The unit of currency in Cote d'Ivoire is the West African CFA franc (XOF), which is the principal currency for all of French-speaking West Africa. It is linked with the Central African CFA franc (XAF) at a rate of one-to-one. However, you can't make payments with the Central African CFA in the West African CFA zone or vice versa.
Generally Monday-Friday 7:45-11:30 am and 2:30-4:30 pm.
A service charge is normally included in the bill. If not, tip 10% in restaurants. Taxi drivers usually receive a 10% tip.
December-February is the best overall time to see the country. Inland, any time August-February is okay (it's hotter and rainier March-July). On the coast, the weather is most comfortable December-March and July-September. The interior and north have warmer days (generally in the 80s F/28-32 C), cooler nights and relatively less humidity. The climate can, however, be hot and sticky at times.
International flights serve Abidjan's Felix Houphouet-Boigny Airport (ABJ), which is 10 mi/16 km southeast of town. Airlines serving Cote d'Ivoire include Air Burkina, Air France, Egyptair, Kenya Airways, South African Airways and Trans African Airlines. Buses and group taxis offer service between major destinations within the country. Before buying a bus ticket, check to be sure that it's for one of the better buses (the older ones can be awful). For both the buses and the group taxis, inquire beforehand about when they will leave. Some won't depart until they're full, though others leave at regularly scheduled times.
There's daily rail service from Abidjan to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with stops in Bouake, Ferkessedougou, Banfora and Bobo-Dioulasso. Taxis in Abidjan are readily available and moderately priced. Rental cars are available in Abidjan, but they're expensive (an international driver's license is needed to rent a car). We recommend getting a car with a driver. Most Abidjan roads are paved, and an excellent network of roads links virtually all major towns. The unpaved roads are dusty during the dry season and muddy-to-impassable during the rainy season, so four-wheel-drive vehicles are essential for trips into isolated areas.
Tourist Offices
Abidjan: Office du Tourisme, Second Floor, ex-EECI Building, Place de la Republique, Abidjan 01 B.P. 8538, Cote d'Ivoire. Phone 2025-1600. Fax 2032-0388. http://www.tourismeci.org.
Embassies of Cote d'Ivoire
Canada: Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire, 9 Marlborough Ave., Ottawa, ON K1N 8E6. Phone 613-236-9919. Fax 613-563-8287.
U.K.: Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire, 2 Upper Belgrave St., London SW1X 8BJ. Phone 20-7201-9601. Fax 20-7462-0087.
U.S.: Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire, 2424 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20008. Phone 202-797-0030. Fax 202-244-3088.
Cote d'Ivoire does not have diplomatic representation in Australia.
Foreign embassies serving Cote d'Ivoire
The British Embassy has currently suspended its operations in Abidjan. Visa and consular services are being provided from Accra, Ghana. The Canadian Embassy in Abidjan provides consular services to Australians.
Canadian Embassy, Trade Centre Building, 23 Ave. Nogues, Plateau, Abidjan (mail address: 01 B.P. 4104, Abidjan). Phone 2030-0700. Fax 2030-0720.
British Embassy, Immeuble les Harmonies, Angle Boulevard Carde et Avenue Dr. Jamot, Plateau, Abidjan (mail address: 01 B.P. 2581, Abidjan). Phone 2022-6850. Fax 2022-3221.
U.S. Embassy, 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mail address: 01 B.P. 1712, Abidjan). Phone 2021-0979. Fax 2022-3259. http://abidjan.usembassy.gov.
Parallel Worlds by Alma Gottlieb and Philip Graham (University of Chicago Press). An account of life among the Beng people of Cote d'Ivoire.
Finding the Center: Two Narratives by V.S. Naipaul (Knopf). Although now dated, this autobiographical essay provides an interesting look at life in the nation's capital.
The Black Cloth by Bernard Dadie (University of Massachusetts Press). A collection of folktales by Cote d'Ivoire's most famous writer.
