Benin
Discover Benin
Benin is a country in West Africa. You'll find culture through a large collection of palatial ruins and temples of the once powerful Kingdom of Dahomey (1800s–1894). Moreover, Benin is the birthplace of Vodun (Voodoo) and all that goes with it. Vodun is the official religion of the country, and an important part of the life of ordinary Beninese. Many important tourist sites are linked to Vodun or the slave trade. The national parks of Benin are well worth a visit for their wildlife. It is also one of the most stable and safest countries in the region. With its rich history, vibrant culture, protected wildlife, Grand Popo ocean beach, and artisan market in Se, Benin is one of the best kept tourist secrets in West Africa. Benin, known as Dahomey until 1960, was one of the few countries to transition from Marxist rule to a democratic system in the 1990s. The country enjoys an island of stability and provides a complex heritage, handful of spiritual traditions and endless tropical landscapes.
What to Experience in Benin
Taste of Benin...
In every city/village one will find street vendors selling anything from beans and rice to grilled chicken, goat and turkey. Prices are nominal. But one must be careful, always choose a vendor whose food is still hot, and they have taken care to keep the bowls covered with a lid or a cloth. The beer is cheap and good. Local pubs (buvettes) are on every corner in every neighborhood. You can get a bottle of local beer "La Béninoise", Heineken, Guinness, Castel and others depending on the bar. They all cost about CFA 250 for a small bottle or CFA 500 for a large bottle. In nightclubs beer is excessively expensive, around CFA 30,000 a bottle. So stick to the local pubs, or avoid buying beer at the nightclub. There is also the local vin de palme (palm wine), an alcoholic beverage that is made from the sap of the palm tree. A fermented palm liquor (Sodabi) is also available, it costs about CFA 2000 for a litre and it is very strong. Benin's sleeping habit is a vast contrast compared to Westerners. While most rise before dawn, they all work until 12:30, when most take a 2½ hour siesta. Then it's back to work for 3 hours. Depending on how far they've commuted to work, most are back home by 19:00. The next 3 hours are consumed by preparing dinner, TV, dancing or mingling with friends and neighbours. Then it's time for bed around 22:00.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Benin into what it is today.
To understand the roots of Benin, you must look at the Kingdom of Dahomey, whose origin story begins with the Adja of present-day Togo. Around the 12th or 13th century, the Adja people of Tado, a village on the banks of the Mono River, migrated to present-day Benin. Fighting for succession among three brothers split the Adja in the early 17th century. The brothers divided the territory and founded their own kingdoms. Kokpon founded the Kingdom of Allada, Te-Agdanlin founded the Kingdom of Hogbonou, which the Portuguese later named Porto-Novo, and Do-Aklin founded the Kingdom of Abomey, which would soon be known as Dahomey. The Portuguese arrived in Benin's territory in the fifteenth century, and established significant trading posts in Benin's coastal areas. Soon following the Portuguese came French, Dutch, and British traders. Over time, Benin's coast developed into the largest center of the slave trade in Africa, run by the Fon people, who founded the Kingdom of Dahomey, a highly militaristic kingdom that sold their neighboring peoples to the Europeans. As the slave trade increased in volume (10,000–20,000 slaves shipped off per day), the coast of Benin became known as the Slave Coast. Around this time, the port cities of Porto-Novo and Ouidah were founded and quickly became the largest and most commercially active cities in the country, while Abomey became the Dahomey capital....
Location & Landscape
Benin is smaller than its neighbours, being 112,620 km² or a similar size to Honduras or the US state of Ohio. The country is divided into five geographic zones, from south to north: the Coastal plain, the plateau, the elevated plateau and savannah, hills in the northwest and fertile plains in the north. The nation consists of more than 60 ethnic groups. The major tribes include the Fon (40%), Aja (15%), and Yoruba (12%) in the south of the country, and the Bariba (9%), Somba (8%), and Fulbe (6%) in the north. The most widespread religion is Christianity (43%), predominantly in the south, and Islam in the north (24%). Most interesting for many visitors, however, is the strong influence of Vodun on Benin, practiced as a principal religion by a good 18% of the populace, and which was spread about the globe largely by the massive number of enslaved people exported by the Dahomey Kingdom. Nationals of all African countries and Macau can enter Benin visa-free for up to 90 days.
Climate
The equatorial south of Benin experiences two rainy seasons of the year, from April to mid July and from mid-September until the end of October. The rainy period in the subequatorial north runs from March until October. The best time of the year to visit the country is from November to February, when the temperature moderates, and the weather is dry with low humidity. Benin is smaller than its neighbours, being 112,620 km² or a similar size to Honduras or the US state of Ohio. The country is divided into five geographic zones, from south to north: the Coastal plain, the plateau, the elevated plateau and savannah, hills in the northwest and fertile plains in the north. The nation consists of more than 60 ethnic groups. The major tribes include the Fon (40%), Aja (15%), and Yoruba (12%) in the south of the country, and the Bariba (9%), Somba (8%), and Fulbe (6%) in the north. The most widespread religion is Christianity (43%), predominantly in the south, and Islam in the north (24%).
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Nov – Febbest time of the year to visit the country is from November to February, when the temperature moderates, and the weather is dry with low humidity....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsNationals of all African countries and Macau can enter Benin visa-free for up to 90 days. Hong Kong citizens can enter visa free for 14 days. Citizens of all countries may apply for eVisa online. Visas can be 30 days single entry (€50), 30 days multiple entry (€75) or 90 days multiple entry (€100). For longer stays, it is recommended to come with an e-visa and apply for a permit in-country. There are many international flights arriving at the main airport in Cotonou. Long distance services include: Benin Airlines is the national carrier and provides service between Cotonou and Parakou. To enter the country, you will need proof that you have had a yellow fever vaccination, and this will need to be readily available at the airport. There are no international train services to Benin. There are land crossings with all bordering countries, but due to conflict, it is only recommended to cross the two coastal borders with Togo and Nigeria....
Regions
Explore AreasBenin, known as Dahomey until 1960, was one of the few countries to transition from Marxist rule to a democratic system in the 1990s. The country enjoys an island of stability and provides a complex h…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There is an extremely timely and reliable bus system that typically operates a tour-style bus through every major city in Benin every day, and even some international services in and out of Benin. There are many major lines with a range of quality of buses. The main systems are Confort Lines and Benin-Routes. Confort Lines seems to provide more of a variety of routes, and you even get some water and a little sandwich for long trips. Reservations for Confort Lines can be made in advance for CFA 500 at any regional office or by calling +229 21-325815. Bus lines run through: Porto-Novo, Cotonou, Calavey, Bohicon, Dassau, Parakou, Djougou, Natitingou, Tanguieta, Kandi, and even all the way up to Malanville. Buses run on the two major paved roads running north and south, and you can have the bus stopped at any point you would like to get off at, and for differing rates. No discussion of prices is needed with the bus, as they use fixed rates.
Where to Stay
Benin's sleeping habit is a vast contrast compared to Westerners. While most rise before dawn, they all work until 12:30, when most take a 2½ hour siesta. Then it's back to work for 3 hours. Depending on how far they've commuted to work, most are back home by 19:00. The next 3 hours are consumed by preparing dinner, TV, dancing or mingling with friends and neighbours. Then it's time for bed around 22:00. The best way to stay safe in Benin is to always always always be in the presence of a local person whom you can trust, such as a friend or even a hired tourist guide. They know which areas are safe and which are not, they know the prices of things so you won't get ripped off, they speak the native languages, they know which venues sell good food that is safe for westerners to eat. For women, avoid travelling alone, try to be in the company of other people as much as possible.
Money & Budget
The currency of the country is the West African CFA franc, denoted CFA (ISO currency code: XOF). It's also used by seven other West African countries. It is interchangeable at par with the Central African CFA franc (XAF), which is used by six countries. Both currencies are fixed at a rate of 1 euro = 655.957 CFA francs. There are banks in all the major cities, and most of the banks have cash machines. Keep in mind that many businesses and offices, including banks, close for several hours in the middle of the day. MasterCard and Visa can be used to withdraw cash at the ATMs of Ecobank, Banque Atlantique, BIBE, and SGB. In every city/village one will find street vendors selling anything from beans and rice to grilled chicken, goat and turkey. Prices are nominal.
Language & Talk
The official language is French — the language of the former colonial power. Native African languages such as Fon and Yoruba are spoken in the south, Bariba, Dendi and Hausa in the north, and over 50 other African languages and dialects are spoken in the country. English is on the rise. Benin is perhaps best known to the world as the birthplace of the Vodun religion, or voodoo. Voodoo temples, roadside fetishes and fetish markets are found throughout the country, but the best known is the skull and skin-filled fetish market in the Grande Marche du Dantopka, which is Cotonou's overwhelmingly busy, enormous and hectic grand market.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
The best way to stay safe in Benin is to always always always be in the presence of a local person whom you can trust, such as a friend or even a hired tourist guide. They know which areas are safe and which are not, they know the prices of things so you won't get ripped off, they speak the native languages, they know which venues sell good food that is safe for westerners to eat. For women, avoid travelling alone, try to be in the company of other people as much as possible. Do not travel at night alone: attacks along the beaches are frequent, and of course near hotels, nightclubs and other venues. Ignore any person who whistles at you during the night if you are alone. Benin is a peaceful country and the people are very kind and generous, but muggings and robberies occur everywhere, no matter how peaceful the place seems, so be on guard. If you are a victim of a crime, contact the Gendarme (Police) immediately.
Glimpses of Benin
Une vue aérienne de porto-novo, la capitale du Bénin. Crédit photo: Yanick Folly
a boat in the water with Tonlé Sap in the background
a group of people ride on boats with Tonlé Sap in the background
map
woman in blue and red dress riding on brown wooden boat on body of water during
brown bridge on sunrise
Chez Albert à Médédjonou en 2013.
a body of water with buildings along it
a woman watering her garden with a watering can
man riding on blue boat on body of water during daytime
Une vue aérienne de porto-novo, la capitale du Bénin. Crédit photo: Yanick Folly
a boat in the water with Tonlé Sap in the background
a group of people ride on boats with Tonlé Sap in the background