Benin

Understand

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.

History 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.

The fall of the Dahomey Kingdom was precipitated by the banning of slavery throughout Europe in the mid-19th ce

See

Cotonou and around 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. Ganvie, just north of Cotonou and accessible by boat from Abomey-Calavi is home to 30,000 people, whose ancestors fled the brutal Dahomey kings by building their town on stilts in the center of Lake Nokoué. Ganvie is without question a fascinating and naturally beautiful locale, and a popular stop as one of the largest of West Africa's lake towns.

West of Cotonou Benin under the rule of the Dahomey kings was a major center of the slave trade, and the Route des Esclaves in Ouidah, terminating at the beachside Point of No Return monument is a memorial to those who were kidnapped, sold, and sent off to the other side of the world. Ouidah's local history museum, housed in a Portuguese fort, focuses on the slave trade in addition to other facets of local culture, religion, and history, and is a real must see for anyone passing through the country. As many towns, Ouidah has its own Sacred Forest, where guided tours on part of the grounds are given and different voodoo beliefs are explained; the other part of the grounds houses a convent for initiates and is closed to the p

Getting there

Visas Nationals 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.

By plane

There are many international flights arriving at the main airport in Cotonou. Long distance services include:

Air France: Paris Brussels Airlines: Brussels Corsair International: Paris Ethiopian Airlines: Addis Ababa Royal Air Maroc: Casablanca Turkish Airlines: Istanbul 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.

By train There are no international train services to Benin.

By car 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.

Getting around

By bus 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. To give you an idea of prices, buses running from Cotonou to Natitingou (or vice versa) cost CFA 7,500 one way, and Cotonou to Parakou (or vice versa) costs CFA 5,500. These are examples, because there are also buses that go as far as Tanguieta and Malanville.

By bush taxi Bush taxi is possible between most cities, every day in major cities, periodically for the more remote ones. The price for long distances will be a little higher than by bus, and comfort and security are significantly lower. Drivers are often trying to maximize the number of people in the car so one can expect an intimate experience with the local population. However, bush taxis do offer flexibility that the bus systems do not; you can always find a taxi fairly quickly (at the autogarres). For trips of 3 hours (approx. 150 km) or less, a bush taxi might b