13 Days Ivory Coast Vacation
Day One: Arrival in Abidjan
Upon your arrival at the airport in Abidjan, the guide from Afrikan Wildlife Safaris will welcome you and then transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Onomo or similar.
Day Two: Abengourou to Aniausse
After breakfast, you will head east to Abengourou, a large centre of agriculture in the region and visit the chief’s palace with its small but interesting museum. The proceed to the village of Aniausse, known for its school for ‘feticheurs’ – where the ‘priests’ of traditional belief systems learn their trade. We will discover aspects of these ancient customs trying to survive in the confusing times of the modern world. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Royaume or similar.
Day Three: Yamoussoukro
Today you will drive to Yamoussoukro, once just a village but now Cote d’Ivoire’s bizarre administrative capital. Yamoussoukro is dominated by the gigantic Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, reputedly the largest Christian place of worship on earth, and we spend time exploring this vast complex. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Royal or similar.
Day Four: Bouake
On this day, you will drive to Bouake. Bouake is home to the Baoule people, who are related to the Ashanti of Ghana. We visit their villages to see how they have maintained their traditions of handicrafts and statues, and also see dances of the Goli and Zaouli masks. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Mon Afrik or similar.
Day Five: Korhogo
For this morning, you will drive to Korhogo, the main town of the north. On arrival visit the interesting craft market with its collection of traditional masks and sculptures. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Olympe or similar.
Day Six: Korhogo
For this day, you will spend it exploring the lands of the Senoufou. Renowned for their craftsmanship, the Senoufou are also seen as rather a mysterious people, traditionally believing in a collection of different gods and following animist principles. In a small village, we will visit a local blacksmith to see how the age old practice of iron smelting is still continued here. Later we see one of their most important dances, the bolo or panther dance. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Olympe or similar.
Day Seven: Boundiali
You will drive to the village of Niofoin with its distinctive clay granaries. Later we see a traditional dance performed by young Senoufou girls as part of their initiation ceremony. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Le Paysan or similar.
Day Eight: Fulani Villages – Odienne
After breakfast, head through regions inhabited by the Fulani, a semi-nomadic group with a lifestyle centered around cattle herding. We will visit their settlements and meet local women, often tattooed and with elaborate jewellery and hairstyles. Then proceed into the lands of the Malinke, once renowned as famous warriors and descendants of the old empire of Mali. We meet the local chief and on foot accompany hunters into the surrounding savannah where we learn about how they use local plants in their rituals, as well as seeing traditional dances. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Les Frontieres or similar.
Day Nine: Man
This morning, you will visit a village belonging to the Dan people, known for their amazing mask dancers who perform on stilts. Explore the area to learn more about their local customs and then drive to Man. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Les Cascades or similar.
Day Ten: Man
For this day, we will head out into the surrounding area to see the incredible liana bridges that exist in the forest here, built from living vines by initiates from local tribes. In the afternoon we see the mask dances of the Guere people. Dinner and overnight Hotel Les Cascades or similar.
Day Eleven: Abidjan
On this day, you will venture into the forest to reach some of the more isolated Guere settlements. Here we will see a dance of the ‘jongleurs’, a rare performance involving initiated women with white painted faces, and considerable acrobatic prowess. Later transfer to the airport and fly to Abidjan for the night. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Onomo or similar.
Day Twelve: Abidjan to Grand Bassam
Today you will take a ferry trip through the lagoon. Visit to its lively market and the elegant residential district of Cocody. Proceed to Grand Bassam for the night. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Etoile du Sud or similar.
Day Thirteen: Grand Bassam to Abidjan
After breakfast, go and explore the city of Grand Bassam with its old colonial buildings to learn more about the history of the country. Then return to Abidjan and transfer to the airport for your onward flight.