The Road of Emotions

We begin our first day of exploration with a visit to the open-air international market of Cotonou: the Dantokpa market.

This vast space has the gift of making our heads spin with its various and multiple items: amulets, fabrics, pagnes, cult objects, etc. Also, food products, artisanal and industrial items are found side by side.

Many merchants come from all corners of Africa to set up their stalls, hoping to conclude a golden deal. Every day, this great bazaar brings together thousands of customers and sellers.

We then head 25 km away towards the lacustrine 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 vices of slavery.

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

Return and night in Cotonou.

We are taking the northern route this morning.

We make a stop along the way at Bohicon to discover an archaeological site and underground caves.

Also called the city of 41 hills, Dassa is a crossroads town.

Our explorations begin with a visit to the Arigbo Marian center, a place of prayer and contemplation.

Hiking on the Dassa Hills to see the path of rituals followed by the Omondjagou, the majority ethnic group that formed the former kingdom of Dassa-Zoumé.

On the hills, we have the opportunity to see the fetishes and representations of voodoo worship.

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, Peul, Pila-Pila, Gourmantché, Somba and Baatonou peoples.

Upon our arrival, we will try to meet the village king.

Overnight stay at a guesthouse in Djougou.

We're heading to visit the Tanéka-Koko region, inhabited by animist hunters who live from millet farming.

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 keepers of tradition to experience and get closer to their culture based on ancestor worship.

We continue our journey towards Natitingou. Upon arrival, we visit the folk museum and then the city market.

Overnight in a hotel located on the city's hillside.

We will take advantage of this beautiful day to enjoy a cool swim in the Cascades de Tanougou located 27 km northeast of the municipality of Tanguiéta, which we will pass through on the way.

Tanougou is a wonder in Bénin. This inexhaustible spring that cuts across part of the Atacora mountains brings happiness.

Picnic and exchanges with the surrounding populations.

Return in the afternoon to Natitingou to spend the night at the hotel or with a local family.

On the road leading to Boukoumbe are villages whose population is primarily agricultural.

Boukoumbé is one of the nine communes of The Atacora Department, near the border with Togo.

A few kilometers from Boukoumbe, we arrive at the small village of Koutagou, which in the Somba language means "where there is happiness".

This village is known for its Somba tatas, traditional constructions that command admiration.

But beyond these veritable fortresses, the small village of Koutagou offers a plain suitable for hiking and exchanges with the local population.

We can also admire the summits of the Atakora which, in the distance, challenge us…

Overnight stay with a local family in the village.

Travel day, day of happiness! During our crossing of the municipality of Djougou, we make a stop to discover the ethnic groups Lokpa and Yom. Courtesy visit to the traditional chiefs.

Today we also have the opportunity to meet the Anii populations in the Bassila region. Great travel experience with also the market visit.

We arrive at Savalou, the beautiful one, a historic city founded by King Soha. It is a region populated mainly by the mahis who came from Abomey.

In Savalou, we visit the royal palace, the pantheon, the crocodile lake, and the palms with 7 branches.

Overnight stay in a magnificent hotel.

After our breakfast, we leave Savalou this morning and head towards Abomey.

We set off to discover the kingdom of Abomey.

Former capital of Dahomey, the city of Abomey is home to the royal palaces of ancient kings. Founded in the 16th century, Abomey houses the museum which preserves the ancient royal objects, the regalia and treasures of the former kingdom.

The sites were abandoned following the defeat of King Behanzin by French colonists. Later, these castles were renovated by UNESCO and became historical museums.

Night in a guesthouse in Abomey.

We join today the shores of the Atlantic ocean.

It is in Grand, a city that is home to the most beautiful beaches in Bénin, that we settle in for the day. Excursion on the water, visit to the voodoo village, bird island, meeting point between the sea and the Fleuve Mono, we tour the remarkable sites of the area.

Possibility also depending on your wishes to attend a traditional Zangbeto dance performance, the guardians of the night.

We spend the night by the ocean, at the Grand-Popo inn.

This morning we make the short transfer to the city of Ouidah, close to the Atlantic coast.

We spend the day enjoying long hours of wandering in this historic city and begin with the Ouidah Python Temple. This stands opposite the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the city's cathedral, with which it forms a striking contrast.

Then, we stretch our legs by exploring the Kpassè Zoun Sacred Forest. This is a wooded area where hundred-year-old trees stand. We enjoy discovering its voodoo temple with its statues of voodoo deities, as well as contemplating the king's iroko tree.

The The Slave Route remains an unmissable circuit in Ouidah. We walk several kilometers of beach to trace one by one the 5 stages of this path, a symbol of the slave trade in Bénin.

We end our visit to the city with a short stop at the Zinsou Foundation to admire contemporary African art.

For our last hours in Bénin we take a small tour in Cotonou, and proceed with our last shopping.

Then, we are transferred to the airport for our return flight.