🇨🇮 Sailing to Africa: Côte d'Ivoire Adventure

This trip's second stop was Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire—4 days & 3 nights of discovery. Now at the airport heading to my next destination, here’s a quick recap! 1️⃣ First Impressions: "Little Paris of West Africa" Compared to Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire is a breath of fresh air 🌟: Smooth immigration, clean airport taxis, and well-maintained roads. Proof that "no comparison, no harm"—this place feels organized and modern! 2️⃣ Safety & Vibe: Walking Freely! No security fences around hotels or shops (some even have glass doors!). First time in Africa I could stroll safely for miles—feels like a Chinese tier-4 city 🚶‍♂️. No loitering crowds—just normal street life. 3️⃣ Construction Boom: Skyscrapers & Confidence "West Africa’s tallest tower" (Africa’s #2!) is rising here 🏗️. Chinese construction firms everywhere—even a red high-rise resembling Shenzhen’s Bank of China Tower! Skyscrapers = Reliable electricity (or elevators would fail!). 4️⃣ Chinese Influence: Brands & Business BYD, Haier, TCL billboards—even Xiaomi phones in stores. Transsion (Tecno/Infinix) still dominates, but competition is growing. Motorcycles & tuk-tuks (many from a Guangzhou-based company). Chinese supermarkets (prices 2-3x China’s though 😅). 5️⃣ Modern Conveniences: Like Home! Supermarkets = Same as China’s tier-3/4 cities (well-stocked!). Mobile payments thriving (thanks to France’s Orange telecom). 6️⃣ Chinese Food: Taste of Home Tried 3 types: 1️⃣ "Hipster" Shiguang Xiaoyuan 🍵 2️⃣ Business-class "Beijing Hotel" 🥢 3️⃣ Street-side Lanzhou Noodles 🍜 All delicious! (Clearly catering to expats—reputation matters.) 7️⃣ Coastal Drive: Untapped Beauty Scenic highway like Xiamen’s Island Ring Road—but undeveloped. Met a 70+yo Chinese traveler who’s visited 100+ countries—true modern-day Xu Xiake! 8️⃣ Nigeria vs. Côte d'Ivoire: Future Potential Nigeria has 10x the population—imagine its potential if it matched Ivorian stability! #CôteDivoire #Abidjan #AfricaRising #TravelDeep 🌍✨