West Africa is one of the world’s last frontiers. Long plagued by disease, civil strife and ethnic tension, it is one of the only regions of the world where tourism has yet to gain a foothold. Bad roads, lack of tourist infrastructure and minimal information on travel to the area, have all played their part in solidifying West Africa’s reputation as the world’s most challenging destination.

Yet those willing to step out of their comfort zones, will find an area of the world that is authentic, musical and full of color. For first-time travelers to West Africa, Benin offers an easy introduction. The country has a nascent eco-tourism industry, comparatively decent infrastructure and a wide selection of tourist attractions—from ancient palaces, to wildlife-rich parks, to sweeping beaches.

A BENIN TRAVEL ITINERARY

I traveled to Benin as part of a West Africa overland tour with Dragoman. The tour’s ten day itinerary brought me to Benin’s top tourist attractions—starting at the remote Tata Somba area in the country’s northern reaches and ending along the golden sands of Grand Popo Beach in southern Benin.

Our ten day Benin itinerary included a diverse array of places to see. In the Tata Somba area, we admired the unique two-story mud houses that constitute one of West Africa’s premier cultural landscapes. From there, we continued to the wildlife-rich Pendjari National Park and the historically significant Abomey Palaces. Finally, we finished our tour in southern Benin, where we visited the country’s Voodoo monuments and retraced the harrowing Route des Esclaves.

TATA SOMBA AREA, NORTHERN BENIN

The Tata Somba houses of Benin are part of the greater Koutammakou World Heritage Site that spans parts of northern Togo and Benin. We entered Benin from northern Togo at a small border post near Natitingou, in the Koutammakou/Tata Somba heritage area.

Entering Benin at this remote border crossing was an adventure in its own right. Roads crisscross through Koutammakou and the adjacent Tata Somba without passing by an official border post. The porous delineation between the two countries facilitates the unification of families that lie on either side of the border. It also means that we drove across the imaginary demarcation a number of times before we were able track down an official border guard that could give us our Benin entry stamp.

When we finally found the immigration ‘office,’ we realized that it consisted of nothing more than a man sitting on a log near a dusty village road, stamp in hand.

From the border, we headed toward our accommodation—a no-frills eco-lodge constructed to resemble a Tata Somba homestead. The eco-lodge was the base from which we explored the surrounding villages and familiarized ourselves with the unique cultural landscape.

We spent two days exploring the Tata Somba villages of Benin. The area—a baobab-speckled expanse of undulating hills—showcases two-story mud houses that have been preserved for generations.

The Tata Somba houses are unique for their layout and architecture. The traditional Tata Somba houses consist of two floors connected by an interior stairway. The bottom floors of the structures typically house the cooking area and the animal quarters. On the top floor, elevated thatched rooms contain granaries and sleeping quarters.

During our two days in the Tata Somba region, we enjoyed learning about the local area. We participated in guided village walks, toured the traditional Tata Somba houses and soaked in the simplicity of life in rural Benin.

PENDJARI NATIONAL PARK

Heading north from the Tata Somba area, we found ourselves in the vast Pendjari National Park—one of West Africa’s premier wildlife destinations and the best place to see the maneless West African lions. The park is the largest remaining ecosystem in West Africa and a refuge for the region’s endangered elephants and lions.  It is estimated that there are fewer than 400 West African lions left, and approximately 100 reside in the park.

Our two days in Pendjari were both rewarding and frustrating. Our intimate encounter with West Africa’s endangered wildlife was cut short by a horrible misunderstanding that resulted in a standoff between our tour group and the park’s management.

Nevertheless, I have fond memories of my visit to Pendjari. Over the course of our two days in the park, we witnessed countless colorful birds, admired some of Africa’s most beloved animals and fell asleep to the sounds of the wild. It was an off-the-beaten-path safari experience that rivaled the grandeur of some of Africa’s most coveted wildlife destinations.

Despite the unfortunate ending to our visit, there is no doubt that Pendjari National Park is one of the top tourist attractions in Benin and an essential stop on any West Africa itinerary.

ROYAL PALACES OF ABOMEY

Abomey is the former capital of the Dahomey Kingdom and one of Benin’s top historical attractions. Established in 1625 by the Fon people, the Royal Palaces in Abomey have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites for their unparalleled importance in Benin’s history.

Abomey, formerly known as Dahomey, was once one of the most powerful and brutal kingdoms in West Africa. The Kings of Dahomey were despotic and bloody sovereigns who were known for human sacrifices and for using blood to paint the walls of their palaces.

The Dahomey Kingdom flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries and was a central facilitator in the West African slave trade. The kings of Dahomey ordered the capture of men, women and children in wars and raids.  They then sold their captives to the slave traders in return for weapons.

The Royal Abomey Palace complex is one of the most interesting tourist attractions in Benin. Today, the palaces house a museum that showcases relics of Dahomey art. The museum’s exhibits include decorations made with human skulls, Voodoo fetish items and paraphernalia belonging to a succession of Dahomey kings.

Tours of the Royal Abomey Palace cost CFA3000 for foreigners. Photography is prohibited in the palace and its museums, though our guide gave us the go-ahead to take photos regardless.

The Royal Palaces of Abomey are among the most remarkable buildings in Sub-Saharan Africa. They are a top Benin tourist attraction and a testament to the continent’s historical and cultural relics.

GANVIE: THE VENICE OF AFRICA

There is no doubt that Benin is blessed with a plethora of things to see. But there is also no doubt that Ganvie is the country’s most popular attraction. Ganvie has been lovingly named the ‘Venice of Africa’ for its waterways and lack of cars. Perhaps the Inle Lake of Africa would be a more apt description, however, because the stilt village in the middle of Lake Nokoué shares a striking resemblance with the the communities that sprinkle the waters of Myanmar’s Inle Lake.

Ganvié was founded by the Tofinu people in the seventeenth century. The Tofinu—desperate to evade capture and enslavement by the ruthless Fon soldiers—escaped to the middle of Lake Nakoué. Religious beliefs prevented the Fon from fighting on the lake, so the sacred body of water became a safe haven for the Tofinu.

Today, the stilt village of Ganvie is home to approximately 40,000 people.  The original collection of stilt houses has expanded to include floating markets, schools, hospitals, mosques and churches.  Some of the larger structures have been built on islands made from reclaimed soil.

Our visit to Ganvie was a prime example of West Africa’s cultural vibrancy. We spent two days exploring the laketop attraction and observing its intoxicating display of colors, sights and sounds. From the port of Abomey-Calavi, a boat brought us to the basic, yet centrally-located Chez M Hotel located in one of Nakoue’s stilt communities.

Our Ganvie itinerary was supposed to consist of an afternoon lake tour and an evening of relaxing at Chez M’s waterview restaurant.

When our boat broke down merely minutes after our departure, however, Ganvie had an alternative plan in store for us.

On the day we visited Ganvie, the floating village was hosting a jazz festival. Our guide—evidently sorry about our boat’s faulty engine—decided to make up for our interrupted tour by taking us on a remarkable adventure. Once our engine troubles were fixed (thanks to a group of young children who rowed off to find us help), our guide brought us to a family reunion for an inside look at Benin’s modern-day culture.

The reunion consisted of over three hundred family members adorned in colorful dress. Before we knew it, we were swept away in a whirl of dancing, food, beer and limitless curiosity. We met the family king, played with the village children and were the subjects in countless photographs.

When the sun went down, our guide brought us to the local jazz festival, where—surrounded by local musicians and villagers— we danced the night away to a soundtrack of contemporary Beninese sounds.

It was the kind of day that is only possible in places that have not yet been jaded by tourists and the troubles that they often bring.

OUIDAH: WEST AFRICA’S VOODOO HEART

Our Benin itinerary continued southward, to Ouidah—Africa’s Voodoo heartland and one of the most culturally dynamic places to visit in Benin.

In the West, the word Voodoo conjures images of black magic, witchcraft and beaded dolls. Yet Voodoo is one of the world’s oldest religions and a central pillar of Benin’s culture. Religion in Benin is fluid, with people adhering to a fusion of old practices and new religious ideas. Approximately 35% of Benin’s population practices Voodoo, while nearly 70%  of the country’s population combines elements of Voodoo with Christianity and Islam.

Voodoo talismans, called fetishes, are often used in the construction of temples and altars. These fetishes adorn shrines and entryways and are believed to have supernatural powers. They ooze with blood, feathers and the pelts of sacrificed animals.

For those interested in Voodoo statues and fetishes, Ouidah’s Sacred Forest and Python Temple are must-sees.

• THE VOODOO PYTHON TEMPLE

The serpent deity, Dangbé, has been a revered figure in Benin for centuries. As such, the deity’s ancestors are protected and honored in the city’s Voodoo Python Temple. The temple—directly facing a Christian Basilica—is a painted hut that contains over fifty lazy pythons.

Entrance to the temple costs CFA1000 and includes a short guided tour.

• THE SACRED FOREST

Down the road from the Python Temple, Ouidah’s Sacred Forest is the location at which King Kpasse (founder of Ouidah) allegedly turned into a tree to escape his enemies.

A short walk through the forest introduces visitors to shrines and statues of the Voodoo deities.

• THE ROUTE DES ESCLAVES

In addition to being the center of Voodoo in Benin, Ouidah is historically significant for being one of the primary centers of West Africa’s slave trade.

UNESCO’s flagship Slave Route Project is a walk that brings visitors from the slave auction plaza in Ouidah, to the Gate of No Return. It was constructed to bring light to the plight of the 12 million slaves that were forced across the Atlantic.

We walked the Route des Esclaves on our second day in Ouidah. The route takes visitors past the slave auction plaza, the Tree of Forgetfulness (at which slaves were forced to walk in circles to forget where they came from) and the Tree of Return (a tree that slaves circled with the belief that their souls would return home after death). Along the route, plaques and statues commemorate the horrors of the West African slave trade.

At the end of the walk, we reached the Gate of No Return—a powerful memorial that represents the place where slaves were forcefully ripped from their homelands and brought to the Americas.

Even my visit to Goree Island in Senegal did little to prepare me emotionally for my visit to Benin’s sobering monument.

• GRAND POPO BEACH

Located between Ouidah and the Togo border, Grand Popo offers a windswept stretch of golden sand that is perfect for a few relaxing days of hammock-swinging and beach-lounging.

My travel companions and I spent the remaining days of our Benin overland tour at the lovely beachfront Auberge de Gand-Popo. There, we took walks along the ocean, swam in the hotel’s fresh-water swimming pool and relished the tranquility of Benin’s most popular (yet remarkably uncrowded) beach escape.

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Benin is an unsung highlight of West Africa’s virtually non-existent tourist trail. Like nearby Ghana, the country is replete with things to see—including the most diverse array of wildlife in West Africa and some of the best-preserved architectural gems south of the Sahara.

Benin has the potential to become a top eco-tourist destination. When compared to some of West Africa’s other countries, Benin is relatively safe and tourist friendly. The country showcases a diverse array of tourist attractions, its roads and accommodation options are continually improving, and a budding eco-tourism industry offers unparalleled opportunities to delve into local Beninese culture.

The best time to travel to Benin is now, before the rest of the world finds out.

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Pendjari National Park is one of West Africa’s premier safari destinations. A wildlife-rich swath of land that lies along Benin’s border with Burkina Faso and Niger, the park is both one of the top places to visit in Benin and a highlight of travel to West Africa.

Pendjari spans an area of 4,800 square kilometers and is a primary component of the transnational W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) complex. The WAP complex consists of Arli Park in Burkina Faso, W National Park in Niger and Pendjari in Benin. It is the largest remaining intact ecosystem in West Africa. 

The sprawling game park is famous for its diverse array of birdlife and large concentration of endangered mammals. It is houses four of Africa’s big five—including buffalo, elephants, lions and leopards. 

PENDJARI NATIONAL PARK IN BENIN

Pendjari isn’t like the game reserves in southern or eastern Africa. Nor should it be treated as such. Travelers expecting to see the Big 5 with little effort, may be better served by visiting places like the Serengeti or Etosha–where vast open spaces facilitate effortless animal sightings.

The shrub-covered landscape of Pendjari makes animal spotting more difficult.

But for bird enthusiasts, conservationists and lovers of ‘I Spy’, Pendjari’s one-of-a-kind wildlife encounters are all the more rewarding.

PENDJARI PARK TRAVEL LOGISTICS

I traveled to Pendjari National Park as part of an overland tour through Ghana, Togo and Benin with Dragoman. The tour consisted of twenty adventure-minded travelers, two group leaders and our large orange truck, Sura.

We visited the area in early February, during the dry season. Benin’s dry months–from December to May–are the best time to visit Pendjari due to lack of rainfall, reduced malaria risk and sparser vegetation. Even during high season, there are virtually no crowds in the park.

Entrance to the national park costs 10,000CFA for 24 hours. For three days in Pendjari, discounted tickets will set foreign travelers back by 25,000CFA.

There are limited places to spend the night in Pendjari. Most travelers stay in the Hotel Pendjari or the Pendjari Lodge.

We chose to camp—a decision that was at once thrilling and, perhaps, a bit risky.

OUR PENDJARI SAFARI EXPERIENCE

We traveled to Pendjari National Park after a memorable visit to the Tata Somba region of Northern Togo and Benin. I was looking forward to two days of animal-spotting and wild camping in West Africa’s best safari destination. 

Our trip to Pendjari National Park began without a hitch. We got our camping permits, paid the entrance fee and rumbled down the dirt roads in our large orange overloading truck. One of the advantages of traveling in an overland truck, is that we were much higher off the ground than we would have been in a standard safari vehicle. The truck had roof seats, too, which allowed us to scan the surrounding landscape in search of animals.

On our first evening in Pendjari, we set out toward our campsite along the park’s dusty unpaved roads. While the grasses may have been high and the shrubbery dense, I was pleasantly surprised by the large number of animals we spotted.

Along the way, we came across elephant herds, antelope and a diverse array of colorful African birds.

After an evening game drive, we set up camp along one of the hippo-filled lakes in Pendjari. Unlike Etosha, Kruger or Hlane, the camping areas in Pendjari are completely in the wild. With nothing but pit toilets and a small clearing for tents, the campsites have little in the way of facilities. There are no fences to act as barriers between campers and the animals.

As we lay in our tents at night, we could hear rustling in the leaves and the loud groans of the hippos in a nearby lake. The experience was thrilling, immersive and raw.

The following morning, we set out on a game drive through the desolate roads of Pendjari National Park. We had two scheduled game drives on our second day in Pendjari—one in the morning and one in the late afternoon. On our morning drive, we spotted more elephant herds, buffalo, birds and antelope. In the evening, after lunch and a short siesta, we continued along the park’s dusty roads in search of lions. 

And we got lucky. About halfway through our evening drive, we spotted a lioness slinking through the tall grasses. She looked at our truck, walked toward us, and then continued onward–allowing us to follow her down the road for about five minutes.

It was a special moment and the highlight of our visit to Pendjari.

Enroute to our campsite, we passed another vehicle. The passengers in the vehicle introduced themselves as the owners of the Pendjari Lodge and warned us against camping in the park. ‘The campsite you wish to stay at tonight is currently closed,’ they told us.

We didn’t think much of the encounter. The passengers in the vehicle—a group of French-speaking foreigners in plain clothes and without identification—didn’t seem to have much authority over the rules and regulations of the park. Plus, we had hired a local park-sponsored guide and we had already gotten the okay to camp at our second location from the staff at the park entrance. 

We ignored the remarks of the French-speaking travelers and opted to camp by the watering hole regardless.

By the next morning, as we made our way toward the park exit, we nearly forgot about the encounter.

Until a safari truck rolled up to us and an irate French-Canadian told us to pay nearly 2,000 euros for camping illegally in Pendjari. 

In the beginning, we thought it was all a misunderstanding. Why would a French-Canadian owner of a lodge get on our case about camping illegally? What authority did he have? He then proclaimed himself the park manager, but had no documentation. Nor did he allow us to explain ourselves. We agreed to follow him to the park entrance, where we would clear up the misunderstanding.

At the park ticket office, however, reinforcements were already waiting for us. The French-Canadian had called in a dozen or so armed men. The men stood in a line, demanding we pay the hefty fine. They blocked our truck from leaving the park and threatened violence if we didn’t hand over cash.

In the end, in order to ensure the safety of its passengers, Dragoman had no choice but to fork over the money.

We left the park feeling defeated. In one of West Africa’s most beautiful wildlife parks, bureaucracy, corruption and extortion got the best of us.

By the very people who were in charge of promoting tourism in the park, no less.

IS PENDJARI SAFE TO VISIT? 

Our Pendjari National Park safari experience was one I’m unlikely to forget–both because of the incredible wildlife I witnessed and because of the unfortunate way our visit ended. After two incredible days of seeing lions, buffalo, elephants and countless beautiful birds, we found ourselves essentially held hostage at gun point by a dozen park rangers. 

Is this experience typical? Is Pendjari safe to visit for tourists?

Unfortunately, I don’t think there is an easy answer to these questions. Pendjari receives far fewer travelers than similar wildlife parks in southern and eastern Africa. As a result, there is little information on visiting Pendjari and the risks associated with traveling to the region.

Benin is relatively safe compared to some of the other countries in West Africa. Yet, the northern reaches of the country (including Pendjari National Park) have felt the spillover effect of increased extremist activity across the border in Burkina Faso. The increased tension has caused the US State Department to elevate the security risk in Pendjari from a Level 1 to a Level 3.

And there is good reason for their concern. In May of 2019, merely three months after our visit, a group of French tourists were kidnapped in the area. Their local guide was found dead.

While the incident was completely unrelated to our run-in with the French-Canadian and his gun-toting reinforcements, it does speak to the unpredictability of travel in the area. Thus, while I don’t necessarily recommend reconsidering travel to Pendjari, I do think that it is important to remain vigilant and up-to-date on the security situation.

ALL IS WELL THAT ENDS WELL

Despite ending on a disappointing note, our safari in Pendjari National Park was one of the highlights of my trip to West Africa. The quality of our animal sightings was comparable to those in Sri Lanka’s Udawalawe National Park, and even rivaled those from my travels throughout southern Africa. 

After the incident in Pendjari, our group was feeling demoralized and frustrated. We had spent the better part of an afternoon arguing and being taken advantage of by an expat who was on a clear power trip. With little negotiating power and nobody to defend our cause, we lost.

Along the road between Pendjari and the next stop on our Benin itinerary, however, our luck changed. It was getting late, and we needed to find a place to camp for the night. Our encounter with the park staff had set us half a day behind schedule.

Near Natitingou, we stumbled upon a lovely campsite at the Chutes de Kota and decided to call it an early night. We set up our tents, cooked dinner and explored the area. Near the campsite, we made our way down a steep set of stairs to a swimming hole at the base of the Kota Waterfall.

Under the starry night sky, we jumped into the natural pool and let the cool water rush over our bodies. It was refreshing. Exhilarating. Rejuvenating.

After a stressful travel day in Pendjari, our midnight swim left us ready for the remainder of our trip through Benin.

It was a reminder that–while travel in West Africa is often wrought with complications, frustrations and bureaucracy–the region is also surprising, unexpected and full of magic. 

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