Yamoussoukro



Yamoussoukro is the capital of Côte d'Ivoire and is perhaps the single most bizarre modern city on Earth. It is a large grid of paved streets and lights with almost nothing at all in between them. It would seem that former President Felix Houphouet-Boigny's dream that his home town would become a busy capital city never came to fruition. The streets are now potholed, the lights no longer work and the jungle is reclaiming them in places. Nevertheless "Yam" is worth a visit.

By bus

 * Travel from Abidjan is around 4 hours and costs 4,500 CAF.
 * Travel from Abidjan is around 4 hours and costs 4,500 CAF.

By car
A very good motorway (toll road/Péage) links Yamoussoukro with Abidjan. It takes 2.5 hours by car. It takes 1.5 hours from Bouaké on a potholed road.

By rail
Yamoussoukro is not served by rail. The nearest station is in the town of Dimbokro, about 70 km east of the city. There is about one weekly departure in each direction between Abidjan and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. There's no reason to use the train when travelling from Abidjan but it might be an option if travelling from Burkina Faso.

See
The public gardens, the Fondation Felix Houphouet-Boigny and the old Presidential Palace are all impressive results of public expenditures during Houphouet-Boigny's rule.



Eat
There are restaurants, shops, and street vendors selling local dishes in Yamoussoukro.

There are many beach bars and restaurants at the

Connect
English- and French-language broadcasts are available from BBC World Service on 97.7MHz.

Go next

 * Abidjan
 * Man