Abidjan

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Introduction

Although inland Yamoussoukro is the official capital, Abidjan (the former capital) still is by far the biggest city in the country, with the estimated number of people living here officially around 3 million people but 4 to 5 million inhabitants could be the case as well. Most of the economical and financial activity in the country takes place here. Although the city has been getting safer during recent years, it is always wise to keep an extra eye out and try not to walk when it is dark, but rather take a taxi.

Neighbourhoods

• Le Plateau: the financial district with highrise buildings
• Cocody: an upmarket residential district
• Adjamé: slum area
• Treichville
• Marcory
• Abobo-Doume
• Yapougon
• Boulay Island
• Port Bouët

Sights and Activities

• St. Paul's Cathedral
• Cocody Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art
• National Library
• National Museum

Events and Festivals

Weather

Abidjan is hot and humid yearround, with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius on most days. February to May is a bit hotter, when even nights are very warm at 26 degrees Celsius on average. Although the rainy season lasts from May to October, there generally is a peak in May/June and another in October, while in between it is relatively dry. Abidjan is wetter than places more to the east along the coastline of West Africa, but towards the west rainfall keeps increasing.

Getting There

By Plane

Air Ivoire is the national airline of Cote d'Ivoire and is based at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport (ABJ) near Abidjan. International destinations include Accra, Bamako, Conakry, Cotonou, Dakar, Douala, Libreville, Lomé, Monrovia, Marseille, Niamey, Ouagadougou and Paris.
Other cities served with mostly their respective national airlines are Algiers, Tripoli, Brussels, Nouakchott, Casablanca, N'Djamena, Johannesburg and Tunis, and a few other cities in neighbouring countries in West Africa.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Although most borders are open now, it's still only relatively safe to travel to and from Ghana. There are buses to Accra from Abidjan and sometimes onwards to Lomé in Togo.
Still, there is supposed to be a bus between Abidjan and Bamako in Mali as well.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

Post