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Country Guide > Africa > Cote d'Ivoire | |
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Social Profile Food & Drink Abidjan and other centres have restaurants serving Caribbean, French, Italian, Lebanese and Vietnamese food. There is a growing number of African restaurants catering for foreigners. Traditional dishes are kedjenou (chicken cooked with different vegetables and sealed in banana leaves), n’voufou (mashed bananas or yam mixed with palm oil and served with aubergine sauce) and attieké (cassava dish). The best area for spicy African food is the Treichville district of Abidjan. The blue pages of the Abidjan telephone book have a special restaurant section. There are no restrictions on drinking. Bangui is a local palm wine. Nightlife There are nightclubs in most major centres. Abidjan is the most lively area with its hotels and lagoon-side tourist resorts. There are also theatres, casinos and bars. Traditional entertainment is offered in some hotels. Shopping In the markets, hard bargaining is often necessary to get prices down to reasonable levels. Special purchases include wax prints, Ghanaian kente cloth, indigo fabric and woven cloth, wooden statuettes and masks, bead necklaces, pottery and basketware. Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1430-1830, Sat 0800-1200 and 1500-1900. Special Events For a full list of festivals and other special events to be held in Côte d’Ivoire, contact the Embassy, Consulate or the Office Ivoirien du Tourisme et de l’Hôtellerie (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events occurring in Côte d’Ivoire in 2005: Feb Festival of Masks, Man Region. Mar Bouaké Carnival. Apr Fête du Dipri, Gomon. Oct 22-24 Eid el-Fitr (End of Ramadan), nationwide. Dec 7 National Day Celebrations. Social Conventions One of the most striking features of Côte d’Ivoire, distinguishing it from many other African countries, is the extreme ethnic and linguistic variety. The size of each of the 60 groups – which include the Akar, Kron, Nzima, Hone, Voltaic and Malinke peoples – varies widely and the area they occupy may cover a whole region. With very few exceptions every Ivoirian has a mother tongue which is that of the village, along with traditions, family and social relations within their ethnic group. French has become the official language of schools, cities and government and therefore has an influence on lifestyle even at a modest level. Handshaking is normal. Tropical lightweight clothes are essential, a light raincoat in the rainy season and a hat for the sun. Casual wear is widely acceptable but beachwear should be confined to the beach or poolside. Dress tends to err on conservative - men wearing long trousers and women wearing knee-length or longer skirts, dresses and trousers. Ties need only be worn for formal occasions. Small tokens of appreciation, a souvenir from home or a business gift with the company logo are always welcome. Normal courtesies should be observed and it is considered polite to arrive punctually for social occasions. There are no restrictions on smoking. Snakes are regarded as sacred by some ethnic groups. Tipping: Most hotels and restaurants include a service charge in the bill; if not, 15 per cent is acceptable. |