Presentation of your trip to Benin

Our service does not include transport to Benin , under these conditions you yourself choose the means of transport that suits you best. However, you must communicate to us either the day and time of arrival at the airport, or the pick-up location in Benin.
Depending on the arrival time or the pick-up location, you will be transferred to the Abomey-Calavi pier where you will embark on Lake Nokoué to your hotel in Ganvié.

You will start your day early in the morning by discovering the floating market which takes place on the water from 04:00 to 10:00, on this occasion, you will also have the opportunity to admire the sunrise on Lake Nokoué . You will continue your visit of the lake by visiting the bird river during the navigation by canoe, you will visit the lakeside villages , in particular, the village of Gbessou and its colonial vertigo, the work of women who smoke fish, the village of Houedo Gbadji on stilts, fish parks, the technique of sparrowhawk fishing . In the evening return to the hotel in Ganvié.

You will leave the lakeside village of Ganvié in the early morning to reach by car in the direction of the underground village of Agongointo in Bohicon of 7 ha built by the ancient kings to defend themselves from the invader. In the afternoon you will take a canoe trip in the HLAN forest to meet the red monkeys. On the way you can stop to taste very juicy fresh pineapples. You will spend the night in a hotel in Abomey

You will spend the day in Abomey to discover the history of Dahomey. In the morning the royal palaces of the kings of Dahomey, the historical museum. You will have lunch in a traditional maquis , in the afternoon you will tour the city to discover the legend of the Amazons, wars and the history of King Gbêhanzin who fought against the colonial invader before being exiled to the Antilles by the French authorities. During your visit to Abomey, you have the opportunity to discover a drying center for tropical fruits and local crafts and visit the local craftsmen of weaving, wall hanging, forge, bronziers, the opportunity to acquire original memories.

You will leave Abomey towards the south-west of Benin to reach Lake Ahémé at the end of the day. You will have the opportunity to observe the sacred tree of Benin the exotic wood iroko widely used in the construction of furniture, floors, and woodwork. This tree can reach 25 meters in height and according to legend would be at the origin of the founding of the city of Lokassa during the time of King Totoh in the 18th century who fled the slave trade with his people, the Kotafons. After a stop in the city you will continue your trip by stopping in the villages to discover the local crafts, in particular in the village of Sé specializing in the manufacture of pottery.

The day begins with a visit to the small voodoo villages around Lake Ahémé to the farming village of Akanmè for an initiation in the making of cassava flour . In the afternoon you will sail on Lake Ahémé, then you will continue your journey towards Grand Popo where you will spend the night.

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.

After your breakfast by the beach, you will head for Ouidah, the voodoo capital. 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 follow the Slave Route to the Gate of No Return with a stop at the museum, the Portuguese Fort. Your return to Cotonou can be done by " the fishing route " depending on the weather and the type of vehicle.

Porto-Novo colonial capital and current capital of Benin, you will discover the Yoruba people by visiting the Honmè museum installed in the former official palace of the kings of Xogbonou, the Oga gbami square where Oga was buried alive there by Tê- Agbanlin, founder of the kingdom of Xogbonou. The Avessan temple, the story of the nine-headed monster and the three Nigerian hunters in search of game, then you will continue to Adjarra to visit traditional crafts , making tom-tom, and you will do by canoe on the Black River the discovery of the raffia forest. In the evening return 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 in the maquis of the 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 artisan 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.