Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast, or Côte d'Ivoire, stood out as one of West Africa's most vibrant and culturally rich nations.

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From the world's biggest producer of cocoa to the world's largest cathedral, It's a place where we took the TVS Apache into bustling, modern cityscapes seamlessly merge with ancient traditions, and lush tropical forests give way to open savannahs scattered with centuries-old craft villages.

A quick four-day journey was enough to experience a remarkable cross-section of the country. This includes the energetic pulse of Abidjan, known for its lively lagoon-side areas and dynamic nightlife. We also visited the monumental prestige of Yamoussoukro, home to world's largest basilica by area and stately ceremonial boulevards. We also immersed ourselves in the artistic heart of Korhogo, the ancestral home of the Sénoufo people, famous for their legendary masks and exquisite woodcraft.

Seen on this page is a village beach in Ivory Coast with few of the locals.

Ivory Coast has a pretty solid road setup, one of the best in West Africa, actually. They've got over 80,000 km of roads connecting all the key places. The real star is the Autoroute du Nord (A1), a modern toll road that runs from Abidjan up through Yamoussoukro, and keeps going toward Bouaké and Korhogo. That highway made our long-haul ride on the TVS Apache surprisingly quick and smooth. We were genuinely impressed with the road quality and how decent the drivers were! Once you get out of the big cities, you hit the national (N) and regional (R) highways. These link up the cocoa farms, savannah towns, and cultural spots. The surfaces can be a mixed bag, some parts are freshly paved, but you'll definitely find some worn-out or unsealed sections, too.

Grand Bassam