The program of your organized trip to southern Benin

For customers arriving in Benin by plane, our team welcomes you at the airport. After customs formalities, our guide will drive you to the Abomey Calavi pier to embark for the lakeside village of Ganvié in the heart of Lake Nokoué.

Depending on the duration of your tour, you will have the possibility of spending one or two days on Lake Nokoué, so you will discover early in the morning the floating market which takes place on the water between 4 am and 10 am, on this occasion , you can admire the sunrise on Lake Nokoué. During your stay, you will continue your visits of the lake by canoe by going up the Birds River you will discover the activities of the inhabitants, the work of women fish smokers, the village of Houedo Gbadji on stilts, the fish parks, the fishing technique. hawk, lake or semi-lake villages in particular, the village of Gbessou and its colonial vertigo,

You will leave the lakeside village of Ganvié in the early morning to reach the landing stage and ride your mopeds or your motorcycle taxi for a trip in the bush through the cultures of cassava and tropical fruits , in particular pineapples that you can taste on foot for some. enjoy the unique flavor of a juicy and sweet pineapple. During these 2 days in the bush, you will stay in the Tori-Cada area with the locals and visit the Jacqueville farm and Lake Toho

After tasting tropical fruits full of vitamins, you will leave the surroundings of Tori on a moped in the morning and continue your journey through the bush and you will cross the bush villages towards Lake Ahémé where you will embark in Tokpo-Domè on a canoe. traditional to cross and spend the night in Possotomé at the edge of the Lake.

After crossing the bush and tropical fruit fields, you will sail by motorized canoe towards the sea and the town of Grand Popo. During this navigation you will observe the daily life of the inhabitants of the lakeside villages around Lake Ahémé, and the activity of fishermen on the lake. During your picnic, you will have the opportunity to taste the fishing products , in particular the smoked shrimps prepared by the good ladies by the lake.

After your breakfast by the sea, you will visit the surroundings of Grand Popo, by canoe to discover, the bird island, the mangrove of Azikô; the spawning grounds of the Bouche du Roy reserve, the sea turtle hatchery according to the seasons , the oyster activity in DJONDJI, the braiding of mats in Gbèzoumey, the preparation of palm oil in Kpèkô, as well as than the typical fishing techniques in the lagoon. In the evening you can attend a djembe concert.

You continue your trip by canoe using the lagoon used by the slave traders to deliver the slaves to Ouidah. During this navigation through the mangrove islands, you will observe the activity of the population , fishing, salt extraction, market gardening, rice cultivation. You can also discover a very rich fauna and perhaps meet sitatungas (a kind of aquatic antelope), manatees, or hippos and a wide variety of migratory birds that inhabit the mangroves.

After your breakfast by the beach, you will immerse yourself in the history of the city of Ouidah. You will discover the voodoo cult , its sacred places, in particular the sacred forest, the great divinity, the temple of the pythons, you will visit the spiritual leader. On January 10, you will be able to access the official ceremonies of the voodoo festival . You will travel the Slave Route to the Gate of No Return with a stop at the museum, the Portuguese Fort.

Over one or two days, depending on your availability, you will take the time to discover the fishing route, share the activities of the fishermen, discover the artisanal exploitation of salt in Avlékété, and you will enjoy the coconut palms as well as the stretch of beach of fine sand stretching from Ouidah to Cotonou.

This is the last day of your trip to Benin which will take you in the morning to the largest market in West Africa, the Dantokpa market . After lunch at the maquis du port for a tasting of prawns grilled over a wood fire , you can continue to explore the traditional markets of Cotonou and go to the craft village to buy your last memories of Benin.
For customers leaving in the evening, you will be dropped off directly at the airport. For clients flying the next morning, return to the hotel where the hotel shuttle will take you to the airport the next morning.