Category Archives: Tourism

Abidjan v Lusaka

It’s been almost half a year now that we’ve been living in Lusaka, Zambia, and as with previous moves around Africa, I thought it would be interesting to spotlight a few differences compared with Abidjan. Development wise, there are a … Continue reading

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Seeing Abidjan with Freetown eyes

I’ve written a couple of blog posts in the past comparing Abidjan and Freetown (post1, post2). Travelling between two such cities would be an effective antidote for anyone who thinks you can treat African countries and cities as being basically … Continue reading

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What’s it like to live in Abidjan?

Around West Africa it’s common to meet expat aid workers who’ve spent time in Abidjan. I’m biased, but in all honesty, I’ve never heard anything negative and many people talk about the experience as one of the highlights of their … Continue reading

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Thoughts on Dakar

After a week with the family in Abidjan, I’m now in Dakar for a workshop. It’s my first proper time in the city; my only previous visit was passing through on the way to cover the Guinea-Bissau presidential elections in … Continue reading

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Freetown and Abidjan

Almost four weeks in Freetown, so perhaps time for a few comparative thoughts. I won’t compare with my last place of residence, Dubai; I did spot ‘Freetown Mall’ here, but the only thing it has in common with Dubai Mall … Continue reading

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Ivory Coast and Ebola

Ivorians take the threat of Ebola extremely seriously, and according to many predictions there’s a strong chance the country will soon register cases. A look at regional contagion maps shows a number cases in parts of Liberia along the shared border, while … Continue reading

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Visiting Europe

For Ivorians wanting to visit friends and family in Europe, getting a visa is usually an incredible headache. You might think that if you’re married to a citizen of that benighted continent things would get a lot easier – surprisingly … Continue reading

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Impressions in Abidjan

This blog post should have been written fresh from Abidjan, but sadly my thoughts have gathered dust, and almost certainly much has been forgotten. In April I was back in Abidjan for a three week holiday, almost 1.5 years since … Continue reading

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Life without AC

It’s great to be back in Abidjan for a few weeks, even if it is the hottest month. Of course people think Dubai is always scorching hot, when in fact it’s far cooler than Abidjan at this time of year, … Continue reading

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Where to live in Abidjan?

Perhaps I’m feeling inspired answering questions from my replacement who is about to move to Abidjan, but this is something I’ve been asked about a few times. I saw something on Facebook that is quite useful, which I’ll translate for … Continue reading

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