Not to miss

Sassandra

Sassandra is best known for its wonderful beaches. But what makes it special is that it's also an ethnic Fanti fishing village, with an active port and a scenic river to explore. If you're up to trying some highly recommended bangui (palm wine), there's plenty of it here.

Abidjan

Abidjan has one of west Africa's most cosmopolitan blends; it has a lot of French people but also attracts Africans from neighbouring countries. Many travellers see only the wealthy side, but the sections where ordinary people live remain pure Africa - poor but vital.

Huge, glitzy and crime ridden, Abidjan was an unimportant town until 1951, when the French finished a canal connecting Abidjan's lagoon with the ocean. This gave the city an instant harbour, and since then the population has skyrocketed to almost 3 million people.

Abdijan can cause some culture shock if you've become accustomed to the more dilapidated capitals of neighbouring states. The city is characterised by sharp contrasts between affluence and poverty, ankle-deep mud and six-lane highways, straw-roofed huts and multistorey buildings, Paris fashions and rags.

Parc National de la Comoë

Côte d'Ivoire's biggest and best-known national park has plenty of wildlife, including lions, elephants, hippos, many species of monkeys and antelopes, and abundant birdlife. It's been inaccessible since the civil war began; in times of peace you can visit but visitors need a vehicle.

Basilique de Notre Dame de la Paix

Félix Houphouët-Boigny's vanity project symbolises the tragedy of Ivorian history. It was the world's largest Christian place of worship when it was built. It was modelled on Rome's St Peter's, although the dome is slightly shorter due to a papal intervention. And of course it cost a fortune. Bring your passport - you may be asked to leave it at the gate.

Grand Bassam

Fading colonial glory and long stretches of beach lined with hotels and seafood restaurants are the main attractions at this popular getaway. On the weekends visitors used to pack the hotels and beaches, but now most expats seek sun elsewhere.