a group of historic mud-brick mosques that are a UNESCO World Heritage site, such as Great Mosque of Kong. Most of them lie in the Savanes and Zanzan regions or close to the Mali border, in or near areas where governments advise against travel, as does Comoé National Park. Check current advice first.