Vacations are finally here. Swarms of tourists are heading to Miami to enjoy the Magic City.
My heart is already in Ivory Coast. I imagine what our vacations will look like once we get there. Which underrated places in Africa will we explore? Which cities and countries do I want to (re)visit when we are based in Abidjan?
Today I take you with me in my daydreams! And I share with you ideas for some seriously underrated places to visit in Africa, specifically West Africa.
Côte d’Ivoire, one of the most underrated places to visit in Africa
Korhogo
One of the first cities that I want to revisit when we are in Ivory Coast is Korhogo. When we were little, my sister and I traveled there with my mother. My memory boils down to the red dirt roads and the famous weavers.
But Korhogo has since grown a lot. The city is one of the sites that will host the AfCoN (African Cup of Nation) in 2023. Several hotels have opened their doors. Among them is the Lokoli eco-farm, a resort one hour from Korhogo, which is definitely on my list of places to visit.
Other places of interest in Korhogo:
-
Mount Korhogo.
-
The sacred huts of Niofoin.
-
The Peleforo Gbon Coulibaly museum, which reopened recently. The building was built in 1950 and was the residence of the head of the province of Korhogo, Peleforo Gbon Coulibaly.
-
The sculptors’ quarter.
-
The Sacred Rocks of Shenlo.
-
The traditional granite quarry.
San Pedro
In all the years I have lived in Abidjan, I have never, ever set foot in San Pedro!
San Pedro is a beautiful seaside city six hours drive from Abidjan.
For a long time, Monogaga, a small fisherman village, forty kilometers from San Pedro was a popular destination, especially for the expat community. Monogaga was even the inspiration for a Meiway (a popular Ivorian singer) song. But for a few years now, it seems that Monogaga has been neglected by its hordes of tourists (could this be a blessing in disguise when you think of damages overtourism can cause to the environment?).
Anyway, I can’t wait to discover with my own eyes what makes the beauty and attraction of this region of Côte d’Ivoire.
Other attractions to visit in and around San Pedro:
-
Taki Bay
-
Sassandra Bay
-
The ruins of the Governor’s Palace, which would offer a beautiful view of the bay
-
Sassandra’s wharf
-
The natural pools of Grand Bereby
Daloa and the Bété region
The west central region of Côte d’Ivoire has a special meaning for me. It’s the land of my ancestors, where my mother was born. I’ve only been there once, and I only have very vague memories of it.
I would love to go back and discover the region with my adult eyes.
Daloa is supposed to be the third most populated city in Ivory Coast, after Abidjan and Bouaké.
It’s not really a tourist town so the idea would be more to walk around and discover the town and its surroundings. There is also an artisanal craft center in Daloa.
Between Daloa and Yamoussoukro, is the Marahoué Park, one of the eight national parks of Côte d’Ivoire.
Three hours south of Daloa is Soubré, which is also on my destination list. In addition to visiting the city, I would love to visit the Nawa Falls and the Soubré Dam, one of the largest in West Africa.
Man
Man, a city in the west of the Ivory Coast is also on my list of underrated places to visit. Man is located in one of the most gorgeous regions of Côte d’Ivoire, in the department of 18 mountains. I also visited that area when I was younger with my mother and my sister. And I have precious memories!
I mainly remember the liana bridges and the spectacular waterfalls!
I hope I can rediscover the region and share with my family what my mother had shared with us at the time.
I also look forward to exploring Tai National Park.
4 Other Underrated Places to Visit in Africa
Now let’s leave Côte d’Ivoire to venture into West Africa.
African destination not to be missed: Senegal
The first African country on my list is Senegal! Maybe it’s because of all the vlogs on YouTube, or because of all the episodes of Maitresse d’un homme marié that I watched, but I can’t wait to discover Sénégal. Dakar is calling me!
Plus, between Saint Louis, the island of Gorée, the Saly seaside resort, the Casamance region and the pink lake, I think I will need more than one trip to discover all the treasures of Senegal.
A surprising African destination: Guinea-Conakry
This is another country neighboring Côte d’Ivoire, which I don’t know much about but that I also discovered through vlogs on YouTube.
I would especially love to visit the capital Conakry and the surrounding islands, the Loos islands and the islands. I would also love to see the Soumba waterfalls which is about 3 hours from Conakry.
Cultural African destination: Benin
This country represents the other half of my origins. I visited it twice when I was young, the last visit being almost 3 decades ago!
The country has changed since then. Cotonou, the capital city, has developed. I would love to show my daughter this part of her background. Benin is full of culture.
Ouidah, Abomey, Ganvié, Porto-Novo are some of the towns that I would like to (re)visit once there.
Ghana
Although being the last country on my list, Ghana will surely be one of the first countries we visit once we are in Côte d’Ivoire, because of its proximity to Abidjan. I imagine short trips, the time of a long weekend to explore Accra, its beaches, its historic Jamestown district and its trendy shops and chic restaurants.
There you go friends! I hope this article will give you serious wanderlust and some great ideas for underrated places to visit in Africa.
Which African country are you planning to visit soon?
Send me your recommendations at backtotheotherland@gmail.Com or on Instagram @backtotheotherland. Subscribe to my account if you want to see behind the scenes of my return to Africa!
See you next time!
