Activities
Parc du Banco in Abidjan is a great place for walking. You can trek through virgin rainforest in Taï National Park, located in the south-western corner of the country. The hiking is good on tall Mt Tonkoui and steep La Dent de Man in the central-western Man region. The best coastal areas lie west of Abidjan. Grand-Lahou is one of the best spots in the country for surfing. There are also big waves further west at Plage Le Bivouac in Sassandra; the swimming is better at adjacent Poly-Plage. The country's best beaches for sun worshipping are in Grand-Béréby, a fishing village 340km (210mi) west of Abidjan near the Liberian border.
Events
One of Côte d'Ivoire's most famous festivals is the Fêtes des Masques (Festival of Masks), which takes place in villages in the Man region each February. Another important event is carnival in Bouaké each March. If you're here in April, don't miss the Fête du Dipri in Gomon. This festival starts around midnight, when women and children sneak out of their huts and, naked, carry out nocturnal rites to exorcise the village of evil spells. Before sunrise the chief appears, drums pound and villagers go into trances. The frenzy continues until late afternoon of the next day. The major Muslim holiday is Ramadan, a month (around December) when everyone fasts between sunup and sunset in accordance with the fourth pillar of Islam. Ramadan ends with a huge feast, Eid al-Fitr, where everyone prays together, visits friends, gives presents and stuffs themselves. National Day is 7 December.
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on Aug 26, 2002
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