Discovering Benin

Best period to travel: October, 

Short description:
Benin is the size of Portugal; therefore it is quite a small African country. This fact allows the traveller to visit all the country comfortably in a period of 3 weeks. The most outstanding aspects of Benin and what makes this African country unique is religion and its history. Voodoo is one of the official religions together with Christianity and Islamist is the only country in the world where a traditional Animistic religion is recognized by the government. 

Day 1: EUROPE – COTONOU
Flight from Europe to Benin. Arrival in Cotonou and transfer to the hotel.                                                Accommodation in: Hotel Benin Horizon

Day 2: COTONOU – NOKUE LAKE – SOTHCHANKUE – GANVIE
Breakfast. Comment the tour with the guide. Introduction to the Beninese life through its major market: Dantokpa. You will see the Voodoo area in the old part of the market. After the visit you will pick a public ‘river bus’ –big canoe and visit the remote lake-village of Sotchankue. Tourism does not reach this place (they go directly to famous Ganvié). In this Animistic village you will meet the Voodoo priest and will explain some aspects of the religious life. The village’s protecting fetish is quite stunning. Visit the village and meet the Tofi people. Continue to Ganvie, the African Venice.                Accommodation in: Hotel MB. BB

Day 3: PORTO NOVO (45min)                                                                                                                Breakfast. Benin’s historical capital: Porto Novo, founded by the Portuguese in the XVth Century. Visit the city center with great examples of Afro-Brazilian architecture. This city seems stopped in time…it’s just great walking around the streets of the city center., the Ethnographique Museum, the Local Market.                                                      Accommodation in: Centre Songhay Hotel. BB

Day 4: PORTO NOVO – ABOMEY (4h00)
Breakfast, Drive to one of the old tradionnal kingdom in Benin Visit the oldest kingdom’s, the Museum, and the most famous Bgehanzin collection house and his amazone a colonial town in the middle of the Agonlin Mountains.                Drive to Accommodation in: auberge Abomey or Sun city Hotel BB

Day 5: ABOMEY
Breakfast. Morning visit to the Royal Palace and art museum (Unesco). Tour around the city center; interesting small palaces and shrines belonging to the noble families of the city. This is the heart of the Fon culture and despite the colonial times, the essence of the royal family can still be felt. Many artisans and beautiful objects to be purchased. Exploration of the neighborhoods.                                                                                                                          Accommodation in: Auberge d’Abomey or Sun city hotel BB

Day 6: ABOMEY – POSSOTOME LAKE ATHEME
After the breakfast we will drive West towards the Togolese border to reach Possotome, a region famous for its natural sources of mineral water and because it is an important Voodoo center. Visit Voodoo shrines and try to meet the Zangbetos, traditional ‘spiritual police’ in old Benin. Enjoy the views of Lake Ahemé, considered to be sacred by the tribal groups that depend on its waters for fishing and drinking…                                                                  Accommodation in: Hotel Chez Theo

Day 7: LAKE ATHEME -GRAND POPO-OUIDAH
After breakfast in front of the Ocean, drive to Ouidah, capital of Voodoo and main slave port in Africa. Visit the No-Return door and the Python Temple and the old quarters around the colonial cathedral. Ouidah has a profound smell of history….  Accommodation in: Hotel Diaspora

Day 8: OUIDAH
Breakfast. Morning walk to the Monument to ‘those ones who left and did not come back’ the ‘door of no-return facing the Atlantic Ocean, visit the Portuguese fort and museum inside those fort, visit the slave trade road etc.   Accommodation in: Hotel Diaspora

Day 9: OUIDAH–COTONOU
Drive to Cotonou. Lunch at the artisan market- maybe some purchases- and relax at the hotel. Day-use in Hotel Benin Horizon. 

Days 10: COTONOU                                                                                                                              Breakfast and last days for shopping in Cotonou after breakfast visite the biggest arstisanat center and lunch in some very good restaurant in front of the see, last city tour and transfert to the airport and bye bye Africa.