Côte d’Ivoire

International flight and arrival in Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire. Transfer to the Hotel.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

After breakfast we will depart for Yamoussokro, the administrative capital of the country. Before leaving Abidjan we will make a stop to sharpen our photographic eye; we will visit the banks of the Banco River, where hundreds of people busily wash, in the river, thousands of garments. They are the “fanicos”, people who are dedicated to washing the clothes of the wealthiest people in the city by hand. Once the laundry is done, they form real mountains with the freshly washed garments.

In the mid-afternoon we will arrive in Yamoussokro, the capital of the country, where we will visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, an impressive megalomaniac project made in the image (and size) of St. Peter’s in the Vatican, and recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest church in the world. Then we will visit the Presidential Palace, with its exotic lake, where about 200 Nile crocodiles populate the moat that surrounds the Palace.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

Today it is time to cross the immense rubber, cocoa and coffee plantations of the area, dotted only with tiny villages. On the route, we will stop in the Zenoula region, where we will have the opportunity to see the dancing masks of Zaouli, a traditional dance of the Guro people, recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2017. The Zaouli is a tribute to feminine beauty, which inspires its spectacular masks, the “blou” and the “djela”. A show in which you can contemplate at the same time the beauty of the wooden sculpture (masks) of the area, the weaving of the colorful costumes, the surprising music of its orchestra and the hypnotic of its fabulous dance. The “Zaouli” also has educational functions, as it is the vehicle for transmitting human and cultural customs and values to the young people of the Gouro people. Once the celebration is over, we will move to stay in Daloa.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

We will leave very early to the capital of the We and Guéré ethnic groups, the city of Man, an idyllic place that is nestled at the foot of 18 extremely green mountains. This is one of the coolest and most amazing regions of the Ivory Coast, full of vegetation, with splendid valleys surrounded by high mountains. Another of its attractions is that it is one of the most important animist centers in the country. We will take advantage of our stay here to attend magical dance shows and animist celebrations; We will visit the sacred groves and meet some of the spiritual leaders. Animism, in its Ivorian aspect at its best.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

After breakfast we will head east to Goudefouma, where we will spend the day living with the Dan Yacuba ethnic group. The scenery is incredible, with the villages built on the slopes of the mountains. In this scenario we will have the opportunity to witness their dances and rituals, together with the elders of the area. It is something unique, which really impresses: the cries of the initiates inviting the sacred masks to come out of the forest and appear before them, while in the background the echoes of the tam-tams can be heard. In the afternoon, we will continue on our way to Korhogo.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

We continue our way east, first to Tieme, a small town where in 1827 the French explorer René Caillié, the first European to return alive from the city of Timbuktu, arrived. A village inhabited by nomads of the Fulani ethnic group, with whom we will share some time in which we can learn something about their way of life and take some photographs. After our experience with the Fulani we headed to Niofoin, a village that stands out for the uniqueness in the construction of its houses and granaries. We are in the region of the Senoufo ethnic group, where animism and masked balls are hallmarks. Here we will discover the mythical fetish houses, where some very interesting traditional rites are still practiced. One of the highlights of this trip will be attending a Guli masked ball. At sunset we will arrive in Korhogo, where we can rest tonight.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

After breakfast we will head to Boukaé, a town where the Baoulé ethnic group lives, one of the most important in Ivory Coast, representing almost a quarter of its population. In fact, Baoulé is considered to be the country’s “own language”, although not official, and is the most widely spoken after French. This area stands out for the wood carvings, the Zaoli dances and the Goli masks, which are used both for entertainment shows and to honor the funerals of important men.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

Today we continue our photographic journey through Côte d’Ivoire, but before saying goodbye there is time for one last visit, one of the jewels of Côte d’Ivoire: Grand Bassam, a city declared a world heritage site by UNESCO and one of the most outstanding examples of colonialism in all of Africa. It was one of the capitals of the country during the French colonial period and treasures a great cultural richness, seasoned with its decadent mansions and colonial buildings that give it a spectacular charm and contrast with the daily life of its current inhabitants.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

Today we will dedicate the day to enjoy this beautiful city, its rich gastronomy an immersion in the Culture of the Ivory Coast.

Accommodation at Hotel A.D

Today it is time to get up early, very early we move to Abidjan. An exciting visit to this city full of contrasts awaits us, with large avenues and, at the same time, full of vegetation, with neighborhoods that look like villages and even with a financial district with a few skyscrapers. We will tour and photograph the financial district, the swanky Hotel d’Ivoire and end the tour in the popular and lively Blockhaus district, south of the Cocody district, inhabited by the Ebrié ethnic group. At the indicated time, transfer to the airport.

Night on board.