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Hey you! How about we travel together? I bet you like the idea! So fasten your seatbelt and hold on tight, we’re taking off for Ivory Coast ✈️! ( and in addition with me, no economy class, we travel in first class )
We’ll start at the beginning.
The Ivory Coast 🇮🇪 is a magnificent country in West Africa with a population of about 28 million, and its political capital is, Yamoussoukro; and its economic capital, Abidjan (where the heart of the action is ).
But look, I’m not here to give you a history-geo class 🙄. Let’s get down to business.
Why this country ? let me show you a little overview in a few points:
How do we know her ?
🍫 Give me a C, give me an O, give me a COA… Give me cocoa. World’s largest cocoa producer, impressive isn’t it? You can thank them for the extra pounds!
⚽️ When I say football, who do you think of ? Yes, I know that we all thought of the same person. On the count of three, we say it together ! 1,2… DIDIER DROGBA!!! Sorry, I couldn’t wait. Personally, it’s not for football that I watch DD.I say that, I say nothing!
🎶 And finally, its ambiance ! Especially the musical ambiance, because indeed it's the creative country of the Coupé-décalé, a very rhythmic musical genre appeared in the 2000s and popularized internationally thanks to one of its pioneers Dj Arafat.
I know that this point has already aroused your curiosity, but wait to see what happens next!
A culinary wealth
Yes it is true, they are the world’s leading cocoa producers and yet this is not their culinary particularity.
As I love eating, I could talk to you about Ivorian cuisine all day, but I will make an effort and present you only some of their best dishes.
The Alloco 🍌
One of the simplest dishes but so good, the photo speaks for itself ! A dish based on fried plantain very often accompanied by a homemade tomato sauce and optional meat, fish or egg. A M-A-S-S-A-C-R-E !
The Garba 🦈
Dish based on attiéké (cassava semolina typical of West African countries) accompanied by marinated and fried tuna fish, and condiments (minced tomato and marinated raw onions).
For the more courageous, we can add to the condiments, minced fresh chilli 🌶.
Personally, I am a sissy but you, do yourself a favor if you want ! At your own risk, you can’t say I didn’t warn you 🤧.
Bissap and ginger juice (or gnanmankoudji, which only experts can pronounce)🧃
Not a lot of choice for sweet palates but I found you two little wonders.
Two simple drinks based on hibiscus leaves or fresh ginger.
Although they have several ways of being made, the base remains the same, water and hibiscus/ginger; and the taste is almost all the time excellent 😋.
As for ginger, watch out for the small natures, it's also slightly spicy and also treats sore throat very well. Plus, he has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac this little rascal 🔥.
Already satisfied ? You can’t tell me that, because I still have to feed your eyes or I didn’t do my job right !
Breathtaking tourist spots 🤩
The Basilica of Yamoussoukro 💒
The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is the most spacious Christian basilica in the world.
Its construction between 1986 and 1989, was decided by the founding father and first president of the country, Félix Houphouët-Boigny who then left it as a legacy. It is a replica of the famous Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome 🇮🇹.
Its main architect is the Lebanese Pierre Fakhoury and the interior measures more than 8,000 square meters.
Its particularity? His thousands of stained glass windows depict various scenes from the Old and New Testaments, including the creation, birth of Jesus and a window depicting the first president of Côte d'Ivoire, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, kneeling before Jesus.
Do you know that the Pope did not believe in this project at all? (yes because there was a history of plagiarism, all that…) and yet they did it and made it beautiful.
A place to add to your list of places to visit.
In fact, I would have been the wonder of the world, but unfortunately, it is not my responsibility.
Anyway, I feel like National Geographic here 🙄.
Assinie 🌴
Assinie, is a popular locality in the southeast of Côte d'Ivoire, and remains today one of the privileged destinations of Abidjan's peoples and foreigners for the weekend.
Combining comfort, ambiance and fun, this is one of my favorite places.
Nothing more to say, the perfect image of the word “chill”.
The Bay of Sirens in Grand Bereby 🧜♀️
Grand-Béréby is a small town known for its beautiful sandy beaches, but much less frequented than those of Assinie. This city remains a real little paradise planted in the middle of nowhere, with the charm of these inaccessible places that few people have the chance to know. And at the heart of this preserved and isolated environment, is an exceptional hotel: the Bay of Mermaids.
With its small bungalows on a hill that culminates the ocean, its tropical environment, its calm lulled by the singing of birds and the dance of waves… The Bay of Mermaids ranks among the best places to stay in Ivory Coast.
You understand me, the ivory coast has nothing to envy of Miami!
That’s it ! If after all this, I haven’t convinced you to visit, I’ll drop the case 🤷🏾♀️ !
Just one last word before I say goodbye. Never forget this Ivorian saying “Babi is the sweetest in the world” which means that there are no better places than Abidjan. Not at all pretentious these Ivorians! 🤗❤️
Little extra: I invite you to take a tour on the YouTube channel “Crazy Sally” which recently started a category of videos called “Motherland” in which it presents several African countries in the form of vlogs.