โ
โ
Photo gallery
Benin
๐ง๐ฏ
Benin is a small but culturally rich country in West Africa that remains a hidden gem for most travelers. Bordered by Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the Atlantic Ocean, Benin is filled with history, culture, and unexplored natural beauty.
Benin is known as the birthplace of Voodoo-a religious tradition often misunderstood in the West but one that is an integral part of the local culture. The city of Ouidah is the spiritual center of Voodoo and hosts annual festivals that attract visitors from around the world.
In addition, the country is home to the ruins of the Kingdom of Dahomey, a powerful African state that played a significant role in the regionโs history, especially during the era of the slave trade. From the 17th century and for more than two centuries, this mighty kingdom thrived, centered in Abomey. The kingdom was known for its military organization and the unique role of its female warriors, also known as the โAmazons of Dahomey.โ
Ouidah was one of the major ports involved in the Atlantic slave trade, and today it hosts the Slave Route, a monument that pays tribute to the millions of people who were forced to leave Africa.
The country gained independence from France in 1960, and after several politically turbulent decades, it is now one of the most stable democracies in West Africa.
Benin is not just a destination โ it is an experience of culture, history, and the authenticity of West African heritage.
๐ Visa: Most travelers need a visa, which can be obtained electronically: https://evisa.gouv.bj
๐ Vaccinations: Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory. Vaccines for hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and malaria prevention are also recommended.
๐ฌ Language: The official language is French, but dozens of local languages are spoken across the country, such as Fon and Yoruba.
๐ธ Currency: These West African countries share a common currency, the West African CFA franc (XOF): Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
๐ Best Time to Visit: The dry season (November โ March) is the most pleasant, with high temperatures but low humidity.
People
The people of Benin are welcoming and lively, with strong community ties and a deep sense of tradition. Music and dance play a central role in social life, with traditional ceremonies and African rhythms accompanying many events.
Places
Starting from the south, the city of Cotonou is the main gateway to the country. Although it is not the official capital, it is the commercial and urban center of Benin. Here you will find the bustling Dantokpa market and Fidjrossรจ beach. At the Artisanal Center, one can find locally handmade products, while the city’s cathedral offers a characteristic image of colonial architecture.
Just an hour away lies the historic city of Ouidah, known for its past as a major center of the Atlantic slave trade and as the cradle of the Vodun religion. The Slave Route, leading to the imposing Gate of No Return by the sea, is a moving experience. In Ouidah, you will also find the Temple of the Python, a sacred site for Vodun followers.
A little further north, on Lake Nokouรฉ, is the floating village of Ganviรฉ, also known as the โVenice of Africa.โ The houses here are built on stilts and transportation is done exclusively by boat. Daily life on the water offers a unique glimpse into the ingenuity and adaptability of the inhabitants.
Heading towards the center of the country is Abomey, the historic capital of the powerful Kingdom of Dahomey. The royal palaces and the museum housed there are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and offer insight into the imperial history and tradition of the โAmazonsโ โ the female warriors who marked the history of the region.
In northern Benin, nature takes center stage. The Pendjari National Park is one of the most important protected habitats in West Africa, home to lions, elephants, leopards, hippos, and hundreds of bird species. Near the park is the town of Natitingou, which serves as a base for exploring the area. Here you’ll find the ethnological museum and the impressive Tata Somba houses โ traditional dwellings that resemble small clay fortresses and are unique in the world.
Magic Beyond Voodoo
Decemberย 2023
With my travel companion Th., we start this fascinating journey in West Africa, beginning in Benin, continuing to Togo, and ending in Ghana. After completing entry procedures for our visa online, Benin welcomes us with the typical heat and humidity of Africa.
Our arrival point is Cotonou, the largest city and economic capital of Beninโa chaotic, vibrant urban center stretching between Lake Nokouรฉ and the Atlantic Ocean. Although Porto-Novo is the official capital, Cotonou is the true administrative and commercial hub of the country.
Cotonou is not a tourist cityโafter all, one doesnโt expect that in Africa. The city is bursting with life: countless motorcycles, street stalls full of products, dust, noise, heat, and humidity. Yet it feels noticeably โwell-keptโ and organized by African standards, with some neighborhoods featuring modern buildings and shopping centers. We will explore Cotonou in the coming days; the first stop of our trip will be Ganviรฉ. On the outskirts of Cotonou lies the town of Abomey Calavi (not to be confused with Abomey) where the port is located, from which pirogues depart for Lake Nokouรฉ.
Ganviรฉ โ The Venice of Africa
At the small port, wooden pirogues are lined up to transport the residents of Ganviรฉ. We donโt see any tourists.The journey through the watery pathways of Lake Nokouรฉ is idyllic. Amid the reeds, Ganviรฉ suddenly appears as if floating on the water. Houses perched on stilts, small piers, wooden boats crowded in canals instead of roads. Children swim, women clean fish on the piers, and both young and old steer boats loaded with food, water containers, firewood, and other goods. The village has its own routine and paceโautonomous, almost independent from the outside world, and everything flows as peacefully as the lakeโs water.
With a population of approximately 20,000, it is the largest โfloatingโ village in Africa and the primary attraction of the country. The village was founded in the 16th or 17th century by the Tofinu tribe, who fled to the lake to escape the Fon warriors, who took captives to sell as slaves to Europeans. Ganviรฉ, with its huts over the shallow waters, is often called the โVenice of Africa.โ Generations have learned to live without land, on planks and boats.
Ganviรฉ has no formal hotelsโonly two very low-quality guesthouses. We will stay in one to feel the heartbeat of Ganviรฉ. The room is small, dusty, and unbearably hot, with rickety beds. A portable fan struggles to mitigate the stifling heat and humidity. Mosquitoes are having a field day; I imagine the night will be far worse. A cold beer is a relief in the African heat, but weโre eager to stroll through the watery streets of the village.
The huts, built on stilts and painted in bright colors, reflect the intense African sun, while the corrugated roofs sparkle brilliantly. Children play in small pirogues, at ease in their natural environment. Women wash clothes or clean fish, teenagers return from school singing aboard their boats. A religious service has just concluded in a church, and another gospel-tinged ceremony is happening in an outdoor gathering space. The locals are hospitable, inviting us into ceremonies and into their homes. Some women are slightly shy about being photographed.
Weโll enjoy Ganviรฉ well into the evening, discovering how this โfloatingโ society operates, from its schools to its services. Staying within the lagoon, despite uncomfortable conditions, offers an authentic experience filled with enchanting sights. We must also wake early before dawn to be part of the spectacular floating morning market in the heart of Ganviรฉ. Boats move in the half-light, often by candlelight; men, women, and even whole families engage in the rhythmic, nearly ritualistic exchange of goods.
When the time to depart arrives late in the afternoon, the image of Ganviรฉ drifts behind me, but it leaves its mark. It remains in my memory as a testament to a life different-shaped by human endurance and adaptability.
Cotonou
Our next destination and resting point will be in Cotonou, where we will get to know the city better. Standing in a central square is an imposing 30-meter-tall statue called the Benin Amazone. It symbolizes the pride of this small country, with its history revived from the ruins of colonial oppression.Dantokpa is the largest open-air market in West Africa. It features 5,000 stalls and โemploysโ 25,000 people! Street vendors sell colorful fabrics, food, drinks, clothing and footwear, home appliances, mobile phones, auto parts for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, cosmetics, jewelry, religious items, and crafts. It caters primarily to locals, while the Artisanal Center is a better choice for souvenirs.
In Cotonou, I will have the pleasure of visiting my online friend P., a Greek and talented photographer currently living here while working for the European Union in development aid. He will invite us into the home where he lives with his family, and we will exchange travel stories.
We will explore Cotonou with Yewhe, a local musician we met through recommendations, who has also performed concerts in Greece. In the evening, we will experience the cityโs local music scene.
Ouidah
In the morning, we leave Cotonou and head west toward Ouidah, a city charged with historyโboth sacred and traumatic. This is the birthplace of Voodoo and once a thriving hub of the slave trade, a dark chapter in human history.
In Ouidah, Voodoo (Vodun) remains a vibrant, everyday part of local culture. Ceremonies often take place in temples, on street corners, or in believersโ homes. The Voodoo Museum is small and unassuming outside, but it holds fascinating artifactsโmasks, symbols, ritual objects that predate colonial times. Voodoo is not magic in the charlatan senseโit is a religion and a way of life.
At the Temple of the Pythons, living snakes roam the sacred space. Touching or wrapping one around your neck is not a tourist stunt but an act of reverence and respect. The snakes are not fed; they are released into the nearby Sacred Forest of Kpassรจ, where they find their own food. Tall trees stretch their roots and shade across the sacred forest, surrounding statues of deities and spirits.
The Cathedral stands opposite the Temple of the Pythonsโtwo spiritual worlds facing each other, coexisting here.
Ouidah hosts the annual Voodoo Festival (Fรชte du Vodoun) every January 10. During this festival, thousands of believers and visitors gather to witness traditional rituals, dances, and ceremonies that offer insight into the region’s spiritual practices. We didnโt happen to be here at that timeโand personally, I prefer not to attend such touristic โperformances.โ However, we were fortunate enough to observe two authentic voodoo ceremonies, invited by Yewhe and some of his acquaintances in Ouidahโs neighborhoods.
Voodoo
Part of the Voodoo religious movement in Benin, Togo, and Nigeria (and carried around the world during the slave trade) is the Egungun ceremonies.
Egungun ceremonies are a significant part of Voodoo tradition. They are not open to the general public and do not follow a fixed schedule. They honor ancestors and feature masked dancers embodying the spirits of the deceased, offering blessings and guidance to the community. The priests and initiated Egungun are believed to communicate with ancestors, calling their spirits during the rituals. They wear elaborate costumes made of layers of cloth, animal hides, shells, and ornaments.
The ceremony is overseen by a council, but outsiders never know who is behind the masks. Once the priest-dancer dons the costume and mask, he is no longer part of the material world; he enters a state of trance, guided by drums, to become a vessel for a deceased relative. When the ceremony concludes, the Egungun priests deliver messages, warnings, and blessings to the gathered spectators. Only men are allowed to connect with spirits and assume the role of masked priest. Elders say the gender separation is necessary due to the dangers of feminine power.
Physical contact with an Egungun is thought to bring misfortune or death to both persons, so a companion carrying a staff attends them to prevent contact. I, unaware of this, was abruptly held back when I tried to approach for a selfie.
Egungun request small offerings, usually money, which their companion collectsโotherwise, they may become aggressive. When the ceremony intensifies, they may chase the crowd into panic across surrounding streets.
A sorrowful point of interest in Ouidah is the “Route of the Slaves”. A four-kilometer path leading from the city to the sea traces the footsteps of thousands of captives. At the โTree of Forgetting,โ people were once forced to turn around it in hopes of erasing their identity.
The Door of No Return is located on Ouidahโs coast. Upon the hot sand and facing the vast Atlantic, bound captives passed through, unaware that it was their final passage from their ancestral homeland. The monument is simple yet poignantโa gateway between freedom and slavery.
At night, we will attend another excellent Afro-jazz concert in a barโthough the bandโs musicians are Europeans.
Natitingou
For the trip north, we decided to hire a local driver and vehicle for flexibility, speed, and practicality in this part of the country. What we did not anticipate was that our safety would be far from guaranteed. In my travels, I’ve encountered many situations with chaotic traffic or terrifying roads, and I’ve driven myself in similar places. Yet the driverโs paranoid pace exceeded anything I’ve experienced. I often had to firmly ask him to drive slower, smoother, and avoid overtaking vehicles just inches ahead of oncoming traffic. At one point, we came across an accident: a bus had hit a motorcyclist, who lay dead, covered in a sheet. After that, I had to shout every time I saw death in the face.
The temperature rises, the landscape changes, palm trees give way to savanna and hills.
Natitingou is a town that impresses not with flashy sights but with its relaxed, authentic African small-town charm. It has a population of around 100,000 and is nestled at the foot of the Atakora Mountains, very close to the borders with Togo and Burkina Fasoโforming a crossroads of local cultures. Natitingou has a roughly equal population of Christians and Muslims and, like the rest of Benin, displays religious tolerance. The mountains surrounding the area are considered sacred by local animists, who believe they are inhabited by spirits.
A visit to the local ethnological museum reveals the roots of local tribes, but resting with a cold beer and grilled meats alongside locals in the central square is even more enriching.
Natitingou is only 50โฏkm away from Pendjari National Park, home to West Africaโs wildlife. However, rebel activity from neighboring Burkina Faso has infiltrated the park, causing authorities to suspend its operation. As a result, the animal Iโve formed a mutual bond with is a friendly donkeyโa resident of our lodging.
The broader region has architectural interest with its two-story fortified houses made of clay and wood, known as Tata Somba. The ground floor houses animals, the interior serves for cooking, and the upper floor includes a terrace used to dry grains, plus bedrooms and grain storage. These have evolved with connected roofed structures-characteristic of West African architectureโand are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The inhabitants belong to the Tamari or Otamari or Batammariba or Somba ethnic groups, and are mainly animists.
Next, following dirt paths, we reach the Kota Falls. Within a natural sanctuary embraced by vegetation and the sound of water, the Chutes de Kota emerge like a revelation. A dive into the cold water is profoundly refreshing and makes you feel as though youโve transcended time and place.
The border with Togo is so close that we decide to reach the checkpoint of the neighboring country. However, we will not go beyond-itโs to Togo that we will travel in the days ahead via the southern border.
One of our most powerful and emotional moments in northern Benin was an unusual search for two twin girls.
Eleven years ago, two Greeks stopped in a small village here in northern Benin. At that moment, a village woman, after a difficult pregnancy, gave birth to twin girls. The family considered the visiting foreigners a lucky omen and named the girls Ilias and Kostas. After much searching, we located the village and the children, confirmed their identities, and delivered a material gift from those visitorsโwho are also their godparentsโand who sent their greetings via video call.
Northern Benin doesnโt have a lot of conventional sights. Its authenticity, simplicity, and the genuine hospitality of its people are the greatest reasons to enjoy this part of Africa.
Abomey
Abomey, in central Benin, is yet another of the few points of interest in the country. It houses the Royal Palaces of Abomeyโ a collection of small traditional dwellings that were inhabited by the Kings of Dahomey from 1600 to 1900. They were proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Personally, I wasn’t particularly impressed.
The underground city of AgongointoโZoungoudo, located about 9โฏkm from Abomey, was discovered in 1998. It consists of roughly 10 meters below-ground dwellings and shelters, constructed to provide protection for inhabitants and warriors.
The archaeological site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list because it meets two criteria:
- It represents an outstanding masterpiece of human creative genius.
- It provides an exceptional example of a type of architectural or technological ensemble signifying a significant stage in human history.
Personally, I wasnโt impressed here either.
We say farewell to this small country at the southwestern land border with Togo. Just before the checkpoint, we visit the coastal part of Grand Popo. This name was given by Europeans to the realm of Hulagan and the Hula tribe that once dominated the area. The town grew around the slave trade, but coastal erosion has now destroyed most of the old town. Today, the town is a center of voodoo, and its main industry is fishing.
The journey continues into Togo and Ghana…
Benin is a tiny country in the vastness of Africa that does not try to impress you. The interest lies in its everyday life, its simplicity, its authenticity, and its people who smile from the heart. It is not just a journey-it’s an initiation into the culture of West Africa.
ยฉ Alexandros Tsoutis
