From Club Med to Beverly Hills: Assinie, the Ivorian Riviera

Locals in Assinie reminisce about the old days when the now-shuttered Club Med in southeastern Ivory Coast provided jobs aplenty.

European holidaymakers once flocked to the endless sandy white beaches and idyllic waters of Assinie, located 90 kilometres (56 miles) east of the economic capital Abidjan and near the Ghanaian border.

The fishing village’s former Club Med even provided the backdrop for the 1978 cult French comedy film “Les Bronzes” (“French Fried Vacation”), which satirically skewered resort vacations. Reggae star Alpha Blondy also sang its praises in 2010.

“Everything here was white. Only European tourists! You had to really search to find a black person,” chuckled Pierre Ake, who lives in a nearby hamlet.

But European tourists have long since packed their bags, driven out