Huge, glitzy and crime ridden, Abidjan was an unimportant town until 1951, when the French finished the Vridi Canal connecting Abidjan's lagoon with the ocean. This instantly gave the city an excellent harbour, and since then the population has skyrocketed to almost 3 million people, spread out over four peninsulas around the lagoon.Known as the 'Paris of West Africa', Abidjan has a lot of French people but also attracts Africans from neighbouring countries, making it the region's most cosmopolitan city. Many travellers see only the wealthy side, especially Le Plateau, the central, high-rise commercial area, and Cocody, the posh residential section where you'll find the imperial Hôtel Ivoire. The sections where ordinary people live, such as Treichville, Marcory and Adjamé, are far more interesting. Linked to Le Plateau by two major bridges, Treichville is where you'll find most of the nightclubs.Hôtel Ivoire, West Africa's most famous hotel, is the city's number one attraction. It boasts everything from a swimming pool, ice-skating rink, bowling alley, cinema and casino to a major art shop in the basement. The city's eye-catching, modern St Paul's Cathedral, outdone only by another in the capital Yamoussoukro, is worth checking out for a trip up the tower. It was grandly designed by an Italian and consecrated by the Pope in 1985.On the north-western edge of town is the Parc du Banco, a rainforest reserve and a pleasant, cool place for a walk. Several hundred metres beyond the dirt road entrance is Africa's largest outdoor launderette, an unforgettable spectacle where hundreds of fanicos (washermen) jam together in the middle of a stream to wash clothes. They're there every day, frantically rubbing garments on huge stones held in place by old car tyres and then spreading the clothes over rocks and grass for half a kilometre, never getting them mixed up.Bear in mind that since the late 1980s, Abidjan has had one of the worst reputations for crime in West Africa, and no part of town is considered safe enough to wander around alone after dark.

The Man region in the central-western section of Côte d'Ivoire is a sweeping vista of lush green hills, known for its first rate market (in the town of Man), distinct village masks and the Yacouba stilt dancers who perform during the annual Fêtes des Masques (Festival of Masks). Each village in Man has several representative masks that are used for rituals.The town of Man is nothing special outside of its daily market, but it does make a good base for exploring the region, especially La Cascade, an often visited waterfall in a bamboo forest 5km (3mi) west of town. The base of Mt Tonkoui, the second highest peak in Côte d'Ivoire, is 15km (9mi) north of La Cascade. Liberia and Guinea are visible from the top. Hikers also love the steep, tooth-shaped mountain La Dent de Man (Tooth of Man) - the guardian angel of the region. The other main attractions of the area are the villages: an interesting 275km (170mi) circular route north from Man takes in Biankouma, Gouéssésso, Sipitou and Danané.Man is approximately 450km (280mi) north-west of Abidjan. Air Ivoire has flights from Abidjan to Man twice a week. A few bus companies and bush taxis make the long journey several times a day.

Taï National Park is one of the last remaining areas of virgin rainforest in West Africa. You'll see trees up to 50m (165ft) high, with massive trunks and huge supporting roots. Walking through a primary forest is a unique experience: the towering trees, hanging lianas, swift streams and resident wildlife combine to create a peaceful and, dare we say it, enchanting environment. Researchers have spent decades studying the park's chimpanzees - who, they've found, have imaginative ways of hunting for monkeys.The park is in a very rainy and humid area, so the best time to visit is during the dry spell from December to February. A permit from the Ministère des Eaux et Forêts in Abidjan is required and strictly enforced. Getting to the park isn't easy. The best way is to take a tag team of bus, then a bush taxi, then a minibus from Man (450km/280mi north-west of Abidjan) or San Pédro (280km/175mi west of Abidjan) to Guiglo and onward to the town of Taï and then hitch a ride for the 30km (19mi) leg to the park's research station.

Yamoussoukro became the capital in 1983, but it's the capital in name only. Starting in the 1960s, President Houphouët-Boigny began spending lavishly on his native village. The result is a wasteful, bizarre example of what not to do with a lot of money. There are deserted, eight lane highways lined with over 10,000 lights and avenues that end in the jungle. Virtually no traditional African houses are left; Houphouët-Boigny replaced them with concrete middle class structures. At the same time there's no city like it in Africa, and the core centre is a lot livelier at night than its grandiose, impersonal appearance suggests.The dazzling centrepiece of it all is the Basilique de Notre Dame de la Paix, an overly long name for an almost exact replica of St Peter's in Rome. Built in only three years, the basilica is the tallest church in all of Christendom - which is probably meaningless to a country with few Catholics. Size and shape aside, what you'll remember most are the 36 immense stained glass windows, all hand blown in France. All in all, not bad for US$300 million, a sum equalling half the national budget deficit.Yamoussoukro is about 200km (125mi) north-west of Abidjan. Connections in all directions are easy because of its central location. Buses tend to be the best, quickest and cheapest form of transport for getting there and around.