Day 1 – Abidjan
Arrive in Abidjan and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Hotel Onomo or similar.
Day 2 – Abengourou - Aniausse
Head east to Abengourou, a large centre of agriculture in the region and visit the chief’s palace with its small but interesting museum. We continue 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. Overnight Hotel Royaume or similar. (BLD)
Day 3 – 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 Hotel Royal or similar. (BLD)
Day 4 - Bouake
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. Overnight Hotel Mon Afrik or similar. (BLD)
Day 5 - Korhogo
Drive to Korhogo, the main town of the north. On arrival visit the interesting craft market with its collection of traditional masks and sculptures. Overnight Hotel Olympe or similar. (BLD)
Day 6 - 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. In a small village we 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. Overnight Hotel Olympe or similar. (BLD)
Day 7 - Boundiali
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. Overnight Hotel Le Paysan or similar. (BLD)
Day 8 - Fulani Villages - Odienne
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. Head 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. Overnight Hotel Les Frontieres or similar. (BLD)
Day 9 - 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 Hotel Les Cascades or similar. (BLD))
Day 10 - 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 see the mask dances of the Guere people. Overnight Hotel Les Cascades or similar. (BLD)
Day 11 - Abidjan
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. Overnight Hotel Onomo or similar. (BLD)
Day 12 - Abidjan - Grand Bassam
Spend the day exploring Abidjan, with a ferry trip through the lagoon, a visit to its lively market and the elegant residential district of Cocody. Continue to Grand Bassam for the night. Overnight Hotel Etoile du Sud or similar. (BLD)
Day 13 - Grand Bassam - Abidjan
Explore the city of Grand Bassam with its old colonial buildings and atmosphere of yesteryear, to learn more about the history of the country. From here return to Abidjan and transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (BL)
Included in price:
Airport transfers
Accommodation: As listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we’ll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you’re used to elsewhere.
Guides: In most cases you will be accompanied by one guide from start to finish. However there may be occasions when this is not practical, for example if your trip covers a number of different countries. In these cases it often makes more sense to include different guides for each place, to take advantage of their specific knowledge of the destination.
Meals: As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner).
Entrance fees: Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you’d like to see, these would be at your own expense.
Not included:
Visas
Airport taxes
International flights
Travel Insurance
