Abidjan, the old capital of Ivory Coast, is still breathlessly trying to gauge how its population soared from 60,000 to two million in just 50 years. Cathedrals of glass and steel standing alongside coconut trees and frangipani give the impression of a boulevard-style of life that belies the country's political, and economic troubles.
Magic and mysticism abound in the Ivory Coast. The mountains around Touba are home to the stilt-walkers whose dance steps are reputed to be set by the gods and in villages of the Man region, muscle-bound men juggle specially trained five-year-old girls in the air in traditional rites.
Over 60 ethnic groups make up the country's cultural mix. In the years since independence, the colonial influence of the French has almost melted away, though the memory of the country's unifying leader, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who died in 1993, is still revered.
The Parc National de Taï is West Africa's largest rainforest. The animals are plentiful, but unused to people and shy, so those that spot any monkey-hunting chimpanzees, or forest elephants, pygmy hippos and rhinos, will have cause to celebrate - quietly.
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