Tucked into West Africa with miles of coastline on the North Atlantic Ocean, the Ivory Coast is is a former French colony that has maintained close ties to France since the Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) became an independent country in 1966. The country takes its name from the Ivory trade that once made it prosperous. Today, the Ivory Coast is known for it’s cocoa and coffee exports.

Security here is erratic - it’s best to do research close to the time of your trip and to stay abreast of local news as you travel. While most travelers find the Cote d’Ivoire safe and fascinating, there are sometimes significant episodes of violence in the country.

In the villages of the Ivory Coast, sitting down to a meal is the best way to bring the community together. Even when a meal is meager, it is the family feeling around the table that can make a meal good. Ivorians eat with their right hand scooping up rice or meat and dipping it in sauce.

The national dish, fufu, is cassava or plantains pounded out to form a sticky, sweet dough and then served with seasoned meats and/or a vegetable sauce of okra or tomatoes. It’s a highly changeable dish based on the availability of each item, but the basics are the same - a sweet dough mixed with a savory meat or veggie with some sauce.

Cassava is a staple in the Ivory Coast. As the country has plunged into economic turmoil in the twenty-first century, food is sometimes tough to come by for locals, especially pricey meats. Cassava is cheap, nourishing, and easily adaptable to many dishes.

Explore the rainforest in Parc National de Taï. As you hike, look for leopards, chimpanzees, and hippos. The park is one of the last remaining areas of the Upper Guinean rainforest, which once stretched across many countries in West Africa. Many endangered species call it home like the Olive Colobus monkey. The forest requires our protection as it is filled not only with endangered animals, but also with plants that offer unknown potential for curing illnesses and feeding people. Many tribal people in the Ivory Coast still practice traditional medicine with items from the forest, including a treatment for malaria from the bark of the Korina tree.

The Ivory Coast is also known for its coast. Head to the white, sandy beaches to swim in the Atlantic or just take a long walk. You’ll encounter local fisherman in the calmer waters and surfers where the waves are bigger.

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