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Côte d'Ivoire

Another paradise found in Assinie Mafia

By Crystal Stafford

October 8^th, 2016

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The ivory coast

We needed to get away from Congo for a few days and we needed those days to spent on a beach. Côte d’Ivoire was a logical choice. With a short layover in Lome, Togo, the trip only took about 8 hours all together. Yes, only 8 hours. This is a short trip when going anywhere from OR within Congo. We only had 5 days so we got a taxi straight to the beach, to Assinie Mafia.

Hotel o sole mia

I searched and searched online for a place on the beach and this was one of the few that I found. I was immediately pleased when we drove up to it. It is the perfect beach get away, planted in the sand between a fishing village and the not so old ruins of the pre-war Assinie resorts. The furniture is made of old driftwood and the rooms are a perfect mix of modern and African decor. The owner, Antonio, moved to Assinie decades ago from Italy. His staff prepared some of the best Italian food we have ever had.

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à pied

Since we only had 5 days we decided to plant ourselves on the beach and go only as far as our feet would take us (and an occasional four wheeler). We spent our days lazily exploring the beach and the strange sea creatures that spent their final moments washed up on it.

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Broke down palace

Assinie was once a beautiful resort town, but Côte d’Ivoire recently experienced two religion-based civil wars, one from 2002 to 2007 and then another from 2010 to 2011. For miles along the beach there are abandoned resorts like the one below, inhabited only by one or two security guards. They say the owners hope to start rebuilding again soon.

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The local gymnasium

The local kids have the life. They spend their days running around the beach and doing gymnastics in the sand while their parents are out to sea fishing.