West Africa Benin

Lonely Planet Publications
89
BENIN
Benin
If youre heading to West Africa to unearth lost treasure, look no further than Benin. This
club-shaped country, on the western edge of Nigeria, was once one of the most powerful empires in Africa the Dahomey kingdom. The ruins of the Dahomeyans palaces and
temples can be seen in Abomey, while Ouidah is a poignant reminder of where their riches
came from: the slave trade. The Route dEsclaves in Ouidah was the last walk on African soil
for slaves bound for Brazil and the Caribbean. Museums here and in Porto Novo, Benins
lagoon-side capital, examine the resultant Afro-Brazilian society and culture.
But regardless of the ill-gotten Dahomeyan gains glittering in the Muse Historique
dAbomey, there are plenty of treasures on Benins dusty streets and palm-fringed beaches.
This is the birthplace of voodoo, the countrys national religion, exported by the slaves and
distorted by Hollywood. Voodoo is an important part of everyday life and most towns bear
signs of it, such as the fetish markets stocked with the heads and skins of every animal
imaginable.
Elephants, lions and crocodiles can be seen in more animated form in the northern wildlife
parks, Pendjari and W, two of the best in West Africa. Then there are the stilt villages, home
to thousands in the southern lagoons, and the northern tata somba, mud fortresses built
by the insular Somba people. Not only is Benin a richly historical and cultural country, this
politically stable nation is one of the most tourist-friendly parts of West Africa.
FAST FACTS
Area 112,622 sq km
Capital Porto Novo
Country code
%229
Famous for Voodoo; slavery; the Kings of
Dahomey; adopting Marxism; Anglique

Kidjo
Languages French, Fon, Yoruba, Dendi,
Bariba and Ge
Money West African CFA franc; US$1 =
CFA544.89; 1 = CFA655.96
Population 7.4 million
Visa CFA10,000 at border, 30-day
extension CFA12,000
BENIN
90 B E N I N H i g h l i g h t s
HIGHLIGHTS
Ghzos throne (p110) Shiver in front of

this throne mounted on human skulls,
one of the dark relics from the slavetrading Dahomey kingdom in Abomey.
Route des Esclaves (p106) Retrace the last
steps of millions of slaves to the Point of
No Return memorial in Ouidah.
Fetish market (p93) Shop for essential voodoo items such as monkey testicles and
bat wings.
Stilt villages (p102) Where tens of thousands of people go about their daily
business 2m above the surface of Lake
Nokou.
Malanville market (p120) Watch the nomadic Fula traders drift into town, produce piled on their heads, in the arid far
north of the country.
ITINERARIES
One Week A classic example of urban Africa

Cotonou (p95) is worth a brief look, but the
other southern cities have more charm.
Porto Novo (p103), the tranquil capital, and
Ganvi (p102) the lacustrine stilt village, are
both within two hours taxi journey of Cotonou. A little further along the countrys
two main roads are a couple of must-sees
that ooze a sense of culture and history:
Abomey (p110), home to the ruined palaces of the Kings of Dahomey, and Ouidah
(p106) once a capital of the slave trade and
now the centre of voodoo worship.
Two Weeks Relax after all that sightseeing
with a few days of lounging on the empty
beaches at Grand Popo (p108). This elegantly decaying beach resort is a handy
base for excursions to the peaceful fishing villages around Lake Ahm (p109). Inland, the stand-out towns are Natitingou
(p116), gateway to the intriguing fortified compounds in Somba country, and
Malanville (p120), where the weekly market draws Fula nomads from the neighbouring countries.
One Month With this much time on your
hands, you should be able to delve into
every corner of this small country. In addition to the above, linger in Somba country
and stay with a family in their compound,
then explore the two wildlife parks, Pendjari (p118) and W (p120). Parakou (p113)
and Djougou (p115) are pleasantly sleepy
towns to while away a few days.
www.lonelyplanet.com
HOW MUCH?
Travellers fetish CFA3000
Mashed yam CFA200
Appliqu hat CFA1500
Zemi-john CFA100
National park entry CFA10000
LONELY PLANET INDEX

1L of petrol CFA300-600
1L of bottled water CFA500
Bottle of La Bninoise CFA250
Souvenir T-shirt CFA2000
Yam chips CFA100
CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO

In southern Benin, there are two rainy seasons: April to mid-July, and mid-September
to late October. The rains in the north fall
from June to early October. In the north
temperatures can reach 46C, while the
coastal south is cooler, with temperatures
ranging from 18C to 35C. Harmattan
winds billow out of the Sahara between
December and March, and the hottest time
of the year is from February to April. The
coolest, driest time to visit is between November and February.
Parts of the northern Atakora region
occasionally receive heavy rainfall, and
smaller roads throughout Benin may be
impassable during the rainy seasons; notably those in the wildlife parks, particularly
Parc Regional du W.
HISTORY
More than 350 years ago, the area now
known as Benin was split into numerous
principalities. One of the chiefs quarrelled
with his brother for the right to succession and, around 1625, settled in Abomey.
He then conquered the neighbouring kingdom of the Dan, which became known as
Dan-Homey, meaning in Dans belly (see
p112). The name was later shortened by the
French colonisers.
Each king pledged to leave his successor
more land than he inherited, a pledge kept
by waging war with his neighbours, particularly the Yoruba of Nigeria. Meanwhile,
the Portuguese, and later other Europeans,
Benin
0
0
BENIN
100 km
60 miles
NIGER
Ni
ge
r
Parc
Regional
du W Karimama
BURKINA
FASO
Gaya
Malanville
R i ver
ri
Natitingou
Mt KossouKovangou
(589m)
Sgbana
Nikki
Ndali
Djougou
Kmrida
Ktao
Kara
Papatia
Bassila
TOGO
Parakou
NIGERIA
Ou
m River
Nadoba
Independence & Le Folklore
Kandi
Ata
Boukoumb
kor
Tanguita
ve
Banikoara
oun
Tanougou
Falls
Alfa Kouara
aM
Porga
Pe
nd
ja
Parc National
de la Pendjari
tain
Tindangou
Ri
Sampto
Savalou
Sav
Dassa
Zoum
Oyo
When Dahomey became independent in

1960, Hubert Maga was elected the countrys first president. Almost immediately,
other former French colonies started deporting their Dahomeyan populations.
Back home without work, they were the
root of a highly unstable political situation.
Three years after independence, having
seen how easily some disgruntled soldiers
in neighbouring Togo had staged a coup,
the military did the same in Dahomey.
During the next decade, Dahomey
saw four more military coups, nine more
changes of government and five changes of
constitution: what the Dahomeyans called
in jest le folklore.
Revolution
Atakpam
Abomey
Tohoun
Ibadan
Bohicon
Pob
Lokossa Bopa
PORTO
Possotom Lake Ganvi NOVO

Lagos
HilaAhm
Badagary
Condji Ouidah
LOM
part of French West Africa (see p103). During the 70-year colonial period, progress was
made in education, and many Dahomeyans
were employed as government advisers in
French West Africa. The countrys intellectual nature led the French to nickname
it the West African Latin Quarter.
Grand Abomey- Cotonou Krak

Popo Calavi
Gulf of Guinea
established trading posts along the coast,

most notably at Porto Novo and Ouidah.
The Portuguese, French, Dutch and English, whose forts can still be seen in Ouidah,
spelled the towns name four different ways
but pronounced it the same.
The Dahomeyan Kings grew rich by selling slaves to traders, who then gave them the
guns that let them pillage their neighbours
for slaves and land. For more than a century,
an average of 10,000 slaves per year were
shipped to the Americas (primarily Brazil
and the Caribbean, in particular Haiti), taking voodoo with them. As a result southern
Dahomey was dubbed the Slave Coast.
Early in the 19th century, the French colonised the kingdom of Dahomey, making it
In 1972 a group of officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Mathieu Krkou seized power
in a coup that initiated almost two decades
of military dictatorship. The country then
took a sharp turn to the left as he embraced
Marxist-Leninist ideology and aligned the
country with superpowers like China, the
Soviet Union and North Korea. To emphasise the break from the past, Krkou
changed the countrys flag and renamed it
Benin. He informed his people by radio on
13 November 1975, a date still etched into
the memories of most Beninese.
The government established the schools it
required to teach Marxism, along with collective farms, state enterprises, a central trade
union, and a more militant spirit in the army.
However, the revolution was always more
rhetorical than real. The economy fell into a
shambles: inflation and unemployment rose,
salaries remained unpaid for months. People
soon tired of living in West Africas answer
to Eastern Europe, and there were ethnic tensions between the president, a Natitingouborn northerner, and the Yoruba population
in the south. There were six attempted coups
in one year alone. Then in the late 1980s,
workers and students went on strike.
BENIN
B E N I N H i s t o r y 91
BENIN
92 B E N I N T h e C u l t u re
In December 1989, as a condition of

French financial support, Krkou ditched
Marxism and held a conference to draft a
new constitution. Dissidents used the occasion to blame the government for bankrupting the country, and for corruption and
human rights abuses. The 488 delegates then
engineered a coup, relegating Krkou to
head of the army, and formed a new cabinet
under former dissident Nicphore Soglo.
The 1990s: Multiparty Elections

The first free multiparty elections were
held in March 1991 and Soglo swept to
power. However, his austere economic
measures following the 1994 devaluation
of the CFA came under fire, as did his
autocracy and nepotism. Top jobs went
to Soglo family members such as his son
Liadi. Krkou was voted back into power
in March 1996, although he stuck to the
desperately needed economic measures
implemented by his rival.
Five years later, in the March 2001
presidential elections, Krkou and Soglo
faced each other again. Soglo and fellow
opposition candidate Adrien Houngbdji
withdrew from the race, alleging electoral
fraud, leading to a landslide victory for the
incumbent president.
Benin Today
Krkous second and final five-year term
in office finished with the presidential elections in March 2006, bringing an end to his
33 years at the top. The USA and France
had replaced China et al on his speed dial,
and Benin has become one of the most
stable, and responsible, democracies among
the Ecowas members; a trend that is set
to continue under the new president, Yayi
Boni. The former head of the West African
Development Bank beat Adrien Houngbdji in a run-off. In his campaign, based
around the slogan of change, he pledged
to fight corruption and revive an economy
suffering from depressed cotton prices.
If you want to change the future, change
yourselves, he said when he was sworn in.
THE CULTURE
The National Psyche

Nicknamed the West African Latin Quarter
by the French for its intellectualism, Benin
has a strong culture of discussion and de-
bate. Its not unusual to see people engrossed

in a book or one of the countrys papers.
Catholicism and Islam are highly important to their many followers, but the
home-grown religion of voodoo is the most
influential force.
Politically, the Beninese feel they have
borne a lot to achieve their stable democracy and are wary of their troubled neighbours, Togo and Nigeria.
Beninese women may be a formidable
presence on the streets but this is a firmly
patriarchal society and they tolerate some
inequality. However, they do have vital
roles in society and the workforce even
in the Muslim north of the country (see
below).
Daily Life
Benins economy is primarily dependant
on subsistence farming, which accounts for
38% of GDP. Yams, maize, cassava and corn
are the principal food crops. The countrys
main exports are cotton, palm oil, crude oil
and cocoa beans, with cotton accounting for
more than 75% of export earnings. Imports
exceed exports by about US$170 million.
Benins economic growth, achieved
through political stability and economic
management, is offset by rapid population
growth. The country also remains vulnerable
to the political turmoil in Nigeria, which it
depends on for fuel. While high fuel costs
hamper economic growth, the expansion of
Cotonous port and increased cotton production continue to drive progress.
Most of Benins ethnic groups (see opposite) are patrilineal and many still observe
polygamy, although the practice is becoming increasingly rare among urban and educated Beninese. Marriages are still arranged
by families and divorce is rare.
Most families support themselves
through agriculture. Women control the
local food distribution system, including
the transport of produce to market and the
subsequent barter and sale.
Average life expectancy is around 53, with
an AIDS rate of about 2% and some 70,000
people living with the virus. Women have
5.9 children each on average and almost
50% of the population is aged 14 or under.
There is evidence of wealth, particularly
in the south, but much of it comes from
external sources such as tourism or young
B E N I N R e l i g i o n 93
Population
There is an array of different ethnic groups
within Benins narrow borders, although
five of them account for 50% of the population: Fon, Yoruba, Bariba, Betamarib and
Fula.
The Fon, who comprise 40% of the Beninese population, migrated from southwestern
Nigeria in the 13th century and established a
kingdom in Allada in southern Benin.
The Yoruba (called Nagot locally), who
also migrated from Nigeria, occupy the
southern and mideastern zones of Benin
and comprise 12% of the population.
The Bariba, who make up 9% of the population, live mostly in the Borgou region.
According to legend, they migrated from
the Bussa and Ife areas of Nigeria. Their
most famous kingdom in Benin was centred at Nikki, and because of distance and
earlier slave raids they have remained aloof
towards southern Benin.
The Betamarib (often called the Somba)
comprise 8% of the population and live in
the northwest, around the Atakora mountains. Having lived for hundreds of years in
relative seclusion from modern influences,
they have managed to keep much of their
traditional culture intact.
The nomadic Fula (also called Fulani or
Peul) live primarily in the north and comprise 6% of the population.
Despite the underlying tensions between
the southern and northern regions, the various groups live in relative harmony and
have intermarried.
RELIGION
Some 30% of the population is Christian,
20% is Muslim, and 50% retains traditional
beliefs, such as animism and voodoo.
Most people practice voodoo, whatever
their religion. The practice mixed with
Catholicism in the Americas, where the
Dahomeyan slaves took it and their AfroBrazilian descendants brought it back.
Christian missionaries also won over
Dahomeyans by fusing their creed with
voodoo.
The northern peoples practice voodoo
under the name of fetishism, as evidenced
by the fetish shrines outside the tata somba
houses around Natitingou.
GRIGRI CHARMS & JUJU MEN

Voodoo, or vodou, got its current name in Haiti and Cuba, where the religion arrived with Fon
and Ewe slaves from the Dahomey Kingdom and mixed with Catholicism. It was originally called
vodun in Benin and Togo a word that means the hidden or the mystery. Unfortunately, it has
suited Hollywood to put a sinister spin on this.
In fact, voodoo is, for millions of Beninese and Togolese, a skullduggery-free part of everyday
life. It does have a dark side its hard to miss the voodoo dolls riddled with nails but this is
only one aspect of it.
The practice conforms to the general pattern of West African religions, with a supreme god,
Mawu, and a host of lesser spirits that are ethnically specific to their followers and to the part
of the spiritual world inhabited by a persons ancestors. Traditional priests, or juju men, are
consulted for their power to communicate with particular spirits and seek intercession with
them. This communication is achieved through spirit possession and ritual that often involves
a gift or sacrifice of palm wine, gin or food such as eggs, chickens or goats. The grace of the
spirits is essential for protection and prosperity, and some spirits can be harnessed for malicious
and selfish ends.
A fetish is an object or potion imbued with the spirits power. Fetish markets are like voodoo
pharmacies. The buyer has a prescription of the items the priest needs to make the required
concoction such as a parrots tail, a cobras head and, often, perfume.
Benins own government has been as damaging to voodoo as Hollywood. Krkous Marxist
government outlawed it as being inimical to a rational and socialist work ethic. Since a democratic
government was installed here in 1989, traditional religious practice has been permitted. Vodoo
was formally recognised as a religion by the government in February 1996.
BENIN
Beninese men working in Europe. Young

men in Benin can typically expect a roof
over their heads, enough food to live on
and, in many cases, a scooter to sit on.
BENIN
94 B E N I N A r t s
ARTS
Art & Craftwork

Benin has a rich cultural heritage, and its
traditional art has brought international
attention to the legendary kingdom of
Dahomey.
Traditionally, art served a spiritual purpose, but under the Fon kings, artisans and
sculptors were called upon to create works
that evoked heroism and enhanced the
image of the rulers. They became the historians of the era, creating richly coloured
appliqu banners that depicted past and
present glories. Banners are still being made,
particularly in Abomey, depicting animals,
hunting scenes and deities using cut-out
cloth figures.
Cinema & TV
The Quintessence film festival (www.festi
valouidah.org) takes place in Ouidah at the
same time as the voodoo festival. The annual festival, which also tours the country,
aims to promote films made in sub-Saharan
Africa.
Expect badly dubbed Brazilian soaps on
the commercial TV channels such as LC2
and Golfe TV. Television Nationale is the
state-run channel.
Music
Anglique Kidjo, a major international star,
is Benins most famous recording artist (see
below). Other well known Beninese artists
include Gnonnes Pedro, Nel Olivier and
Yelouassi Adolphe, and the bands Orchestre Poly-Rythmo and Disc Afrique.
Architecture
Dont miss the bas-reliefs on the walls of the
Muse Historique dAbomey in Abomey.
These are polychrome bas-reliefs in clay
that were used to decorate the palace, temples and chiefs houses. The palace has been
restored and designated a Unesco World
Heritage Site.
The Lake Nokou stilt villages and the
tata somba houses around Natitingou
are remarkable examples of traditional
architecture.
Sculpture
The cire perdue (lost wax) method used
to make the famous Benin bronzes comes
from Benin City in present-day Nigeria.
(President Krkou adopted the oncegreat kingdoms name when he relaunched
Dahomey as a socialist nation in 1975.)
However, the method spread west and cire
perdue figures can be bought in Benin, particularly Abomey and Cotonou.
Figures called bochio are carved from the
trunk of a tree and placed at the entrance
of a village to discourage malevolent spirits.
Some voodoo wood figures are combined
with a variety of materials, such as bottles,
padlocks and bones, to imbue them with
power. Moulded figures of unfired clay represent Legba (a Fon god) and receive daily
libations for the protection of the home.
ANGLIQUE KIDJO
The posters for her many performances worldwide have proclaimed her the African funk diva
and West Africas finest singer, but the truth is that Anglique Kidjo is a world musician in the
true, boundary-busting sense of the phrase.
Born in Ouidah in 1960 to a choreographer and a musician with Portuguese and English
ancestry, Kidjo remains influenced by the towns Afro-Brazilian heritage. Her recent trilogy of
albums explores the links between Africa and Latin America, culminating in Oyaya!, her latest
record, which sees Kidjo singing in four languages on tracks that dabble in Caribbean rhythms
such as salsa, calypso and mambo.
Most famous for the 1994 hit Agolo from the album Ay, which means life in the Fon
language Kidjo has also held onto the voodoo beliefs she first developed in Ouidah. She
believes music cant exist without spirituality and regards voodoo as bringing energy and spirituality to everyday life.
Now a special representative for Unesco and resident in New York, Kidjo has been criticised
for losing touch with her African-ness. She answered this criticism with 1995s Fifa, for which
she and her bassist husband spent several months travelling around Benin recording traditional
singers and musicians. Check out www.angeliquekidjo.com.
C OT O N O U O r i e n t a t i o n 95
Sandwiched between Nigeria and Togo,

Benin is 700km long and 120km across in
the south, widening to about 300km in the
north. Most of the coastal plain is a sand bar
that blocks the seaward flow of several rivers. As a result, there are lagoons a few kilometres inland all along the coast, which is
being eroded by the strong ocean currents.
Inland are a densely forested plateau and, in
the far northwest, the Atakora mountains.
Significant vestiges of wildlife are found
in Parc National de la Pendjari (p118) and
in Parc Regional du W (p120), including
herds of elephants and several species of
cat and antelope.
Deforestation and desertification are the
major environmental problems. In the north,
droughts continue to severely affect marginal
agriculture, while poaching is threatening the
small remaining wildlife populations.
FOOD & DRINK

Beninese grub is unquestionably among the
best in West Africa. Igname (yam) is the
staple food. Mashed yam, which must be
eaten fresh, tastes as good in the humblest
roadside stall as it does in a restaurant. Yam
chips are a great snack.
The Beninese also eat a lot of couscous, rice, pimane (pepper) and arachide
(groundnut) sauce with chicken and fish,
such as Dourade. There is normally a vegetarian sauce on offer.
The local beer, La Bninoise, is a passable drop. The adventurous could try palm
wine, the millet-based brew tchapallo, or
sodabe (moonshine).
COTONOU
pop 761,900
Spending a day in Cotonou, which officially

plays second fiddle to Porto Novo but is
Benins capital in everything but name, is
like being locked in car with a chain-smoking
speed freak. The zemi-johns swarm down the
boulevards like kamikaze pilots, filling the
air with fumes that only briefly clear at night,
when the streets seem eerily quiet.
Benins most populous city does have its
positives of course the countrys best hotels, nightlife and shops, and the sprawling
Grand March du Dantokpa.
Cotonou means mouth of the river of

death in Fon a reference to the Dahomeyan kingdoms role in the slave trade.
In 1868 the city was ceded to the French,
but this was challenged in 1892 by the Dahomeyan king Bhanzin, leading to the
Franco-Dahomeyan campaigns and the
formation of the French protectorate of
Dahomey.
Place de lEtoile Rouge is an imposing reminder of former President Mathieu Krkous dalliance with socialism.
ORIENTATION
The heart of town is the intersection of Ave
Clozel and Blvd Steinmetz. Going northeast along Ave Clozel, one of the two main
thoroughfares, you pass over the Pont Ancien and the road eventually turns into the
highway to Porto Novo and Lagos. The new
bridge, Pont Martin Luther King (Nouveau
Pont) is further to the north; the wide Blvd
St Michel (which becomes Ave du Nouveau
Pont), the other main road, passes over it
and eventually connects with Ave Clozel.
Rue des Cheminots in the centre is also
known as the Jonquet strip.
Maps
The 1:15000 Cotonou map (Institut Gographique National de Bnin), which lists
the citys hotels, cinemas, banks and markets, is available at bookshops.
INFORMATION
Bookshops
Librairie Ntre-Dame (%21 31 40 94; Ave Clozel;
h9am-12.30pm & 4-7pmTue-Sat, 4-7pm Mon) Next

to the cathedral, with an excellent selection of books
on Benin (in French), including a practical guide to Parc
National de la Pendjari (CFA5500) and maps of Cotonou
(CFA4255) and Benin (CFA7560).
Sonaec (%21 31 22 42; Ave Clozel; h8.30am12.30pm & 3.30-7pm Mon-Fri) Smart bookshop with the
latest periodicals and some photography books on West
Africa. Takes Visa and has maps of Cotonou (CFA7500) and
Togo (CFA7500).
Cultural Centres
Centre Culturel American (%21 30 03 12; fax 21 30
03 84) Adjoining the US embassy.
Centre Culturel Chinois (%21 31 31 74; fax 21 31 48
33; Ave Jean Paul II; h9am-12pm & 3.30-6.30pm) Shows
films (see p101) and runs Tai Chi and martial arts courses
(see p98).
BENIN
ENVIRONMENT
Cotonou
COTONOU
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Place
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7 58 Haie Vive
Airport
Ru
Av
Lim
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51
Ave d
Ave
Ro
To Ouidah (41km);
Lom (160km);
Parakou (415km)
e la R
Blvd de la Marina
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BENIN
96 C OT O N O U I n f o r m a t i o n
Zongo
Cadjhoun
68
25
Route de l`Aroport
20
Place de
l'Indpendance 4 44
32
39
Centre Culturel Franais (%21 30 08 56; fax 21 30
11 51; Route de lAroport; www.ambafrance-bj.org/ccf;

h9.30am-12pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sat, closed am Thu) This
exciting centre has a gallery, outdoor theatre, library,
cinema and bar.
42
Hospital
22
15
Ave Jean Paul II
14
Blvd de la Marina
37
Port
temperamental. Cheap food is also available on the quiet

balcony round the back.
Star Navigation (%21 31 81 28; per hr
CFA500/1000; h24hr Tue-Fri, 8am-midnight
Sat-Mon) The fastest Internet connection we found in
Benin.
Internet Access
Blvd Steinmetz and the Jonquet strip have
the most Internet cafs.
Cyber Caf Le Teranga (%21 30 29 29; Haie Vive; per
hr CFA1000; h10am-midnight) In front of the English
International School.
Cyber des Arts (%21 30 60 05; Centre de Promotion de
lArtisinal; per hr CFA500; h7am-7pm Mon-Sat) Breezy
place with a caf.
Cyberple (%21 32 72 07; Blvd Steinmetz; per hr
CFA300; h8am-midnight) The connection is a little
Medical Services
Pharmacie Camp Ghezo (%21 31 55 52; Rue 240)
The best-stocked pharmacy, just around the corner from
the US embassy.
Pharmacie Jonquet (%21 31 20 80; Rue des Cheminots) A pharmacie de garde (all-night pharmacy) in the
Jonquet district.
Polyclinique les Cocotiers (%21 30 14 20; Rue 373)
A private and efficient clinic at the Carrefour de Cadjehoun,
across from the PTT Cadjehoun.
Cotonou
C OT O N O U D a n g e r s & A n n o y a n c e s 97
1 km
0.5 miles
Post
Main post office (off Ave Clozel;h7am-7pm Mon-Fri,
8am-11.30pm Sat)
Lake
Nokou
Telephone
1
Telecom (OPT ) building (Ave Clozel; h7.30am-
midnight Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) You can make overseas

telephone calls and send faxes.
Tourist Information
Direction du Tourisme et de lHtellerie (%21 32
68 24; [email protected]; Place de ltoile Rouge)

Inconveniently located out of the centre, behind Pharmacie
de ltoile Rouge and of limited use.
Travel Agencies
30
Ave du Nouveau Pont
Ave de la Paix
Carrefour
Legba
ven
ho
llen
Vo
Train
Station
etz
nm
tei
dS
ou
Blv
Av
an
ev
n
Coto
Lagune de
71
11
19
60
To Porto Novo
(30km); Lagos
(120km)
Stadium
Visa Extenions
Cemetery
To Htel
Aledjo (3km)
56
70 Pont
Ancien
17
Cathedral
el
eC
Agence Africaine de Tourisme (%21 31 54 14; fax

21 31 54 99; Ave Proche) One of the best agencies. Offers
a wide range of information and tours, including pirogue
trips to Ganvi.
loz
Av
Plakodji
See Enlargement
Gulf of Guinea
36
Money
Financial Bank, Bank of Africa and Ecobank
change cash and travellers cheques. Financial Bank gives advances on Visa cards (but
applies exorbitant fees). Societe Generale de
Banques au Benin has an ATM.
Bank of Africa (%21 31 32 28; Ave Jean Paul II)
Ecobank Blvd Steinmetz (%21 31 66 36; Blvd Steinmetz);
Rue 657 (%21 31 40 23; Rue 657) Behind March Ganhi.

Financial Bank (%21 31 31 00; Rue 637) Just south
of Ave Clozel.
Societe Generale de Banques au Benin (%21 31
83 00; Ave Clozel)
Theres a thriving black market for currencies including the Nigerian Niara around the
Jonquet district and Gare du Dantokpa.
Direction Emigration Immigration (%21 31 42 13;

Ave Jan Paul II; h8am-11am, 3-6.30pm Mon-Fri) Issues
30-day visas.
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES

Cotonou is a dangerous city where muggings
at knife-point are not uncommon, but tourists will be fine if they follow a few rules. Stay
away from the beach, a lawless zone that even
the locals avoid. Watch your wallet in the
Grand March du Dantokpa. Avoid the Jonquet and Ganhie business districts and the
port area from late afternoon onwards, and
stick to thoroughfares throughout the city.
Taxis are safer at night than walking or zemijohns which are hair-raising at the best of
times, and plain suicidal during rush hour.
Scams
Plausible in both appearance and manner,
they have all sorts of stories to lure tourists
to a secluded area where they have a gang of
accomplices waiting. They may say they are
in a band and they want to give you a CD,
or they want you to meet a Western colleague from the aid agency they work for. If
someone offers to take you to the beach, that
should definitely set alarm bells ringing.
SIGHTS
Grand March du Dantokpa

The seemingly endless Grand March du Dantokpa is Cotonous exhilarating, exhausting
BENIN
0
0
BENIN
98 C OT O N O U C o u r s e s
INFORMATION
Agence Africaine de Tourisme.....1 A1
American Embassy...................... 2 C4
Bank of Africa.............................3 A3
British Community Liason
Officer..................................(see 7)
Centre Culturel American............4 B4
Centre Culturel Chinois.............. 5 D4
Centre Culturel Franais..........(see 14)
Commissariat Central................. 6 D3
Cyber Caf Le Teranga............... 7 A4
Cyber des Arts........................(see 63)
Cyberple...............................(see 19)
Direction du Tourisme et de
l'Htellerie.............................. 8 C2
Direction Emigration
Immigration............................ 9 D4
Ecobank....................................10 C3
Ecobank (Main Office)..............11 E3
English International School......(see 7)
Financial Bank...........................12 B2
French Consulate......................13 B3
French Embassy........................ 14 C4
German Embassy...................... 15 C4
Ghanaian Embassy................... 16 A4
Librairie Ntre-Dame.................17 E4
Main Post Office.......................18 B3
Marche St Michel......................19 E3
Nigerian Embassy......................20 B4
Nigerien Embassy......................21 B3
Pharmacie Camp Ghezo........... 22 C4
Pharmacie Jonquet....................23 B2
Point Afrique............................ 24 A4
Polyclinique
les Cocotiers......................... 25 B4
Societe Generale de Banques au
Benin.....................................26 B2
Sonaec......................................27 B2
Star Navigation.........................28 B2
Telecom
(OPT) Building......................29 B2
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Grand March du Dantokpa......30 E3
SLEEPING
Alex's Hotel.............................. 31 A2
Benin Marina Hotel................... 32 A4
Htel Babo................................33 A1
Htel Benin Vickinfel...............(see 38)
Htel Concorde.........................34 B2
Htel de la Plage.......................35 B3
Htel du Lac..............................36 F4
Htel du Port............................ 37 C4
Htel le Crillon..........................38 C2
Novotel Orisha..........................39 B4
Pension des Familles..................40 B1
EATING
American 24.............................41 B2
Cafeterias...............................(see 33)
Cafeterias...............................(see 40)
Chez Clarisse............................ 42 C4
Chez Mama Benin.................... 43 D3
Faim Gourmet...........................44 B4
Hai King....................................45 B4
Indiana..................................... 46 A4
La Gerbe d'Or...........................47 B2
La Ponte....................................48 B2
La Verdure................................49 C2
Le Costa Rica..........................(see 63)
Le Petit Four.............................50 C2
Le Sorrento.............................(see 63)
L'Oriental................................. 51 A3
Maquis Le Lagon......................52 B2
Maquis le Mandingue...............53 B2
Omelette Stall.........................(see 38)
Pili Pili....................................... 54 D3
Restaurant l'Amiti....................55 A1
Restaurant Mandarine............(see 65)
Restaurant Romantica...............56 F3
Sandwich Ladies........................57 B3
Street Food.............................(see 52)
heart, bordered by the lagoon and Blvd St

Michel. Everything under the sun can be
purchased in its labyrinthine lanes, particularly if everything happens to be a dodgy
Lucky Dube CD or a pair of plastic sandals.
More traditional fare, such as batiks and
Fon jewellery, can be found in the market
building. There is also a fetish market, located
near the pirogues arriving from the lagoon.
Look out for the so-called Mama Benz, the
haughty matriarchs of the market who are
named after their favourite make of car.
COURSES
For Fon-language classes, call Vinawamon
(% 21 30 08 56), also contactable via the
Centre Culturel Franais (p95). There are
Tai Chi and martial arts courses (%21 31 31 74; Ave
Jean Paul II; course CFA20000; h7pm-8.30pm Tue & Sat,

5pm-6.30pm Wed & Sat) at the Centre Culturel
Chinois.
DRINKING
Le Livingstone.......................... 58 A4
Le Soweto.................................59 B2
ENTERTAINMENT
Cin Concorde..........................60 F3
Cin le Benin............................ 61 D3
Cristal Palace..........................(see 31)
Le Repaire de Bacchus...............62 B2
Le Tk...................................(see 32)
New York, New York..............(see 63)
Paradise..................................(see 57)
SHOPPING
Centre de Promotion de
l'Artisanal............................. 63 D3
Htel du Port boutique...........(see 37)
Marche Ganhi...........................64 B2
TRANSPORT
Air France................................. 65 A4
Air Gabon..................................66 B1
Air Ivoire...................................67 B1
Air Togo................................... 68 A4
Bush-Taxi Stop (for Abomey,
Abomey-Calavi, Grand Popo
& Ouidah).............................69 D3
Confort Lines Stop..................(see 19)
Gare de l'Ancien Pont (for the
East)......................................70 E4
Gare du Dantokpa (for Porto
Novo)....................................71 E3
Gare Guinkom (for the North)..72 B2
Gare Jonquet
(for the West)........................73 B2
Gare Missbo (for Abomey)......74 B1
Ghana Airways..........................75 B2
Nigeria Airways.........................76 B1
Sonacop
Petrol Station.....................(see 19)
STC Station..............................(see 3)
SLEEPING
Budget
Htel Concorde (%21 31 55 70; Blvd Steinmetz; r with

fan/air-con from CFA7000/15,000; a) Just south of
the now-defunct Cin Vog, this is one of
the friendlier and cleaner of the central
budget hotels, but it is often booked out.
Htel le Crillon (%21 31 51 58; Rue 105; s with fan/
air-con CFA6500/12,500; a) With sparse rooms
and dark landings, these cheap central digs
off Blvd Steinmetz have the feel of a 1950s
boarding house right down to the cockroaches unfortunately. Breakfast is CFA700.
Pension des Familles (%21 31 42 01; Ave Proche;
s/d CFA5500/6500) Both cleaner and cheaper
than the nearby Pension de lAmiti, this
friendly pension has 14 spartan rooms with
fan. The main drawback is its right on the
main road.
Htel Babo (%21 31 46 07; Rue Agbeto Amador;
s with fan/air-con CFA6000/10,000; a) This tenement-
C OT O N O U E a t i n g 99
Midrange
Htel du Port (%21 31 44 44; fax 21 31 43 26; hotel-
[email protected]; Blvd de la Marina; s/d from

CFA38,500/43,500, bungalow s/d CFA46,500/53,500;
pasi ) The carpeted rooms and,
overlooking the popular pool, spacious

bungalows, restaurant (meals CFA3800 to
CFA6500) and bar make this Cotonous best
midrange hotel. Its in a bad area of town
though.
Htel du Lac (%21 33 19 19; r CFA35,000-40,000;
ais) Excellent midrange choice in an
unrivalled location at the east end of Pont
Ancien. Rooms are sunny, spacious and exceptionally clean, with TVs and telephones.
Ask for a sea view. The Lebanese restaurant
(meals CFA2500 to CFA4800) has views
across the lagoon to the port. Robberies
have occurred on the bridge at night.
Htel de la Plage (%21 31 34 67; Blvd de la Marina;
s/d from CFA22,500/25,000, s/d apartment 35,000/40,500;
as) The antiquated Htel de la Plage,
opposite the Nigerien embassy, is a colonial

throwback, with breezy rooms, swimming
pool and laundry service. In addition to
the restaurant (meals CFA800 to CFA4500),
there is a bar and a fast-food joint overlooking the beach.
Alexs Hotel (% 21 31 25 08; Rue 108; r from
CFA41,500; a) Cotonous Hotel California,
with mildly erotic art decorating the corridors, a cosy restaurant (meals CFA3500 to
CFA4000) with a colonial feel, and sweetly
scented rooms. There are city views from
the roof and an excellent karaoke bar and
nightclub, Cristal Palace.
Htel Benin Vickinfel (%21 31 38 14; vkfhotel@
intnet.bj; off Blvd Steinmetz; r from CFA25,000; a )
Dont be fooled by the grim exterior. This

33-room hotel is one of the most comfortable and professional hotels in the city centre, though the rooms are a little pokey.
Meals are available for CFA3000.
Htel Aledjo (%21 33 05 61; fax 21 33 15 74;
r CFA35,500-56,500, ste CFA100,500; pas ) If
youre looking for a beach hotel and wont
be going into the city very often, try the ageing four-star Aledjo, 3km east of the centre.
There are 55 lavish rooms in 11 bungalows;

tennis courts, a small pool and bowls. The
restaurant serves good but expensive food
(meals CFA4500 to CFA5000).
Top End
Novotel Orisha (%21 30 41 77; novotel.orisha@intnet
.bj; Blvd de la Marina; s/d CFA70,500, tr CFA80,500, ste

CFA110,000; pais) While not as im-
pressive as the grandiose driveway implies,

this Accor hotel delivers comfortable rooms
and good service. Serves Sunday brunch
(CFA9500; open 11am to 4pm) by the pool
and other meals are available (CFA3500 to
CFA11,500).
Benin Marina Hotel (% 21 30 01 00; fax 21
30 11 55; Blvd de la Marina; r with city/ocean view

CFA120,500/133,500, bungalow CFA154,500, ste CFA245,500355,500; pais) A regular pleasure gar-
den of a place, the monstrous ex-Sheraton

offers Cotonous most luxurious accommodation, although some people prefer
the Novotel Orisha. Daily happy hour in
Bar Nokou (6pm to 8pm) and poolside
buffet on Friday night. Meals are available
for CFA5500 to CFA10,000.
EATING
African
Restaurant lAmiti (Rue 118; menu du jour CFA1000)

About 100m southwest of Htel Babo, this
Senegalese lunchtime joint is one of the best
places in town for a spot of fish and rice.
Maquis le Mandingue (%21 31 37 61; off Ave
Proche; meals CFA3800-6000) Dishes such as fish
of the season, in gombo (green vegetable),
yassa (lemon, onion and mustard) and arachide sauces, are available in this popular
but tranquil place with a garden and, on
some nights, a harmonica player.
Chez Maman Bnin (%21 32 33 38; Rue 201A;
meals CFA500-3000) This long-standing restaurant, behind Cin le Bnin, has a large
selection of West African dishes scooped
from steaming pots. Upstairs is a more expensive air-con section with a TV showing
big sports matches.
Pili Pili (%21 31 29 32; Rue du Rvrend Pre Kitti;
meals CFA2500-3800; h12.30-5pm & 7.30-11pm) This
slightly upmarket restaurant with a great
ambience, behind Htel de lUnion, gets
going from 8pm.
Restaurant Romantica (%97 06 15 66; Rue 1885;
meals CFA4000-7000) A limited menu but a mellow atmosphere and a great location next
BENIN
like place of peeling paint and laundry hanging on five floors of balconies is for hardcore
budget travellers only. Request a room on
the top level as they are more spacious and
airy, not to mention having great views.
Meals are CFA500 to CFA1500.
BENIN
100 C OT O N O U D r i n k i n g
to Htel du Lac, in view of the zemi-johns

hurling themselves over Pont Ancien.
La Gerbe dOr (% 21 31 42 58; Ave Clozel;

h6am-10pm) The best shop for fresh bread,
Asian
croissants and pastries, yogurt, ice cream,

cheese and wine.
Hai King (%21 30 60 08; Route de Lom; meals CFA35004000; h10am-2.30pm & 6-11.30pm) Not far from
Quick Eats
the airport, this popular place offers classic Chinese food, has snappy service, and
a covered terrace overlooking the bustling
Carrefour de Cadjhoun.
Indiana (%21 30 03 20; Haie Vive; meals CFA35005000) This Indian-run restaurant with
garden seating, on the same street as Le
Livingstone, does a delicious curry.
European
La Verdure (%21 31 31 75; off Ave Clozel; meals
CFA1500-10,000) Tucked away, just west of Blvd
Steinmetz, is this great little French seafood
restaurant, which also has a bar with a pool
table.
Chez Clarisse (%21 30 60 14; Camp Guzo; meals
CFA1500-3500) This small French restaurant,
next to the US embassy, rates highly with
readers. If you are feeling ambitious try the
brochette des escargots (snails cooked on a
skewer).
Le Sorrento (%21 31 57 79; Blvd St Michel; mains
CFA2500-4500) This is the only authentic Italian restaurant in Cotonou, serving decent
pizza, pasta and other Mediterranean
dishes. Its at the back of the Halle des Arts
complex.
Maquis Le Lagon (%21 31 55 53; Blvd Steinmetz;
meals CFA1500) Tasty but stingy portions of
grilled chicken and chips and the like. You
eat on the boulevard and get a front-row view
of one of Cotonous quieter thoroughfares.
Faim Gourmet (%21 30 98 62; Blvd de la Marina;
meals CFA4500-5000) Right across the road from
the Novotel Orisha, this place serves delicious steaks and fish in a pleasant garden.
Lebanese
Restaurant Mandarine (%21 30 14 57; Route de
lAroport; meals from CFA1500) Turkish cakes and
coffee in the morning, kebabs later on. Next
to the Air France office on the southwestern
edge of town.
Cafs & Patisseries

Le Petit Four (%21 31 20 11; Blvd Steinmetz; h7am10pm, until 11pm Fri & Sat) A classy, air-conditioned caf for croissants and coffee, and
beers at night.
Superb brochettes can be found all over

Cotonou, for around CFA400 to CFA500,
from late afternoon onwards look for the
smoking grills piled with meat on sticks.
The stalls in front of Maquis Le Lagon Grill
on Blvd Steinmetz are perennial favourites, as are the sandwich ladies (off Ave Clozel)
on the same street as Paradise nightclub.
They allow you to create your own rolls
with sausages, hot pepper sauce and loads
more.
There are also omelette men who set up
shop around dusk and work through the
night. Their tables, covered in hot chocolate, coffee and tea containers, are everywhere, offering an entire breakfast here
for around CFA400. The all-day stall opposite Htel le Crillon is good. The side
streets around Htel Babo and Pension des
Familles are dotted with cafterias.
Self-Catering
In the centre, around March Ganhi, are a
number of good supermarkets, including La
Ponte (%21 31 69 45; off Ave Clozel; h8.30am-1pm
& 3.30-8pm), and American 24 (%21 31 52 57; Ave
Clozel; h24hr).
DRINKING
Le Livingstone (%21 30 27 58; [email protected]; Haie
Vive; meals CFA3500-4500; h11am-late) Expect reassuring guitar riffs at least when the
rock-loving English owners wrested control of the hi-fi and an expat crowd kicking back on the terrace. Hearty food too.
Le Costa Rica (%30 20 09; Centre de Promotion
de lArtisanal; meals CFA2400-4500) Dont be scared
off by the paintings at the entrance of those
formidable Gauls, Asterix and Obelix this
French-owned joint is the coolest citycentre spot to sink a draft beer. Its pizza,
steak and seafood dishes are also popular.
The Jonquet strip is bristling with wild
and wicked bar-hoppers and bars, such
as Le Soweto (%97 44 17 49; Rue des Cheminots;
h10am-5am).
Haie Vive, near the airport, is a good, safe
area by night, with many of the citys best
bars and restaurants.
C OT O N O U E n t e r t a i n m e n t 101
ENTERTAINMENT
bags, snakeskin wallets, tam tam (small

hand drum) and CDs of African music.
In addition to the Centre, try the Htel
du Port boutique (%21 31 44 44; Blvd de la Marina;
h10am-noon & 3-7pm), which is expensive but
not as bad as the boutiques at the two topend hotels.
Cinemas
Good cinemas are Cin le Bnin (%21 32 12

50; Blvd St Michel; hfrom 7pm) and Cin Concorde
(%21 33 39 72), east of the new bridge. Both
show Western and African films in French.

Tickets are around CFA500. You can also see
films at the Centre Culturel Franais, which
issues monthly pamphlets with upcoming programme details, and at the Centre
Culturel Chinois on Saturdays at 8pm.
Nightclubs
The decadent bars on Jonquet strip are generally open through the night, often without
a cover try Le 2001, Le Soweto, Playboy,
Le Must and LAncien Pattaya.
New York, New York (Halle des Arts; admission
CFA4500) A glitzy hall of mirrors, frequented
by some of the friendliest young ladies
youll encounter this side of Lom.
Paradise (%97 44 66 44; off Ave Clozel; admission
CFA3000) CFA5000 whisky, sleazy expats, and
techno.
Cristal Palace (%21 31 25 08; admission CFA3500;
h11pm-dawn Tue-Sun), at Alexs Hotel, has a
karaoke bar and is a lot of fun. Benin Marina
Hotels Le Tk (%21 30 01 00; Blvd de la Marina; free
for Benin Marina Hotel guests) is also fun on holidays and special occasions, any time theres
a crowd; otherwise its usually pretty dead.
Live Music
Le Repaire de Bacchus (%21 31 75 81; lerepairedeb
@yahoo.fr; Ave Proche; h11am-midnight, to 2am Thu,
to 4am Fri & Sat) This funky jazz bar also has a
food menu, although its shorter than the
list of cocktails, which start at CFA2000.
With live jazz on Thursday from 10.30pm,
and music such as rumba and Cte dIvoire
sounds on Friday and Saturday, this place
is the hideout of choice for Cotonous beatniks in berets. Cest cool.
SHOPPING
Centre de Promotion de lArtisinal (Blvd St Michel;
h 9am-7pm) There are more beckoning
hands than quality work in this large centre,
but its worth a look to get your cultural
bearings. The boutiques sell woodcarvings,
bronzes, batiks, leather goods, jewellery and
appliqu banners.
March Ganhi is smaller and less intense
than Grand March de Dantokpa. On the
road behind the market you can pick up
GETTING THERE & AWAY

Air
The international airport is on the western

fringe of town. The airport is rudimentarily equipped with an information centre,
phone booths and a pharmacy.
If flying out of Cotonou, arrive early, as
checking in is a predictably long-winded
process. Departure tax is included in tickets. For fliers, there is a duty-free shop and
a caf-bar: a good place to fortify yourself
for an encounter with the grisly officials at
the entrance to the departure lounge.
For more information on airlines flying
to Cotonou see p124.
Bush Taxi, Minibus & Bus

Cotonou has a rather confusing number
of stations for minibuses, buses and bush
taxis. Its easiest to ask a taxi or a zemi-john
to take you to the right one.
Gare Jonquet (Rue des Cheminots), a couple of
blocks west of Blvd Steinmetz, services western destinations such as Lom (CFA3000,
three hours) and Ouidah (CFA600, one
hour). Gare Guinkomey (Rue des Dako Donou) has
services to the northern centres including Parakou (CFA6500, eight hours). Gare
de lAncien Pont (cnr Ave Clozel & Rue des Libanais),
services eastern destinations such as Lagos
(CFA3000, three hours).
Bush taxis for Porto Novo (CFA500, 45
minutes) leave from Gare du Dantokpa (Ave de la
Rpublique) at the new bridge; those to Abomey
(CFA2000, two hours) leave from Gare Missbo (Ave van Vollenhoven). However, for Abomey,
Abomey-Calavi (for Ganvi), Grand Popo
and Ouidah its far better to wait at the unofficial bush-taxi stop about 100m southwest
of glise St Michel on Blvd St Michel.
Confort Lines runs daily buses between
Cotonou and Natitingou. The north-bound
bus leaves from the Sonacop station (Carrefour
Legba, Cotonou) at 7am. Benin Routes daily
buses between Cotonou and Parakou leave
in both directions at 7.30am. For more information on buses within Benin, see p125.
BENIN
BENIN
102 A R O U N D C OT O N O U G a n v i
STC runs buses between Cotonou and

Abidjan via Accra. West-bound buses leave
from the station in Cotonou, just off Rue
de Ouidah, on Monday, Wednesday and
Friday at midday. STN is among the coach
lines that ply the route between Cotonou
and Niamey. For more on international
buses to/from Cotonou, see p125.
Train
The train station is in the heart of town
one block north of Ave Clozel and several
blocks southwest of Blvd Steinmetz. See
p126 for more details of train services.
GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport

A private taxi from the city centre to the airport costs around CFA2000, although drivers will demand double this amount from
the airport. You can cut costs, if you dont
have much to carry and you arrive during
the day, by walking or catching a zemi-john
from the airport.
Taxi
A zemi-john will whiz you around town
for CFA100 to CFA300 depending on the
distance, though this is a dangerous way to
travel on Cotonous crowded roads.
Fares in regular taxis and minibuses are
CFA150 for a shared ride (double that for
fairly long trips). Taxis can be hired for
CFA2000 per hour; rates increase from
early evening on. Tariffs are often written
on the dashboard. Gare du Dantokpa is a
good place to pick up taxis.
AROUND COTONOU
GANVI
The main attraction near Cotonou is Ganvi, where 27,000 Tofinu people live in bamboo huts on stilts several kilometres out on
Lake Nokou. All the houses, restaurants,
shops, auberges and even the post office are
on wooden stilts 2m above water level. The
town has become a tourist magnet but a
tour of its waterways is still worthwhile, especially if you have a knowledgeable guide.
The Tofinu fled to this swampy region in
the 17th century from the Dahomey slavehunters, who were banned by a religious
custom from venturing into the water.
They live almost exclusively from fishing,

which they do by planting branches on the
muddy lagoon bottom. When the leaves on
the branches begin to decompose, the fish
congregate there to feed.
The best times to see Ganvi and the other,
quieter stilt villages are early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the sun
is weaker.
While many people, especially the
women, object to having their pictures
taken, children will beg you to photograph
them in exchange for a cadeau (present).
Sleeping & Eating

Htel Carrefour Chez M Ganvi (%21 49 00 17; r
CFA5000) This quaint hotel in the middle of
the village next to the craft boutique has 11
rooms with balconies, mosquito nets, communal showers and flush toilets. Guests get
free transport back to Abomey-Calavi. Meals
are available for CFA2500 to CFA3000.
Chez M (%21 36 03 44; r CFA5000) Formerly
called Htel du Lac, this grubby place
doesnt have much going for it other than
being close to the jetty in Abomey-Calavi.
Meals available for CFA1000 to CFA3000.
Getting There & Away

From Cotonou catch a bush taxi at Gare
du Missbo or near glise St Michel (see
p101) or a Confort Lines bus (see p101) to
Abomey-Calavi (CFA300, 35 minutes), not
to be confused with Abomey.
The embarkation point in AbomeyCalavi is 800m downhill from the pirogue
moorings. At the official counter (%95 05 27
01; h9am-6pm), return fares to Ganvi for
one person in a regular/motorised pirogue
are CFA6050/7050; CFA4050/5050 each
for two to four people; CFA3050/4050 for
five to nine; CFA2550/3050 for 10 or more.
Prices, which can be cut by travelling with
locals or other tourists, include a circuit of
the village with stop-offs. The whole trip
takes about 2 hours.
THE SOUTH
Leaving Cotonous traffic and Ganvis
touts, life soon starts to look up. Not only
does Benins coastal region offer some top
beach action in the resort town of Grand
Popo, it is brimming with intriguing cul-
T H E S O U T H P o r t o N o v o 103
PORTO NOVO
pop 234,168
Nestling on the shores of Lake Nokou,

30km east of Cotonou and 15km from the
Nigerian border, Porto Novo is Benins administrative centre. The refined, hilly city,
home of functionaries, ministerial buildings, museums and colonial architecture,
is a more rewarding place to stay than
Cotonou.
Porto Novo has been Benins official
capital since it was used as such by the
French, whose colonisation followed the
Wars of Resistance that began here in 1890.
The Portuguese named the city after Porto
when they established a slave-trading post
here in the 16th century. Local results of
the freed slaves return from the Americas
can be seen in the Muse da Silva, which
examines Afro-Brazilian culture, and the
statue in Place Jean Bayal celebrating cooperation between the Yoruba and Creole
peoples.
Information
There is a hospital west of the Assemble
Nationale.
Centre Songhai (%20 22 50 92; Route de Pob),
a popular community centre, has a supermarket and web access (per hour CFA400).
Basic information about the city can be
found online at www.porto-novo.org.
There are three banks and a post office
in the city centre.
everything from costumes to carved drums.

Downstairs is an impressive display of the
Yorubas inventive Gelede ceremonial
masks, some dating back 200 years.
MUSE HONM
Formerly known as the Palais Royal du

Roi Toffa, this museum (%20 21 35 66; Rue
Toffa; admission CFA1000; h9am-6pm, until 5pm Sat
& Sun) is housed in the walled compound
of King Toffa, who signed the first treaty

with the French in 1863. The kingdom of
Porto Novo was one of the longest lasting
in sub-Saharan Africa, running from 1688
to the 25th king in 1976, when the five
dynasties had a disagreement and let the
kingdom die.
Although last remodelled in 1890, the
complex has the feel of a Roman bath
house, with bare chambers used for regal
purposes such as initiation and suicide. The
guide, Franois, speaks some English and
will likely ask for a cadeau.
MUSE DA SILVA
This privately owned museum (%20 21 50

71; [email protected]; Ave Liotard; admission CFA1000;
h 9am-5.30pm) is a wonderfully eccentric
African establishment. It begins with a

tour of an Afro-Brazilian house dating
back to 1870, veers into a room filled with
photocopied portraits of world leaders and
jazz icons, and ends in a garage containing a Rolls Royce and a Harley Davidson
hotrod.
MOSQUE
The multicoloured building near the market is a mosque. Originally a Brazilian-style

church, built in the late 19th century, its
crumbling faade painted in pastels makes
it a flamboyant example of southern Benins
many buildings of that period.
Sights & Activities
GRAND MARCH DADJARA
MUSE THNOGRAPHIQUE DE PORTO NOVO
The market in the small town of Adjara,

10km north of Porto Novo on a back road
to Nigeria, is one of the most colourful in
Benin. Held every fourth day, its stocked
with fetishes, grigri charms, unique blue
and white tie-dyed cloth, some of the best
pottery in Benin, and tam tams and other
musical instruments. Shared taxis to Adjara
leave Porto Novo gare routire on market
day or take a zemi-john.
This colonial building houses an ethnographic museum (%20 21 25 54; Ave 6; admission
CFA1000; h 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, from 9am Sat, Sun &

holidays, closed 1 May 1 & 1 Jan). Announced by
the imposing carved doors from the palace of Ktou, the museum is one of the
countrys best, thanks to the knowledgeable guides. The top floor is organised thematically around birth, life and death, with
BENIN
ture and history. Porto Novo could be West

Africas most laid-back capital city, packed
with museums and restaurants. Ouidah and
Abomey contain the remains of the riches
accrued by the European slave traders and
their fearsome allies, the Dahomeyan Kings.
Evidence of voodoo, which originated here,
can be spotted all over the region.
Porto Novo
0
0
PORTO NOVO
Blvd
Lagu
naire
To Agugu
(12km)
24
7
1
ji
cad
Do
ra-
dja
23
RondPoint
Atak
6
22
ue de
Rue T
offa
9
14
25
To Cotonou (30km);
Lagos (90km)
13
Grand March
l`Hp
ital)
Ave D
Lagoon
19
Rue Obal
d
Place
Kokoy
21
Place
Jean Bayal
A
Cathedral ve Ballot (R
Rue du Po
nt
11
10
do
17
uan
5
Assemble
Nationale
3
Rue l'Inspec tion
Train Station
(Defunct)
Ave 6 4
15
20
8
To Queen's
Hotel (2km)
d'O
Rue Etienne
ute
Ro
2
12
Carrefour
Catchi
eA
18
16
500 m
0.3 miles
Ru
To Adjara
(10km)
rgou
Water
Tower
oume
To Centre
Songhai (1km)
Blvd Extrieur
Ave Willi
am
Ponty
BENIN
104 T H E S O U T H P o r t o N o v o
INFORMATION
Bank of Africa.............................1
Financial Bank..............................2
Hospital......................................3
International Bank of Benin..........4
Post Office..................................5
B2
B1
A2
B1
B2
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Iroko Tours.............................(see 13)
Mosque...................................... 6 C2
Muse da Silva............................7 B2
Muse thnographique de Porto
Novo.......................................8 B2
Muse Honm............................ 9 C2
SLEEPING
Casa Danza...............................10 B2
Htel Beaurivage...................... 11 A2
Htel Dona...............................12 C1
Htel La Dtente.......................13 B2
Muse da Silva ........................(see 7)
EATING
Buvette Escale du Pont..............14 B2
Cafeteria La Pirogue...............(see 14)
Cafeteria Place Catchi.............(see 18)
Chez Mahi................................15 B2
Esperance...............................(see 25)
Java........................................(see 10)
La Peniche Patisserie..................16 B1
Le JPN.......................................17 B2
Maquis Katchi Ambiance...........18 B1
Restaurant Akango....................19 B2
Street Food...............................20 B2
PIROGUE RIDES
The 12km pirogue trip to the stilt village of

Agugu is a less touristy option than Ganvi. Among the guides and hotels offering
to oblige are Hilaire and his company Iroko
Tours (%97 44 53 87), also contactable through
Htel La Dtente (%20 21 44 69; off Blvd Lagunaire),
with reasonable prices starting at CFA6000
per person.
Festivals & Events

In mid-January Porto Novo celebrates the
citys Afro-Brazilian heritage with its own
version of Carnival. Contact the Muse da
Silva (p103) for more information.
Sleeping
BUDGET
Htel La Dtente (%20 21 44 69; off Blvd Lagunaire;

r CFA6500; p) A popular budget option, this
Street Food............................... 21 C2
Street Food............................... 22 C2
DRINKING
Festival Plus...............................23 C1
Mess-Mixte...............................24 B2
ENTERTAINMENT
Casa Danza ............................(see 10)
Feelings
Night Club..........................(see 11)
Outdoor
Cinema.................................(see 7)
Quartz Club.............................(see 12)
TRANSPORT
Gare Routire............................25 B2
centrally located hotels rooms are rundown but it has a great lagoon-side paillote
(thatch-roofed) restaurant.
Casa Danza (%20 21 48 12; Place du Gouvernement;
r CFA5500-12,500; a) The ground-floor rooms
at the back of this restaurant one block
south of the Muse thnographique de
Porto Novo are a better, if kitschier, option
than those in the tower block.
Muse da Silva (%20 21 50 71; fax 20 21 26 99;
[email protected]; Ave Liotard; r CFA8500; a) The museum has four large, airy rooms with baths in
some of the bathrooms. Ask for a room on
the inside of the complex, as the outside ones
overlook a busy street and can be noisy.
Centre Songhai (%20 22 50 92; Route de Pob;
r CFA4000-12000; pai) This lively community centre, reached by heading straight on
at the two roundabouts north of Carrefour
Catchi, has 70 basic but clean rooms.
T H E S O U T H P o r t o N o v o 105
Htel Beaurivage (%20 21 23 99; Blvd Lagunaire;

r CFA15,500-25,500; a) Tired but spacious rooms
with the towns best lagoon views and a
wonderful terrace bar and restaurant.
Htel Dona (%20 22 30 52; www.hoteldona.com;
Blvd Extrieur; s/d/tr CFA16,500/18,500/21,500; pa)
Rooms have hot water and are like those at

Beaurivage in this shockingly pink building
with two restaurants and a nightclub.
Queens Hotel (%01 16 01, 90 27 60; queenhot
[email protected]; off Route de Louho; r CFA9000-12000;

pa) This low-key hotel 2km west of
town has some of Porto Novos smartest

rooms and an excellent restaurant.
Eating
Cafeteria La Pirogue (Gare Routire) This unmarked omelette joint next to Buvette Escale du Pont is a little fly-blown but handy
for early-morning taxis.
Just northeast of the Muse thnographique de Porto Novo and opposite the
school, a street stall serves fish sauce with
yam chips or mashed yam. More stalls are
found around the market and Rond-Point
Atak.
SELF-CATERING
La Peniche Ptisserie (%20 22 46 59; Carrefour Catchi)

Sells passable croissant and yogurt. There
is another patisserie, Esperance (west end of
Gare Routire), and a supermarket at Centre
Songhai.
RESTAURANTS
Java Promo (%20 21 20 54; Place du Gouvernement;

meals CFA1500-3000) Get down to this popular
haunt for a yummy steak or dourade (fish)
and chips with a carafe of wine.
Restaurant Akango (%20 69 42 59, 93 15 58;
meals CFA2000-3000) Lavish dishes such as coq
au vin are the order of the day in this restaurant on a quiet side street opposite a
ministerial building.
Le JPN (%20 21 38 66; Jardin des Plantes et de la Na-
ture, site 2; h10am-9pm Tue-Thu, to 11pm Fri-Sun; meals

CFA1800) Set in a leafy park southwest of the
Assemble Nationale, this place offers breakfast, lunch and the odd stream of ants.
Centre Songhai (%20 22 50 92; Route de Pob;
menu du jour CFA3500) The posher of the centres
two restaurants offers mouth-watering cuisine and CFA500 carafes of wine.
Alternatively try the restaurants at Casa
Danza (CFA1000 to CFA3500) and the
three midrange hotels (meals CFA2500 to
CFA4500).
Drinking
The restaurants Casa Danza, Java Promo
and Le JPN are also popular watering
holes.
Festival Plus (%20 22 39 79; Rue Obald) Set
in a pleasantly ramshackle courtyard and
paillote, this lively bar also has a small
restaurant.
Mess-Mixte (Blvd Lagunaire) A mellow place to
watch the world roll down the boulevard.
Serves brochettes during the week.
Entertainment
Casa Danza (%20 21 48 12; Place du Gouvernement) is
the place to be on Sunday nights, with live
music and dancing from 7pm. The towns
most popular club is Feelings Night Club (Blvd
Extrieur; admission CFA3000; hWed & Fri-Sun), 500m
north of Hotel Beaurivage. There is also
Quartz Club (Blvd Extrieur; admission CFA3000; hFri,
Sat & holidays) at Htel Dona.
The outdoor cinema (CFA500) at Muse da
Silva sporadically shows French films.
CAFS
Chez Mahi (Ave 6; meals CFA300-600; hlunch only,

closed Sun) Locals swear by this restaurant,
just south of Place Kokoy; hearty meals
include mutton, igname and sauce.
Buvette Escale du Pont (Gare Routire) Has
cheap drinks and Beninese tucker.
Maquis Katchi Ambiance (Carrefour Catchi; meals
CFA350-500) Features many local specialities.
QUICK EATS
If Cotonou hasnt scared you off zemijohns, they are the best way to see Porto
Novo. A full town tour with the driver waiting should cost no more than CFA5000 for
Cafeteria Place Catchi (Carrefour Catchi) A popular

and well-organised spot that churns out
coffee and omelettes in the morning.
Plenty of minibuses and bush taxis leave for

Cotonou (minibus/bush taxi CFA300/500,
45 minutes) from the gare routire. To
Abomey from Porto Novo is CFA1900.
There are also frequent taxis to Lagos
(CFA2700).
Getting Around
BENIN
MIDRANGE
Ouidah
the day. Alternatively all the major sites and

facilities are within half an hours walk of
each other.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Basilica............................................................4
Casa do Brazil.................................................5
Muse d'Histoire d'Ouidah.............................6
Sacred Forest..................................................7
Temple des Serpents.......................................8
EATING
Cafeteria le Kilombo......................................12 B5
Eureka Caf..................................................13 B5
DRINKING
Buvette La Marmite D'Or.............................14
Buvette Relais Du Sportif...............................15
Evivi..............................................................16
Le Belier........................................................17
Le Karakoo...................................................18
Liberty's........................................................19
Maquis Benin................................................20
23
Carrefour
Benin
18
20
To Togo
(64km)
To Cotonou
(41km)
Rou
te d
eT
ogo
ier
liv
eO
re
ue
tag
blocks east of the market, is housed in Fortaleza So Joo Batista, a Portuguese fort
built in 1721. Perhaps the best museum in
the country, with exhibits focusing on the
slave trade and the resulting links between
Benin, Brazil and the Caribbean. Youll
be shown voodoo artefacts, skulls, photos
showing the influence of Dahomeyan slaves
on Brazilian culture, and traces of Brazilian architecture that the repatriated slaves
brought back to Africa.
To Gare de
Kpass (2km);
March de
Kpass (2km)
14
To Edelweiss Les
Retrouvailles (1km);
Htel DK ( 2km)
Stadium
rgre 1
d'O
21
16
19
i
mban
Colo 2
Rue F
5
ance
Ave de Fr
Mosque
Grand
13 March6
8
10
oven
n
e h
Voll
es
van
Rue
lav
22
To Door of Return (1km);

Le Retour de la Diaspora (1km);
Point of No Return (4km); Le Jardin
Brasilien Auberge de la Diaspora (4km);
Casa Del Papa (11km)
ROUTE DES ESCLAVES
17
15
12
sc
11
Rue
sE
Rue Marius
Moutel
Sights & Activities

This museum (%21 34 10 21; Rue van Vollenhoven;
admission CFA1000; h 9am-noon & 3-6pm), two
Rue de Palmistes
Camp
Militaire
on
There are no banks in Ouidah. Post cards

are available in the post office on the south
side of Rue F Colombani in the centre of
town.
MUSE DHISTOIRE DOUIDAH
de
(%21 34 14 76; Rue Olivier de Montaguerre; per hr CFA400;

h7am-midnight).
A4
B5
A5
B5
A3
A5
A3
TRANSPORT
Bush Taxi & Zemi-john Stop..........................21 B5
Gare Routire................................................22 B5
Shared-Taxi Stop (to Grand Popo & Togo)...23 A3
Information
Slow Internet access can be found at Socofas
B5
A5
B5
B5
B5
SLEEPING
Htel Gbena...................................................9 A4
Oasis Htel...................................................10 B5
Oriki Maquis Htel.......................................11 A5
Ru
Some 42km west of Cotonou is Ouidah, a

relaxed, relatively prosperous town and a
must-see for anyone interested in voodoo or
Benins history of slave-trading. Until a wharf
was built at Cotonou in 1908, Ouidah had the
only port in the country. Its heyday was from
1800 to 1900, when slaves from across West
Africa left Ouidah for the Americas.
Good preliminary reading is Bruce Chatwins evocative The Viceroy of Ouidah,
which tells the story of the ill-fated slavetrader Francisco da Silvas arrival from
Brazil and subsequent relationship with the
war-mongering Kings of Dahomey.
A visit to the beach, where the slaves once
left from, is well worthwhile. The 4km journey there from town takes you past a lagoon
with fishermen and a small stilt village.
There are voodoo ceremonies every
weekend during the dry season and the annual Voodoo Festival is celebrated here in
January (see opposite). There is a film festival
(www.festival-ouidah.org) here at the same time,
and a festival honouring twins in October.
500 m
0.3 miles
INFORMATION
Hospital..........................................................1 B5
Post Office.....................................................2 A5
Socofas...........................................................3 A4
OUIDAH
pop 87,200
0
0
OUIDAH
de
BENIN
106 T H E S O U T H O u i d a h
ut
Ro
To Cotonou
(41km)
The 4km Route des Esclaves, now the main

road to the beach, starts near the Muse
dHistoire dOuidah. This is the route
the slaves took to the coast to board the
ships. Lining the sandy track are fetishes
and monuments such as the Monument of
Repentance and the Tree of Forgetfulness.
T H E S O U T H O u i d a h 107
Benins most vibrant and colourful celebration is the annual Voodoo Festival held on 10 January. While celebrations take place all over the country, those in Ouidah, the historic centre of
voodoo, are the best.
Since 1997, one year after the government officially decreed voodoo a religion, thousands of
believers have flocked to Ouidah to reclaim and rejoice in their faith. The main festivities take
place on the beach near the Point of No Return monument at the end of Route des Esclaves.
The celebrations begin when the supreme voodoo priest slaughters a goat to honour the
spirits, and are marked by much singing, dancing, beating of drums and drinking of gin. However, while this is certainly eye-opening, those expecting to see The Night of the Living Dead
will be sadly disappointed.
Slaves were forced to circle the tree that

once stood here, to forget the land they
were leaving.
There is a poignant memorial on the
beach, the Point of No Return, in honour of
those departed slaves. Walk through this
grand arch, with its bas-relief depicting
slaves in chains, to the water. Imagine the
slaves climbing into lighters to go out to
the slavers, where they would descend
into dark holds for the journey to the
Americas.
A short walk east are a monument marking the millennium and the Door of Return,
which houses a museum (%21 33 74 14; admission
CFA1000; h9am-6pm).
If you dont want to walk, you can always
find a zemi-john for under CFA1000.
SACRED FOREST
CASA DO BRAZIL
Sleeping
Sometimes called La Maison de Bresil, this

museum (%21 34 18 63; admission CFA1000; h9am6pm) gives an overview of the African Diaspora. The sculptures and photographic
displays, with explanations in English and
French, have a particular focus on women
in African society. The house itself is the
former residence of the Brazilian governor
and was later occupied by a Portuguese
family until they were ousted in the early
1960s.
Le Jardin Brasilien Auberge de la Diaspora (%21

34 10 11/; r CFA7500-20000; pa) On the beach
near the Point of No Return, this tranquil
place is an excellent choice. There are three
categories of rooms in the 34 bungalows
among the windswept palms. The restaurant (meals CFA3000 to CFA9000) is pricey
but has a beautiful view and a good selection of fish.
Casa Del Papa (%21 49 21 01; [email protected];
Ouidah Plage; r CFA30,500-51,000; pa) This beach
resort has 57 bungalows between the beach
and the lagoon. The plushest accommodation in the area, though it is 7km beyond
the Door of No Return on a road that is
unsafe at night. Meals are available for
CFA4000 to CFA6000.
Oasis Hotel (%/fax 21 34 10 91; Rue van Vollenhoven; r CFA9000-18000 a) The best and most
central of the hotels in town. The 25 rooms
are nothing special for the price but the
TEMPLE DES SERPENTS
The voodoo python temple (%95 40 08 90; admission CFA1000, photos CFA5000; h8am-7pm) is now
more of a tourist trap than a sacred site.

The guide explains some of the beliefs and
ceremonies associated with the temple, ushers you into a room containing 40 sleepy
pythons, drapes one round your neck, and
asks for a cadeau.
This park (%97 68 89 22; admission CFA1000 incl guide;

h8am-6pm Mon-Sun) contains the huge and
rare iroko tree that King Kpass, founder of
Ouidah, is reputed to have turned himself
into while fleeing enemies. To make a wish,
touch the tree and leave an offering among
its roots. The forest is dotted with sculptures that symbolise all sorts of voodoo and
animist deities and beliefs.
CASA DEL PAPA
Nonguests can use the facilities at this resort (see below): swimming pool (per hour
CFA3500), volleyball and tennis courts
(per hour CFA3500), canoes, pirogues, and
kayak tours of the lagoon (half-/full-day
CFA6500/17,000).
BENIN
THE VOODOO FESTIVAL
BENIN
108 T H E S O U T H G r a n d P o p o
restaurant (meals CFA2000) is one of Ouidahs best and the rooftop bar has a superb
view. The friendly management are open to
negotiation on prices.
Oriki Maquis Htel (%21 34 10 04; Rue Marius
Moutel; r CFA4000-8000) Ouidahs best budget option is the quiet, friendly Oriki, about 1km
south of the crossroads on Route de Togo.
The comfortable rooms have fans and there
is a good restaurant/bar (meals CFA2500)
attached.
Edelweiss Les Retrouvailles (%21 34 12 86; Rue
du Gnral Dodd; r with fan/air-con CFA6500/15,500; p)
About 1km east of the Muse dHistoire

dOuidah, near the French military cemetery and the memorial to the arrival of
Christian missionaries, this excellent budget
choice is set in leafy grounds with a paillote
restaurant (meals CFA2000 to CFA3500)
and a childrens playground.
Le Retour de la Diaspora (%21 34 10 47; Route des
Esclaves; r CFA5000) The best of an uninspiring
bunch of hotels and buvettes (bars) gathered
around the Village Artisinal de Ouidah on
the way to the beach. The rooftop restaurant
(meals CFA1800 to CFA2500) serves a small
selection of dishes such as pizza and quiche.
Htel Gbena (% 21 34 12 15; Route de Togo;
r CFA14,000-16,000; a) This midrange hotel on
the bypass 2km north of the town centre is
past its prime. The gloomy bedrooms are
well maintained, but the rates are expensive
and some rooms overlook the noisy road.
Meals for CFA2500 to CFA3000.
Htel DK (%21 34 11 97; Route de Togo; r CFA15,50020,500, ste CFA35,500) With its decaying faade
and its dysfunctional swimming pool, this
hotel near the bypass east of town has a
ghostly air. Its 50 air-conditioned rooms
make it a possible choice for large groups.
Meals for CFA4000 to CFA8000.
Eating
For cheap eats try the open-air Cafeteria
de Kilombo (meals from CFA400), across from the
Muse dHistoire dOuidah, or Eureka Caf
(Rue van Vollenhoven; meals from CFA400). Head to the
market for fish stands, omelette joints and
the Fan Milk depot, and to Carrefour Benin
for brochettes and other meat treats.
Drinking
The town centre is peppered with small bars,
notably Evivi (Rue F Colombani), opposite the post
office; Libertys (Rue dOrgre), one block northeast
of Oriki Maquis Htel; Buvette Relais du Sportif

(Rue F Colombani), overlooking the Basilica; and
Le Belier (off Rue F Colombani), at the market.
Buvette La Marmite DOr (Rue Olivier de Montaguerre)
Located south of Socofas Internet caf, this is a sociable
spot to watch the zemi-johns racing into town.
Maquis Benin (Route de Togo) Is an atmospheric place
in earshot of the lorries approaching Carrefour Benin.
Le Karakoo (admission CFA3000, free for women; hFri
& Sat) PAMFF Hotels nightclub.

Bush taxis and occasional buses to Cotonou
(CFA600, one hour) leave from the two stations in the centre of town and from Gare de
Kpass, at the market on Route de Togo, near
the Sacred Forest. For Grand Popo, Abomey
and Togo, wait at Carrefour Benin.
GRAND POPO
Some 82km from Cotonou and 20km from
the Togo border at Hila-Condji, Grand Popo
is Benins best getaway spot for travellers to
spend a few idle days on the sand although
swimming is limited due to strong currents.
Its Benins most tourist-focused location,
but this hasnt lessened its sleepy charm. If
you do tire of lounging by the pool, nearby
are some fascinating landscapes and voodoo culture. In the small villages lining the
coastal highway, the white flags flying from
poles identify voodoo practitioners.
Sights & Activities

VILLA KARO
On the main road through the village is this

Finnish-African cultural centre (%22 43 03 58;
www.villa-karo.org) with a small gallery (h8am11am & 4-6pm Mon-Fri, 8-11am Sat). Theres also a
library with books in French, Finnish and
English, a free open-air cinema from 8pm
on Friday evenings, and a free concert on
the first Saturday of the month.
PIROGUE TRIPS
Local fishermen can be persuaded to take

you to the Bouche du Roy, where the Mono
River meets the ocean. These trips can also
be organised through Awale Plage (see opposite), which runs excursions to villages,
markets, voodoo sites, and a turtle beach.
Sleeping & Eating

Auberge de Grand Popo (%22 43 00 47, central reservations %/fax 21 31 38 62; www.hotels-benin.com; camping
Auberge de chain, this long-standing

and highly recommended hotel is right on
the beach. Rooms are split between a beautiful colonial building and quaint garden
bungalows. The attractive terrace restaurant (meals CFA3800 to CFA9000) has an
impressive menu and wine selection. The
pool is CFA1000 for non-guests.
Awal Plage (%/fax 22 43 01 17; awaleplage@yahoo
.fr; Route de Togo; camping per person CFA1500, tent hire
CFA3000, bungalows CFA14,500-28,500; pa) This
lively resort, on the main highway west of

the Grand Popo turn-off, has been given the
thumbs up by LP readers. There is an excellent beach bar, the restaurant (meals CFA2900
to CFA5000) is good, and you can hire boogie
boards. Staff are dressed as pirates and they
throw fortnightly full- and new-moon parties, with poolside live music.
Etoile de Mer (%22 43 04 83; Route de Togo;
r CFA10,500-25,000; a) This cheap alternative
to Awal Plage, with a garden restaurant
(meals CFA3500 to CFA5000) and beach
bar, located on the highway at the Grand
Popo turn-off, was seeking new management at the time of writing.
Doue Plage (camping per person CFA1500, r CFA60007000) One of three basic auberges in the
centre of the village, this three-roomed
hotel was building six more rooms at the
time of writing along with a toilet and
shower. A quiet spot for a beer and a bite to
eat (meals CFA2500 to CFA4000).
Saveurs dAfrique (meals CFA2500-3000) This
beachfront restaurant, which serves brochettes, fish and other typical fare, has the
best location of the cluster of touristy eateries in the middle of the village.

From Cotonou, take a bush taxi from Gare
de Jonquet (CFA1300, two hours) and have
it drop you off at the Grand Popo junction on the main coastal highway, 20km
east of the Togo border crossing at HilaCondji. The beach and village are 3.5km off
the main road and are easily accessible via
zemi-john (CFA200).
LAKE AHM & AROUND

Possotom, Bopa and the other fishing villages on the western shores of Lake Ahm,
40km southeast of Lokossa, are voodoo
strongholds and youll spot fetishes in their

shops and houses. There are also regular
voodoo ceremonies, which tourists are generally welcome to attend. In Possotom, ask
around on the beach near the gare routire
to meet a fetish priest, who can prepare you
a talisman.
Possotom is famous for its thermal
springs, the countrys primary source of
mineral water. The springs themselves are
an anticlimactic trickle but you can visit the
bottling factory that has been set up nearby,
and the tiny Centre de Tissage (h7am-6pm MonWed). Pirogue trips to the fishing villages can
be organised at Village Club Ahm or, for a
cheaper trip, by asking around the village.
Lokossa, midway between Grand Popo
and Abomey, is a convenient spot to find
taxis east to Possotom and Bopa, as well as
north and south along the Abomey-Com
highway. If you stop here, check out the
market, which takes place every five days.
Sleeping & Eating

Possotom has the best facilities in the
area.
Auberge Palais des Jeunes (% 95 96 12 87;
r CFA5000-10,000; pa) Good value and central. The paillote bar-restaurant (meals
CFA1300 to CFA1500) serves French and
American cuisine and turns into a nightclub on Saturday nights.
Village Club Ahm (% 43 00 29; village
[email protected]; r CFA12,000-25,000; pa ) This
20-room hotel on the waters edge has seen
better days. The more-expensive upstairs
rooms are considerably sunnier. As well
as picking up from Cotonou airport, the
hotel organises excursions around southern Benin. Breakfast is CFA1500, and other
meals CFA5000 to CFA6500.
Htel Chz Theo (%22 43 08 06; r CFA10000-18000;
pa) Newer and better value than Village Club Ahm, though its beach is not
as good and it has a monkey chained to a
tree. Meals are CFA2500.
Caf Bar La Source (meals CFA350) Scruffy but
charming buvette on the beach in the centre
of the village.

From the coastal highway take the turn-off
north to Lokossa (20km) and Com (700m),
from where a dirt road heads east to Possotom (18km) and Bopa (26km). Taxis and
BENIN
per person CFA1500, tent hire CFA5000, r CFA13,000-23,000;

pa) The mothership of the dependable
T H E S O U T H L a k e A h m & A r o u n d 109
BENIN
110 T H E S O U T H A b o m e y
zemi-johns to Possotom and Bopa can be

found at Com and Lokossa gare routires.
Shared taxis between Lokossa and Com
do occasionally take the lake road, but they
generally stick to the main road.
ABOMEY
pop 114,600
Abomey, 144km northwest of Cotonou

in Fon country, is a remarkable town. Its
winding lanes are dotted with banco (mud
brick) houses and the palaces and temples
built by the kings of Dahomey. The main
attractions are the Dahomey Trail tour of
these ruins and the restored royal palace,
where a museum contains artefacts such as
a throne mounted on human skulls.
Orientation & Information

There are few main roads in Abomey dirt
streets radiate from the central market. Use
the water tower as a point of reference.
There is a web caf, Cyber Goho (%22 50 08
10; Place de Goho; per hr CFA1000r; h7pm-midnight).
Sights
The kings of Dahomey were a bloody lot,
and their litany of slave-trading, human
sacrifice and war is illustrated by the bold
appliqu banners hanging in the Muse Historique dAbomey (%21 50 03 14; www.epa-prema
.net/abomey; admission CFA2500; h8.30am-6pm MonFri, to 5pm Sat & Sun). One of the tapestries shows
Gll using a dismembered leg to pound his

enemys head, another shows a head being
crushed in a vice.
The same is true of the many exhibits
on display in the museum, such as Ghzos
throne, which is mounted on the skulls of
four enemies. The museum is housed in
two palaces all that remains of what was
once one of the most impressive structures
in West Africa, with a 4km perimeter and a
10m-high wall enclosing 44 hectares and a
court of 10,000 people. There were originally
12 palaces, as every king built a new one.
The final king of Dahomey, Bhanzin,
torched the place while fleeing the French
in the late 19th century. His forces had been
fighting the invaders using their own guns
bought from the Germans in Togo but the
French got the last laugh when they turned
the palace into their administrative centre.
The bas-reliefs on the exterior, which illustrate the gory history of Dahomey, were
a major factor in Unescos decision to classify the structure as a World Heritage Site.
The admission fee includes a guide, who
will take about an hour to show you round
the courtyards, ceremonial rooms and
burial chambers. The tour finishes at the
Centre des Artisans, where you can buy appliqu banners and bronze figurines made
using the cire perdue method: items once
made especially for the kings of Dahomey.
Sleeping
Accommodation in Abomey is skewed towards the bottom of the market.
Chez Monique (%22 50 01 68; camping per person
CFA3000, r CFA7500-12,000; p) A regular pleasure
garden, where antelopes, crocodiles, tortoises, monkeys and murals of Amazons
can be found between the trees and the
wood carvings. The breezy rooms have tiled
floors, blue walls and insect screens. Meals
are available for CFA2500.
Motel dAbomey (%/fax 22 50 00 75; Route de
lHpital; r CFA12,500-60,500; pa) The largest and
best hotel in Abomey, with 33 rooms and 19
bungalows. The thatched bungalows, painted
on the outside with murals in the local style,
are decked out with TVs and comfortable
furniture. European and Beninese food is
available in the restaurant (meals CFA2200
to CFA4000), one of Abomeys best.
Htel Guedevy 1 (%22 50 03 04; s with fan CFA6500,
s/d CFA10,500-15,500, bungalow CFA20,500; pa )
Despite the decrepit faade and eastern

bloc ambience, the 50 rooms in this hotel
2km north of town are some of the best
in Abomey, with TV installed. The decent
serves European dishes and snacks.
Htel Marie Jose (%22 50 02 89; off Route de
Lokossa; r CFA6500-25,500; a) This professional
hotels nine rooms range from basic rooms
with fan and insect screen to the plush suite
with TV and stereo. There is an attractive
terrace restaurant (meals CFA2500), and a
hire car firm on the premises.
Vulcan (%97 07 30 64; Quartier Adjahito; r CFA6000)
This cool budget choice is set in gardens
dotted with funky sculptures and canvases.
Best found by zemi-john, its located in the
back streets between the hospital and Motel
dAbomey. Meals are CFA2500.
Htel la Lutta (%42 16 83; s/d CFA4000/4500)
This rundown hotel is lost among a maze
of sandy streets 300m southwest of the
Abomey
T H E S O U T H A b o m e y 111
INFORMATION
Cyber Goho................................. 1 D4
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Bhanzin Statue........................... 2 D4
Centre Agonglo Tissage Artisinal..(see 6)
Fertility Fetish.............................(see 8)
French Military Cemetery............. 3 D4
Moat........................................... 4 A3
Muse Historique d'Abomey........5 B3
Palais Agonglo............................. 6 D4
Palais Akaba.................................7 B3
C
Palais Ghzo................................8 D4
Palais Houegbadja........................9 C3
Place de Goho........................... 10 D4
Temple Hwemu......................... 11 D4
Temple Smassou......................(see 8)
Temple Zwa.............................12 C4
Twin Fetish................................(see 8)
SLEEPING
Auberge Mon Repos................. 13 D4
Chez Monique...........................14 A2
Htel Guedevy 1........................15 C2
27
Police
A4
A4
A3
A3
EATING
A La Lune................................(see 14)
Buvette Au Video.......................20 B4
Cafeteria Les Delices du
Tropique................................21 B4
Yaourt Vigor..............................22 B4
Zamatchi....................................23 B4
ENTERTAINMENT
Lem's Feelings............................28 B4
Prestige Nightclub....................(see 18)
Prfecture
SHOPPING
Affama Modeste......................(see 19)
Chez Yamadje............................29 B4
Ro
18
26
ute
de la
Pr
fect
ure
TRANSPORT
Gare Routire.............................30 B4
Zemi-johns.................................31 B4
19
Hospital
ital
e l'Hp
te d
Rou
Rue
4
20
24
16
du
lai
Pa
al
oy
10
13
31
21
11
Market
30
2
25
29
Mosque
Water
Tower
17
To La Source (300m);
Hospital (300m);
Campement Pussy Cat (300m);
Auberge Mon Repos (500m);
Bohicon (9km);
Cotonou (135km);
Parakou (298km)
5
sR
To Lokossa
(81km)
D
Htel La Lutta............................16
Htel Marie Jose......................17
Motel d'Abomey........................18
Vulcan.......................................19
DRINKING
5eme Dimension......................(see 28)
Confort Plus...............................24 B4
Jubilee 2000 Plus....................... 25 D4
La Princesse...............................26 A3
Le Mato.....................................27 B2
15
2
14
500 m
0.3 miles
22
28
12
23
8
market take a zemi-john. Run by local

legend Monsieur La Lutta (Adjolohoun
Jean-Constant) and his French-novelreading teenage daughter, its an endearingly
eccentric establishment, with voodoo dolls
grinning in the gloomy parlour and extraordinary plumbing in the rooms. Meals
Auberge Mon Repos (%22 50 17 66; Route de Bohicon; r CFA5500) Staff bend over backwards to
welcome visitors to this respectable budget
hotel, signposted on the right as you head
towards Bohicon. There is a decent restaurant (meals CFA1000 to CFA1800), and
plans to install air-con in the rooms.
Campement Pussy Cat (%22 50 02 02; off Route
de Bohicon; r CFA4500) Turn off the road head-
ing to Bohicon between La Source and

the garage for this characterless but comfortable budget choice, where the rooms
themselves are adequate despite the large,
dingy TV room.
Eating
La Source (%22 50 19 96; Route de Bohicon; meals
CFA2000) As well as being one of the smarter
bars in town, La Source serves hearty helpings of chicken and chips or couscous.
A La Lune (meals CFA2500) Fans of Chez Moniques restaurant reckon it serves the
best West African cuisine around, but we
werent that impressed with our chicken
and pt rouge (corn flour with peppers and
seasonings) in tomato sauce.
BENIN
0
0
ABOMEY
BENIN
112 T H E S O U T H A b o m e y
THE ROUTE OF KINGS

Exploring Abomeys Dahomey Trail could provide the best insight youll get into Benins gothic
history. This half-day tour of the remnants of the Dahomey civilisation, which was as important as
Benin City in Nigeria and Dogon country in Mali, is best attempted by zemi-john (CFA2500). Ask at
Htel La Lutta for a driver if youre lucky youll get the knowledgeable proprietor himself.
There are some 14 sites to be seen, all of which have an air of faded majesty about their
crumbling walls.
Begin the tour at the remains of the moat built in 1645 by the first king, Hougbadja. The
moat, 42km around and 60m deep, gave Abomey its name abo means moat in Fon and mey
means inside.
Nearby is the Palais Akaba, who goaded his enemy Dan by telling him he would build in
his belly. In classic Dahomey style, Dan did indeed wind up with his belly cut open, buried
beneath a tree outside the palace. The name of the kingdom thus mixes Dans name with the
words ho (belly) and mey.
At Place de Goho, the story leaps ahead to the late 19th century with the statue of Bhanzin. He agreed to sign a treaty here with Colonel Dodds and the French forces goho means
meeting but his soldiers instead fired on them. The French casualties of the battle, which is
known as the last six hours, are in the cemetery nearby.
The ruins of the Palais Ghzo and Temple Smassou show that life was just as tough for earlier
rulers. When Smassou was born prematurely in the street, before he died he prophesised that
terrible events would befall the kingdom. After Glls henchmen disposed of the babys body
in a bush, Dahomey suffered 21 days of war, plague, and destruction. When Gll discovered
his henchmens disrespectful action, the oracle advised him to build a temple to encourage
Smassous annunciation.
Among the many curiosities in this quarter are a twin fetish and a large white fertility fetish.
Local women would straddle the latters oversized erect penis to ensure fertility, until a female
tourist snapped it off to keep as a souvenir.
The 18th century Palais Agonglo is the best kept of Abomeys 12 palaces, with bas-reliefs
inside listing the names and symbols of the great kings and chiefs. At Centre Agonglo Tissage
Artisinal (h8am-7pm), you can buy bags and costumes made in styles originally taught to
Agonglos weavers by his Portuguese slave-trading allies. Agonglo also had an unusual son, the
midget Hwemu. Saying he was returning to the voodoo world, Hwemu walked into the sea at
Cotonou and turned into a fish. The oracle advised Agonglo to build Temple Hwemu for his
son, whose name comes from the words hwe (fish) and mu (raw).
The palace of Ghzo, who had over 200 wives and established the army of female Amazon
warriors, can still be seen, along with Temple Zwa. The temple was built to appease the spirits
of a traitorous group of Ghzos wives, who he had executed by covering in red palm oil and
leaving them for the ants to eat. Zwa was the last to die.
Good budget choices near the gare routire

include Zamatchi and Cafeteria Les Delices du
Tropique. Buvette Au Video, to the northwest,
is more traditional than the name suggests,
serving pt- and rice-based dishes at rockbottom prices. The market is the place to
head for street stalls, along with the Yaourt
Vigor (Route de lHpital) yogurt depot.
Drinking
Good bars include 5me Dimension (Route
de lHpital), attached to Lems Feelings; La
Princesse (Route de lHpital), opposite Motel
dAbomey; Jubilee 2000 Plus, at the southeast
end of Place de Goho; Confort Plus, near the

gare routire; and Le Mato, opposite Htel
Guedevy 1.
Entertainment
Prestige Nightclub (admission CFA2500, free for guests
of Motel dAbomey; hFri-Sun & holidays) This club
at Motel dAbomey is one of the fanciest

places in town.
Lems Feelings (admission CFA2500; h Fri) A
more animated crowd is found at this airconditioned club, not far east of the market.
Entry includes a drink, and from then on
drinks are CFA1000.
T H E N O R T H Pa r a k o u 113
Abomey is one of the best places in Benin

to buy craft work. As well as the stalls at
Muse Historique dAbomey and Palais
Agonglo, try Chez Yemadje (%95 40 66 97; Rue
du Palais Royal h7am-7pm), run by the family
that used to embroider for the Dahomeyan
kings. Next to the Vulcan auberge is the
studio of the talented pop-art sculptor Affama Modeste (%95 05 31 86).

Plenty of bush taxis depart from Cotonou
(CFA2000, three hours), sometimes with
a connection at Bohicon (9km east of
Abomey).
Bush taxis and zemi-johns run between
Abomey and Bohicon (around CFA300)
during the day and in the early evening.
Vehicles continuing to Parakou leave frequently from the gare routire in Abomey
and stop off in Bohicon. In Bohicon, to hail
a taxi headed north towards Parakou, just
stand along the main road and wave.
Confort Lines (%21 32 58 15) buses leave for
Bohicon from Cotonou (CFA1500, three
hours) and Natitingou (CFA6500, five
hours) at 7am daily.
Alternatively, you could take the train
to Bohicon (see p126). It takes four hours
from Cotonou and costs CFA1400/1100 for
1st/2nd class.
Auberge Le Cachet (% 22 53 02 11; r shared

bathroom CFA4500, r with bathroom CFA5000) Situated
near the hospital, this small, rustic hotel has
bog-standard rooms and a great restaurant
(meals CFA1500).

Bush taxis from Cotonou to Dassa Zoum
(CFA3000, four hours) depart from under
the new bridge next to the Grand March
du Dantokpa.
Daily Confort Lines buses cost the same
and take the same time (see p125).
You can also get to Dassa Zoum by
train, which costs CFA2900/2500 for 1st/
2nd class. See p126 for timetable.
THE NORTH
Northern Benins arid, dusty landscape is a
far cry from the souths beaches and lagoons.
Easier going than their Fon cousins on the
coast, the northerners mainly composed
of the Betamarib, Djende, Fula and Bariba
groups can often be found escaping the sun
in the shade of a mango tree. Islam replaces
Christianity as the dominant religion, apart
from among the animist Betamarib people
in Somba country. The areas main sights are
the two wildlife parks, particularly Pendjari,
and the castellated tata somba houses.
DASSA ZOUM
PARAKOU
What makes Dassa Zoum, the city of 41

hills, so interesting are the awesome rock
formations overshadowing the towns
sleepy streets. Every August, Catholic pilgrims pay a visit to La Grotte (cave), which
is where the Virgin Mary is said to have
to appeared. Behind the cave, a short walk
leads to the thirteen shrines hidden among
the rocks.
There is an evenings-only Internet caf
and a Bank of Africa in town, and plenty of
cheap food stalls lining the main road.
Auberge de Dassa Zoum (%/fax 22 53 00 98;
Once a major slave-market town, Parakou

still has a prosperous, busy atmosphere,
with the most facilities youll find in northern Benin and a prime position on both the
highway and railway line. There isnt much
to keep you here, but with the many buvettes lining the towns dusty streets, Parakou makes a relaxing stop-over en route to
the northern wildlife parks.
The centre of town is the area around
the cinema at the intersection of Route de
lAroport, Rue des Cheminots and Route
de Transa, three blocks northwest of the
Grand March.
The Bank of Africa has a 24-hour ATM.
pop 21,900
www.hotels-benin.com; camping per person CFA2500, s/d

with fan CFA10,000/11,000, with air-con CFA14,000/16,000)
The best hotel in town, opposite the rondpoint (roundabout) on the major highway.
The camping pitches and excellent restaurant (meals CFA3800 to CFA4000) overlooking an ostrich farm.
pop 198,000
Sleeping
Le Majestic Hotel (%23 61 34 85; nablia25@yahoo
.fr; Route de lHtel Canaries; r CFA12,500-30,000; a)
Clean, stylish and the best value in town.
BENIN
Shopping
Parakou
0
0
PARAKOU
A
B
Carrefour
Aviation
500 m
0.3 miles
To La New Cigale (100m);

Club Z (300m);
Confort Lines (2km)
Zongo Nord
To STN (4km);
Kandi (213km);
Malanville (318km)
Wansirou
Lyce
Mathieu
Bouk
ut
Ro
de
l'A
or
op
12
Route de Transa
Dpot
2
Train
Station
25
Ro
11
15
rie
na
Ca
el
t
13
16
19
Ladjifarani
'H
el
ed
ut
Market
21
14
10
Gah
9
Mosque
6
7
emin
ots
arch
es Ch
22
du M
Rue d
Kpbi
17
Cinema
23
Rue
BENIN
114 T H E N O R T H Pa r a k o u
1
4
Rue de l'Hpital
Bakinkoura
Rond-point
Ecobank
Prfecture
2
18
24
INFORMATION
Bank of Africa........................................1 D3
BCB Bank...............................................2 D3
Ecobank.................................................3 D3
Financial Bank........................................4 D3
Par@k Cyber Caf..................................5 D2
Travel Agent and Cyber Cafe.............(see 17)
Grand
March
26
20
SLEEPING
Auberge de Parakou...............................6
Htel Central..........................................7
Htel la Princesse...................................8
Htel les Canaris.....................................9
Htel les Routiers.................................10
Le Majestic Hotel..................................11
B2
A3
D2
B2
C2
B2
EATING
Chez Antoinette....................................12
Chez Mamou.......................................13
La Belle Creole.....................................14
La Face Douane....................................15
Le Miel.................................................16
Les Marmites du Roi.............................17
Street Stalls..........................................18
B1
C2
D2
A2
D2
B3
D3
Zongo Znon
DRINKING
5eme Dimension..................................19
Channit's............................................. 20
Le Batacln...........................................21
Le Mono..............................................22
To Cotonou
(415km)
C2
D4
D1
D3
TRANSPORT
Benin Lines...........................................23 D3
Gare Routire....................................... 24 D4
Local Taxi.............................................25 A2
Shared-Taxi Stop.................................. 26 D4
Zemi-john Stop..................................(see 25)
Ask for a room with a balcony overlooking

the market. Meals are available for CFA3000
to CFA4000.
Htel les Routiers (%23 61 04 01; Route de Transa;
s/d from CFA25000/28000, ste CFA41,000; pa) This
establishment, 500m north of the heart of
town, has long been the most popular topend hotel in Parakou. You cant help but
relax in the garden setting with its clean

pool (CFA1500 for nonguests). Theres
also a good, but expensive, French restaurant (menu du jour CFA7000, meals from
CFA5000).
Auberge de Parakou (%23 61 03 05; www.hotels
-benin.com; Route de lHtel Canaries; s/d with fan

CFA10,000/12,000, with air-con CFA14,000/16,000) This
T H E N O R T H D j o u g o u 115
86; s CFA6000-15,500, d CFA8000-18,500, bungalow s/d

CFA25,000/27,000) The prices in this Parakou
institution reflect past glories but its a dependable choice nonetheless, with spacious,
carpeted bungalows complete with phones
and TV. The hotel has an attractive thatched
across the street, and Le Batacln nightclub.
Htel Central (%23 61 01 24; fax 23 61 38 51;
r CFA19,500-25,500; pa) If you can get over
the screamingly kitsch dcor, this hotel is
all ship-shape, with a pleasant pool open
to non-guests (CFA1000). Rooms upstairs
are bigger and more expensive. Meals are
CFA2500 to CFA5000.
Htel les Canaris (% 23 61 11 69; Route de
lHtel Canaries; r with fan/air-con CFA6000/11,000) The
friendly management of this long-standing
hotel, about 400m east of the train station,
were dusting down a new block at the time
of writing, with a restaurant on the roof.
Eating
Street stalls north of the market serve hunks
of meat and corn on the cob.
Le Miel (%23 61 00 67; Route de Transa; meals
CFA1000-2500) Upstairs from the excellent bakery which sells vegetarian savouries as well
as cakes, croissant and yogurt this restaurant serves good pizzas and sandwiches.
Chez Mamou (Route de Transa; meals CFA250)
Friendly buvette serving good, cheap food
such as wagassi (cows milk cheese) and
macaroni.
La New Cigale (%97 89 11 98; off Carrefour Aviation;
meals CFA2500-4500) Pleasant restaurant serving
pizza and French food.
La Face Douane (meals CFA500) No-frills African restaurant with a busy kitchen doling
out huge servings of rice and sauces.
Chez Antoinette (%23 61 05 73; Route de lAroport;
meals CFA500) A reasonable place for omelettes
in the morning and spaghetti at night, just
south of the school.
Les Marmites du Roi (%23 61 25 07; off Route
de lHotel Canaries; meals CFA3500-4000) A relatively
upmarket spot to sample African cuisine.
You dine outdoors under paillotes.
La Belle Creole (%23 61 40 32; off Route de Transa;
meals CFA1500-3500) This hip-hopplaying piz-
zeria attracts a young crowd to its covered

garden and pool table.
Drinking
Le Batacln (admission Thu/Fri/Sat CFA1500/2500/4000;
hThu-Sat) Opposite Htel la Princesse, this
club is a Parakou favourite. The place fills

up after midnight, especially on Saturdays.
Channits (Rue du March) The newest and
hippest club in Parakou, a block south of
the market.
Buvettes abound try Le Mono (Route de
Transa) and 5me Dimension (Route de Transa); and
Club Z (Route de Malanville), 200m northeast of
La New Cigale.

BUSH TAXI, MINIBUS & BUS
From the gare routire, north of the Grand

March, bush taxis and minibuses go regularly to Cotonou (CFA6500, eight hours),
Kandi (CFA3000, 3 hours), Malanville
(CFA4500, five hours) and Djougo (CFA3000,
two hours). Its extra for luggage.
Bush taxis east to the Togo border take
at least three hours because the road is not
sealed.
Benin Lines runs daily buses between
Cotonou and Parakou (see p125). The
southbound bus leaves from outside Parakou Financial Bank at 7.30am.
EHGM, STN and SNTV run buses between Cotonou and Niamey via Parakou
(see p125). The northbound STN bus stops
4km north of Parakou at 10am daily.
TRAIN
Save money by taking the train (see p126),

which leaves for Cotonou (1st/2nd class
CFA5600/4000) at 8.42am on Wednesday,
Friday and Sunday and arrives at 7.30pm.
DJOUGOU
Djougou is a lively crossroads town 134km
northwest of Parakou, bustling with people
passing through on the way to Natitingou
and Togo. You are now entering Djende
country, where Bertoolay replaces Yovo as
the nickname of choice for white folk.
For hiking opportunities, the Tanka
villages around Badjoud, near the Togo
border, are very picturesque.
There is a Bank of Africa, and Internet
access south of the town centre at Cyber
(%97 68 72 63; per hr CFA500).
BENIN
delightful auberge has large, spotless rooms

with tiled floors and mosquito nets. Its excellent French restaurant serves delicious
meals (CFA2600 to CFA3500).
Htel la Princesse (%23 61 01 32; fax 23 61 32
Natitingou
BENIN
116 T H E S O U T H N a t i t i n g o u
Motel du Lac (%23 80 15 48; Route de Savalou;

r CFA10,500-14,500; pa) The beds have seen
highway on a well-maintained dirt road.

Its a great spot for a picnic, and for at
least half the year during the rainy season,
you can swim in the pool at the bottom of
the falls. Its also worth checking out the
Fula botanic gardens (h8am-noon & 3-6.30pm)
in Papatia, half way between Djougou and
Natitingou.
About 200km northwest of Parakou and

pleasantly located at an altitude of 440m
in the Atakora mountains, Natitingou is
the most vibrant town in northern Benin
thanks to funding from President Krkou,
who was born here. Its the starting point
for excursions into Somba country and the
Parc National de la Pendjari.
The Muse dArts et de Traditions Populaires
B
To Commisariat (500m);
Cyber Caf (1km);
4 Boukomb (43km);
Parc National de la
Pendjari (45km)
7
14
Market
2
9
12
1
3
18
Food Stalls
Carrefour
Principal
10
Sobiex
17
16
13
11
15
To Kota Falls (15km);

Papatia (39km);
Djougou (78km);
Parakou (212km)
INFORMATION
Financial Bank..............................1 A1
Hospital........................................2 A1
Quidata.....................................(see 3)
Telecom Building..........................3 A1
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Muse d'Arts et de Traditions
Populaires.................................4 B1
(%95 95 93 63; admission CFA1000; h8.30am-12.30pm

& 3.30-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon & 4-6.30pm Sat & Sun),
behind Htel de Bourgogne, gives an overview of life in Somba communities. The

exhibition includes various musical instruments, jewellery, crowns and artefacts from
dances, circumcision ceremonies and other
Somba rituals. Most interesting is the habitat room, which has models of the different types of tata somba (Somba houses; see
opposite).
You could also visit Kota Falls, 15km
southeast of Natitingou, off the main
1 km
0.5 miles
NATITINGOU
pop 105,000
0
0
NATITINGOU
Rue du March (Le Goudron)
better days in this French-owned hotel 3km

from town, but the rooms have balconies
and theres a great paillote restaurant (meals
CFA2500 to CFA4000).
Motel de Djougou (%23 80 01 40; r CFA500012,500; a) Situated in grounds with the odd
burnt-out car and the vague feel of a Mad
Max film set, the hotels round bungalows
are shabby but tick the basic boxes. Meals
Le Quasar (%23 80 00 49; meals from CFA1700)
Beninese food served with a touch of class.
For cheap food, try Royal Verdue, next
to Cinema Sabini, or the streets coming off
the roundabout. For a cheap omelette in
the morning, head to Chez Basile, in front
of Motel de Djougou.
Good nightspots include Royal Verdue,
nearby Buvette La Flamboyant and New
Jacks nightclub, west of town.
If travelling to Kara, there are connections to the border. Bush taxis travelling
between Parakou and Natitingou generally
stop in Djougou. You may have to change
a few times if you plan to travel down the
quiet Savalou road by bush taxi Confort
Lines buses are a better option on this route
(see p125).
SLEEPING
Auberge La Montagne.................5
Auberge le Vieux Cavalier............6
Htel de Bourgogne......................7
Htel Kantaborifa.........................8
Htel Tata Somba.........................9
B2
B2
B1
B3
A1
EATING
La Terrasse.................................10 B2
Le Basilic.....................................11 B3
Le Gourmet................................12 A1
L'Obeci....................................(see 10)
Maquis La Cachette....................13 B2
Supermarket...............................14 B1
DRINKING
La Brche...................................15 B3
TRANSPORT
Confort Lines.............................16 B2
Gare Routire.............................17 A2
Zemi-john Stop..........................18 A1
Htel Tata Somba (%23 82 11 24; fax 82 15 84;

r CFA28,000-30,500; pas) Natitingous top
hotel, a large pink version of a tata somba
house, helps guests set up trips to the national
park. It has a pool and tennis court, both of
which are open to non-guests (CFA3000 and
CFA1000). The menu du jour is CFA6500.
Htel de Bourgogne (%/fax 23 82 22 40; www
.natitingou.org/bourgogne; s CFA20,500; a) This twostorey hotel, on the main road at the northern end of town, is a good, cheap alternative
to Htel Tata Somba. The menu du jour is
CFA5500
Auberge le Vieux Cavalier (%23 82 13 24; fan/aircon CFA5500/8000; a) With amicable staff and a
courtyard decorated with murals and sculptures, this is the most fun of Natitingous
hotels. Its restaurant (meals CFA1500 to
CFA1800) and small, clean rooms with
mozzie nets are an excellent budget choice.
Htel Kantaborifa (%23 82 17 66; s/d with fan
CFA6500/8500, with air-con CFA12,500/14,500; a) This
dependable midrange option is handy for
Confort Lines buses, which leave from here.
Meals are CFA1500.
Auberge la Montagne (%23 82 11 16; r CFA55006500) Up the hill from La Terrasse, the
rooms in this basic auberge are good value
and it has a restaurant (meals CFA1500 to
CFA3500).
Eating & Drinking

La Brche (%90 92 43 20; menu du jour CFA4000) A
strong contender to be the most culturally
enlightening bar in the world, this buvette
is in no less than a tata somba house with

views of the Atakora mountains.
Natitingou has a fine array of places to
grab a beer and a bite. Try Le Gourmet (Rue du
March; meals CFA1700-2000), a good place to meet
Somba guides; the 24-hour Le Basilic (meals
CFA2800-3500), up the hill from Htel Kantaborifa; La Terrasse (Rue du March) and LObeci (Rue
du March), both next to Cin Atacora; and
Maquis La Cachette, 500m south of Auberge
la Montagne.
Food stalls line Rue du March and there
is a supermarket, Quidata, opposite the Financial Bank.

From the gare routire on the main road,
bush taxis and minibuses go to Parakou
(CFA4000, five hours), although it is often
quicker to get a connection in Djougou.
There are also daily minibuses to Cotonou
(CFA8500, 10 hours) and bush taxis to the
Togo and Burkina Faso borders.
More comfortable is the daily Confort
Lines bus from Natitingou to Cotonou
(CFA7500, 10 hours), leaving at 7am from
outside Htel Kantaborifa, its representative in Natitingou.
BOUKOUMB
On the Togo border, 43km southwest of
Natitingou, Boukoumb is the capital of
Somba country. The drive there is stunning,
bumping along red piste (rough track) roads
past corn fields and baobab trees as wide as
the nearby tata somba houses. About 15km
THE SOMBA
Commonly referred to as the Somba, the Betamarib people are concentrated to the southwest
of Natitingou in the plains of Boukoumb on the Togo border, and to the southeast around
Perma. They live in the middle of their cultivated fields, rather than together in villages, so
their compounds are scattered over the countryside. This custom is a reflection of their fierce
individuality, which has seen them resist both Dahomey slave hunters and the advance of Christianity and Islam.
The Dutamari-speaking Betamaribs principle religion is animism as seen in the rags and
bottles they hang from the trees. Once famous for their nudity, they began wearing clothes in
the 1970s, but they still hunt with bows and arrows.
Whats most fascinating about the Betamarib is their tata somba houses round, tiered huts
that look like miniature forts with clay turrets and thatched spires. There are some 10 types of
them, including the otchaou, which is the same as the houses built by the Betamaribs Tamberma relations nearby in Togo (see p800). The ground floor of the house is mostly reserved
for livestock and defence mechanisms. A stepladder leads from the kitchen to the roof terrace,
where there are sleeping quarters and grain stores.
BENIN
Sleeping
T H E N O R T H B o u k o u m b 117
BENIN
118 T H E N O R T H Pa r c N a t i o n a l d e l a Pe n d j a r i
before town youll pass the sheer cliffs of Mt

Kousso-Kovangou (589m), one of Benins
highest mountains. About 3km further on
is the Belvdre de Koussou-Kovangou observation point.
Boukoumb feels like a village at the
end of the world but it has a lively market,
where the Somba people gather for a few
calabashes of tchoukoutou (sorghum beer).
Every four years or so in late October or
early November, there is a whipping ceremony, in which the young men belt each
other black and blue to demonstrate their
manliness. Boukoumb is one of the few
areas in Benin where you can buy the rare
traditional smoking pipes.
The incredible Auberge Villegoise de Tourisme de Koussou-Kovangou (%23 82 13 27; r CFA3500
-4500) has 11 rooms in a tata somba house
and in some less basic, tata somba-style
bungalows. Signposted on the left 16km
before Boukomb. Bring a torch. Meals are
CFA2000.
Chez Pascaline (%23 83 02 02; meals CFA10001500), near the rond-point in the middle of
the village, is the best place to eat. Ask here
to find a guide or to stay the night with a
Somba family (CFA3000).
Accommodation can also be arranged at
the Maison de Jeune contact the town hall
(%23 83 01 02).
Its easiest to find a taxi from Natitingou
to Boukoumb (CFA2000, two hours) on
market day, which happens every four days.
Taxis do go on other days, or you can grab
a zemi-john (CFA5000 return).
PARC NATIONAL DE LA PENDJARI

This 275,000-hectare national park (admission per
person CFA10,000, per vehicle CFA3000; h15 Dec-15 May),
45km north of Natitingou, is the wildlife park
par excellence in this part of West Africa.
Visitors may spot lions, leopards, elephants,
baboons and hippos. The best viewing time is
near the end of the dry season when the animals start to hover around the water holes.
With waterfalls, a woody landscape
and good tracks, it is a pleasure to drive
around.
The park adjoins the Parc National dArli
in Burkina Faso and is bordered to the west,
north and east by the Pendjari River. Its
much more developed for tourism than the
Benin section of Parc Regional du W, so
receives more visitors.
The entrance fee is valid for 30 days. In

reality, you may have to pay a lot more
by the time youve factored in additional
charges such as the photography fee (per
day CFA3000) and the compulsory guide
(per day CFA5000), who will expect to be
provided with food and water.
There is an office (%23 83 00 85; www.pendjari
.net) in Tanguita. A guidebook, Guide Pratique de la Pendjari (CFA5500), is available
from bookshops in Cotonou (see p95) and
boutiques at the better hotels.
Sleeping & Eating

Many visitors stay in Natitingou and make
excursions from there, but youll have a better chance of seeing animals if you stay at
the park itself. Due to the presence of lions,
there are only certain areas, including Mare
Yangouali and Pont dArli, where camping is
permitted. Park wardens show you where.
There are some rustic campements in
Tanguita, at the southern tip of the park
near the river and a waterfall. The towns
best option is the well-run Htel Baobab,
which has a good restaurant.
Campement Relais de Tanougou (bungalows
Dec-May CFA9000) At the Tanougou Falls, well
located for an early-morning walk and
swim. The circular bungalows have a bathroom behind a dividing wall. Prices are
25% cheaper during low season. Meals are
CFA3500. Some 15km southwest of the
Batia park entrance. Book with Htel Tata
Somba (%23 82 11 24) in Natitingou.
Htel Campement de Porga (r with air-con CFA28000;
a) Right at the main entrance to the park,
its a larger place with a restaurant, bungalows and basic rooms available. Again, book
with Htel Tata Somba (%23 82 11 24).

The main entrances to Pendjari are roughly
100km north of Natitingou. To get to the
park from Natitingou, take the goudron
(bitumen road) 97km northwest to Porga
near the Burkina Faso border. This village
is the main entrance to the park.
Alternatively, turn off the sealed road at
Tanguita, 45km from Natitingou, and take
the piste (rough track) 41km northeast to
Batia, the other entrance. Many people prefer this because the route is shorter.
As hiking is not permitted in the park,
backpackers without vehicles can try to hitch
Parc National De La Pendjari & Parc National DArli
T H E N O R T H K a n d i & A r o u n d 119
To Kantchari
(70km)
50 km
30 miles
NIGER
Diapaga
BURKINA FASO
Namounou
To Fada
N'Gourma
(60km)
Parc
Regional
du W
Tansarga
Sampeto
Logobou
Parc National
d'Arli
Kondio
Arli
Bigou
Tambarga
BURKINA
FASO
Pont d'Arli
Mare Yangouali
Koaba
Zone
Cyngtique
(Buffer Zone)
Pama
Pi
ste
Tindangou
des
Parc National
de la Pendjari
Krmou
Banikoara
To Parc Regional
du W Office;
Kandi (69km)
Elphants
ve
Batia
Campement Relais
de Tanougou
Dassari
BENIN
nd
Pe
Tanguita;
Parc National
de la Pendjari Office
jar
Tanougou
Falls
kro
Park Entrance
Zone
Cyngtique
(Buffer Zone)
Ri
Htel
Campement
de Porga
Porga;
Park Entrance
TOGO
To Natitingou
(10km)
a lift at the hotels in Natitingou, Porga and

Batia. It is possible to hire a vehicle inquire
at the park office or at hotels including Htel
Tata Somba (%23 82 11 24). Travel agencies
in Cotonou organise trips, but they are
expensive.
KANDI & AROUND

Kandi, 213km north of Parakou on the way
to Niger, is worth a stop for its market. The
Bariba and Fula people originally from
Nigeria and Niger respectively and the
voluptuous mango trees give this town its
distinctive northern character.
Some 40km north of Kandi on the road to
Malanville, just north of the village of Alfa
Koura, is an accessible wing of the Parc Re-
gional du W, where you can view elephants

and many species of antelope. Readers have
reported seeing up to 50 elephants in one day
bathing and drinking in the water hole. The
beautiful area is also worth a look during the
wet season you might see a crocodile.
Its CFA2500 for a days entry to the park,
including camping, and CFA500 for a guide.
There are some basic rooms (CFA5000) and
a restaurant (meals CFA3500), open during
the wet season.
Sleeping & Eating

Auberge la Recontre (%/fax 23 63 01 76; r with fan/
air-con incl breakfast CFA7500/14,500; a) The rooms
are stuffy, and the cheaper ones share a
bathroom, but the rooftop restaurant
BENIN
0
0
PARC NATIONAL DE LA PENDJARI

& PARC NATIONAL D'ARLI
BENIN
120 B E N I N D I R E C T O R Y A c c o m m o d a t i o n
(menu du jour CFA4500) makes this the

best budget choice in Kandi.
Auberge de Kandi (%23 63 02 43; www.hotels
-benin.com; camping per person CFA2500, r with fan/aircon CFA10,500/15,000; a ) This auberge 2km
north of Kandi has sizeable rooms, attractive gardens and its French restaurant
(meals CFA3800 to CFA4000) is the best
in town.
A barbecue at the turning for Auberge
le Recontre dishes out bags of meat with
onion and spices. Ask near the Sonapra cotton plant at lunchtime for a woman who
prepares sublime mashed yam.
Popular places to drink include Oasis
Bar (Route de Ndali), south of the market, and
Maquis Cest Ca Meme (Route de Ndali), south of
town. There is a nightclub, Tropicana (admission CFA2000), behind the maquis.

From Parakou, bush taxis head north to
Kandi (CFA3000, 3 hours). To get to the
elephant viewing platform at Alfa Koura
from Kandi, catch a ride with a bush taxi
heading north (CFA1000, 1 hours).
MALANVILLE
This town is in the far north on the Niger
border, considerably closer to Niamey than
it is to Cotonou, 733km away. Market day,
held on Friday and Saturday, is a whos who
of West African peoples, attracting traders from Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and
Niger. Stand on the bridge over the River
Niger and youll see Fula women trudging
across the border with produce teetering
on their heads.
La Sota (%97 64 97 48; r with fan/air-con & TV
CFA12,500/15,500, ste CFA17,500; pas) Malanvilles smartest hotel, formerly called Htel
de Luxe, is 2km south of town on the banks
of the River Sota. Meals are CFA2500 to
CFA4800.
Rose des Sables (%23 67 01 25; r with fan/air-con/
air-con & TV CFA5500/10,500/18,500; a) One kilometre south of town, is slightly battered but
has reasonable facilities. Group discounts
available. Meals are CFA2500.
Near the market, Sous les Neems (meals
CFA300) serves wagassi (cows milk cheese),
pt and cold beers. Buvettes and food
stalls, selling everything from mashed yam
to sugared pancakes, line the main road
through town.
Malanville is well connected with Parakou by bush taxi (CFA4500, five hours),
bus and minibus (CFA3000, seven hours).
EHGM, STN and SNTV buses travel between Cotonou and Niamey via Malanville,
but they are often full up (see p125). A
zemi-john to Gaya in Niger, where you can
get taxis to Niamey, is about CFA1000.
PARC REGIONAL DU W
Parc Regional du W (admission CFA10,000; h1 Dec-15
Jun) covers 10,242 sq km in Burkina Faso,
Niger and Benin, where the largest section
of the park is. It was one of the first Unescorecognised biospheres worldwide. You may
see several species of cat and antelope, buffalos, hippos, crocodiles and elephants.
Although W is twice as large as Pendjari,
it has traditionally been the less popular
park, partly because the latter had better
access and infrastructure. However, W now
has a bridge over the River Mkrou, plans to
tarmac the road between Kandi and Banikoara, and lodges with restaurants in locations
including Koudou, right next to the falls.
Visitors need their own 4WD transport
and guide, both of which the parks Kandibased Bureau de Liaison (%23 63 00 80; www.parc
-w.org; h8am-12.30pm & 2pm-late Mon-Fri) can help
with. There are plans to make the park accessible to other transport horse, foot, bike,
car, even pirogues for hippo-watching.
The park has four entrances in Benin: at
Krmou near Banikoara, which is 69km
northwest of Kandi; Sampto, Alfa Kouara
and Kofonou, near Karimama on the Niger
border.
BENIN DIRECTORY
ACCOMMODATION
Basic rooms with a fan cost about CFA6000,
while comfortable air-conditioned midrange rooms are around CFA10,000. Bathrooms are generally en suite. Tariffs should
include the tourist tax of CFA500, and be
listed prominently at the hotel entrance.
Top End prices range from CFA70,000 to
over CFA100,000.
The Auberge de chain has consistently
good hotels in Grand Popo, Dassa Zoum,
Savalou, Parakou and Kandi. Central reservations can be made on %21 31 38 62 or
www.hotels-benin.com.
Cotonous daily papers include
Le Nation, Le Soleil, LOption and Le

Matinal.
Foreign newspapers and magazines can
occasionally be found at newspaper

stands.
The state-owned ORTB broadcasts on
the radio in English, French and local

languages.
Cotonou has some 15 commercial
stations, including Radio Afrique

(101.7MHZ).
LC2 and Golf Tlvision are the most
popular commercial channels, while

ORTB runs one channel.
The electricity supply is temperamental
outside the main towns.

Benin uses the metric system.
ACTIVITIES
The beaches around Cotonou are fairly ordinary, and prone to muggings. For better
sunbathing and swimming, head to Grand
Popo (p108), although the currents are
strong right along the coast. Many of the
large hotels have swimming pools and tennis courts open to nonguests.
If you get the chance, hire a bicycle (but
dont expect 18-speed mountain bikes)
and cycle around Porto Novo (p103) or
Abomey (p110).
There are few organised hikes but there
is nothing to prevent you walking from village to village on the shores of Lake Nokou
(p102) or Lake Ahm (p109), taking pirogue
rides for some stretches; or along quiet back
roads in the north of the country.
A good area for rock climbing is Dassa
Zoum (p113) and Sav.
You can kayak on the lagoon at Casa Del
Papa (p107) in Ouidah. Other hotels that
organise activities for guests include Awale
Plage (p109) in Grand Popo and Village
Club Ahm in Possotom (p109).
BOOKS
The Viceroy of Ouidah, by Bruce Chatwin,
is a biographical sketch of the notorious
Brazilian slave trader Fancisco da Silva and
how he and the kings of Dahomey built the
trade. The vivid novella begins with a 20thcentury reunion of the da Silva clan and
moves back to the original Afro-Brazilian
himself via his descendents, their dreams
and disappointments.
Instruments of Darkness, by Robert Wilson, is the debut of this award-winning
thriller writer, following an English fixer
through the Cotonou underworld as he
searches for a fellow expat who has mysteriously disappeared.
Show Me the Magic, by Annie Caulfield,
is a slightly glib but entertaining account
by this English comic writer, who has collaborated with the comedian Lenny Henry,
of travelling around Benin in a taxi. She
and her driver repeated the journey with
Spice Girl Mel B for the documentary Mel
B Vodou Princess.
BUSINESS HOURS
Businesses are open from 8am to 12.30pm
and 3pm to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. The
banks are generally open 8am to 12.30pm
and 3pm to 5pm Monday to Friday. Shops
are open from 9am to noon and 3pm to
7pm Monday to Friday and until noon on
Saturday.
COURSES
There are Fon, Tai Chi and martial arts
courses available in Cotonou (p98).
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES

Tourists should be on their guard in southern Benin, which suffers from the crimes
normally associated with tourism.
Muggings are a real danger on Cotonous shoreline, even during the day (see
p97). Never walk on the beach alone, and
even when walking with someone, dont
carry or wear valuables. At night, take a
taxi if you want to travel in Cotonou, and
in Ouidah avoid the roads to and along
the coast.
Benins beaches are plagued by dangerous currents seek local advice before
swimming.
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
Beninese Embassies & Consulates

In West Africa, Benin has embassies and
consulates in Cte dIvoire, Ghana, Niger,
Nigeria and Senegal. For details, see the
relevant country chapter.
BENIN
PRACTICALITIES
B E N I N D I R E C T O R Y A c t i v i t i e s 121
BENIN
122 B E N I N D I R E C T O R Y Fe s t i v a l s & E v e n t s
In Africa, Benin also has representation

in Algeria, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Gabon and Libya.
Elsewhere, Beninese embassies and consulates include the following:
Belgium (%02-35 9471; 5 Ave de lObservatoire, 1180
Brussels)
Canada (%613-233 4429; www.benin.ca; 58 Glebe Ave,

Ottawa K1S 2C3)
France (%01-45 00 98 82; www.ambassade-benin.org;

87 Ave Victor Hugo, 75016 Paris)
Germany (%0228-34 40 31; Rdigerstrasse 10 PostSech, 228-5300 Bonn)
UK (%020-8954 8800; fax 44 20 8954 8844; Dolphin
House, 16 The Broadway, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4DW)
USA (%202-232 6656; fax 202-239 6500; 2737 Cathedral

Ave, Washington, DC)
Embassies & Consulates in Benin

Embassies in Cotonou include the following, open Monday to Friday:
France Consulate (%21 31 26 38; Rue 651A); Embassy
(%21 30 02 25; Route de lAroport)

Germany (%21 31 29 68; Ave Jean Paul II; h9am12pm)
Ghana (%21 30 07 46; Route de lAroport; h8am2pm)
Niger (%21 31 56 65; Rue 651A; h8am-noon &
3-6pm)
Nigeria (%21 30 11 42; Blvd de la Marina; h1011.30am)
UK (%21 30 12 74; Haie Vive) Officially, British Nationals must deal with the British Deputy High Commission in
Lagos (p666). However, the Community Liaison Officer for
the British community in Benin, Pauline Collins, based at
the English International School, can be of some help.
USA (%21 30 06 50; cotonou.usembassy.gov; Rue
Caporal Bernard Anani)
FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Apart from the colourful annual Muslim celebrations in the northern towns
Djougo and Natitingou are especially good
places to see them the main event is the
annual Voodoo Festival, held in Ouidah on
10 January (see p107).
Every four years or so, in late October or
early November, there is the coming-of-age
whipping ceremony in Boukomb, which
seems to go on until the young men are
satisfied that they have literally beaten each
other black and blue.
There are frequent minor voodoo celebrations in Ouidah, Abomey and on the
shores of Lake Ahm.
HOLIDAYS
Public holidays include the following:
New Years Day 1 January
Vodoun 10 January
Martyrs Day 16 January
Liberation Day 28 February
Labour Day 1 May
Independence 1 August
Armed Forces Day 26 October
Republic Day 4 December
Harvest Day 31 December
Benin also celebrates the usual Christian
and Muslim holidays. See p818 for a table
of dates of Islamic holidays.
MAPS
The best map by far is the 1:600,000 Republique du Benin Carte Gnrale, produced by
the Institut Geographique National. With
good country detail and insert city maps
of Porto Novo and Cotonou, it costs about
CFA7500 in Cotonou bookshops.
MONEY
The unit of currency in Benin is the West
Africa CFA (Comunaut Financiere Africaine) franc. Cash advances against credit
cards (Visa only) are possible at the major
banks in Cotonou. The best banks for
changing money are Financial Bank, Bank
of Africa, Ecobank and BTCI, which also
often have ATMs.
Benins neighbours all use CFAs apart
from Nigeria, where the currency is the
Nairi. There is no official way to get hold
of Nairi in Benin but Cotonou has a healthy
black market around the Jonquet district
and Gare du Dantokpa.
Banks accept travellers cheques in most
major currencies, although these can only
be reliably changed in Cotonou.
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

A photo permit is not required, but be
careful when taking shots of cultural and
religious buildings and ceremonies. Rules
are not clear-cut, so its best to ask first.
A cadeau may be requested. For general
information see p823.
SOLO TRAVELLERS
Lone travellers should be on their guard in
Cotonou as they may be more susceptible
to muggings than groups.
B E N I N D I R E C T O R Y Te l e p h o n e 123
Visa Extensions
International telephone calls and faxes

can be made at telecom offices and private telephone agencies throughout Benin.
The cost per minute is about CFA1350 to
France, CFA1850 elsewhere in Europe,
CFA1400 to North America, and CFA2640
to Australasia.
Only available in Cotonou at the Direction

Emigration Immigration (%21 31 42 13; Ave Jan Paul
Phone Codes
The phone codes had recently been updated at the time of writing. Numbers in
the Oum and Plateau areas (including
Porto Novo) are now prefixed with 20; the
Littoral and Atlantique areas (including
Cotonou and Ouidah) with 21; the Mono,
Couffo, Zou and Collines areas (including
Grand Popo, Lake Ahm, Abomey and
Dassa Zoum) with 22; and the Atakora,
Donga, Alibori and Borgou areas (Parakou
and the north) with 23. Libercom mobile
phone numbers are now prefixed with 90,
BBCom (Bell Benin) with 93, Telecel with
95, and Areeba with 97.
TOURIST INFORMATION
There is a lacklustre tourist office in Cotonou, and, in northern Benin, offices of the
two wildlife parks. Htel Tata Somba (p117)
in Natitingou is also a good place to inquire
about Parc National de la Pendjari.
VISAS
Visas are required for all travellers except
nationals of the Ecowas. If flying into Cotonou you will require a visa before arrival. A
30-day, single-entry visa costs UK55 from
the Beninese consulate in the UK; the embassy in the USA charges less.
If crossing overland, its far easier to get a
visa at the border, where the 24-hour posts
issue 48-hour, single-entry transit visas
(CFA10,000).
You can then obtain a 30-day, single- or
multiple-entry visa (CFA12,000) in Cotonou. The Direction Emigration Immigration
(%21 31 42 13; Ave Jan Paul II, Cotonou; h8am-11am,
3-6.30pm) accepts applications between 8am
and 11am Monday to Friday. These can

be collected at 6pm the following working
day, though it may be possible to speed the
process up if you ask. You will need one
passport photo. The office also offers the
five-country Visa Touristique Entente for
CFA25,000 (see p828).
II, Cotonou; h8am-11am, 3-6.30pm).
Visas For Onward Travel

For onward travel to Burkina Faso, Cte
dIvoire and Togo, the French consulate issues three-month visas (CFA20,000) and
transit visas (CFA6000) in 24 to 48 hours,
with two photos required. However, it may
be preferable, if more expensive, to get
the five-country Visa Touristique Entente
(CFA25,000) at the Beninese Direction
Emigration Immigration (see p828).
GHANA
Ghanaian visas take two days to issue and

cost CFA12,000/30,000 for single/multiple
entry. Four photos are required.
NIGER
For Niger, it is, again, worth considering

the Visa Touristique Entente (see p828).
It costs about the same as the three-month
visas issued by the Niger embassy, which
takes 24 hours to process applications and
requires two photos.
NIGERIA
The Nigerian embassy issues only two-day

transit visas to travellers with a Nigerian embassy in their home country. You need two
photos, along with photocopies of your passport and, if you have one, your ticket for onward travel from Nigeria. The expensive visas
vary according to nationality (CFA30,000 for
UK, CFA68,000 for US, CFA20,000 for Australia) and are issued on the same day.
TOGO
Seven-day visas for Togo (CFA10,000) are

also issued at the border (see p804).
WOMEN TRAVELLERS
Travelling in Benin presents few problems
for women. Beyond the usual Where is your
husband? curiosity, the greatest annoyance
is unwanted attention, especially from officials. The best tack in these situations is to
say you are waiting for your husband.
As with anywhere in the world use common sense dont wander around solo at
night, especially in Cotonou, where the beach
is a definite no-go area during the day.
BENIN
TELEPHONE
BENIN
124 T R A N S P O R T I N B E N I N G e t t i n g T h e re & A w a y
While it is not necessary to cover yourself

from head to toe, it is advisable to dress in
a modest fashion. If in doubt, look at what
the local women are wearing and follow
suit. For more advice, see p828.
TRANSPORT IN BENIN
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Entering Benin
Benins immigration regulations and officials are awkward. If flying into the country, you cannot obtain a visa on arrival.
However, you can if entering by land, but
the visa is only valid for 48 hours, and can
only be extended in Cotonou. Officially
you need a yellow fever certificate, but you
rarely have to show it.
to Gaya in Niger (zemi-john/shared taxi

CFA1000/500). The border is open 24/7
and it is quite straightforward to pick up
visas there for both countries.
From Gaya, its easier to find a Peugeot
bush taxi to Niamey (CFA4500, five hours)
or a minibus (CFA4100, 5 hours) than
it is to squeeze onto one of the Cotonou
Niamey coaches, which are usually full.
Heading south, there are no longer Peugeots or minibuses from Niamey to Malanville, Parakou or Cotonou. Instead, get to
Gaya and walk or moto-taxi it to the border
and Malanville, from where bush taxis head
south.
NIGERIA
Steinmetz) Hub: Libreville.

Air Ivoire (VU; %21 31 86 14; Blvd Steinmetz) Hub:
Abidjan.
Air Togo (YT) Hub: Lom.
Ghana International Airlines (GH;%21 31 42 83;
Blvd Steinmetz) Hub: Accra.
Point-Afrique (6V/DR; %95 84 85; www.point-afrique
.com; Quartier Cocotiers) Hub: Paris.
Virgin Nigeria Airways (VK; %21 31 58 24; Blvd du
Gouverneur Ballot) Hub: Lagos.
In Cotonou, bush taxis and minibuses leave

for Lagos throughout the day from the Gare
de lAncien Pont (CFA3000, three hours),
as well as from the Gare de Dantokpa. You
could save money by taking a taxi to the
border crossing at Krak and changing
there, as Nigerian taxis are cheaper than
those in Benin. If you do this, you will need
to get some Naira at the border or on the
black market in Cotonou (see p97). There
are also taxis to Lagos from Porto Novo
(CFA2700, 2 hours), which is both closer
to Nigeria and less hectic than Cotonou.
Avoid arriving or leaving Lagos at rush
hour (the go slow between 6am and 10am,
and 3pm and 7pm) its a mess. If youre
heading to Ibadan, Lagos can be bypassed
by crossing at Ktou, though there is less
public transport.
You may have to grease a few palms at
Krak (see p670), although asking for a receipt is a good way to discourage corrupt
officials. If hiring a taxi across the border,
check whether the price includes bribes.
Land
TOGO
BURKINA FASO
Cotonou and Lom are connected by frequent bush taxis (CFA3000, three hours),
which regularly leave the Gare de Jonquet in
Cotonou for Lom through the day and the
early evening. Alternatively, pick up a taxi to
the border point at Hilla-Condji and grab another taxi on the Togolese side of the frontier.
There is also a daily STIF bus service from
Cotonou to Lom (CFA3000, three hours).
Other crossings are at Kmrida, northeast of Kara in Togo, and between Nadoba
in Togo and Boukomb in Benin. The lat-
Air
The main airport is on the western fringe of
Cotonou, in Cocotiers.
Air France has the most reliable and frequent services between Benin and Europe.
For flight information, ticket sales and
reconfirmations, the following airlines have
offices in Cotonou:
Air France (AF; %21 30 18 15; www.airfrance.com/bj;
Route de lAroport) Hub: Paris.
Air Gabon International (GN; %21 31 21 87; Blvd
Theres at least one bush taxi a day along

the 97km of tarred road from Natitingou
to Porga (CFA1500, two hours), where you
can cross to Tindangou in Burkina Faso.
Monday, Porga market day, is a good day
to find a ride.
NIGER
From Malanville, 733km from Cotonou

on tarred road, a zemi-john or shared
taxi can take you across the River Niger
T R A N S P O R T I N B E N I N G e t t i n g A r o u n d 125
ter crossing takes you through spectacular

countryside but you would need to be well
organised, with your own 4WD vehicle.
of instability in Nigeria, on which Benin

depends for petrol. In Nigeria petrol is
cheaper, so much of it is carried illegally
across the border into Benin and sold on
the black market at prices slightly below the
official rate. Just look for the guys along the
roads with 1L to 5L bottles.
For private transport, organise a taxi
through one of the major hotels in Cotonou, though this can prove costly. The taxis
outside the Htel du Port are better value
than those outside the Novotel Orisha and
Benin Marina Hotel.
If youre driving, you need an International Driving Permit. Roads are in good
condition throughout Benin.
BUS
STC (%21 32 66 69) runs buses between Cotonou and Abidjan (CFA34000, 28 hours) via
Accra (CFA15,000, seven hours).
EHGM (%227 74 37 16), STN (%227 74 03 69) and
SNTV (%227 73 30 20) are among the Nigerbased coach lines that ply the route between
Cotonou and Niamey. SNTVs buses leave
Niamey daily at 4am (CFA20,000, 13 to
15 hours) and EHGMs leave on Tuesday,
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 4am
(CFA18700, 13 to 15 hours).
Buses stop in major towns such as Parakou and Malanville, but they are hard to get
on as they fill up when they set off.
Burkina Fasobased TVC (see p170)
has a Sunday bus from Ougadougou to
Cotonou (CFA20,000) which continues to
Lagos (CFA30,500).
GETTING AROUND
Bush Taxi, Minibus & Bus

Minibuses and bush taxis are the principal
means of transport between towns, and are
faster than in many West African countries.
A bush taxi from Cotonou costs CFA600 to
Ouidah, CFA2000 to Abomey, CFA3000 to
Lagos or Lom and CFA6500 to Parakou,
while minibuses cost about 25% less and
take much longer. There is sometimes a negotiable surcharge for luggage.
There are few domestic bus companies.
Confort Lines (%21 32 58 15) runs daily buses between Cotonou and Natitingou via Savalou
(CFA7500, 10 hours), stopping in all major
towns en route. There are free sandwiches
and the conductors are faithful to the companys boast that there are no hidden charges.
Benin Routes has daily buses between Cotonou and Parakou (CFA5500, five hours).
It is best to book ahead, particularly on
buses between Cotonou and Niamey. The
buses are, as usual in Africa, overloaded
with passengers and luggage, but they are
still more comfortable, and often cheaper,
than bush taxis.
Car & Motorcycle

Petrol costs between CFA300 and CFA600
per litre, with prices generally rising as you
travel north. The price fluctuates because
Local Transport
TAXI
Fares for regular journeys in taxis and minibuses in Cotonou are CFA150 for a shared
ride. Taxis can be hired for CFA2000 per
hour; rates increase from early evening on.
Tariffs are often written on the dashboard.
Gare du Dantokpa is a good place to find
taxis.
ZEMI-JOHNS
In nearly all towns, youll find zemi-johns

(scooter taxis). While they are by far the
fastest and most convenient way of getting
around the cities, they are not as safe as regular taxis. Cotonou sees zemi-john crashes
everyday often fatal ones. Tell your driver
to drive slowly.
Youll recognise them by the drivers yellow and green shirt (green and purple in
some regional centres). Hail them just as
you would a taxi, and be sure to agree on a
price before the journey. The typical fare is
CFA150 to CFA250. They are also an easy
way to get to remote destinations.
Tours
Two- and seven-day tours are available in
restored colonial railroad cars on La Train
dEbene (%21 31 38 62). The shorter tour
(CFA50,000 or CFA40,000 per person for
groups of 12 or more) departs Cotonou on
Thursday morning for Dassa Zoum, where
you can walk in the hills and visit an ostrich
farm. Meals are served onboard. The longer
tour (CFA250,000/200,000) also takes in
towns not on the railway Ganvi, Ouidah,
Grand Popo, Abomey and Natitingou.
BENIN
BENIN
Lonely Planet Publications

126 T R A N S P O R T I N B E N I N G e t t i n g A r o u n d
For ecotourism, CPN Les Papillons (%22 54

07 13; [email protected]), an NGO based in
the village of Camat-Shakalok, 10km from
Dassa Zoum, hosts groups of tourists and
offers trips to other parts of Benin.
A recommended guide is Cotonou-based
Franck Tok (%95 05 61 04; [email protected]). A
language facilitator for the Peace Corps, he
is fluent in both English and French.
Train
Run by LOrganisation Commune Benin-Niger
des Chemins de fer et Transports (%21 32 22 06),
Benins one railway line links Cotonou with
Parakou via towns including Bohicon (for
Abomey) and Dassa Zoum. Cheap and
spacious but frustratingly slow, the train
leaves Cotonou at 8.30am on Tuesday,

Thursday and Saturday, arriving in Parakou at 7pm and returning south at 8.42am
the following day. Get to the station before
8am to buy tickets.
Second-class seats on the train are significantly cheaper than taking a bush taxi
but the carriages tend to be crowded with
humanity and produce. First class is about
as comfortable as youll find on any train in
West Africa. It has a rudimentary bar, and
food is available at stations along the way.
Tickets in 1st/2nd class from Cotonou to Bohicon (about four hours) cost
CFA1400/1100, to Dassa Zoum (about five
hours) cost CFA2900/2500, and to Parakou
(about 11 hours) cost CFA5600/4000.
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Lonely Planet Publications

Famous for Voodoo; slavery; the Kings of

Dahomey; adopting Marxism; Anglique

Ghzos throne (p110) Shiver in front of

One Week A classic example of urban Africa

LONELY PLANET INDEX

CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO

Independence & Le Folklore

When Dahomey became independent in

Possotom Lake Ganvi NOVO

Grand Abomey- Cotonou Krak

established trading posts along the coast,

In December 1989, as a condition of

The 1990s: Multiparty Elections

The National Psyche

bate. Its not unusual to see people engrossed

GRIGRI CHARMS & JUJU MEN

Beninese men working in Europe. Young

Art & Craftwork

Sandwiched between Nigeria and Togo,

FOOD & DRINK

Spending a day in Cotonou, which officially

Cotonou means mouth of the river of

Librairie Ntre-Dame (%21 31 40 94; Ave Clozel;

h9am-12.30pm & 4-7pmTue-Sat, 4-7pm Mon) Next

Ave du Gouverneur Fourn

Rue des Hindous

Centre Culturel Franais (%21 30 08 56; fax 21 30

11 51; Route de lAroport; www.ambafrance-bj.org/ccf;

Ave Jean Paul II

temperamental. Cheap food is also available on the quiet

Telecom (OPT ) building (Ave Clozel; h7.30am-

midnight Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) You can make overseas

68 24; [email protected]; Place de ltoile Rouge)

Ave du Nouveau Pont

Agence Africaine de Tourisme (%21 31 54 14; fax

Rue 657 (%21 31 40 23; Rue 657) Behind March Ganhi.

Direction Emigration Immigration (%21 31 42 13;

DANGERS & ANNOYANCES

Grand March du Dantokpa

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

heart, bordered by the lagoon and Blvd St

Jean Paul II; course CFA20000; h7pm-8.30pm Tue & Sat,

Htel Concorde (%21 31 55 70; Blvd Steinmetz; r with

[email protected]; Blvd de la Marina; s/d from

overlooking the popular pool, spacious

opposite the Nigerien embassy, is a colonial

Dont be fooled by the grim exterior. This

There are 55 lavish rooms in 11 bungalows;

.bj; Blvd de la Marina; s/d CFA70,500, tr CFA80,500, ste

pressive as the grandiose driveway implies,

30 11 55; Blvd de la Marina; r with city/ocean view

den of a place, the monstrous ex-Sheraton

Restaurant lAmiti (Rue 118; menu du jour CFA1000)

to Htel du Lac, in view of the zemi-johns

La Gerbe dOr (% 21 31 42 58; Ave Clozel;

croissants and pastries, yogurt, ice cream,

Cafs & Patisseries

Superb brochettes can be found all over