The blue pages of the Abidjan telephone book have a special restaurant section. There are no restrictions on drinking. There are nightclubs in most major centres. Abidjan is the most lively area with its hotels and lagoon-side tourist resorts. There are also theatres, casinos and bars.
Traditional entertainment is offered in some hotels.
In the markets, hard bargaining is often necessary to get prices down to reasonable levels. Special purchases include wax prints, Ghanaian kente cloth, indigo fabric and woven cloth, wooden statuettes and masks, bead necklaces, pottery and basketware. With very few exceptions every Ivorian has a mother tongue which is that of the village, along with traditions, family and social relations within their ethnic group. French has become the official language of schools, cities and government and therefore has an influence on lifestyle even at a modest level. Handshaking is normal.