Ile Boulay is the main island chain in the Ébrié Lagoon, near Abidjan’s seaport and the Atlantic Ocean. The common way to get there is by boat.
Most places on the island don’t have electricity or running water. Even though, the island is home to fishing villages that have preserved their architectural and social authenticity.
Although we’ve been to Ile Boulay many times before, we never went inside the forest to explore the real life on the island. This time we’ve decided to hire a guide and go on a two hours tour on a large part of the island.
First, there’s a half hour drive through nature to get to the villages. The scenery is interesting and changes throughout the ride. But seating on a bench that wasn’t attached to anything with these bumpy roads was definitely not comfortable!
It was also super hot and humid, a thing you have to get used to when you are in Abidjan and its surroundings. So when going to this kind of a tour you must bring along enough water.
By the side of the road there are many enormous mounds of termites. This structure is amazing and apparently very complicated. You can read more about it here.
After arriving at the village the guide took us on a little walk. We felt a bit like aliens, but overall the people there were really nice. This is a fishermen village and the people there are more or less isolated from the modern world of the city.
We continued riding to the next village.
At the end of the day, we have enjoyed the beautiful sunset of Ile Boulay.
If you want to read more about other outdoor attractions in Abidjan read this post.
Nefertiti
14 Oct 2021Thanks so much for sharing! How did you find your tour guide? Especially in need of an English speaking guide. Thank you kindly!
Michal
25 Jan 2022Hi,
You need to ask the locals on the island for someone who can take you around with his vehicle.
We didn’t have a guide, just asked for a trip around the island.
Enjoy your visit!