Benin

Benin holds within it a word you don't forget once you've heard it on the ground: vodun. The country is one of the cradles of this spirituality, and its mark is everywhere — in ceremonies, in markets, even on the calendar (on 10 January, the Vodun festival gathers Ouidah). You often arrive through Cotonou and the bustle of Dantokpa, one of West Africa's largest markets, where you'll find everything — and its opposite.

The places that stay

• Ouidah and its Route of Slaves, ending at the Door of No Return facing the ocean — an essential place of memory. Read: our story on Ouidah.
• Ganvié, a village built on stilts on Lake Nokoué: you move by pirogue, between houses set on the water. It is called the "Venice of Africa".
• The Royal Palaces of Abomey, memory of the Kingdom of Dahomey, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

For nature lovers

Far to the north, Pendjari National Park unfolds one of West Africa's finest savannas — a refuge for elephants and big cats.

Plan

See our Visas & entry guide.