Ivory Coast: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Ivory Coast feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 43 written places.
Francophone flair meets West African warmth; greetings are long and meals are shared.
✓ Considered polite
- Greet everyone with a handshake and bonjour, elders first
- Eat at a maquis - the open-air grills serving braised chicken and fish are the heart of Ivorian food
- Use your right hand for eating and passing anything
- Bargain at markets with a smile, starting well below the first price
✗ Better avoided
- Rush greetings - asking after family comes before any request
- Eat or hand over money with your left hand
- Photograph people without asking first
- Address elders by first name - titles and deference matter
Worth knowing
- The West African CFA franc is the currency; cash and mobile money beat cards outside big hotels
- Tipping means rounding up or leaving small change, not a percentage
- Attieke - fermented cassava couscous - is the national side, served with everything grilled
- Abidjan runs late and loud; upcountry towns wake and sleep with the sun
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.