Abidjan might be called "The Paris of Western Africa", but this is Western Africa nevertheless so if you are searching for Parisian standards, the locals also will probably start searching with you. Having said that, Abidjan is a fairly developed city and has its own share of posh areas and hangouts. You anyway have to put up with some quintessential African-ness if you are visiting Abidjan, so it is good to be well-equipped with the following must-haves.
1. A Strong Nose
Abidjan smells. It smells so bad that it leaves your shoes and clothes smelling long after you are off the road. I don't know what causes this stink, but it is omnipresent and hits your nose hard. If you also use a no-breathing till the smell goes away technique like I used to, you would probably die of lack of breath here. That doesn't work here...it smells everywhere. People don't mind if you cover your nose though, I guess.
2. Haggling Skills
Cab drivers, local markets, shops, restaurants... you have to haggle everywhere. You could choose to skip this part, but only if you are okay with having a big dent in your wallet. Haggling is very common in the whole of Africa, and Abidjan is no exception. Bargaining sometimes can reduce the price up to half or even less than half of what was originally quoted.
3. Being an early-riser
Abidjan rises early and sleeps early. Almost all commercial establishments open around 8-9 am and close at 6 pm. Some places even close as early as 3 pm. The Cap Sud mall, the largest mall in Abidjan with the largest supermarket in the city(Hyper Hayat) is open until 8 pm. Even then, you can see shops shutting down around 7 pm, if there are no customers inside.
4. Maneuvering through traffic / Being patient while stuck in traffic
This is true of most big cities during rush hour. In Abidjan, a 5-6 km distance could take anywhere between 1 hour to 1.5 hours by car. This is because the city has grown in a single direction in the past decade, so if you are going towards traffic, you are likely to get stuck. for hours.
5. Tolerance to noise
This city is noisy. You can see people yelling(talking) to each other from across the road and when you visit the local markets, you are likely to get a heart attack when someone shouts "my lady!" right into your ear. The locals are generally courteous to foreigners, but if you hear over-enthusiastic hellos, just politely smile and walk away.
Do you have anything to add to this list?
1. A Strong Nose
Abidjan smells. It smells so bad that it leaves your shoes and clothes smelling long after you are off the road. I don't know what causes this stink, but it is omnipresent and hits your nose hard. If you also use a no-breathing till the smell goes away technique like I used to, you would probably die of lack of breath here. That doesn't work here...it smells everywhere. People don't mind if you cover your nose though, I guess.
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| Abidjan as seen from the 22nd floor of a building in Le Plateau |
2. Haggling Skills
Cab drivers, local markets, shops, restaurants... you have to haggle everywhere. You could choose to skip this part, but only if you are okay with having a big dent in your wallet. Haggling is very common in the whole of Africa, and Abidjan is no exception. Bargaining sometimes can reduce the price up to half or even less than half of what was originally quoted.
3. Being an early-riser
Abidjan rises early and sleeps early. Almost all commercial establishments open around 8-9 am and close at 6 pm. Some places even close as early as 3 pm. The Cap Sud mall, the largest mall in Abidjan with the largest supermarket in the city(Hyper Hayat) is open until 8 pm. Even then, you can see shops shutting down around 7 pm, if there are no customers inside.
4. Maneuvering through traffic / Being patient while stuck in traffic
This is true of most big cities during rush hour. In Abidjan, a 5-6 km distance could take anywhere between 1 hour to 1.5 hours by car. This is because the city has grown in a single direction in the past decade, so if you are going towards traffic, you are likely to get stuck. for hours.
5. Tolerance to noise
This city is noisy. You can see people yelling(talking) to each other from across the road and when you visit the local markets, you are likely to get a heart attack when someone shouts "my lady!" right into your ear. The locals are generally courteous to foreigners, but if you hear over-enthusiastic hellos, just politely smile and walk away.
Do you have anything to add to this list?
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