Experience in Abidjan, Ivory Coast by Yann-Ange

How was the town of Abidjan as a place to live? Would you recommend it? What is the town like?

Abidjan is a very pleasant and vibrant town. You feel incredibly welcome there and it's very easy to meet the locals. I strongly recommend visiting, especially for a holiday because the beach is relatively close and the weather is amazing! (between 23° and 27° the whole year round).

Source

What's the student life like in Abidjan?

Studying in the Ivory Coast is very difficult, the level is notably higher than in France, with a success rate of around 25%. Of course it all depends on which institution you choose as well as which subjects. The Felix Houphoet Boigny University has been completely renovated and I think that everything should be correct.

Regarding the student lifestyle, I can't give much information because I only went to the Lycée Français, although the student life there was absolutely brilliant.

Generally, the atmosphere in Abidjan is like a party, the Ivorians love to laugh, dance, hit the club and "make a spectacle", so it's literally impossible to get bored.

What is the cost of living in Abidjan?

Living in Abidjan is very expensive except in a few areas.

Food there is quite cheap, restaurants and fast food places (mostly Lebanese) are always full. The taxis are very affordable but avoid the buses and "Warrens" (yellow taxis which aren't very safe). However, leisure activities are less affordable than in France (pools, hotels, nights out and certain sports) and above all, the telephones are overpriced.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Abidjan? Do you have any advice?

Accommodation is saturated in Abidjan, I would advise you to seek out an agency, which is more expensive due to their fees, but this decreases the risk of scams.

On the other hand I believe that a student housing project is currently being constructed, but you'd have to find out for yourself. The rent prices are fair because many Ivorians own their own housing and the size of properties is usually quite generous.

How is the food in the town? What are your favourite dishes?

The food is excellent and relatively cheap. The dishes I love the most are 'Alloko' (fried plantain banana), char-grilled chicken (made in a way you can't describe and which is impossible to reproduce elsewhere), chicken Choukouya (indescribable), Garba (salted fish with cassava) and too many sauces to count.

Source

Which places do you recommend seeing in Abidjan?

Abidjan is not a very touristy town, for tourists I would advise visiting San Pedro for example.

Abidjan is made for partying! You need to go to Life Star, Mix etc. You just need to ask when you get there and believe me, the invitations will come flooding in.

I like the Ivory Hotel in the evenings because of its stunning view over the town which looks magnificent as the sun goes down.

Above all I advise you to go to Bassam and Assinie which are not too far from Abidjan and have kilometres of amazing beaches.

And if you want to eat in Abidjan? Can you tell us about your favourite places?

I recommend going to the 'Maquis', these are African restaurants which make the best food. My favourite places are: 'Le 331', the 'Maquis du Val', both of which are at Cocody, and another one next to the Hyppopotamus at Plateaux, the name of which I've forgotten but this one is my favourite due to its setting and atmosphere.

I recommend trying the Lebanese food, it's really delicious (Lebanese food in Abidjan is the equivalent of Indian food in London! ), and the Automatic at Deux Plateaux is definitely one of my favourites.

It's stupid to go to Africa just to eat boring fried chicken! Try the Lebanese food, you won't be disappointed.

Which places do you recommend for going out in Abidjan?

Life Star and Mix are the hottest clubs at the moment, besides those there is Hollywood Boulevard, which is a very nice bar/restaurant at Deux Plateaux with quite a young clientele.

Source

What advice do you want to give to future Erasmus students in Abidjan?

Abidjan really is a place for having fun, the weather there is perfect and the locals are incredibly welcoming. I would just advise against visiting certain areas, such as Yopougon and Treicheville, at night because if you don't know them well you could easily run into trouble. I recommend Deux Plateaux, Cocody and above all Bietry, which is eccentric but overflowing with beautiful people.

Switch on the taxi meter the first time you go somewhere, it'll give you an idea of the prices, another great thing about Abidjan is that you can negotiate!