A surprisingly diverse country both ecologically and culturally, Cote d’Ivoire was once the economic miracle of West Africa but has seen few visitors since it has been devastated by war.

Southern Cote d’Ivoire once had the largest forests in West Africa, but very little of them remains. The drier north is savannah land. A coastal lagoon stretches from the Ghanaian border across half the country, and in the west, around Man, several mountains rise over 1000 meters. Wildlife has taken a hit with the conversion to cropland, though the birdlife remains rich.

Cote d’Ivoire’s dismal environmental record got much worse with the war, but tai National Park has largely escaped the destruction. The 454.000 hectare World Heritage Site protects one of West Africa’s largest remaining patches of virgin rainforest. While the war has taken a toll, the World Wildlife Fund and other outside agencies have kept the anti-poaching patrols active and visits are still possible.