11 Day Côte d’Ivoire Tour
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Tour Highlights
• City tour of Abidjan
• Village experience with Goli mask dance
• Visit to a blacksmith
• Tour of a craft market
• Visit to a Fulani village
• Meet a local chief
• Visit to Our Lady of Peace Basillica
• Tour of Grand Bassam
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Destination
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Included
5 Star AccommodationAirport TransfersBreakfastEntry FeesPersonal Guide
AKWAABA – WELCOME!
Arrive in Abidjan and transfer to your hotel. Overnight at a hotel in Abidjan.
ABIDJAN – BOUAKE
Spend the morning exploring Abidjan, with a boat trip through the lagoon, a visit to its lively market and the elegant residential district of Cocody. After lunch we fly to Bouake. Overnight at a hotel in Bouake. Meals Included: Breakfast.
BOUAKE - KONG
Bouake is home to the Baoule people, who are related to the Ashantis of Ghana. We visit their villages to see how they have maintained their traditions of handicrafts and statues, and also see a dance of the Goli masks. In the afternoon
drive to the small town of Kong and visit its striking mud built mosque. Overnight at a hotel in Kong. Meals Included: Breakfast.
KORHOGO
Drive to Korhogo, the main town of the north. In a small village we visit a local blacksmith to see how the age old practice of iron smelting is still continued here. Overnight at a hotel in Korhogo. Meals Included: Breakfast.
KORHOGO
Spend today 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. We visit the interesting craft market with its traditional wooden sculptures and textiles, and see one of their most important dances, the bolo or panther dance. Overnight at a hotel in Korhogo. Meals Included: Breakfast.
FULANI VILLAGES
Travel through regions inhabited by the Fulani, a semi-nomadic group with a lifestyle centred around cattle herding. We visit their settlements and meet local women, often tattooed and with elaborate jewellery and hairstyles.
Overnight at a hotel in Boundiali. Meals Included: Breakfast.
ODIENNE
Head into the lands of the Malinke, once renowned for 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. Overnight at a hotel in Odienne. Meals Included: Breakfast.
MAN
Today we 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, before driving to Man for the night. Overnight at a hotel in Man. Meals Included: Breakfast.
MAN
This morning we 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 visit the sacred ‘forest’ of Gbepl, a place of spiritual importance for the local community, and at a nearby village see the mask dances of the Guere people. Overnight at a hotel in Man. Meals Included: Breakfast.
YAMOUSSOUKRO
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. Overnight at a hotel in Yamoussoukro. Meals Included: Breakfast.
GRAND BASSAM - ABIDJAN
Drive to the city of Grand Bassam with its old colonial buildings and atmosphere of yesteryear, to explore and learn about the history of the country. From here return to Abidjan and transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Meals Included: Breakfast.