Benin as a Family Destination

After a briefing from our guide describing our stay program, we hit the road to Abomey-Calavi, just 25 km away. We set out to discover a very famous plastic artist known for his artworks: Dominique Zinkpe, whose works we visit.

We then head towards the lakeside city of Ganvié. This village is located in the middle of Lake Nokoué and has been inhabited since 1770 by the Toffin, a tribe that fled inter-ethnic conflicts and the horrors of slavery.

The spectacle unfolding before our eyes is exceptional: its floating market with its thousand colors and fragrances, and its bamboo and straw houses on stilts. The tour is done by canoe.

We visit the Zinsou foundation, a museum for exhibition and promotion of contemporary African art. Marie-Cecile Zinsou, Franco-Beninese, welcomes us and tells us about her commitment to promoting Beninese culture.

Night in Cotonou.

Early morning departure to Djougou, an ancient stopover town on the salt and kola nut trade route. Due to its geographical position, it is a meeting point for the Yom, Dendi, Peuhl, Pila-Pila, Gourmantché, Somba and Baatonou peoples.

We visit the Tanéka-Koko region, inhabited by animist hunters who live from millet cultivation.

In the Yaka camp lives an animist ethnic group isolated from the wave of Islamization in the region. They undergo spectacular male circumcision initiation rites.

We speak with sorcerers who are guardians of tradition to experience and get closer to their culture based on the cult of the dead.

Night in a guesthouse in Djougou.

On the road leading to Boukoumbé are villages whose population is essentially agricultural.

Boukoumbe is one of the nine communes of the Atacora department, not far from the border with Togo.

We are in Somba country, a region where people lived naked and isolated from the rest of the world until the 1960s. It was not until 1975 that the government "civilized" this pagan people, notably through schooling.

A few kilometers from Boukoumbe, we arrive at the small village of Koussoucoingou, known for its Somba tatas, traditional constructions that command admiration, but also for its large hollow baobabs.

Return to Natitingou and night at the hotel.

A long journey south takes us to the historic city of Dassa-Zoumé. Impressive rocky hills surround the city forming a natural amphitheater of great beauty.

The Omonjagoun people reign supreme here. History tells that the first king of the kingdom did not die, he transformed into a serpent. This is the meaning of the sacred rituals of the Omomjagoun after their death.

Hiking on Dassa to see the path of rituals followed by the Omondjagou, the majority ethnic group forming the ancient kingdom of Dassa-Zoumé. On the hills, we have the opportunity to see the fetishes and representations of voodoo worship.

Transfer to Abomey and overnight at the hotel.

We embark on a discovery of the kingdom of Abomey. Former capital of Dahomey, the city of Abomey is home to the royal palaces of the ancient kings.

Founded in the 16th century, Abomey houses the museum which preserves the ancient royal objects, the ornaments and treasures of the former kingdom. The sites were abandoned following the defeat of King Behanzin to the French colonists. Later, these castles were renovated by UNESCO and became historical museums.

We also visit Goho Square, the underground houses of The underground village of Agongointo and we pause at the fascinating fetish market.

Transfer to Ouidah and overnight at the hotel by the beach.

Colonial buildings, the Portuguese fort, visiting Ouidah allows us to understand the realities of a tragedy: the shameful slave trade. The auction square, the mass grave, the Zoungbodji village, the GATE OF NO RETURN still bear the marks of this tragedy.

We now head to the town of Grand, a small seaside resort situated between the sea and the Mono River, nestled in magnificent nature that we will discover on foot and by canoe. Grand-Popo is the finest beach in the country.

Water excursion, visit of the vodoun village, bird island, meeting point between the sea and the Mono River, we tour the notable sites of the area.

For our last hours in Bénin, we take a short tour in Cotonou, do our last shopping, then are transferred to the airport for our return flight.