Tuesday, July 23, 2019

5 Days Land Crossborder Solo Trip in Summer Western Africa

public transportation adventure from Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire to Cotonou, Benin
June 25 to 29, 2019 Tuesday to Saturday

My 76th solo backpacking trip16th to 19th country to visit in African continent95th to 98th country visited on my journey #lakbay100, 5th continent on my list and of course and usual budget do-it-yourself itinerary from arrival to departure. I did not research that much for this country due also on limited time and laziness.

Summer 2019 5th week-end trip goes to the last four; 95th, 96th, 97th and 98th of #lakbay100 quest... 1st time in Western Africa :) #ivorycoast #ghana #togo #benin #livealifeyouwillremember #africa


The main objective of this trip is the visa on arrival challenge as Philippine passport holder to all the land borders in between this 4 countries. Setting aside the locals aggressiveness on persuasion and scamming, military presence on the immigration desk is already a test to a traveler having an unknown passport to them.


5 Days Land Crossborder Solo Trip in Summer Western Africa

COTE D'IVOIRE (IVORY COAST)
timezone - UTC +0000H    capital - Yamoussoukro   language - French   currency - Franc (CFA)
visa - 90 days visa issued upon arrival free of charge for Filipino citizens.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT COTE D'IVOIRE
1. Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro boasts the largest church in the world
2. Ivory Coast is the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans 
3. Once called the ‘teeth coast’ due to the trade in ivory.

GHANA 

timezone - UTC +0000H    capital - Accra   language - English   currency - Cedi (GHS)
visa - 48 hours transit visa issued at the land border for $100.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT GHANA
1. Ghana was ranked as Africa’s most peaceful country by the Global Peace Index
2. Ghana has the largest market in West Africa
3. Ghana produces the second most cocoa beans in the world. Ivory Coast is No. 1

TOGO

timezone - UTC +0000H    capital - Lome   language - French   currency - Franc (CFA)
visa - 7 days visa issued upon arrival for 10,000 CFA ($20)

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TOGO
1. Togo means ‘house of sea’ in the Ewe language
2. Togo has a rich history of religion. It has 29% Christians, 20% Muslims and 51% indigenous people
3. Togo and its surrounding regions were known as “the slave coast” between the 16th and the 18th century because Europeans would come to the region in search of slaves.

BENIN

timezone - UTC +0100H    capital - Porto Novo   language - French   currency - Franc (CFA)
visa - 48 hours transit visa issued at the land border for 43,000 CFA ($75)

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BENIN
1. Benin is named after the body of water on which it lies – the ‘Bight of Benin’
2. Voodoo is an official religion of Benin and it is only official in one country in the world!
3. Benin used to know as The Kingdom of Dahomey. French Dahomey

5 Days Land Crossborder Solo Trip in Summer Western Africa

5 Days Land Crossborder Solo Trip in Summer Western Africa

5 DAYS SOLO TRIP IN SUMMER WESTERN AFRICA ITINERARY (JUNE 2019)


Preparation:

June 25 Flight Dubai to Abidjan 1,136 AED
June 29 Flight Cotonou to Dubai 850 AED
All Hostel bookings are dummy only, walked-in search during the trip

Day 1: June 25, 2019 Tuesday

0000H ETD Abu Dhabi
0200H ETA Dubai; taxi to Airport Terminal 3 30 AED
0600H Check-in and Immigration
0745H ETD Dubai +0400H; flight EK 787
1400H ETA Abidjan GMT +0000H; Visa on arrival (free);
Passport + Yellow Fever Vaccine Certificate; Money Exchange $150 = 87,000
1530H ETD Airport; taxi to Treichville 5,000
Fraternite Hostel 10,000 (Spartan room), walking distance to Van Terminal to Elubo
Afternoon city walk; Palais de Sports, St. Paul Cathedral, Plateau Mosque
Burger King meal + snacks 11,500; Taxi to Hostel 1,500
Sub Total: 28,000 CFA

Day 2: June 26, 2019 Wednesday

0700H ETD Hostel; walk to Van Terminal
0750H ETD Abidjan 6,000 CFA (ordinary van)
1030H ETA Elubo border; Ghana border visa;
48 hours for $100; Passport + Yellow Fever Vaccine Certificate; Money Exchange $40 = 200 GHS
1115H ETD Elubo Border; walk to Van Terminal
1245H ETD Elubo 60 GHS (aircon van)
2045H ETA Accra; walk to Hostel; dinner 16 GHS
2200H Pink Hostel (dorm a/c room) 70 GHS
Sub Total: 6,000 CFA + $100 + 146 GHS

Day 3: June 27, 2019 Thursday

0700H ETD Hostel; walk to city center; 
Nkrumah memorial park, Independence Square, National Theatre; walk to Tudu Station; refreshments 13 GHS 
1230H ETD Accra 25 GHS (ordinary van)
1630H Lome border; Togo border visa;
7 days for 10,000 CFA; Passport + Yellow Fever Vaccine Certificate
walk to city center along Coast; Independence Monument 
Hotel Ecole Avenida (aircon room) 18,000 CFA; Chicken meal 5,500 CFA
Sub Total: 38 GHS + 33,500 CFA

Day 4: June 28, 2019 Friday

0700H breakfast; morning city tour; Akodessewa Fetish Market, Lome Cathedral
Motorbike backride + refreshments 2,000 CFA; walk to Cotonou carpool terminal in Coastal area
1230H ETD Lome (sedan carpool) 5,000 CFA; Bread + Refreshments 2,400
1430H ETA Benin UTC +0100H; Benin border visa;
48 hours for 43,000 CFA; Passport + Yellow Fever Vaccine Certificate; Money Exchange $100 = 57,000 CFA
1730H ETA Cotonou; motorbike to Hostel 300; Guesthouse Cocotiers 7,300
Famille Castel pizza meal + beers 8,700
Sub Total: 68,700 CFA

Day 5: June 29, 2019 Saturday

0700H ETD Hostel; morning walk tour; Place des Martyrs, Grand Mosque, St. Michel Church
motorbike ride + refreshments 800, lunch 7,500
1200H ETA Cotonou Airport; Check-in
Note: Beware of the Officers asking for money, ignore them. I encountered three of them; one after the Passport Officer (more than 5x pretending to check all passport pages) and two at the x-ray scanner at the Boarding Gate (directly asking for money publicly)
1345H ETD Cotonou (+0100H); flight ET916
2125H ETA Addis Ababa; 1hr transit
2250H ETD Addis Ababa (+0200H); flight ET612
0430H ETA Dubai (+0400H) Terminal 1
Sub Total: 8,300 CFA

TOTAL: 28,000 + 6,000 + $100 + 146 GHS + 38 GHS + 33,500 + 68,700 + 8,300 = 144,500 CFA +$100 + 184 GHS + 1,986 AED = $540 + $37 + $100 + $250 = $927 (visa fees / flights)


5 Days Land Crossborder Solo Trip in Summer Western Africa

5 Days Land Crossborder Solo Trip in Summer Western Africa


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