Grand Bassam

18 JANUARY 2023

I had the opportunity this morning to meet a member of a film crew producing a documentary about the Cocoa industry in Cote D’Ivoire.

We were joined by Charlie, an intern for one of the few chocolatiers in the country that is trying to model new practices to provide a fair wage to workers along with sustainable farming methods. There is much controversy around child Kanpur on the cocoa plantations and the low wages paid to the local farmers. Chocolatiers, like Cocoaian, want to change this to also ensure that the chocolates are made on Cote D’Ivoire too.

Grand Bassam was Cote D’Ivoire’s French colonial capital until a yellow fever epidemic broke out in 1896 and prompted the French to move their capital elsewhere. It then became a resort toen for tourists and weekenders from Abidjan. Unfortunately, a terrorist attack in 2016, the The COVID pandemic have significantly effected the tourist business.

I travelled to Grand Bassam by private taxi for 10,000CFA and arrived at Koral Beach Hotel. Once a beautiful white washed resort full of tasteful African art and sculptures, this establishment is now struggling with leaking roofs and necessary repairs. I took a room for 30,000CFA including breakfast and was one of a few guests.

The beach is long and beautiful, stretching in front of numerous simple hotels. Some areas of the beach are not clean and in the distance you can see the construction of a breaker wall which is being developed to safe guard the beach from erosion. It’s the perfect place to relax, read and enjoy the sea, uninterrupted by local vendors.