BENIN 89 © Lonely Planet Publications Mud Fortresses Built Tata Somba, 229 %

BENIN 89 © Lonely Planet Publications mud fortresses built tata somba, 229 %

Voodoo; slavery; the Kings of Voodoo; slavery; 7.4 million French, Fon, Yoruba, Dendi, French, Porto Novo West African CFA franc; US$1 = CFA West African CFA10,000 at border, 30-day CFA10,000 112,622 sq km Area Capital Country code for Famous Dahomey; adopting Marxism; Angélique Kidjo Languages Bariba and Ge Money €1 = CFA655.96 CFA544.89; Population Visa CFA12,000 extension But regardless of the ill-gotten Dahomeyan in the Musée HistoriqueBut regardless gains glittering form in the northern animated wildlife Elephants, lions and crocodiles can be seen in more FAST FACTS FACTS FAST by the insular Somba people. Not only is Benin a richly historical and cultural country, this by the insular Somba people. partspolitically stable nation is one of the most tourist-friendly of West Africa. If you’re heading to West Africa to unearth lost treasure, look no further to unearth heading to West Africa than Benin. This lost treasure, If you’re edge of Nigeria, was once one the most power- club-shaped country, on the western – the Dahomey in Africa kingdom.ful empires ruins of the Dahomeyans’ The palaces and their riches can be seen in Abomey, while Ouidah of where temples is a poignant reminder in Ouidah soil d’Esclaves was the last walk on African Route The trade. came from: the slave and in Porto Benin’s Museums here Novo, bound for Brazil and the Caribbean. for slaves Afro-Brazilian society and culture. lagoon-side capital, examine the resultant and palm-fringed beaches. on Benin’s dusty streets plenty of treasures are d’Abomey, there and exported is the birthplace by the slaves This of voodoo, the country’s national religion, distorted by Hollywood. Voodoo is an important and most towns bear part life of everyday markets stocked with the heads and skins animal signs of it, such as the fetish of every imaginable. the stilt villages, home are there Then and W, two of the best in West Africa. parks, Pendjari to thousands in the southern lagoons, and northern Benin BENIN ITINERARIES HIGHLIGHTS 90 Malanville market Malanville One Month towns towhile awaya few days. north of thecountry. duce piledontheirheads,inthearidfar madic Fulatraders driftintotown,pro- and jari then explore the twowildlife parks, withafamily intheircompound, and stay ition totheabove, linger inSombacountry cornerofevery thissmallcountry.In add- hands, youshould beabletodelve into

ing villages around forexcursions tothepeacefulfish- base gantly decayingbeach resort is ahandy bat wings. doo items such asmonkey testicles and beaches at with afew daysof loungingontheempty Two Weeks now thecentre of voodoo worship. ( p106 of) onceacapital theslave tradeand aces of theKingsof Dahomey,and Abomey of culturethat oozeasense andhistory: aretwo mainroads acoupleof must-sees nou. Alittlefurtheralongthecountry’s both withintwohours journeyof taxi Coto- Ganvié Novo Porto other southerncitieshave more charm. Cotonou One Week Nokoué. business 2mabove thesurfaceof Lake ofsands people goabouttheirdaily Stilt villages Fetish market No ReturnmemorialinOuidah. steps of millionsof slaves tothePointof desEsclaves Route kingdomin Abomey.trading Dahomey one of thedarkrelics fromtheslave- this thronemounted onhumanskulls, Ghézo’s throne bouring countries. ket drawsFulanomadsfromtheneigh- Malanville fied compoundsinSombacountry, and ( p116 ), gateway totheintriguingforti- townsareland, thestand-out BENIN••Highlights 18) and ( p118) Djougou ( p102 ) thelacustrinestiltvillage, are ( p95 ) isworthabrieflook,but the ( p110 ), hometotheruined pal- A classicexampleof urbanAfrica ( p120 ), where mar- the weekly ( p103 and ), thetranquilcapital, With thismuch time onyour Relax after all that sightseeing Relax after allthatsightseeing ( p102 ) Where tens of thou- Grand Popo ( p93 voo- ) Shop foressential ( p115 ) are sleepy pleasantly ( p110 ) Shiver infrontof W ( p120 ) Watch theno- ( p106 ) Retracethelast ( p120). Lake Ahémè Lake 18) Ti ele- This (p108). Parakou 19) In- ( p109). Natitingou ( p113) Ouidah Pend- the Portuguese, andlater otherEuropeans, the Portuguese, ticularly theYoruba of Nigeria. Meanwhile, by waging warwithhis neighbours, par- more landthan heinherited, apledge kept French colonisers. p112 ). Thename waslater shortened bythe Dan-Homey, meaning ‘inDan’sbelly’(see dom of theDan,which becameknown as He thenconquered theneighbouring king- inAbomey.sion and,around 1625,settled tosucces- with hisbrother fortheright principalities. Oneof thechiefs quarrelled wassplitintonumerous known asBenin More than350years ago,thearea now HISTORY Parc RegionalduW. inthewildlifeably those parks, particularly not- duringtherainyseasons; impassable maybe Benin smaller roadsthroughout occasionally receive heavy rainfall,and vember andFebruary. No- coolest, driesttimetovisitisbetween of theyearisfromFebruary toApril.The December andMarch, andthehottest time winds billowoutof theSaharabetween ranging from18°Cto35°C.Harmattan southiscooler,with temperaturescoastal temperatures canreach 46°C,whilethe October.from Junetoearly Inthenorth to late October. Therainsinthenorthfall sons: Apriltomid-July,andmid-September there areIn southernBenin, tworainysea- CLIMATE &WHENTOGO Each kingpledgedEach to leave hissuccessor Parts of region thenorthernAtakora LONELY INDEX PLANET MUCH? HOW Yam chips Souvenir T-shirt Bottle ofLaBéninoise 1L ofbottledwater 1L ofpetrol National parkentry Zemi-john Appliqué hat Mashed yam Traveller’s fetish CFA100 CFA100 CFA300-600 CFA1500 CFA200 CFA2000 CFA3000 CFA500 www.lonelyplanet.com CFA10000 CFA250 Benin www.lonelyplanet.com onised thekingdom ofonised Dahomey, making it Dahomey wasdubbedthe Slave Coast. ing voodoo withthem.As aresult southern inparticular Haiti),and theCaribbean, tak- shipped totheAmericas (primarilyBrazil an average of 10,000slaves peryearwere for slaves andland.Formore thanacentury, guns thatletthem pillage theirneighbours ing slaves totraders, whothengave themthe but pronounced it thesame. spelled thetown’snamefourdifferent ways inOuidah, fortscanstillbeseen lish, whose French,The Portuguese, Dutch andEng- atPortoNovomost notably andOuidah. tradingpostsalongthecoast, established Nadoba Tindangou LOMÉ BENIN TOGO Boukoumbé Kémérida Ὀ ὈὈὈ Early inthe19th century, the FrenchEarly col- The DahomeyanKingsgrew rich bysell- Kétao Atakpamé Tanguiéta Tohoun Kara FASO BURKINA Porga Condji Hila- Possotomè (589m) Kovangou Mt Kossou- Lokossa de laPendjari Parc National Natitingou Grand Ouidah Popo Tanougou Falls Abomey Bassila Papatia Djougou G ulfoinea Bopa Savalou Ahémè Lake Abomey- Zoumé Pendjari Calavi Dassa Atakora Mountains Bohicon Ganvié Oué mé River R Savé iver Cotonou Pobé Ndali NOVO PORTO 0 0 Banikoara Sampéto Regional Parakou du W Parc Kandi Badagary Kraké Malanville Nikki Karimama Lagos Alfa Kouara

Ségbana Niger NIGER NIGERIA Gaya

60 miles

Ibadan 100 km Ri

Oyo ver the memoriesof mostBeninese. 13 November 1975,adate stilletched into HeBenin. informedhispeoplebyradioon changed thecountry’sflag andrenamed it thebreakphasise fromthepast,Kérékou Soviet UnionandNorth Korea. Toem- country withsuperpowers like the China, ideologyandaligned the Marxist-Leninist took asharpturntotheleftasheembraced of dictatorship. Thecountrythen military in acoupthatinitiated almosttwodecades ant ColonelMathieu power Kérékou seized In 1972agroupof officers ledbyLieuten- Revolution inDahomey. didthesame the military in neighbouring Togohadstaged acoup, howeasilysomedisgruntledsoldiers seen Three years after independence,having politicalsituation. root of unstable ahighly homewithoutwork,theywereBack the porting theirDahomeyanpopulations. other formerFrench coloniesstartedde- try’s first president. Almostimmediately, 1960, HubertMaga waselected thecoun- When Dahomeybecameindependentin Folklore Independence &Le Quarter’. it ‘theWestAfricanLatin lectual nature ledtheFrench tonickname French WestAfrica. Thecountry’sintel- were employedasgovernment in advisers made ineducation,andmanyDahomeyans ing the70-yearcolonialperiod,progress was part of French WestAfrica(see p103 ). Dur- workers andstudents went onstrike. in one year alone. Thenin thelate 1980s, in thesouth. There were sixattempted coups born northerner, andtheYoruba population thepresident,sions between aNatitingou- Europe,andthereto Eastern were ethnic ten- soon tired of livinginWestAfrica’s answer remainedsalaries unpaidformonths. People shambles: inflation andunemploymentrose, rhetorical thanreal. Theeconomyfell intoa therevolutionHowever, wasalwaysmore union, andamore spiritinthearmy. militant lective acentraltrade farms,stateenterprises, required toteach alongwithcol- Marxism, in jest constitution: whattheDahomeyanscalled changes of government andfive changes of fourmoresaw coups,ninemore military The government theschools established it During thenextdecade,Dahomey le folklore . BENIN •• History BENIN ••History

91 BENIN BENIN under formerdissidentNicéphore Soglo. head of thearmy,andformedanewcabinet engineered acoup,relegating Kérékouto The488delegates abuses. then human rights rupting thecountry,andforcorruption casion toblamethegovernment forbank- theoc- new constitution.Dissidentsused andheldaconferenceMarxism todrafta French financialsupport,Kérékouditched yourselves,’ whenhewasswornin. hesaid ‘If youwanttochange thefuture, change fromdepressedsuffering cottonprices. corruption andreviveto fight aneconomy around theslogan of ‘change’, hepledged bédji inarun-off. Inhiscampaign, based beatAdrienHoung- Bank Development Boni. Theformerheadof theWestAfrican to continueunderthenewpresident, Yayi the Ecowasmembers; atrend thatisset stable, andresponsible, democraciesamong hasbecomeone of themost and Benin had replaced dial, Chinaetalonhisspeed 33 years atthetop.TheUSAandFrance tions inMarch 2006,bringing anendtohis finishedwiththepresidentialin office elec- andfinalfive-yearKérékou’s second term Benin Today incumbent president. fraud, leadingtoalandslidevictory forthe withdrew fromtherace,allegingelectoral opposition candidate AdrienHoungbédji faced each otheragain.Sogloandfellow presidential elections,KérékouandSoglo implemented byhisrival. economicmeasuresdesperately needed in March hestucktothe 1996,although Liadi. Kérékouwasvoted backintopower to Soglofamilymembers such ashisson autocracy andnepotism.Topjobswent of theCFA –cameunderfire, asdidhis measures –followingthe1994devalu ation power. hisaustere However, economic held inMarch 1991andSoglo sweptto The first free multipartyelectionswere Elections 1990s:Multiparty The 92 has a strongculture of discussion and de- by the French forits intellectualism, Benin Quarter’ Nicknamed ‘theWestAfrican Latin National Psyche The CULTURE THE In December1989,asaconditionof Five years later, intheMarch 2001 BENIN••TheCulture external sources such as tourism oryoung in the south, butmuch of it comes from 50% of thepopulationis aged 14orunder. 5.9 children each on average and almost people livingwith thevirus.Womenhave an AIDSrate of about2%andsome70,000 barter and sale. subsequent the transportof producetomarket andthe local fooddistribution system, including agriculture.through Womencontrolthe by familiesanddivorceisrare. Marriagescated Beninese. are stillarranged ing increasingly rare amongurbanandedu- poly thepractice isbecom- gamy, although site ) are patrilinealandmanystillobserve duction continuetodrive progress. Cotonou’s portandincreased cotton pro- hamper economicgrowth,theexpansion of fuelcosts depends onforfuel.Whilehigh to thepoliticalturmoilinNigeria, which it growth. Thecountryalsoremains vulner able byrapidpopulation management, isoffset and economic politicalstability through exportsbyaboutUS$170 million. exceed more than75%of Imports exportearnings. and cocoabeans,withcottonaccountingfor main exportsare cotton,palmoil,crudeoil are theprincipalfoodcrops.Thecountry’s 38% of GDP. Yams, maize,cassava andcorn on subsistence farming,which accountsfor economyisprimarilydependant Benin’s Daily Life below). in theMuslimnorthof thecountry(see roles insocietyandtheworkforce–even theydohaveinequality. However, vital patriarchal societyandtheytolerate some presence onthestreets butthisisafirmly bours, TogoandNigeria. racy andare waryof theirtroubledneigh- democ- borne alottoachieve theirstable influential force. home-grown religion of voodooisthemost totheirmanyfollowers,portant butthe in abookoroneof thecountry’spapers. peopleengrossed bate. It’snotunusualtosee There of isevidence wealth,particularly Average life isaround53,with expectancy Most familiessupportthemselves ethnicgroups(see Most of Benin’s oppo- economicgrowth,achievedBenin’s womenmaybeaformidable Beninese feel theyhave Politically, theBeninese andIslamare im- Catholicism highly www.lonelyplanet.com comprise 8%ofcomprise thepopulationandlive in towards southernBenin. earlier slave raidstheyhave remained aloof tred of and atNikki,andbecause distance wascen- most famouskingdominBenin andIfethe Bussa areas of Nigeria. Their According tolegend, theymigrated from lation, live mostlyintheBorgou region. 12%ofand comprise thepopulation. zonesofsouthern andmideastern Benin also migrated fromNigeria, occupy the kingdom inAlladasouthernBenin. Nigeria a inthe13thcenturyandestablished population,migrated fromsouthwesternnese Fula. and Betamaribé tion: Fon,Yoruba,Bariba, five of themaccountfor50%of thepopula- narrow borders, although within Benin’s There isanarrayof different ethnicgroups Population ascooterand, inmanycases, tositon. over foodtolive theirheads,enough on cantypicallyexpectaroof men inBenin menworkinginEurope. Young Beninese www.lonelyplanet.com The Betamaribé (often calledtheSomba) The Betamaribé whomakeThe Bariba, up9%of thepopu- The Yoruba(calledNagotlocally),who 40%ofThe Fon,whocomprise theBeni- was formally recognised as a religion by thegovernment in February 1996. government wasinstalledhere in 1989,traditionalreligious hasbeen permitted. practice Vodoo government outlaweditasbeing inimicaltoarational andsocialistwork ethic. Sinceademocratic –suchasaparrot’stail,cobra’s headand,often,concoction perfume. pharmacies. The buyerhasaprescription ofthe items the required thepriestneedstomake and selfishends. spirits isessentialfor protection and prosperity,andsomespiritscanbe harnessedformalicious a gift or‘sacrifice’ofpalm wine, gin orgoats. orfoodsuch aseggs,chickens The grace ofthe them. This communication isachieved throughspiritpossession andritualthatoften involves consulted spirits andseekintercession fortheirpowertocommunicate with withparticular suited Hollywoodtoputasinister spinonthis vodun andmixed Kingdom withCatholicism.and Eweslaves Itwasoriginally fromtheDahomey called Voo, or Voodoo, GRIGRI CHARMS &JUJU MEN of thespiritualworldinhabited by aperson’sancestors. Traditionalpriests,or Mawu, andahostoflesserspiritsthat are ethnicallyspecifictotheirfollowers andtothepart ofit. only oneaspect life. Itdoeshave a darkside–it’shardtomissthevoodoodollsriddledwithnailsbutthisis Benin’s own government hasbeenasdamaging tovoodooasHollywood. Kérékou’sMarxist A fetish orpotionimbued withthespirits’power. isanobject Fetish are markets voodoo like The conformstothegeneralpattern practice ofWestAfrican religions, withasupreme god, ofeveryday voodoois,formillionsofBeninese andTogolese,askullduggery-freeIn fact, part inBeninandTogo–awordthatmeans ‘thehidden’ormystery’. ithas Unfortunately, vodou, gotitscurrent namein HaitiandCuba, where thereligion arrived withFon .

beliefs, such asanimismandvoodoo. 20% isMuslim,and50%retains traditional Some 30%of thepopulationisChristian, RELIGION traditional culture intact. they have managed tokeep much of their relative frommoderninfluences, seclusion Havingtains. lived forhundreds of years in moun- the northwest,aroundAtakora voodoo. Dahomeyans byfusingtheircreed with Christian missionariesalsowonover itback.Brazilian descendantsbrought Dahomeyan slaves tookitandtheirAfro- intheAmericas,whereCatholicism the their religion. Thepracticemixed with 6%ofprise thepopulation. Peul) live primarily inthenorthandcom- houses aroundNatitingou. houses by thefetish shrinesoutsidethe under thenameof fetishism, asevidenced have intermarried. ious groupslive inrelative harmonyand the southernandnorthernregions, thevar- Most peoplepracticevoodoo,whatever The nomadicFula(alsocalledFulanior The northernpeoplespracticevoodoo Despite theunderlyingtensions between BENIN •• Religion BENIN ••Religion juju men,are tata somba 93

BENIN BENIN include GnonnesPedro, NelOlivierand below artists ). Other wellknownBeninese mostfamousrecording artist(see is Benin’s Angélique Kidjo,amajor international star, Music state-run channel. and Golfe TV. Television Nationaleisthe channels such asLC2 the commercialTV Africa. aims topromote filmsmadeinsub-Saharan nual festival, which alsotours thecountry, timeasthevoodoofestival.same Thean- valouidah.org) takes placeinOuidahatthe filmfestivalThe Quintessence (www.festi Cinema &TV cloth figures. hunting scenesanddeitiesusingcut-out particularly inAbomey, depictinganimals, present are glories.Banners stillbeingmade, appliqué banners thatdepicted past and torians of theera,creating richly coloured image of therulers. Theybecamethehis- that evoked heroismandenhancedthe sculptors were calledupontocreate works and butundertheFonkings,artisans pose, Dahomey. attention tothelegendary kingdomof internationaltraditional arthasbrought hasarich culturalheritage, andits Benin &Craftwork Art ARTS 94 Expect badly dubbed Brazilian soaps on badlydubbedBraziliansoaps Expect aspiritualpur- Traditionally, artserved BENIN••Arts singers andmusicians. Check outwww.angeliquekidjo.com. she andher bassisthusband spentseveral months travelling aroundBenin recording traditional for losing touchwithher‘African-ness’. Sheanswered thiscriticism with1995’s ituality toeveryday life. believes musiccan’texistwithout spiritualityandregards voodoo asbringing energy andspir- hasalsoheldontothevoodoo beliefs Shelanguage –Kidjo shefirst developed inOuidah. such assalsa,calypso andmambo. record, singing whichseesKidjo infourlanguageson tracksthatdabbleinCaribbean rhythms albums explores thelinksbetweenAfrica and LatinAmerica,culminatingin remainsancestry, Kidjo influencedbythetown’s Afro-Brazilian heritage. Herrecent trilogyof true, boundary-bustingsenseofthephrase. isaworldmusicianinthe and ‘WestAfrica’s finestsinger’,butthetruthisthatAngéliqueKidjo worldwidehaveThe proclaimedher‘theAfrican posters funkdiva’ forhermanyperformances KIDJO ANGÉLIQUE Now aspecial representative forUnesco andresident hasbeencriticised in NewYork,Kidjo Most famousforthe 1994hit‘Agolo’ –fromthealbum andEnglish in1960toachoreographer andamusicianwith Portuguese Born inOuidah ticularly Abomey andCotonou. perdue themethodspreadHowever, westand Dahomey asasocialistnationin1975.) great kingdom’s namewhenherelaunched (President Kérékouadopted theonce- Cityinpresent-day Nigeria.from Benin bronzescomes to make thefamous Benin The Sculpture a rchitecture. are remarkable examplesof traditional tata somba Heritage Site. restored anddesignated aUnescoWorld Thepalacehasbeen ples andchiefs’ houses. that were todecorate thepalace,tem- used areThese polychrome bas-reliefs inclay Musée Historiqued’Abomey inAbomey. Don’t missthebas-reliefs onthewallsof the Architecture tre Poly-RythmoandDiscAfrique. Yelouassi Adolphe,andthebandsOrches- libations fortheprotection of thehome. (aFongod)andreceiveresent Legba daily power. Mouldedfigures of unfired clayrep- padlocks andbones,toimbuethem with with avarietyof materials, such asbottles, Some voodoowoodfigures are combined of avillage spirits. todiscourage malevolent trunk of atree andplacedattheentrance Figures called NokouéstiltvillagesThe Lake andthe cire perdue figures can be bought in Benin, par- figures inBenin, canbebought Ayé, houses aroundNatitingou houses whichmeans‘life’ intheFon (lostwax)methodused bochio are carved fromthe are carved www.lonelyplanet.com Oyaya!, Fifa, forwhich herlatest cire Grand Marché du Dantokpa. tels, nightlife and shops, and thesprawling positives of – the country’sbest ho- course quiet. eerily when the streets seem air withfumesthat onlybrieflyclearatnight, likeboulevards kamikazepilots,fillingthe small remaining wildlife populations. agriculture, whilepoaching isthreatening the continuetoseverely marginal affect droughts major problems.Inthenorth, environmental cat andantelope. herds of speciesof elephants andseveral in Parc RegionalduW( p120 ), including in Parc NationaldelaPendjari ( p118 ) and mountains. the farnorthwest,Atakora Inland are forested adensely plateau and,in being erodedbythestrongoceancurrents. metres inlandallalongthecoast,which is ers. As aresult, there are lagoonsafew kilo- flowof riv- several that blockstheseaward bar north. Mostof plainisasand thecoastal the south,wideningtoabout300kmin is700kmlongand120kmacrossin Benin ENVIRONMENT NigeriaSandwiched between andTogo, www.lonelyplanet.com speed freak.speed The like beinglocked incar withachain-smoking butname,is ineverything capital Benin’s fiddle toPortoNovoplays second butis Spending adayin Cotonou, which officially pop 761,900 COTONOU cous, rice, chips are agreat snack. inarestaurant. asitdoes Yamroadside stall eaten fresh, tastes asgoodinthehumblest food.Mashedstaple yam,which mustbe best inWestAfrica. grubisunquestionablyamongthe Beninese FOOD &DRINK sodabe wine, themillet-based brew able drop.Theadventurous couldtrypalm onoffer. sauce tarian such as Dourade. There isnormallyavege- withchicken(groundnut) sauce andfish, Benin’s most populous city does have mostpopulous citydoes its Benin’s Deforestation and desertification areDeforestation anddesertification the Significant vestiges of wildlife are found The Beninese alsoeata lot of cous- The Beninese The local beer, La Béninoise, isapass- Béninoise, La The localbeer, (moonshine). pimane zemi-johns (pepper)and Igname swarmdownthe (yam)isthe tchapallo, arachide or

Dahomey. formation of the French protectorate of Franco-Dahomeyan campaignsandthe homeyan kingBéhanzin,leadingtothe but thiswaschallenged in1892bytheDa- In 1868thecitywascededtoFrench, meyan kingdom’sroleintheslave trade. death’ inFon–areference totheDaho- ou’s dalliancewithsocialism. minder of formerPresident Mathieu Kérék- 03 84)Adjoining theUSembassy. Sonaec Nôtre-Dame Librairie Bookshops INFORMATION The 1:15000 Maps known astheJonquetstrip. Rue desCheminotsinthecentre isalso connectswithAveand eventually Clozel. overPont), theothermainroad,passes it St Michel (which becomesAve duNouveau Pont) isfurthertothenorth;wideBlvd bridge, PontMartin LutherKing(Nouveau toPortoNovo Thenew highway andLagos. turnsintothe cien andtheroadeventually thoroughfares, youpassover thePontAn- east alongAve Clozel,oneof thetwomain Clozel andBlvdSteinmetz. Goingnorth- The heartof town istheintersection of Ave ORIENTATION se p98 ). (see films (see p101 courses ) andrunsTai arts Chiandmartial 33; Ave Paul Jean II; Centre Culturel Chinois Culturel Centre American Culturel Centre Centres Cultural Togo (CFA7500). TakesAfrica. VisaandhasmapsofCotonou(CFA7500) and andsomephotographybooksonWest latest periodicals bookshop withthe Smart 12.30pm &3.30-7pmMon-Fri) (CFA4255) andBenin(CFA7560). National delaPendjari (CFA5500) andmapsofCotonou guidetoParcon Benin(inFrench), includingapractical ofbooks to thecathedral,withanexcellentselection h kets, isavailable at bookshops. the city’shotels, cinemas,banksandmar- graphique NationaldeBénin),which lists Cotonou means‘mouthof theriver of Place del’EtoileRouge isanimposingre- 9am-12.30pm & 4-7pmTue-Sat, 4-7pm Mon) Next 9am-12.30pm &4-7pmTue-Sat, 4-7pmMon)Next ( % 21 312242;Ave Clozel; Cotonou h COTONOU ••Orientation 9am-12pm & 3.30-6.30pm)Shows ( % ( % map(InstitutGéo- ( 21 314094;Ave Clozel; % 21 3174; fax213148 21 300312;fax h 8.30am-

95 BENIN BENIN Centre Culturel Français Culturel Centre 96 Cyberpôle Cyber des Arts LeTerangaCyber Café the mostInternet cafés. Blvd Steinmetz and theJonquetstriphave Access Internet cinema andbar. exciting centre hasagallery,outdoortheatre, library, h www.ambafrance-bj.org/ccf; 11 51;Routedel’Aéroport; place witha café. International School. l’Artisinal; perhrCFA500;l’Artisinal; hr CFA1000; CFA300; Cotonou Airport 4 1 3 2 COTONOU

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Cathedral 17 de 70 Cotonou 21 313228;Ave Paul Jean II) ὆὆὆ ὆὆὆ ὆὆὆ 21 3100;Rue637)Just south 0.5miles 0 0 ( Ancien Pont % ὄὄ Cemetery Nokoué 21 316636;BlvdSteinmetz); Lake 56 36 Stadium To PortoNovo F (30km); Lagos 60 ( % (120km) Aledjo (3km) 21 31 To Hôtel 1 km 4 1 3 2 30-day visas. Ave JanPaul II; trips toGanvié. trips a widerangeofinformationandtours,includingpirogue 21 315499;Ave Proche)Oneofthebestagencies. Offers 8am-11.30pm Sat) should definitely set alarm bellsringing. should definitely set someone offers totake youtothebeach, that league fromtheaid agency theyworkfor. If aWestern col- or theywantyou tomeet in abandandthey wanttogive youaCD, theyareaccomplices waiting. Theymaysay area whereto asecluded they have agangof they have allsortsof storiestolure tourists andmanner, Plausible inbothappearance Scams times, andplainsuicidalduringrush hour. johns Taxis are thanwalkingor safer atnight stick tothoroughfares thecity. throughout port area fromlate afternoon onwards,and quet andGanhiebusinessdistricts andthe Grand Marché duDantokpa. Avoid theJon- the localsavoid. Watch yourwallet in the away fromthebeach, alawlesszonethateven ists willbefineiftheyfollowafew rules.Stay at knife-point are notuncommon,buttour- Cotonou isadangerous citywhere muggings DANGERS &ANNOYANCES EmigrationImmigration Direction Extenions Visa deTourisme Africaine Agence Agencies Travel etdel’Hôtellerie duTourisme Direction Information Tourist telephone callsandsendfaxes. overseas midnight Mon-Sat,9am-1pmSun) Youcanmake building Telecom (OPT) Telephone postoffice Main Post tokpa endless The seemingly duDantokpa Grand Marché SIGHTS de l’ÊtoileRougeandoflimiteduse. Inconveniently locatedoutofthecentre, behindPharmacie Placedel’ÊtoileRouge) 68 24;[email protected]; COTONOU ••Dangers&Annoyances isCotonou’s exhilarating, exhausting – which are hair-raising atthebestof h (offAve Clozel; 8am-11am, 3-6.30pm Mon-Fri) Issues 8am-11am, 3-6.30pmMon-Fri) (Ave Clozel; Grand Marché du Dan- Grand Marché h ( % 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, h ( 21 315414;fax % 7.30am- 21 314213; ( % zemi- 21 32

97 BENIN BENIN Chinois named after theirfavourite make of car. matriarchshaughty of themarket whoare the Look outfortheso-called ‘Mama Benz’, near thepiroguesarrivingfrom lagoon. building. There isalsoa canbefoundinthemarketFon jewellery, More traditionalfare, such asbatiksand Lucky DubeCDorapairof plasticsandals. happenstobeadodgy larly if‘everything’ initslabyrinthinelanes,particu- purchased Michel. Everything underthesuncanbe heart, bordered bythelagoonandBlvdSt 98 ( For Fon-language call classes, COURSES Tai Chi and martial arts courses arts Tai Chiand martial Centre Culturel Français( p95 ). There are 5pm-6.30pm Wed &Sat) PaulJean II; courseCFA20000; % (OPT)Building...... Telecom Star Navigation...... Sonaec...... Benin...... lesCocotiers...... Polyclinique Point Afrique...... Pharmacie Jonquet...... Pharmacie CampGhezo...... Nigerien Embassy...... Nigerian Embassy...... Marche StMichel...... Main PostOffice...... Librairie Nôtre-Dame...... Ghanaian Embassy...... German Embassy...... French Embassy...... French Consulate...... Financial Bank...... English InternationalSchool...... (see7) Ecobank (MainOffice)...... Ecobank...... Immigration...... Direction Emigration l'Hôtellerie...... Direction duTourismeetde Cyberpôle...... (see 19) Cyber desArts...... (see63) Cyber CaféLeTeranga...... Commissariat Central...... Centre CulturelFrançais...... (see14) Centre CulturelChinois...... Centre CulturelAmerican...... Officer...... (see7) British CommunityLiason Bank ofAfrica...... American Embassy...... Agence AfricainedeTourisme..... Societe GeneraledeBanquesau INFORMATION COTONOU ••Courses 21 300856) . , also contactable viathe, alsocontactable at the Centre Culturelat the Centre h fetish market 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 7pm-8.30pm Tue &Sat, B2 B2 B2 B2 B4 A4 B2 C4 B3 B4 E3 B3 E4 A4 C4 C4 B3 B2 E3 C3 D4 C2 A4 D3 D4 B4 A3 C4 A1 ( % Street Food...... (see52) Sandwich Ladies...... Restaurant Romantica...... Restaurant Mandarine...... (see65) Restaurant l'Amitié...... Pili Pili...... Omelette Stall...... (see38) Maquis leMandingue...... Maquis LeLagon...... L'Oriental...... Le Sorrento...... (see63) Le PetitFour...... Le CostaRica...... (see63) La Verdure...... La Ponte...... La Gerbed'Or...... Indiana...... Hai King...... Faim Gourmet...... Chez MamaBenin...... Chez Clarisse...... Cafeterias...... (see 40) Cafeterias...... (see 33) American 24...... Pension desFamilles...... Novotel Orisha...... Hôtel leCrillon...... Hôtel duPort...... Hôtel duLac...... Hôtel delaPlage...... Hôtel Concorde...... Hôtel BeninVickinfel...... (see38) Hôtel Babo...... Benin MarinaHotel...... Alex's Hotel...... Grand MarchéduDantokpa...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES EATING 21 3174; Ave Vinawamon , located

s/d CFA5500/6500) air-con CFA6500/12,500; s with fan/air-con CFA6000/10,000; budget hotels, butitisoften booked out. the friendlierandcleanerof thecentral the now-defunctCinéVog,this is oneof Htl Concorde Hôtel Budget SLEEPING fan/air-con fromCFA7000/15,000; main road. on the fan. The main drawbackis it’sright rooms with friendly pension has14spartan than thenearby Pension del’Amitié, this roaches unfortunately. Breakfast isCFA700. downtothecock- – right boarding house BlvdSteinmetzoff have thefeel of a1950s cheapand darklandings, these central digs Hôtel leCrillon Hôtel Hôtel Babo Hôtel Pension desFamilles 869 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 2D3 B3 F3 A1 D3 B2 B2 A4 B4 B4 D3 C4 B2 B1 B4 C2 C4 F4 B3 B2 B2 B2 A3 C2 C2 A1 A4 A2 E3

( % ( Bothcleanerand cheaper STC Station...... (see3) PetrolStation...... (see19) Sonacop Nigeria Airways...... Ghana Airways...... Gare Missébo(forAbomey)...... (fortheWest)...... Gare Jonquet Gare Guinkomé(fortheNorth).. Novo)...... Gare duDantokpa(forPorto East)...... Gare del'AncienPont(forthe Confort LinesStop...... (see19) &Ouidah)...... Abomey-Calavi,GrandPopo Bush-Taxi Stop(forAbomey, Air Togo...... Air Ivoire...... Air Gabon...... Air France...... Marche Ganhi...... Hôtel duPortboutique...... (see37) l'Artisanal...... Centre dePromotion Paradise...... (see 57) New York,York...... (see63) Le Téké...... (see32) Le RepairedeBacchus...... Cristal Palace...... (see31) Ciné leBenin...... Ciné Concorde...... Le Soweto...... Le Livingstone...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING %

( % 21 31 46 07;Rue Agbeto Amadoré; 21 315570;BlvdSteinmetz;rwith a 21 315158;Rue105;swithfan/

( ) % Withsparse rooms www.lonelyplanet.com a 21 314201;Ave Proche; a ) This tenement This - ) Justsouthof 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 A4 B1 B1 A4 B2 D3 B2 B1 B2 B1 B2 B2 E3 E4 D3 F3 B2 A4 Meals are available for CFA3000. tre, therooms are though alittlepokey. able andprofessional hotels inthecitycen- 33-room hotel isone of themostcomfort- Don’t befooled by thegrimexterior. This ais nightclub, Cristal Palace. Cristal nightclub, the roof andanexcellentkaraoke barand scented rooms.There are cityviewsfrom r CFA35,500-56,500, steCFA100,500; ing thebeach. there isabarandfast-food jointoverlook- the restaurant (mealsCFA800 toCFA4500), Inadditionto pool andlaundryservice. throwback, withbreezy rooms,swimming opposite theNigerien embassy,isacolonial pasi CFA38,500/43,500, bungalows/dCFA46,500/53,500; s/dfrom BlvddelaMarina; [email protected]; as s/d fromCFA22,500/25,000, 35,000/40,500; s/dapartment CFA4000) ridors, acosyrestaurant (mealsCFA3500 to with mildlyeroticartdecorating thecor- ing four-star of Aledjo, 3km east thecentre. be going into thecity very often, trythe age- you’re looking forabeach hotel andwon’t though. midrange hotel. It’sinabadarea of town Hôtel duPort Hôtel Midrange Meals are CFA500 toCFA1500. airy, nottomentionhaving great views. astheyarethe toplevel more spaciousand budget travellers only.Requestaroomon ing onfive floors of balconiesisforhardcore like placeof paintandlaundryhang- peeling www.lonelyplanet.com ( intnet.bj; offBlvdSteinmetz; rfromCFA25,000; have occurred onthebridge atnight. across thelagoontoport.Robberies Ask for a sea view. The Lebanese restaurant Ask view.TheLebanese forasea andtelephones. ceptionally clean,withTVs Ancien. Roomsare sunny,spaciousand ex- unrivalled locationattheeastendof Pont CFA41,500; CFA6500) bungalows, restaurant (mealsCFA3800 to overlooking thepopular pool,spacious meals CFA2500 toCFA4800) hasviews Hôtel Aledjo Hôtel Hôtel BeninVickinfel Hôtel Alex’s Hotel Hôtel duLac Hôtel Hôtel delaPlage Hôtel ) Theantiquated Hôtel delaPlage, a ) Excellent midrange Excellent choice inan

and barmake thisCotonou’s best with a colonial feel, and sweetly with acolonialfeel, and sweetly

) Cotonou’sHotel California, ( ) %

Thecarpeted roomsand,

( ( ( % % % 21 314444;fax4326;hotel-

( % 21 331919;rCFA35,000-40,000; 21 312508;Rue108;rfrom 21 330561; fax21331574;

21 31 34 67; Blvd de la Marina; 21 313467;BlvddelaMarina; ( % 21 313814;vkfhotel@ pas a ) If )

some nights, aharmonicaplayer.some nights, but tranquilplacewithagarden and,on chide yassa 355,500; CFA120,500/133,500, bungalowCFA154,500, steCFA245,500- rwithcity/oceanview 30 1155;BlvddelaMarina; meals CFA2500-3800; meals CFA4000-7000) places intownforaspotof fishandrice. lunchtime jointisoneof thebest Senegalese About 100msouthwestof Hôtel this Babo, for CFA5500 toCFA10,000. Meals onFridaynight. buffet are available Nokoué(6pmto8pm)andpoolside Bar the Novotel Orisha. Dailyhappyhourin somepeopleprefermodation, although offers Cotonou’smostluxurious accom- den of aplace, the monstrousex-Sheraton of the season, in of theseason, and other meals areand othermeals available (CFA9500; open11amto4pm)bythepool Sundaybrunch Serves and goodservice. this Accorhotel delivers rooms comfortable pressive driveway asthegrandiose implies, meals CFA500-3000) CFA110,000; s/dCFA70,500,.bj; BlvddelaMarina; trCFA80,500, ste Rsarn l’Amitié Restaurant African EATING Orisha Novotel Top End (meals CFA4500 toCFA5000). goodbutexpensive food restaurant serves tennis courts,asmallpoolandbowls.The There are 55 lavish roomsin11bungalows; low atmosphere and agreat location next going from 8pm. ambience, behindHôtel del’Union, gets upmarketslightly restaurant withagreat Proche; mealsCFA3800-6000) big sportsmatches. showing pensive air-con withaTV section from steaming pots. Upstairs isamore ex- ofselection WestAfricandishesscooped behindCinéleBénin, hasalargetaurant, CFA11,500). Chez Maman Bénin Chez Maman Maquis leMandingue Maquis Restaurant Romantica Restaurant Pili Benin Marina Hotel Benin Marina sauces, are sauces, available inthis popular (lemon, onion and mustard) and (lemon, onionandmustard) pais

( pais %

21 31 29 32; Rue du Révérend Père Kitti; 21 312932;RueduRévérend Père Kitti; ( % Alimited menubut amel- This long-standing res- Thislong-standing h

21 304177;novotel.orisha@intnet gombo (Rue 118;menudujourCFA1000) 12.30-5pm &7.30-11pm) )

Aregular pleasure gar- COTONOU ••Eating (

Dishessuch asfish

) ( ( Whilenotasim- % ( % % 21 323338;Rue201A; (green vegetable), 21 300100;fax 97 061566; Rue1885; 21 313761;offAve

(CFA3500 to This ara- 99

BENIN BENIN 4000; complex. dishes. It’satthebackof theHalle des Arts andotherMediterraneanpizza, pasta decent ian restaurant inCotonou,serving CFA2500-4500) Carrefour deCadjéhoun. a covered terrace overlooking thebustling and food,hassnappyservice, sic Chinese the airport,thispopularplaceoffers clas- cious steaks garden. andfishinapleasant deli- the Novotel Orisha,thisplaceserves meals CFA4500-5000) table. restaurant, which alsohasabar withapool Steinmetz, isthisgreat littleFrench seafood La Verdure European Hai King Asian inviewofto Hôtel the duLac, 100 Le Petit Four &Patisseries Cafés Mandarine Restaurant Lebanese of oneof Cotonou’squieter thoroughfares. andget afront-rowview eat ontheboulevard grilled chicken andchips and thelike. You 5000) l’Aéroport; mealsfromCFA1500)l’Aéroport; skewer). brochette des escargots readers. Ifyouare feeling ambitioustrythe with next totheUSembassy,rates highly CFA1500-3500) beers at night. andcoffee, and tioned caféfor croissants edge of town. to theAirFrance office onthesouthwestern coffee inthe morning,kebabs later on.Next CFA1500-10,000) adeliciouscurry. Livingstone, does street onthesame asLe garden seating, meals CFA1500) 10pm, until 11pm Fri & Sat) 10pm, until 11pmFri hurling themselves over PontAncien. Maquis LeLagon Maquis Indiana Chez Clarisse Faim Gourmet Le Sorrento COTONOU ••Drinking ThisIndian-runrestaurant with h

( 10am-2.30pm &6-11.30pm) %

(

% ThisistheonlyauthenticItal-

ThissmallFrench restaurant, ( 21 306008;RoutedeLomé;mealsCFA3500- ( Tasty butstingyportionsof % % Tucked away,justwestof Blvd

( 21 300320;HaieVive;mealsCFA3500-

% (

21 3175;offAve Clozel;meals 21 312011; BlvdSteinmetz; % Right acrosstheroadfrom Right ( %

21 31 57 79; Blvd St Michel; mains 21 315779;BlvdStMichel; ( 21 306014;CampGuézo;meals % 21 30 98 62; Blvd de la Marina; 21 309862;BlvddelaMarina;

( Aclassy, air-condi- 21 315553;BlvdSteinmetz; % (snailscooked ona Turkishcakes and 21 301457;Routede Not farfrom zemi-johns h 7am- bars andrestaurants. area withmany of by night, the city’sbest Familles are dotted withcaféterias. streets aroundHôtel andPension Babo des posite Hôtel leCrillonisgood.Theside for aroundCFA400. op- Theall-daystall where, offering anentire breakfast here late, coffee andtea containers, are every- covered Theirtables, night. inhotchoco- the shop aroundduskandworkthrough more. andloads hotpeppersauce with sausages, They allowyoutocreate yourownrolls streeton thesame asParadise nightclub. Clozel; & 3.30-8pm) cheese andwine.cheese andpastries,yogurt,icecream,croissants L Livingstone Le DRINKING Ponte number of good supermarkets, including In thecentre, aroundMarché Ganhi, are a Self-Catering ites, asare the on BlvdSteinmetz are perennial favour- infrontof Grill The stalls Maquis Lagon Le smoking grillspiledwithmeatonsticks. from late afternoon onwards–lookforthe Cotonou, foraroundCFA400 toCFA500, Superb brochettes canbefoundallover Quick Eats h Vive; mealsCFA3500-4500; de l’Artisanal; mealsCFA2400-4500)de l’Artisanal; h ing backontheterrace. Hearty foodtoo. trol of thehi-fi –andanexpatcrowdkick- rock-loving Englishowner’s wrested con- –atleastwhenthe riffs assuring guitar as and wicked bar-hoppers andbars, such dishesaresteak andseafood alsopopular. centre spot tosinkadraftbeer. Itspizza, French-owned jointisthe coolestcity- formidable Gauls, Asterix andObelix–this off bythepaintings attheentranceof those Haie Vive, neartheairport, isagood,safe There are up alsoomelette menwhoset La Gerbe d’Or La Gerbe Le CostaRica The Jonquetstrip isbristlingwithwild 10am-5am) 6am-10pm) Le Soweto h

( % 24hr) , and 21 316945;offAve Clozel; . . The bestshopforfresh bread,

( ( %

% American 24 American (

% sandwich ladies 97 441749; RuedesCheminots; 21 302758;[email protected];Haie ( % 30 2009;Centre dePromotion h 21 314258;Ave Clozel; www.lonelyplanet.com 11am-late)

Don’tbescared ( % h

21 315257;Ave (off Ave Clozel) Expect re- Expect 8.30am-1pm La

to 4am Fri &Sat) to 4amFri Proche; Ave @yahoo.fr; you’ll encounter thissideof Lomé. by someof thefriendliestyoungladies techno. 50; Blvd St Michel; 50; BlvdStMichel; a crowd; otherwise it’susuallyprettya crowd;otherwise dead. days andspecialoccasions,anytime there’s road behind themarket youcan pickup than GrandMarché de Dantokpa. On the appliqué banners. bronzes, batiks, leathergoods, jewelleryand woodcarvings, bearings. Theboutiques sell but it’swortha look toget yourcultural hands thanquality workinthislarge centre, h CFA4500) MustandL’AncienPattaya.Le a cover Soweto,Playboy, 2001,Le –tryLe often thenight, erally openthrough without The decadentbars onJonquetstripare gen- Nightclubs ( Good cinemasare Cinemas ENTERTAINMENT www.lonelyplanet.com dePromotion del’Artisinal Centre SHOPPING deBacchus Le Repaire Music Live h CFA3000) for Benin Marina Hotelguests) for BeninMarina niks inberets. C’estcool. is thehideoutof choice forCotonou’sbeat- sounds onFridayandSaturday,this place and musicsuch asrumbaandCôte d’Ivoire With live jazzonThursday from10.30pm, list of atCFA2000. which start cocktails, it’sshorter thanthe food menu,although Hotel’s karaoke Marina barandisa lotof fun.Benin Culturel ChinoisonSaturdaysat8pm. andattheCentre ing programmedetails, issues monthlypamphletswithupcom- Culturelfilms attheCentre Français,which Tickets are aroundCFA500. Youcanalso see show Western andAfricanfilmsinFrench. % Paradise Cristal Palace Cristal Marché Ganhi Marché New York,York 11pm-dawn Tue-Sun) 9am-7pm) 21 333972) Aglitzyhallof mirrors, frequented CFA5000 whisky,sleazyexpats,and Le Téké

( There are more beckoning % Thisfunkyjazzbaralsohasa , eastof the newbridge. Both

h ( 97 446644;offAve Clozel;admission is smaller and less intense issmaller andlessintense % ( % from 7pm) h 21 30 01 00; Blvd de la Marina; free 21 300100;BlvddelaMarina; 21 312508;admissionCFA3500; , atAlex’sHotel, hasa

Ciné leBénin ( % 11am-midnight, to2amThu,

(Halle des Arts; admission (Halle desArts; is alsofunonholi- 21 317581;lerepairedeb and

Ciné Concorde (Blvd St Michel; (Blvd StMichel;

( % 21 3212

sébo (CFA2000, twohours) leave from hour). three hours) andOuidah(CFA600, one ern destinationssuch asLomé(CFA3000, west- blocks westof BlvdSteinmetz, services to take you to the right one.to take youtotheright ora It’seasiesttoaskataxi taxis. andbush buses of forminibuses, stations Cotonou hasaratherconfusingnumber &Bus Bush Taxi, Minibus phone booths andapharmacy. ily equippedwithaninformationcentre, fringe of town.Theairportisrudimentar- The international airportisonthewestern Air THERE&AWAY GETTING bags, snakeskin wallets, the entrancetodeparture lounge. for anencounter withthegrislyofficials at agoodplacetofortifyyourself a café-bar: ets. Forfliers, there isaduty-free shopand process. Departure isincludedintick- tax checking inisapredictably long-winded to Cotonou see to Cotonousee p124 . mation on buses within Benin, see see within Benin, mation onbuses p125 . in both directions at7.30am. Formore infor- Cotonou andParakou between buses leave of StMichel onBlvdStMichel. Église stopabout 100msouthwest official bush-taxi and Ouidahit’sfar better towaitattheun- Abomey-Calavi (forGanvié), GrandPopo (CFA3000, three hours). eastern destinationssuch asLagos services bus leaves fromthe Cotonou andNatitingou. Thenorth-bound minutes) leave from République) h Legba, Cotonou) end hotels. not asbadtheboutiquesattwotop- de l’AncienPont ing Parakou (CFA6500, hours). eight tothenortherncentres includ- services du Port boutique du Port hand drum)andCDsof Africanmusic. Gare Jonquet Gare If flyingoutof Cotonou,arrive early,as For more informationonairlinesflying Confort Lines runs daily buses between between Confort Linesruns dailybuses forPortoNovoBush taxis (CFA500, 45 In addition to the Centre, trythe In additiontotheCentre, 10am-noon &3-7pm) (Ave vanVollenhoven) Gare Guinkomey Gare at thenewbridge;toAbomey those COTONOU •• Entertainment COTONOU ••Entertainment at 7am. Benin Routes’ daily at7am. Benin

(Rue desCheminots)

(cnr Ave Clozel&RuedesLibanais) ( % , which isexpensive but 21 31 44 44; Blvd de la Marina; 21 314444;BlvddelaMarina; . However, forAbomey,. However, Gare duDantokpa Gare Sonacop station

(Rue desDakoDonou) tam tam tam , acoupleof zemi-john Gare Mis-

(small (Carrefour (Ave dela Hôtel Hôtel Gare 101 has

BENIN BENIN buses to/from Cotonou, see to/fromCotonou,see buses p125 . and Niamey.Formore oninternational Cotonou lines thatplytheroute between Friday atmidday.STN isamongthecoach de Ouidah,onMonday,Wednesdayand Rue inCotonou,justoff from thestation Abidjan viaAccra. West-bound leave buses GANVIÉ AROUND COTONOU good placetopickuptaxis. on thedashboard. Gare duDantokpaisa on.Tariffsearly evening are often written CFA2000 perhour;rates increase from fairly longtrips).Taxis can behired for CFA150 forashared ride(double thatfor travel onCotonou’scrowdedroads. thisis adangerous though wayto distance, for CFA100 toCFA300 dependingonthe A Taxi ers willdemanddoublethisamount port costsaroundCFA2000, driv- although A privatefromthecitycentre taxi totheair- To/From theAirport AROUND GETTING p126 for more of details trainservices. blocks southwestof BlvdSteinmetz. See one blocknorthof Ave Clozelandseveral isintheheartofThe trainstation town Train 102 custom from venturing intothe water. hunters, who were banned by areligious the 17th century fromthe Dahomeyslave- pecially if youhave a knowledgeable guide. tour of itswaterways isstillworthwhile, es- town hasbecome atouristmagnetbut on woodenstilts 2m above water The level. shops, auberges are thepostoffice andeven restaurants, Nokoué. Allthehouses, Lake kilometresboo hutsonstilts several outon vié, where 27,000Tofinu peoplelive inbam- The mainattractionnearCotonouisGan- the day,bywalkingorcatching a have much tocarryandyouarrive during the airport.Youcancutcosts,ifyoudon’t from theairport. STC Cotonouand between runsbuses Fares are inregular andminibuses taxis The Tofinu fledtothis swampy region in zemi-john AROUNDCOTONOU ••Ganvié willwhizyouaroundtown zemi-john from

01; Popo, itisbrimming withintriguing cul- beach action inthe resort town of Grand region coastal offer sometop Benin’s does touts, life tolookup. Notonly soonstarts and Ganvié’s Cotonou’s traffic Leaving THE SOUTH takes about2½hours. the village with stop-offs. Thewhole trip locals orothertourists, includeacircuitof Prices, which canbecutbytravelling with five tonine;CFA2550/3050 for10ormore. for twotofourpeople;CFA3050/4050 for are CFA6050/7050; CFA4050/5050 each one person inaregular/motorised pirogue moorings. Atthe Calavi is800mdownhillfromthepirogue withAbomey.to beconfused Abomey-Calavi (CFA300, 35minutes), not p101 ) oraConfortLinesbus(see p101 StMichel (see Église du Misséboornear ) to atGareFrom Cotonoucatch abushtaxi &Away There Getting Meals available forCFA1000 toCFA3000. ChezMGanvié Carrefour Hôtel Sleeping &Eating them inexchange fora taken, children willbegyoutophotograph women, objecttohaving theirpictures is weaker. ing orlate intheafternoon, whenthesun quieter stiltvillages are earlyinthemorn- congregate there tofeed. thefish the branches begintodecompose, muddy lagoonbottom.Whentheleaves on which theydobyplantingbranches onthe They live almostexclusively fromfishing, are available forCFA2500 to CFA3000. free transportbacktoAbomey-Calavi. Meals munal showers andflushtoilets.Guestsget rooms withbalconies,mosquitonets,com- the village nexttothecraftboutiquehas11 being close tothejettyinAbomey-Calavi.being close havedoesn’t much goingforitotherthan thisgrubbyplacecalled Hôtel duLac, CFA5000) The embarkationpointinAbomey- While manypeople,especiallythe Ganviéandtheother, The besttimestosee Chez M h 9am-6pm) Thisquainthotel inthemiddleof

( % 21 360344;rCFA5000) , return fares toGanviéfor official counter www.lonelyplanet.com cadeau ( % (present).

21 490017;r Formerly ( % 95 0527 matically around birth, life with and death, able guides. The topfloor isorganised thecountry’s best,thanksto theknowledge- ace of isoneof Kétou,themuseum the doors fromthepal- the imposing carved peoples. theYoruba andCreoleoperation between inPlaceJeanstatue celebratingco- Bayal examines Afro-Brazilian culture, andthe intheMuséedaSilva,which can beseen the freed slaves’ return from theAmericas here inthe16thcentury.Localresults of aslave-tradingwhen theyestablished post namedthecityafter Porto The Portuguese Wars of thatbeganhere Resistance in1890. French, followed the colonisation whose assuch bythe sinceitwasused capital Cotonou. is amore rewarding than placetostay andcolonialarchitecture,ings, museums home of functionaries,ministerial build- ministrative centre. Therefined, hillycity, Nigerian ad- border,PortoNovo isBenin’s 30km eastof Cotonouand15kmfromthe Nestling ontheshores of Nokoué, Lake pop 234,168 NOVO PORTO can bespotted allover theregion. Evidence of voodoo,which originated here, their fearsome allies,theDahomeyanKings. accrued bytheEuropeanslave traders and Abomey theremains contain of theriches andrestaurants. and with museums Ouidah Africa’s mostlaid-back city,packed capital ture andhistory.PortoNovo could beWest www.lonelyplanet.com graphic museum an This colonialbuildinghouses MUSÉE ÉTHNOGRAPHIQUE DEPORTONOVO Sights &Activities Nationale. There westof isahospital theAssemblée Information in thecitycentre. found onlineatwww.porto-novo.org. informationaboutthecitycanbeBasic market andwebaccess (perhourCFA400). a popularcommunitycentre, hasasuper- holidays, closed 1 May 1 &1Jan) holidays, closed1May CFA1000; Porto Novo has been Benin’s official Porto Novo Benin’s hasbeen Centre Songhai Centre There are three banksandapostoffice h 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, from9amSat,Sun& 8am-6pm Mon-Fri,

( % ( % 20 212554;Ave 6;admission 20 225092;RoutedePobè) . Announcedby ethno- , h 71; [email protected];Ave Liotard;admissionCFA1000; pottery in Benin, and pottery inBenin, and white tie-dyed cloth,some of thebest with fetishes, grigricharms, unique blue HeldBenin. fourth day,it’sstocked every to Nigeria, isone of themost colourfulin 10km northof PortoNovo onabackroad e h T GRAND MARCHÉ D’ADJARA many buildingsof thatperiod. it aflamboyantexampleof southernBenin’s crumbling façadepainted inpastels makes church, builtinthelate 19thcentury,its ket isa The multicoloured buildingnearthe mar- MOSQUE owned privately This MUSÉE DASILVA this Roi Toffa, Formerly knownasthePalais Royaldu MUSÉE HONMÉ masks, somedatingback200years. Yorubas’ inventive ceremonial Gelede Downstairs isanimpressive displayof the drums. fromcostumestocarved everything day – ortake a leave PortoNovo musical instruments. Shared toAdjara taxis kingdom die. dynasties hadadisagreement and letthe to the25thkingin1976,whenfive in sub-SaharanAfrica,runningfrom1688 Porto Novo wasoneof thelongest lasting with theFrench in1863.Thekingdomof of whosignedthefirst KingToffa, treaty will likely askfora guide, François,speakssomeEnglishand suchpurposes asinitiationandsuicide. The withbarehouse, chambers forregal used complex hasthefeel of aRomanbath hotrod. ing aRollsRoyceandHarley Davidson jazz icons,andendsinagarage contain- photocopied portraitsof worldleaders and back to1870,veers into aroomfilledwith tour of dating anAfro-Brazilian house ItbeginswithaAfrican establishment. & Sun) Toffa; admissionCFA1000; Although lastremodelledAlthough in1890,the 9am-5.30pm) market is housed inthewalledcompound ishoused mosque inthesmalltown of Adjara, isawonderfullyeccentric THE SOUTH •• Porto Novo THE SOUTH••Porto . OriginallyaBrazilian-style zemi-john. museum gare routière cadeau h tam tams tam museum 9am-6pm, until5pmSat

( % . 20 213566;Rue

on market andother ( % 20 2150

103 BENIN BENIN r CFA6500; Hôtel La Détente LaDétente Hôtel Tours to oblige are Hilaire andhiscompany vié. Amongtheguidesandhotels offering Aguégué isalesstouristyoptionthanGan- The 12kmpiroguetriptothestilt village of PIROGUE RIDES 104 Hôtel La Détente Hôtel BUDGET Sleeping Silva ( p103 ) formore information. version theMusée da of Contact Carnival. city’s Afro-Brazilian heritage withitsown In mid-January Porto Novo celebrates the Festivals &Events per person. with reasonable atCFA6000 pricesstarting Pro Novo Porto Hotel (2km) To Queen's (12km) To Aguégué Casa Danza...... Musée Honmé...... Novo...... Musée ÉthnographiquedePorto Musée daSilva...... Mosque...... Iroko Tours...... (see13) Post Office...... International BankofBenin...... Hospital...... Financial Bank...... Bank ofAfrica...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION 1 2 PORTO NOVO THE SOUTH •• Porto Novo THESOUTH••Porto 11

( % p 97 445387)

L agon Rue A ) A popular budget option, this

l'Inspec

( ( %

% Blvd Lagunaire Blvd tion , also contactable through through , alsocontactable 20 214469;offBlvdLagunaire) 20 21 44 69;offBlvd Lagunaire; 3 17 Songhai (1km)

13 Blvd Extérieur 10 Assemblée Nationale To Centre 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B2 B2 C2 B2 C2 B2 B1 A2 B1 B2 Ave William Ponty 8 Street Food...... Restaurant Akango...... Maquis KatchiAmbiance...... Le JPN...... La PenichePatisserie...... Java...... (see 10) Esperance...... (see 25) Chez Mahi...... Cafeteria PlaceCatchi...... (see18) Cafeteria LaPirogue...... (see14) Buvette EscaleduPont...... Musée daSilva...... (see7) Hôtel LaDétente...... Hôtel Dona...... Hôtel Beaurivage...... EATING 19 10 24 BC Cathedral 20

25 Rue du To Cotonou(30km); Pont 16 18

Train Station 5

1 15 Lagos (90km) 7 d'Ouando Route (Defunct) Rue Etienne Ave 6 Iroko

Place Jean Bayal 14 Ave Ballot (Rue de l`Hôpital) de (Rue Ballot Ave Carrefour Catchi 2 Ὀ ,

4 Rue Toffa Rue 12 9 Catchi, has 70 basic but clean rooms. has 70basic butclean Catchi, at the tworoundabouts north of Carrefour nity centre, reached on byheading straight r CFA4000-12000; than those inthe towerblock. than those Porto Novo are abetter, ifkitschier, option south of theMuséeÉthnographiquede at thebackof thisrestaurant one block r CFA5500-12,500; (thatch-roofed) restaurant. down butithasagreat lagoon-side centrally located hotel’s roomsare run- overlook abusystreet andcanbenoisy. the insideof thecomplex,asoutside ones some of thebathrooms.Ask foraroomon hasfourlarge,seum airyroomswithbaths in [email protected]; Ave Liotard;rCFA8500; Tower Water Ave Doumergou Kokoyé Place

Musée daSilva Musée Casa Danza Casa Centre Songhai Centre Rue Obalédé Rue 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 22 21 B2 B2 B1 B2 B1 B2 B2 B2 C1 A2 Rue Adjara-Docadji Ὀ Grand Marché 23

Rond- ( Ataké Point pai 6 % Gare Routière...... Quartz Club...... (see12) Cinema...... (see7) Outdoor NightClub...... (see11) Casa Danza...... (see10) Mess-Mixte...... Festival Plus...... Street Food...... Street Food...... Feelings TRANSPORT ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING a

20 214812;PlaceduGouvernement; ( ) ( % Theground-floor rooms % To Adjara (10km) 20 215071;fax 2699; 20 225092; RoutedePobè; ) Thislively commu- www.lonelyplanet.com 0.3miles 500m 0 0 a D ) Themu- paillote 25 24 23 22 21 B2 B2 C1 C2 C2

CFA1800) with tworestaurants and anightclub. inthisshockinglypinkbuilding Beaurivage Rooms have hotwater andare like at those r CFA15,500-25,500; Blvd Extérieur; s/d/trCFA16,500/18,500/21,500;Blvd Extérieur; fast, lunch andtheoddstream of ants. Assemblée Nationale,thisplaceoffers break- coffee andomelettes inthe morning. and well-organised spot thatchurns out rooms andanexcellentrestaurant. town hassomeof PortoNovo’s smartest pa [email protected]; offRoutedeLouho;rCFA9000-12000; menu dujourCFA3500) cheap drinks and Beninese tucker.cheap drinksandBeninese include mutton, just southof meals PlaceKokoyé;hearty Java Promo RESTAURANTS Eating Beaurivage Hôtel MIDRANGE www.lonelyplanet.com Cafeteria PlaceCatchi Cafeteria QUICK EATS Chez Mahi CAFÉS meals CFA1500-3000) ture, site2; and chips withacarafe of wine. haunt forayummysteak or CFA4500). three midrange hotels (mealsCFA2500 to Danza (CFA1000 toCFA3500) andthe sine andCFA500 carafes of wine. two restaurants offers mouth-watering cui- wonderful terrace barandrestaurant. with thetown’sbestlagoonviewsanda CFA350-500) ministerial building. onaquietsidestreettaurant opposite a au vin closed Sun) meals CFA2000-3000) Buvette Escale duPont Buvette Queen’s Hotel Centre Songhai Centre Maquis Katchi Ambiance Katchi Maquis Restaurant Akango Restaurant Alternatively trytherestaurants atCasa Hôtel Dona Hôtel Le JPN ) are theorderof thedayinthisres- Set in a leafy parksouthwest of inaleafy the Set Thislow-key hotel 2kmwestof

h Localsswearby thisrestaurant, ( Features many local specialities. %

(Ave 6;mealsCFA300-600; ( 10am-9pm Tue-Thu, meals to11pmFri-Sun; % 20 213866;JardindesPlantesetdelaNa-

( % a 20 2154;PlaceduGouvernement;

Get downtothispopular Get Lavish dishessuch as Lavish (

% Theposherof thecentre’s igname ( 20 223052;www.hoteldona.com; ( % ) % Tired butspaciousrooms

(Carrefour Catchi)

01 1601,902760;queenhot 20 212399;BlvdLagunaire; 20 225092;RoutedePobè; ( % andsauce.

20 694259,931558; (Carrefour Catchi;meals (Gare Routière) (Gare dourade h Apopular lunch only, pa (fish) Has Has coq )

r estaurant. paillote, Sat &holidays) is another patisserie, is anotherpatisserie, andyogurt.There croissant passable Sells Gare Routière) Gare Extérieur; admission CFA3000;Extérieur; most popularclubis music anddancingfrom7pm.The town’s withlivethe placetobeonSundaynights, Abomey from PortoNovo isCFA1900. (CFA2700). 45 minutes) fromthe CFA300/500,Cotonou (minibus/bush taxi leavePlenty of andbushtaxis minibuses for &Away There Getting Danza Casa Entertainment holes. JPN areand Le alsopopularwatering Danza, JavaThe restaurants Casa Promo Drinking La Peniche Pâtisserie SELF-CATERING ing should cost nomore than CFA5000 for Novo. Afull town tour withthe driver wait- johns, If Cotonou hasn’tscared you off Around Getting in a pleasantly ramshacklecourtyard in apleasantly Songhai. Songhai. Serves brochettes during theweek. Serves watch theworldrolldownboulevard. Silva sporadicallyshowsFrench films. for early-morningtaxis. cale duPontisalittlefly-blown buthandy marked omelette jointnexttoBuvette Es- Ataké. found aroundthemarket andRond-Point yam chips ormashedyam.More are stalls with fishsauce school, astreet serves stall graphique dePortoNovo andopposite the Quartz Club Quartz north of There Hotel Beaurivage. isalso Mess-Mixte Mess-Mixte The Cafeteria LaPirogue Cafeteria There are alsofrequent toLagos taxis Festival Plus Just northeastof theMuséeÉthno- they are the best way to see Porto theyare the best waytosee outdoor cinema thislively baralsohasasmall

( , andasupermarket atCentre % atHôtel Dona. (Blvd Extérieur; admission CFA3000;(Blvd Extérieur; THE SOUTH •• Porto Novo THE SOUTH••Porto (Blvd Lagunaire)

20 214812;PlaceduGouvernement) ( %

20 223979;RueObalédé) ( %

Feelings NightClub (Gare Routière) (Gare h 20 224659;Carrefour Catchi) (CFA500) Esperance Amellowplaceto gare routière Wed &Fri-Sun) atMuséeda Thisun- (west endof , 500m zemi- h

. To

Set (Blvd and 105 Fri, Fri, is

BENIN BENIN admission CFA1000; town. side of RueFColombaniinthecentre of are available on the south inthepostoffice MUSÉE D’HISTOIRED’OUIDAH Sights &Activities h ( Slow Internet accesscanbefoundat Information (www.festival-ouidah.org) win’s evocative Africa leftOuidahfortheAmericas. 1800 to1900,whenslaves fromacrossWest only portinthecountry.Itsheydaywasfrom was builtatCotonouin1908,Ouidahhadthe historyof slave-trading.Benin’s Untilawharf foranyoneinterestedmust-see invoodooor relaxed, relatively prosperoustownanda Some 42kmwestof CotonouisOuidah,a pop 87,200 OUIDAH each other. facilities are withinhalfanhour’swalkof the day. Alternatively allthemajor sites and 106 This January (see opposite ). There isa nual VoodooFestival iscelebrated here in andthean- weekend duringthedryseason with fishermenandasmallstiltvillage. ney there fromtowntakes youpastalagoon left from,iswellworthwhile. The4km jour- war-mongering Kingsof Dahomey. relationshipBrazil andsubsequent withthe trader FranciscodaSilva’sarrivalfrom which tells thestoryof theill-fated slave- and afestival honouring twinsinOctober. brought backto Africa.brought ian architecture that therepatriated slaves on Brazilian culture, andtraces of Brazil- showing the influenceof Dahomeyanslaves be shown voodooartefacts, skulls, photos You’ll Brazil andtheCaribbean. Benin, slave tradeand theresulting linksbetween the country,with exhibitsfocusingonthe built in1721.Perhaps in thebestmuseum fort aPortuguese SãoJoão Batista, taleza blocks eastof themarket, inFor- ishoused % There are nobanksinOuidah.Postcards Good preliminary reading isBruceChat- There are voodoo ceremonies every A visittothebeach, where theslaves once 7am-midnight). THESOUTH••Ouidah 21 341476;RueOlivierdeMontaguerre; perhrCFA400; museum

( % h 21 341021;RuevanVollenhoven; The Viceroy of Ouidah, here time, at thesame 9am-noon &3-6pm) film festival Socofas , two Ouidah

Repentance and theTreeRepentance of Forgetfulness. and monuments such asthe Monument of trackareships. Lining thesandy fetishes the slaves tooktothecoast toboardthe d’Histoire d’Ouidah. This is theroute theMusée road tothebeach, near starts The 4km ROUTE DESESCLAVES 23 (64km) To Togo 4 1 3 2 5 OUIDAH Militaire Carrefour Camp Stadium Benin

Rue Marius

Moutel

TRANSPORT DRINKING EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Shared-Taxi Stop(toGrandPopo&Togo)... Bush Taxi&Zemi-johnStop...... Maquis Benin...... Liberty's...... Le Karakoo...... Le Belier...... Evivi...... Buvette RelaisDuSportif...... Buvette LaMarmiteD'Or...... Eureka Café...... Oriki MaquisHôtel...... Oasis Hôtel...... Hôtel Gbena...... Temple desSerpents...... Sacred Forest...... Museé d'Histoired'Ouidah...... Casa doBrazil...... Basilica...... Socofas...... Post Office...... Hospital...... aeRuir...... B5 Gare Routière...... B5 Cafeteria leKilombo...... Brasilien AubergedelaDiaspora (4km); Rue Olivier de Montaguere de Olivier Rue Point ofNoReturn(4km);LeJardin

11 9 18

Le RetourdelaDiaspora(1km); Rue de Palmistes de Rue 20 A Route desEsclaves Route To DoorofReturn(1km);

Ave de France Casa DelPapa(11km)

Rue F Colombani 19 14 3 5

Rue d'Orgre 16 2 Mosque 1 0.3miles 500m 0 0 Retrouvailles (1km); 21 www.lonelyplanet.com To EdelweissLes Hôtel DK(2km) 8 4 Rue van Vollenhoven , nowthemain Ὀ 15 10 ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ

Route 17 22 B 13

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 23 22 21 des Esc Togo de Route Marché Grand Kpassé (2km); 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Kpassé (2km) To Cotonou To Cotonou To Garede A3 B5 A5 B5 A4 B5 A5 B5 A4 B5 B5 B5 A5 B5 A4 A5 B5 A3 B5 A3 A5

laves Marché de 7 (41km) 6 (41km) 12 mission CFA1000, photosCFA5000; 6pm) find a asks for a pythons, drapes one round your neck, and ers 40sleepy you into aroomcontaining ceremonies associated withthetemple, ush- The guide explainssome of thebeliefsand more of atouristtrapthansacred site. which houses a which houses ing themillenniumandDoorof Return, Americas. into darkholdsforthejourneyto the ‘slavers’, where theywoulddescend slaves climbinginto lighters togoout slaves inchains, tothewater. Imaginethe grand arch, withitsbas-relief depicting departed slaves.those this Walkthrough beach, the were leaving. once stoodhere, toforget thelandthey Slaves were forcedtocirclethetree that www.lonelyplanet.com The voodoo TEMPLE DESSERPENTS museum MaisonSometimes calledLa deBresil, this CASA DOBRAZIL CFA1000; 1960s. family untilthey were ousted intheearly and waslater occupiedbyaPortuguese former residence of theBraziliangovernor isthe itself in Africansociety.Thehouse French, have aparticularfocusonwomen displays, withexplanationsinEnglish and spora. Thesculptures andphotographic If youdon’twanttowalk,can always A short walk east areA shortwalkeast amonumentmark- There isapoignantmemorialonthe ever, while this is certainly eye-opening, those expecting tosee thoseexpecting eye-opening, ever, whilethisiscertainly spirits, andare ofgin. bymuchsinging, marked How- dancing,beatingofdrumsanddrinking place onthebeachnearPointofNoReturnmonumentatendRoute des Esclaves. toreclaimbelievers have andrejoice toOuidah flocked intheirfaith.The mainfestivities take voodoo, are thebest. placeallover thehistoriccentreary. Whilecelebrationstake of thecountry,thoseinOuidah, celebrationistheannual Benin’s mostvibrantandcolourful Voodoo Festival heldon10Janu- THE VOODOOFESTIVAL will besadlydisappointed. gives of anoverview theAfricanDia- The celebrationsbegin when thesupreme voodoopriestslaughters agoattohonourthe Since 1997,oneyearafter thegovernment officially decreed voodooareligion, thousandsof zemi-john h ( % 9am-6pm) cadeau Point ofNoReturn 21 341863;admissionCFA1000; python temple museum forunderCFA1000. . .

( % h

21 337414;admission ( % , inhonourof 8am-7pm) 95 400890;ad- h is now 9am- Ouidah Plage;rCFA30,500-51,000;Ouidah rant (mealsCFA3000 toCFA9000) among thewindsweptpalms.The restau- categories of roomsinthe 34bungalows place isanexcellentchoice. There are three near thePointof NoReturn,thistranquil tion of fish. but hasabeautifulviewandgood selec- CFA4000 toCFA6000. Mealsunsafe at night. are available for the Doorof thatis NoReturnona road tion inthearea, itis7kmbeyond though and thelagoon.The plushestaccommoda- resort thebeach has57 bungalowsbetween Le Jardin Brasilien Auberge delaDiaspora Le JardinBrasilienAuberge Sleeping CFA6500/17,000). kayak tours of the lagoon(half-/full-day (per hourCFA3500), pirogues, and canoes, CFA3500), volleyballandtennis courts sort (see below ): swimmingpool(perhour thefacilitiesatthisre-Nonguests canuse CASA DELPAPA This SACRED FOREST are nothing special forthe price butthe central of the hotels intown. The 25rooms 34 1011/;rCFA7500-20000; hoven; rCFA9000-18000 animist deitiesandbeliefs. tures allsortsof that symbolise voodooand its roots.Theforest isdotted withsculp- touch thetree andleave anoffering among enemies.To makeinto whilefleeing awish, Ouidah, isreputed tohave turnedhimself rare iroko tree thatKingKpassé,founderof h Casa DelPapa Casa Oasis Hotel 8am-6pm Mon-Sun) park

( %

97 688922;admissionCFA1000 inclguide; ( %

( The NightoftheLivingDead % THE SOUTH •• Ouidah THE SOUTH••Ouidah /fax 2134 10 91;RuevanVollen- contains thehuge contains and 21 49 21 01; [email protected]; 21 4901;[email protected]; a pa ) Thebest andmost pa ) Onthebeach ) Thisbeach

is pricey

( % 107

21 BENIN BENIN selection ofselection dishessuch aspizza andquiche. (meals CFA1800 toCFA2500) asmall serves the waytobeach. Therooftop restaurant around theVillage ArtisinaldeOuidah on Esclaves; rCFA5000) for brochettes andother meat treats. the Fan Milkdepot,and toCarrefour Benin market omelette joints and forfishstands, 20,500, steCFA35,500) Musée d’Histoire or d’Ouidah, Moutel; rCFA4000-8000) du GénéralDodd;rwithfan/air-conCFA6500/15,500; and someroomsoverlook thenoisyroad. buttherates arewell maintained, expensive past itsprime. Thegloomybedroomsare the bypass2kmnorthof thetowncentre is inleafygroundswitha choice isset Christian missionaries,thisexcellentbudget tery andthememorialtoarrivalof d’Ouidah, neartheFrench ceme- military About 1kmeastof theMuséed’Histoire restaurant CFA2000 (meals toCFA3500) Meals forCFA2500 toCFA3000. and achildren’s playground. restaurant (mealsCFA2000) 108 notably notably The town centre ispeppered withsmall bars, Drinking (Rue vanVollenhoven;meals fromCFA400) de Kilombo For cheap eatstrytheopen-air Eating negotiation onprices. view. Thefriendlymanagement are opento dah’s bestandtherooftop barhasasuperb office; bunch of hotels and attached. is agoodrestaurant/bar CFA2500) (meals roomshaveThe comfortable fansandthere south of the crossroads onRoute deTogo. tion isthequiet,friendlyOriki,about1km Meals forCFA4000 toCFA8000. make itapossiblechoice forlarge groups. air.ghostly Its50air-conditioned rooms hotel near thebypasseastof townhasa and itsdysfunctionalswimmingpool, this r CFA14,000-16,000; Hôtel Gbena Hôtel Hôtel DK Hôtel delaDiaspora Le Retour Oriki Maquis Hôtel Maquis Oriki Edelweiss LesRetrouvailles THESOUTH••GrandPopo Liberty’s Liberty’s Evivi

( (meals fromCFA400) %

(Rue F Colombani) (Rue d’Orgre)

21 341197;RoutedeTogo;rCFA15,500- Thebestof anuninspiring a ( % Withitsdecayingfaçade Ouidah’s bestbudget op- ) Thismidrange hotel on

21 341215;RoutedeTogo; buvettes ( %

, one blocknortheast ( % 21 34 10 04; Rue Marius 21 341004;RueMarius , opposite the post , acrossfromthe

( 21 341047;Routedes % (bars) gathered

is oneof Oui- . Head tothe 21 341286;Rue Eureka Café Eureka Cafeteria paillote p )

tions 11am & 4-6pm Mon-Fri, 8-11amSat) 11am &4-6pmMon-Fri, www.villa-karo.org) & Sat)PAMFF Hotel’snightclub. Le Belier the first Saturdayof themonth. andafreeon Fridayevenings, concert on English, afree open-aircinemafrom 8pm library withbooksinFrench, Finnishand Auberge deGrand Popo Auberge Sleeping &Eating you tothe Local fishermencanbepersuaded totake PIROGUE TRIPS Finnish-African the villageOn themainroadthrough isthis KARO VILLA Sights &Activities poles identifyvoodoopractitioners. thewhite highway, flagsflyingfrom coastal doo culture. Inthesmallvillages liningthe are somefascinatinglandscapesand voo- you dotire of lounging bythepool,nearby charm. itssleepy If but thishasn’tlessened mosttourist-focused location, It’s Benin’s swimming islimited duetostrongcurrents. spend afew –although idledaysonthesand bestgetaway spotfortravellersis Benin’s to the TogoborderatHila-Condji,GrandPopo Some 82kmfromCotonouand20km GRAND POPO and Togo,waitatCarrefour Benin. the Sacred Forest. ForGrandPopo,Abomey Kpassé, atthemarket onRoute deTogo,near tions inthecentre of townandfromGare de (CFA600, onehour)leave fromthetwosta- toCotonou andoccasionalbuses Bush taxis &Away There Getting Le Karakoo approachingCarrefour Benin. in earshotofthelorries Benin Maquis spot towatchthe Located southofSocofasInternetcafé,thisisasociable D’Or LaMarmite Buvette (Rue FColombani) of OrikiMaquis Hôtel; markets, voodoo sites, andaturtlebeach. posite ), which runsexcursions tovillages, AwalePlagebe organised through (see op- tripscanalso River theocean.These meets % /fax 21 313862;www.hotels-benin. (off RueFColombani) (admissionCFA3000, free forwomen; Bouche duRoy (Route de Togo) Is an atmospheric place (RoutedeTogo)Isanatmospheric , overlooking and theBasilica; zemi-johns withasmall cultural centre

( % racingintotown. (RueOlivierdeMontaguerre) Buvette Relais du Sportif duSportif Relais Buvette , atthemarket. www.lonelyplanet.com 22 4300 47,central reserva- , where theMono . There’s alsoa gallery

( % com; camping 22 430358; ( h h 8am- Fri Fri r CFA10,500-25,000; ies inthemiddleof thevillage. best locationof thecluster of touristyeater- chettes bro- beachfront restaurant, which serves pool isCFA1000 fornon-guests. impressive The menuandwineselection. CFA3800rant (meals toCFA9000) hasan bungalows. Theattractive terrace restau- tiful colonialbuildingandquaintgarden the beach. Roomsare abeau- splitbetween recommendedand highly hotelon isright ‘Auberge de…’chain, thislong-standing 7000) eat (mealsCFA2500 toCFA4000). shower. andabite to Aquietspotforabeer time of writing –alongwithatoiletand hotel wasbuildingsixmore roomsatthe centre of thevillage, thisthree-roomed ment atthetimeof writing. newmanage- wasseeking Popo turn-off, bar, located attheGrand onthehighway pa personCFA1500,per tenthire CFA5000, rCFA13,000-23,000; www.lonelyplanet.com 40km southeast of are Lokossa, voodoo lages on the western shores of Ahémè, Lake Possotomè, Bopaandtheother fishingvil- LAKE AHÉMÈ &AROUND zemi-john the mainroadand are easilyaccessiblevia Condji. Thebeach and village are 3.5kmoff east of theTogobordercrossing atHila- 20km highway, tion onthemain coastal it dropyouoff at theGrandPopojunc- de Jonquet(CFA1300, twohours) andhave fromGareFrom Cotonou,take abushtaxi &Away There Getting CFA3000, bungalowsCFA14,500-28,500; .fr; RoutedeTogo;campingperpersonCFA1500, tenthire (meals CFA3500 toCFA5000) to AwaléPlage, withagardenrestaurant lent beach bar,therestaurant thumbs upbyLPreaders. There isanexcel- given hasbeen the GrandPopoturn-off, the lively resort, westof onthemainhighway ties, withpoolsidelive music. full-andnew-moonpar-throw fortnightly are dressed Staff as piratesboards. andthey to CFA5000) isgood,andyoucanhire boogie Awalé Plage Saveurs d’Afrique Saveurs Doue Plage Etoile deMer Oneof three basicauberges inthe ) , Themothership of thedependable fishandothertypicalfare, hasthe (CFA200).

(camping perpersonCFA1500, rCFA6000- ( %

a ( % /fax 22430117;awaleplage@yahoo )

Thischeap alternative 22 430483;RoutedeTogo; (meals CFA2500-3000) ( meals CFA2900 pa

and beach ) This This Wed) tree. Meals are CFA2500. as goodandithas amonkey chained toa lage itsbeach ClubAhémè, though isnot market, which takes five placeevery days. Ifyoustophere,highway. check outthe north andsouthalongtheAbomey-Comé easttoPossotomèandBopa, aswell taxis and Abomey, isaconvenient spottofind cheaper trip,byasking aroundthevillage. be organised atVillage ClubAhémèor,fora tral. The club on Saturday nights. club onSaturdaynights. American cuisineandturnsinto anight- meals CFA5000 toCFA6500. Breakfast isCFA1500,ern Benin. andother hotel organises excursions aroundsouth- as pickingupfromCotonouairport, the rooms are considerablysunnier. As well better days.Themore-expensive upstairs 20-room hotel onthewater’s edge hasseen r CFA5000-10,000; area. Possotomè hasthebestfacilitiesin Sleeping &Eating and thetiny upnearby, set bottling factorythathasbeen an anticlimactictricklebutyoucanvisitthe mineral water. Thespringsthemselves are springs, thecountry’sprimarysourceof a talisman. afetishto meet priest,whocanprepare you around onthebeach nearthe erally welcometoattend. InPossotomè,ask voodoo ceremonies, which touristsare gen- Thereshops andhouses. are alsoregular andyou’llspotfetishesstrongholds intheir sotomè (18km) andBopa (26km). Taxis and from where adirt roadheads east toPos- (20km) andComé(700m), north to Lokossa take theturn-off highway From the coastal &Away There Getting of thevillage. charming pa rCFA12,000-25,000;[email protected]; CFA1300 toCFA1500) Café BarLaSource Café Lokossa, midway between GrandPopo midwaybetween Lokossa, Village ClubAhémè Village Hôtel ChézTheo Hôtel Auberge Palais desJeunes Auberge Possotomè isfamousforits thermal THE SOUTH •• Lake Ahémè&Around THE SOUTH••Lake . Piroguetripstothefishingvillages can ) Newerandbetter valuethanVil- buvette paillote Centre deTissage Centre pa

( onthebeach inthecentre % bar-restaurant (meals

(meals CFA350) ) 22 430806;rCFA10000-18000; Good valueandcen-

( serves French and serves %

43 0029;village ( h ( % pa gare routière Scruffy but Scruffy 7am-6pm Mon- 95 961287; ) This 109

BENIN BENIN a thronemounted onhumanskulls. artefactswhere such contains as amuseum ruinsandtherestoredthese royal palace, attractions are the‘DahomeyTrail’tourof built bythekingsof Dahomey.Themain andthepalacestemples brick) houses Fri, to5pmSat&Sun). Fri, .net/abomey; admissionCFA2500; d’Abomey torique appliqué banners hanginginthe andwarisillustratedsacrifice by thebold ofand theirlitany slave-trading, human The kingsof Dahomeywere abloodylot, Sights 10; PlacedeGoho;perhrCFA1000r; the water towerasapointof reference. streets radiate fromthecentralmarket. Use There are few mainroadsinAbomey –dirt &Information Orientation winding lanesare dotted with in Foncountry,isaremarkable town.Its Abomey, 144kmnorthwestof Cotonou pop 114,600 ABOMEY generally sticktothemainroad. do occasionallytake thelake road, butthey Shared andComé Lokossa between taxis found atComéandLokossa zemi-johns 110 lustrate the goryhistory of were Dahomey, the palace intotheiradministrative centre. French whenthey turned gotthelast laugh inTogo–but the fromtheGermans bought theinvadersfighting usingtheirownguns– in thelate 19thcentury. Hisforceshadbeen theFrenchtorched theplacewhile fleeing king builtanewone.12 palaces,asevery court of 10,000people. There were originally wall enclosing44hectares10m-high anda in WestAfrica,witha4kmperimeter and a once oneof the most impressive structures two palaces–allthatremains of whatwas in ishoused four enemies.Themuseum throne, which ismounted ontheskullsof such asGhézo’s on displayinthemuseum, crushed inavice. enemy’s head,anothershowsahead being Glélé usingadismembered legtopound his There isawebcafé, The bas-reliefs on the exterior, which il- The finalkingof Dahomey,Béhanzin, istrueofThe same themanyexhibits THESOUTH••Abomey toPossotomèandBopacanbe

One of shows thetapestries ( % 21 500314;www.epa-prema Cyber Goho h h 8.30am-6pm Mon- gare routières 7pm-midnight) banco

( Musée His- % (mud 22 5008 . . CFA3000, rCFA7500-12,000; Lokossa; rCFA6500-25,500; of streets sandy 300m southwest of the This rundown hotel islost among amaze d’Abomey. Meals are CFA2500. and Motelback streets the hospital between foundby Best dotted withfunkysculptures andcanvases. This coolbudget ingardens choice isset European dishesandsnacks. serves restaurant (mealsCFA1200 toCFA3800) Thedecent in Abomey, installed. withTV 2km northof townare someof thebest bloc ambience,the50roomsinthis hotel Despite thedecrepit façadeandeastern are available forCFA2500. floors, screens. Meals bluewallsandinsect Thebreezy roomshave tiled wood carvings. thetreescan befoundbetween andthe monkeystoises, andmuralsof Amazons garden, where antelopes, crocodiles,tor- l’Hôpital; rCFA12,500-60,500; wards thebottomof themarket. Accommodation inAbomey isskewed to- Sleeping made especiallyforthekingsof Dahomey. using the pliqué banners andbronzefigurinesmade where desArtisans, Centre youcanbuyap- burial chambers. Thetourfinishesatthe the courtyards,ceremonial roomsand will take aboutanhourtoshowyouround sify thestructure asaWorldHeritage Site. a major factorinUnesco’sdecisiontoclas- hire carfirmonthepremises. terrace restaurant andstereo.with TV There isanattractive screen totheplushsuitewith fanandinsect hotel’s nineroomsrange frombasicrooms s/d CFA10,500-15,500, bungalowCFA20,500; available intherestaurant foodis furniture. EuropeanandBeninese andcomfortable are decked outwithTVs on theoutsidewithmuralsinlocalstyle, bungalows. Thethatched bungalows,painted best hotel inAbomey, with33roomsand19 to CFA4000), oneof Abomey’s best. Hôtel laLutta Hôtel Josée Marie Hôtel Motel d’Abomey Motel Chez Monique The admissionfee includesaguide,who Vulcan Hôtel Guedevy 1 Guedevy Hôtel

( % cire perdue 97 07 30 64; Quartier Adjahito; rCFA6000) Adjahito; 97 073064;Quartier

zemi-john, (

% ( (

% %

( (meals CFA2500), anda

% 22 500168;campingperperson ( % 22 500304;swithfanCFA6500, 42 1683;s/d CFA4000/4500) p a pa method:items once /fax 22500075;Routede www.lonelyplanet.com 22 500289;offRoutede ) ) Aregular pleasure Thisprofessional it’slocated inthe

(meals CFA2200 ) Thelargest and pa )

are available forCFA1200 toCFA2500. traordinary plumbing intherooms.Meals grinning inthe gloomy parlourandex- withvoodoodolls eccentric establishment, ing teenage it’sanendearingly daughter, Jean-Constant) andhisFrench-novel–read- (Adjolohoun Lutta’ legend Monsieur‘La con; rCFA5500) www.lonelyplanet.com de Bohicon; rCFA4500) market –take a plans to install air-conplans to install inthe rooms. rant (meals CFA1000 toCFA1800), and towards Bohicon. There isadecent restau- hotel, asyouhead signposted ontheright welcome visitors tothisrespectable budget 4 1 3 2 ABOMEY 14 Auberge MonRepos Auberge Campement Pussy Cat Campement To Lokossa (81km) 4 Préfecture Palais Akaba...... Palais Agonglo...... Musée Historiqued'Abomey...... Moat...... French MilitaryCemetery...... Fertility Fetish...... (see8) Centre AgongloTissageArtisinal..(see6) Béhanzin Statue...... Cyber Goho...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Police AC Staff bendover Staff backwards to 17 18 Turn off the road head- zemi-john Hospital 19 26 16

(

% Route

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22 501766;RoutedeBohi-

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29 Rue

28 du Palais 27 Abomey Royal and weren’t that impressed withourchicken best West Africancuisine around,butwe thenique’s restaurant reckon itserves CFA2000) La Source Eating room. dingy TV themselves are adequate despite thelarge, budgetfortable choice, where therooms the garage forthischaracterless butcom- Sourceand La ing toBohicon between ings of chicken andchips or couscous. heartyhelp- Source serves bars intown,La seasonings) in tomatosauce. seasonings) 15 9 A LaLune 12 pâté rouge As well asbeingoneof thesmarter 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8

C2 A2 D4 C4 D4 D4 D4 ( %

(meals CFA2500) 22 501996;Routede Bohicon;meals Zemi-johns...... Gare Routière...... Chez Yamadje...... Affama Modeste...... (see19) Prestige Nightclub...... (see18) Lem's Feelings...... Le Mato...... La Princesse...... Jubilee 2000Plus...... Confort Plus...... 5eme Dimension...... (see28) Zamatchi...... Yaourt Vigor...... Tropique...... Buvette AuVideo...... A LaLune...... (see14) Vulcan...... Hôtel MarieJosée...... Hôtel LaLutta...... Cafeteria LesDelicesdu A3 Motel d'Abomey...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING EATING (corn flourwith peppers and 0.3miles 500m 0 0 THE SOUTH••Abomey 8 Fans of Mo- Chez 10 6 Campement PussyCat(300m); 1 Auberge MonRepos(500m); 11 D To LaSource(300m); 2 Cotonou (135km); 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 Parakou (298km) Hospital (300m); Bohicon (9km); B4 B4 B4 B4 B2 A3 D4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 A3 A4 A4 25 111

3 BENIN BENIN include 112 Good bars include Drinking d’Abomey; Princesse Princesse de l’Hôpital) Vigor head forstreet alongwiththe stalls, bottom prices.The market istheplace to serving is more traditionalthan thenamesuggests, Tropique Good budget choices nearthe Artisinal andchiefs.inside listingthenamesandsymbols of thegreat kings At asasouvenir.tourist snappeditofftokeep Local womenwouldstraddlethelatter’s oversized erect penistoensure untilafemale fertility, Sémassou’s annunciation. his henchmen’s’disrespectful theoracleadvisedhimtobuildatemple action, toencourage sufferedin abush,Dahomey WhenGlélédiscovered 21daysofwar,plague,anddestruction. terrible After events Glélé’shenchmendisposedofthebaby’sbody wouldbefallthekingdom. rulers. WhenSémassouwasbornprematurely inthestreet, before hediedprophesisedthat known as‘thelastsixhours’,are inthe ‘meeting’ –buthissoldiersinstead fired onthem.The French casualties ofthebattle,whichis zin words beneath atree outsidethepalace. thusmixes The Dan’snamewiththe name ofthekingdom style,Dandidindeedwindupwithhisbellycutopen,buried his belly.InclassicDahomey warriors, canstillbeseen,alongwith son, whosenamecomesfromthewords leaving themfortheantstoeat.Zéwa wasthelasttodie. of atraitorousgroupGhézo’swives, whohehadexecuted bycovering inred palmoiland means ‘inside’. moat, 42kmaroundand60mdeep,gave Abomeyitsname– Benin CityinNigeriaandDogoncountryMali,isbestattempted by as history. This civilisation,whichwasasimportant half-daytouroftheremnants oftheDahomey Exploring Abomey’s THE ROUTEOFKINGS Cotonou andturnedintoafish.The oracleadvisedAgonglo tobuild midget Hwemu.Sayinghewasreturning intotheseaat tothevoodooworld,Hwemuwalked allies.Agonglo’s slave-trading Agonglo weavers byhisPortuguese alsohadanunusualson,the crumbling walls. Hôtel LaLutta foradriver –ifyou’re luckyyou’llgettheknowledgeableproprietor himself. THESOUTH••Abomey

The 18thcentury areAmong themanycuriositiesinthisquarter a The ruinsofthe At At Nearby isthe The palaceofGhézo, whohadover 200wives andestablished thearmyoffemale Amazon Begin thetouratremains ofthe There are some14sites tobeseen,allofwhichhave anairoffadedmajestyabouttheir (Route del’Hôpital) . Heagreed tosignatreaty here withColonelDoddsandtheFrench forces – . Place deGoho pâté Zamatchi ho Buvette Au Video Au Buvette , attached to Lem’s Feelings; to Lem’s , attached (Route del’Hôpital)

(belly)and Jubilee 2000Plus ( - andrice-based dishesatrock- h 8am-7pm) and Palais Akaba Palais Ghézo yogurtdepot. Dahomey Trail Dahomey , the story leaps ahead tothelate 19thcenturywiththe , thestoryleapsahead Palais Agonglo Cafeteria mey 5ème Dimension , youcanbuybagsandcostumesmade instylesoriginally taughtto , tothenorthwest, , opposite Motel . , atthe southeast

, whogoadedhisenemyDanbytelling himhewouldbuildin Les and gare routière

Delices Temple Sémassou could provide thebestinsightyou’llgetintoBenin’sgothic is the best kept ofAbomey’s 12palaces,withbas-reliefs isthebestkept Temple Zéwa Yaourt Yaourt (Route cemetery moat hwe

du La

(fish)and built in 1645 by the first king, Houégbadja. The builtin1645bythefirstking, nearby. Guedevy 1. Guedevy of Moteld’Abomey; gare routière; Prestige Entertainment end of PlacedeGoho; places intown. at Motel d’Abomey isoneof the fanciest drinks are CFA1000. Entry includes adrink, andfrom then on ofconditioned club,notfareast the market. more animated crowd isfoundat thisair- twin fetish . The temple wasbuilttoappeasethespirits Lem’s Feelings show thatlife wasjustastoughforearlier mu

Nightclub (raw). abo andalarge white and means‘moat’inFonand h

(admission CFA2500, free forguests (admission CFA2500; zemi-john Fri-Sun &holidays) Fri-Sun Centre Agonglo Tissage Le Mato Temple Hwemu Confort Plus Confort www.lonelyplanet.com statue ofBéhan-

, opposite Hôtel (CFA2500) fertility fetish goho Thisclub , nearthe forhis means . Ask at h mey Fri) A . looking anostrich farm. rant (meals CFA3800 toCFA4000) over- The camping pitches andexcellent restau- point The best hotel intown,opposite the 1st/2nd class. from CotonouandcostsCFA1400/1100 for to Bohicon (see p126 ). It takes fourhours hours) at7amdaily. hours) andNatitingou(CFA6500, five Bohicon fromCotonou(CFA1500, three du Palais Royal Abomey). a connectionatBohicon (9kmeastof (CFA2000, three hours), sometimeswith Plenty of departfromCotonou bush taxis &Away There Getting fama Modeste studio of thetalented pop-artsculptor kings. NexttotheVulcanauberge isthe toembroiderfortheDahomeyan that used Agonglo, try Musée Historiqued’Abomey andPalais to buycraftwork.As at wellasthestalls Abomey isoneof thebestplacesinBenin Shopping www.lonelyplanet.com cheap liningthe main road. foodstalls ofand aBank Africaintown,and plentyof the rocks. leads tothethirteen shrineshidden among thecave,to appeared. Behind ashortwalk is where theVirgin Mary tohave issaid grims payavisitto streets.sleepy Every pil- August,Catholic formations overshadowing thetown’s hills’, sointeresting are theawesomerock What makes Zoumé, the‘cityofDassa 41 pop 21,900 DASSA ZOUMÉ with fanCFA10,000/11,000, withair-conCFA14,000/16,000) www.hotels-benin.com; campingperpersonCFA2500, s/d stand along the main road andwave. alongthemainroad stand headednorthtowardsParakou,a taxi just inBohicon.and stopoff InBohicon, tohail quently fromthe Vehicles continuing toParakou leave fre- during thedayandinearlyevening. Abomey andBohicon (aroundCFA300) Alternatively, youcouldtake thetrain Bush taxis and Bush taxis Auberge deDassaZoumé Auberge There Internet isanevenings-only café Confort Lines Confort (roundabout) onthemajor highway. h

( % Chez Yemadje

( 7am-7pm) % 95 053186). gare routière 21 325815) zemi-johns La Grotte , runbythefamily

( ( % % buses leave buses for (cave), which run between runbetween /fax 22530098; 95 406697;Rue inAbomey rond- Af-

bathroom CFA4500, rwithbathroomCFA5000) Clean, stylish andthe bestvalue intown. (meals CFA1500). roomsandagreatbog-standard restaurant thissmall,rustichotelnear thehospital, has the northernwildlife parks. kou makes arelaxing stop-over enroute to vettes to keep youhere, but withthemany andrailwayline. Therehighway isn’tmuch andaprimeposition onboththe ern Benin with themostfacilitiesyou’llfind in north- still hasaprosperous,busyatmosphere, Once amajor slave-market town, Parakou pop 198,000 PARAKOU and thecastellated the twowildlife parks,particularlyPendjari, in Sombacountry.Thearea’s are mainsights people from amongtheanimistBetamaribé Christianity asthedominantreligion, apart in theshadeof amangotree. Islamreplaces groups –canoften befoundescapingthesun Djende,FulaandBariba of theBetamaribé, coast, thenortherners –mainlycomposed goingthantheirFoncousinsonthe Easier far cryfromthesouth’sbeaches andlagoons. arid,dustylandscapeisa Northern Benin’s THE NORTH du Dantokpa. the newbridge nexttotheGrandMarché (CFA3000, fourhours) departfromunder Zoumé fromCotonoutoDassa Bush taxis &Away There Getting Grand Marché. threede Transa, blocksnorthwestof the andRoutel’Aéroport, Ruedes Cheminots the cinemaat intersection of Route de time(see and take thesame p125 ). 2nd class. See 2nd class.See p126 fortimetable. train, which costsCFA2900/2500 for1st/ Le Majestic Hotel Le Majestic Sleeping .fr; Route de l’Hôtel Canaries; rCFA12,500-30,000;.fr; Route del’Hôtel Canaries; Auberge LeCachet Auberge The centre of townisthearea around costthesame Daily ConfortLinesbuses The Bank ofThe Bank Africahasa24-hourATM. You canalsoget Zoumé by toDassa liningthetown’sdustystreets, Para-

THE NORTH ••ParakouTHE NORTH ( % tata somba

23 613485; nablia25@yahoo ( % 22 530211;rshared houses. Situated a 113 bu-

)

BENIN BENIN s/d fromCFA25000/28000, steCFA41,000; end hotel inParakou. You can’t help but themost popular top- town, haslong been 500mnorthofestablishment, theheartof 114 Parakou to CFA4000. the market. Meals are available forCFA3000 Ask for aroomwithbalconyoverlooking 4 1 3 2 5 PARAKOU Station Train 25 Hôtel lesRoutiers Hôtel THE NORTH ••Parakou THENORTH EATING SLEEPING INFORMATION Street Stalls...... Les MarmitesduRoi...... Le Miel...... La BelleCreole...... Chez Mamou...... Chez Antoinette...... Le MajesticHotel...... Hôtel lesRoutiers...... Hôtel lesCanaris...... Hôtel laPrincesse...... Hôtel Central...... Auberge deParakou...... Travel AgentandCyberCafe...... (see17) Par@k CyberCafé...... Financial Bank...... Ecobank...... BCB Bank...... Bank ofAfrica...... aFc oae...... A2 La FaceDouane...... AC 7 Carrefour Aviation

Market ( 15

% Rue de l'Hôpital de Rue Dépot To LaNewCigale(100m); 23 610401; RoutedeTransa;

Confort Lines(2km) Route de l'Aéroport de Route 17 6 Club Z(300m);

11 Route de l'Hôtel Canaries 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 Bouké Mathieu Lycée pa 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

12 D3 B3 D2 D2 C2 B1 B2 C2 B2 D2 A3 B2 D2 D3 D3 D3 D3 Cheminots des Rue B 9 Wansirou TRANSPORT DRINKING hrdTx tp...... D4 Zemi-john Stop...... (see 25) Shared-Taxi Stop...... Local Taxi...... Gare Routière...... Benin Lines...... Le Mono...... Le Bataclàn...... Channit's...... 5eme Dimension...... ) This Kpébié CFA10,000/12,000, withair-con CFA14,000/16,000) s/dwith fan-benin.com; Route del’Hôtel Canaries; CFA5000). rant ( also agood,but expensive, French restau- pool (CFA1500 fornonguests).There’s relax withitsclean inthegarden setting Mosque Auberge de Parakou Auberge Malanville (318km) 0.3miles 500m 0 0 menu du jour Kandi (213km); To STN(4km); Gah 22 21 20 19 26 25 24 23 Bakinkoura A2 D4 D3 D3 D1 D4 C2 13 19

10 Route de Transa de Route CFA7000, from meals

( % 23 To Cotonou 16 5 (415km) 4 www.lonelyplanet.com 23 610305; www.hotels 22 2 Zongo Zénon 1 Préfecture Zongo Nord Cinema 20 14 24 Marché Ladjifarani Grand D 26 18 Ecobank Rond-point This

Rue du Marché 8 21 3 de l’Hotel Canaries; meals CFA3500-4000)de l’HotelCanaries; meals CFA500) CFA25,000/27,000) 86; sCFA6000-15,500, dCFA8000-18,500, bungalows/d such as Friendly meals CFA2500-4500) pizza andFrench food. l’Hôtel Canaries; rwithfan/air-conCFA6000/11,000)l’Hôtel Canaries; meals CFA1500-3500) rant serves goodpizzasandsandwiches. rant serves as cakes, andyogurt– croissant thisrestau- vegetarianery –which sells savouries aswell CFA2500 toCFA5000. are bigger andmore expensive. Meals are to non-guests (CFA1000). Rooms upstairs poolopen all ship-shape,withapleasant the screamingly kitsch décor,thishotel is r CFA19,500-25,500; meals (CFA2600 toCFA3500). delicious cellent French restaurant serves with tiledfloors andmosquitonets.Itsex- aubergedelightful haslarge, spotlessrooms www.lonelyplanet.com of meatandcornonthecob. hunks Street northof stalls themarket serve Eating across the street, and Le Bataclàn nightclub. Bataclàn across thestreet, andLe restaurant (mealsCFA2000 toCFA2500) and TV. Thehotel hasanattractive thatched carpeted bungalowscomplete withphones pendable choice nonetheless,withspacious, institution reflect pastgloriesbutit’s ade- south of theschool. just atnight, in themorningand spaghetti macaroni. of writing,witharestaurant ontheroof. were dustingdownanewblockatthetime hotel, of about400meast thetrainstation, friendly management of thislong-standing You dine outdoors under upmarket Africancuisine. spot tosample out huge servings of riceandsauces. out huge servings can restaurant withabusykitchen doling CFA1000-2500) La Face Douane Chez Mamou Hôtel lesCanaris Hôtel Hôtel laPrincesse Hôtel Le Miel Hôtel Central Hôtel Les Marmites duRoi Les Marmites La NewCigale La Belle Creole Chez Antoinette wagassi wagassi

buvette ( Areasonable place foromelettes Upstairs fromtheexcellentbak- % ThepricesinthisParakou 23 610067;RoutedeTransa;meals

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pa % Pleasant restaurant serving restaurant Pleasant serving ( This hip-hop–playing piz- (

(Route deTransa;mealsCFA250) % % ( (meals CFA500) % serving good,cheap food serving (cow’s milkcheese)

97 891198;offCarrefour Aviation;

( 23 610124;fax3851; 23 61 40 32;offRoute deTransa; % ( 23 61 05 73; Route de l’Aéroport; 23 610573;Routedel’Aéroport; %

) ( Ifyoucanget over % 23 610132;fax32 23 611169;Routede 23 612507;offRoute paillotes No-frills Afri- Arelatively .

The and

two hours). It’sextraforluggage. (CFA4500, five hours) andDjougo(CFA3000, Kandi (CFA3000, 3½hours), Malanville larly toCotonou(CFA6500, hours), eight Marché, goregu- andminibuses bushtaxis sealed. at leastthree hours theroadisnot because kou Financial Bank at7.30am. kou FinancialBank southbound busleaves fromoutsidePara- Cotonou andParakou (see p125 ). The 4km northof Parakou at10amdaily. (see p125 ). Thenorthbound STN busstops CotonouandNiameyviaParakoutween h Transa) country, where and Togo. Youare nowentering Djende onthewaytoNatitingou passing through northwest of Parakou, bustling withpeople Djougou isalively crossroads town134km DJOUGOU Friday andSundayarrives at7.30pm. CFA5600/4000) at8.42amonWednesday, which leaves forCotonou(1st/2ndclass Save thetrain(see moneybytaking p126 ), TRAIN From the BUSH TAXI, MINIBUS&BUS &Away There Getting NewCigale. La Le Bataclàn Drinking garden andpooltable. zeria attractsayoungcrowdtoitscovered ( Club Z up afterespeciallyonSaturdays. midnight, club isaParakou favourite. Theplace fills the market. hippest clubinParakou, ablocksouthof the nicknameof choice forwhite folk. border, are very picturesque. villages near theTogo around Badjoudè, access south of the town centre at % Bush taxis east totheTogobordertake east Bush taxis Benin Lines runs daily buses between Linesrunsdailybuses Benin EHGM, STN and SNTV run buses be- runbuses EHGM, STN andSNTV Channit’s Buvettes For hikingopportunities, theTanéka There of isaBank Africa,and Internet Thu-Sat) 97 68 72 63;perhr CFA500)

and (Route deMalanville) Opposite this Hôtel laPrincesse, gare routière,

5ème Dimension

abound–try (admission Thu/Fri/Sat CFA1500/2500/4000;(admission Thu/Fri/Sat (Rue duMarché) THE NORTH ••Djougou THE NORTH Bertoolay , 200mnortheastof northof the Grand . Thenewestand (Route deTransa) replaces Le Mono Yovo (Route de ; and Cyber 115 as

BENIN BENIN se p125). (see areLines buses abetter optiononthisroute quiet Savalou –Confort roadbybushtaxi a few timesifyouplantotravel downthe stop inDjougou.Youmayhave tochange Parakoubetween andNatitingougenerally tions totheborder. travelling Bushtaxis CFA2500 toCFA4000). are available forCFA2000 toCFA3500. are shabbybuttickthebasicboxes. Meals Max burnt-out carandthevaguefeel of a Jacks Flamboyant nearby Buvette La of Motel deDjougou. infront Basile, the morning,headtoChez the roundabout.Foracheap omelette in to CinemaSabini,orthestreets comingoff withatouch of class. foodserved Beninese 12,500; and there’s agreat from town,buttheroomshave balconies better daysinthisFrench-owned hotel 3km & 3.30-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon&4-6.30pmSatSun) & 3.30-6.30pmMon-Fri, Parc NationaldelaPendjari. for excursions intoSombacountryandthe who wasbornhere. point It’sthestarting thanks tofundingfromPresident Kérékou, the mostvibranttowninnorthern Benin Natitingouis mountains, in theAtakora locatedpleasantly atanaltitude of 440m About 200kmnorthwestof Parakou and pop 105,000 NATITINGOU 116 ( southeast of Natitingou, off the main opposite ). ent types of room, which hasmodels oftat thediffer- Somba rituals.Most interesting isthehabi- dances, circumcision ceremonies andother ments, jewellery, crowns andartefacts from exhibition includes variousmusicalinstru- view of life inSombacommunities. The behind Hôtel deBourgogne, gives anover- r CFA10,500-14,500; % If travelling toKara, there are connec- Motel deDjougou Motel Le Quasar Motel duLac Motel Good nightspots includeRoyalVerdue,Good nightspots For cheap food,tryRoyalVerdue, next The You couldalso visit THESOUTH••Natitingou 95 9363;admissionCFA1000; film set, thehotel’s roundbungalows filmset,

nightclub, westofnightclub, town. a Musée d’Arts et de Traditions Populaires etdeTraditionsPopulaires d’Arts Musée ) Natitingou Situated ingroundswiththeodd

tata somba ( %

( pa % 23 800049;mealsfromCFA1700) paillote

23 801548;RoutedeSavalou; ( % ) The beds have seen Thebedshave seen (Somba houses; see see (Somba houses; 23 800140;rCFA5000- restaurant (meals Kota Falls h 8.30am-12.30pm

and New , 15km Mad ,

Natitingou. in Papatia, Djougouand halfwaybetween Fula the falls.It’salsoworthchecking outthe you canswiminthepoolatbottomof least halftheyearduringrainyseason, It’s agreat spotforapicnic,andat dirtroad. onawell-maintained highway 4 1 3 2 5 NATITINGOU 9 botanic gardens Zemi-john Stop...... Confort Lines...... La Brèche...... Supermarket...... L'Obeci...... (see 10) Le Gourmet...... Le Basilic...... La Terrasse...... Hôtel TataSomba...... Hôtel Kantaborifa...... Hôtel deBourgogne...... Auberge leVieuxCavalier...... Auberge LaMontagne...... Populaires...... Telecom Building...... Quidata...... (see 3) Hospital...... Financial Bank...... aeRuir...... A2 Gare Routière...... B2 Maquis LaCachette...... Musée d'ArtsetdeTraditions TRANSPORT DRINKING EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION A Sobiex Food Stalls 18 12 3 1 2 17

( Rue du Marché (Le Goudron) (Le Marché du Rue 1km 0.5miles 0 0 h 4 7 www.lonelyplanet.com To Commisariat(500m); Principal Carrefour To KotaFalls(15km); 14 10 Boukombé (43km); Parc Nationaldela Cyber Café(1km); 8am-noon &3-6.30pm) Parakou (212km) Djougou (78km); Pendjari (45km) Papatia (39km); 8 16 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Market 5 13 B A1 B2 B3 B1 A1 B3 B2 A1 B3 B1 B2 B2 B1 A1 A1 A1 11 6 15 .natitingou.org/bourgogne; sCFA20,500; 6500) r CFA28,000-30,500; Meals are CFA1500. which leaveConfort Linesbuses, fromhere. dependable midrange optionishandy for CFA5500 to Hôtel Tata Somba. The ern endof town,isagood,cheap alternative storey hotel, onthemainroadatnorth- CFA1000). The which are opentonon-guests (CFA3000 and park. Ithasapoolandtennis court,both of uptripstothenational helpsguestsset house, hotel, alarge pinkversion of a con CFA5500/8000; TataHôtel Somba Sleeping www.lonelyplanet.com La Brèche Eating &Drinking CFA6500/8500, withair-conCFA12,500/14,500; enlightening barintheworld,this strong contender tobethemostculturally CFA3500). and ithasarestaurant (mealsCFA1500 to rooms inthisbasicauberge are good value mozzie netsare anexcellentbudget choice. CFA1800) andsmall,cleanroomswith hotels. Itsrestaurant (mealsCFA1500 to tures, thisisthemostfunof Natitingou’s courtyard decorated withmuralsandsculp- Auberge laMontagne Auberge Auberge le Vieux Cavalier leVieux Auberge Hôtel Kantaborifa Hôtel Hôtel deBourgogne Hôtel the 1970s,butthey stillhuntwithbowsandarrows. bottles theyhangfrom thetrees. Once famousfortheirnudity,theybegan wearingclothesin tianity andIslam. slaveindividuality, which hasseenthemresist hunters bothDahomey andthe advanceofChris- their compoundsare scattered over thecountryside. This customis areflection oftheirfierce Perma. They live inthemiddleoftheircultivated fields,ratherthantogetherinvillages, so of NatitingouintheplainsBoukoumbé ontheTogoborder,andtosoutheastaround Commonly referred toastheSomba, Betamaribé peopleare concentrated tothesouthwest THE SOMBA where there are andgrain stores. sleeping quarters for livestock and defence mechanisms. tothe roof terrace, A stepladder leadsfromthekitchen berma relations nearbyinTogo (see p800 ). The groundfloor ofthehouseismostly reserved them, including the withclayturrets miniaturethat looklike andthatchedspires. forts There are some10typesof Up the hill from La Terrasse, UpthehillfromLa the What’s mostfascinating abouttheBetamaribéistheir Betamaribé’sprinciplereligionThe Dutamari-speaking isanimism–asseenin theragsand

( % 90 924320;menudujourCFA4000) a pas menu dujour

) With amicable staff anda Withamicablestaff ( %

( %

otchaou,

23 821124;fax1584; ( ( % % 23 821766;s/dwithfan

) ( /fax 23822240;www Natitingou’stop % 23 821116;rCFA5500- menu dujour 23 821324;fan/air- whichis the sameashouses builtbythe Betamaribé’s Tam- a is CFA6500. tata somba ) Thistwo- a buvette ) This A is

tive inNatitingou. outside Hôtel Kantaborifa, itsrepresenta- (CFA7500, 10hours), leaving at7amfrom Lines busfromNatitingoutoCotonou Togo andBurkinaFaso borders. (CFA8500, 10hours) tothe andbushtaxis There are toCotonou alsodailyminibuses quicker toget aconnectioninDjougou. (CFA4000, five hours), itisoften although gotoParakou andminibuses bush taxis Marché; mealsCFA1700-2000)Marché; nancial Bank. is asupermarket, opposite Quidata, theFi- la Montagne. LaCachette Maquis the nearby past cornfieldsandbaobabtrees aswide bumping alongred Somba country.Thedrive there isstunning, Natitingou, ofBoukoumbé isthecapital On theTogoborder,43kmsouthwest of BOUKOUMBÉ From the &Away There Getting andabite.grab abeer Try views of mountains. theAtakora is innolessthana du Marché) Somba guides;the24-hour CFA2800-3500) borifa; More isthedailyConfort comfortable Food stalls lineRueduMarchéFood stalls andthere Natitingou hasafinearrayof placesto tata somba La Terrasse , both next to Ciné Atacora; and , bothnexttoCinéAtacora; gare routière , upthehillfromHôtel Kanta- tata somba tata THE NORTH ••Boukoumbé THE NORTH houses–round,tiered huts

(Rue duMarché) , 500msouthof Auberge piste tata somba , a good place to meet , agoodplacetomeet houses. About houses. 15km onthemainroad, (rough track)roads (rough Le Gourmet and Le Basilic house with house L’Obeci

(Rue du

(meals

117 (Rue BENIN BENIN a Taxis dogoonotherdays,oryoucangrab market day,which fourdays. happens every to Boukoumbé(CFA2000, twohours) on the Maison deJeune the –contact Somba family(CFA3000). witha thenight to findaguideorstay the village, Ask isthebestplacetoeat. here hs 275,000-hectare This PARC NATIONAL DELAPENDJARI ( traditional smokingpipes. whereareas youcanbuytherare inBenin manliness. Boukoumbéisoneof thefew other blackandbluetodemonstrate their mony, inwhich theyoungmenbelteach early November, there isawhippingcere- Every fouryears orsoinlate Octoberor calabashes of where theSombapeoplegatherforafew end of theworld butithasalively market, tion point. is the About mountains. highest 3kmfurtheron Kousso-Kovangou (589m),oneof Benin’s ofbefore Mt cliffs townyou’llpassthesheer 118 person CFA10,000, pervehicleCFA3000; -4500) 1500) and insomelessbasic, receives more visitors. of section ParcBenin Regional du W,so much more fortourismthan the developed north and eastbythePendjari River. It’s in Burkina Faso andisbordered tothe west, around. and goodtracks, itisapleasure todrive to hovermals start aroundthewater holes. whentheani- near theendof thedryseason baboons andhippos. Thebestviewingtimeis Visitors mayspotlions,leopards,elephants, par excellence 45km northof Natitingou,isthewildlife park isme deKoussou-Kovangou CFA2000. before Boukombé.Bringatorch. Meals are bungalows. Signposted ontheleft16km % zemi-john It’s easiest to find a taxi fromNatitingou It’s easiesttofindataxi Accommodation canalsobearranged at The incredible Boukoumbé feels like avillage atthe The parkadjoins the Parc Nationald’Arli With waterfalls, a woodylandscape Chez Pascaline THE NORTH ••Parc THENORTH NationaldelaPendjari 23 830102) , neartherond-pointinmiddleof has11roomsina Belvédère deKoussou-Kovangou Belvédère (CFA5000 return). . inthispartof WestAfrica. tchoukoutou

( % Auberge Villegoise deTour- Villegoise Auberge 23 830202;mealsCFA1000- national park

( % tata somba tata somba (sorghum beer). (sorghum beer). 23 821327;rCFA3500 h 15 Dec-15May)

(admission per observa- town hall house house -style ,

boutiques atthebetter hotels. from bookshopsinCotonou(see p95 ) and tique delaPendjari Somba parkentrance. Bookwith Batia CFA3500. Some15kmsouthwest of the Meals25% cheaper duringlowseason. are room behindadividingwall.Prices are swim. Thecircularbungalowshave abath- located foranearly-morningwalk and provided withfoodandwater. (per dayCFA5000), whowillexpecttobe day CFA3000) andthecompulsoryguide charges such asthephotographyfee (per by thetimeyou’ve factored inadditional reality, youmayhave topayalotmore a .net) backpackers without vehicles can try tohitch fer the route isshorter. this because the otherentrance. ManyBatia, people pre- the Tanguiéta, 45kmfromNatitingou,and take is themainentrance tothepark. near theBurkina Faso border. This village (bitu men road)97kmnorthwest toPorga park fromNatitingou, take the 100km northof Natitingou.To get tothe The mainentrancestoPendjari are roughly &Away There Getting which hasagoodrestaurant. best optionisthewell-runHôtel Baobab, near theriver andawaterfall. Thetown’s Tanguiéta, atthesoutherntipof the park permitted. Park wardensshowyou where. Yangouali andPontd’Arli,where campingis there are areas, onlycertain includingMare Duetothepresence ofthe parkitself. lions, ter chance at animalsifyoustay of seeing excursions fromthere, butyou’llhave abet- Many visitors inNatitingouandmake stay Sleeping &Eating with lows andbasicroomsavailable. Again, book it’s alarger placewitharestaurant, bunga- Dec-May CFA9000)Dec-May There is an The entrancefee isvalidfor30days.In Hôtel Campement de Porga dePorga Campement Hôtel As hikingis notpermitted inthe park, Alternatively, road at turn off thesealed deTanougou Relais Campement There are somerusticcampementsin ) inTanguiéta. Aguidebook, Right atthemainentrancetopark, Right piste Hôtel TataHôtel Somba

( % (rough track)41km northeastto (rough 23 821124) AttheTanougou Falls, well office

(CFA5500), isavailable inNatitingou. (

% ( % www.lonelyplanet.com 23 830085;www.pendjari 23 821124) (r withair-conCFA28000; Guide Pra-

. Hôtel TataHôtel (bungalows goudron

expensive. in Cotonouorganise trips,but theyare www.lonelyplanet.com Koura, isan accessible wingof theParc Re- Malanville, justnorth of thevillage of Alfa distinctive northerncharacter. voluptuous mangotrees give thistownits Nigeria andNiger respectively –and the andFula people –originallyfrom Bariba to Niger, isworth astopforitsmarket. The Kandi, 213kmnorthof Parakou onthe way &AROUND KANDI at the parkoffice ItispossibletohireBatia. avehicle – inquire a liftatthehotels inNatitingou,Porga and Tata Somba (60km) N'Gourma To Fada & PARCNATIONALD'ARLI PARC NATIONALDELAPENDJARI ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ Some 40km northof Kandi on theroadto Bigou T OG B URKINA Pama F ASO

( % 23 821124) Tindangou or athot Campement ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ de Porga Parc National Hôtel d'Arli de laPendjariOffice Park Entrance Porga; els including . Travel agencies Dassari Tambarga Parc National Tanguiéta;

(Buffer Zone)

Cynégétique Piste

Zone

des Eléphants Parc NationalDeLaPendjari & Parc NationalD’Arli Hôtel Hôtel To Natitingou de laPendjari Parc National Mare Yangouali (10km)

Pendjari Tanougou Arli Falls Pont d'Arli B URKINAFSO Park Entrance Campement Relais de Tanougou Batia To Kantchari Namounou wet season – you might see acrocodile. see –youmight wet season beautiful area isalsoworthalookduringthe bathing anddrinkinginthewater hole. The reported upto50elephantsinoneday seeing and manyspeciesof antelope. Readers have gional duW,where youcanviewelephants air-con inclbreakfast CFA7500/14,500; the wetseason. a restaurant (mealsCFA3500), open during There are somebasicrooms(CFA5000) and including camping, andCFA500 foraguide. Auberge la Recontre Auberge Sleeping &Eating bathroom, but the rooftop restaurant are and the cheaper ones share stuffy, a (70km) It’s CFA2500 foraday’sentrytothepark,

ὈὈ River ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Logobou THE NORTH •• Kandi &Around ••Kandi THE NORTH Diapaga 30miles 50km 0 0 Tansarga (Buffer Zone) Cynégétique

Koaba B ENI Mékrou ( % Zone Kondio /fax 236301 76;rwithfan/ Regional a du W Parc ) Banikoara Therooms Kérémou To ParcRegional N IGER Kandi (69km) du WOffice; Sampeto

119 BENIN BENIN through town. through to sugared pancakes, line themain road from mashed yam everything selling stalls, pâté air-con & TV CFA5500/10,500/18,500;air-con &TV CFA300) town. There isanightclub, CFA4800. of theRiver Sota.Meals are CFA2500 to de Luxe, is2kmsouthof townonthebanks ville’s smartest hotel, formerlycalledHôtel Meme C’estCa Maquis on theirheads. across theborderwithproduce teetering Fulawomentrudging Niger andyou’llsee Niger. onthebridge Stand over theRiver ers fromTogo,Nigeria, Burkina Faso and of WestAfricanpeoples,attractingtrad- held onFridayandSaturday,isawho’s who it istoCotonou,733kmaway.Market day, toNiamey than border, considerablycloser This townisinthefarnorthonNiger MALANVILLE heading north(CFA1000, 1½hours). from Kandi, catch aridewithbushtaxi elephant viewingplatformatAlfaKoura Kandi (CFA3000, 3½hours). Toget tothe From Parakou, headnorthto bushtaxis &Away There Getting con CFA10,500/15,000; -benin.com; campingperpersonCFA2500, rwith fan/air- best budget choice inKandi. ( 120 prepares sublime mashedyam. ton plantatlunchtime forawoman who onion andspices.Ask theSonapracot- near le Recontre dishesoutbagsof meatwith in town. (meals CFA3800 toCFA4000) isthebest tractive gardensanditsFrench restaurant north of Kandi hassizeable rooms,at- available. Meals are CFA2500. has reasonable facilities. Groupdiscounts metre southof battered town,isslightly but CFA12,500/15,500, steCFA17,500; sion CFA2000) Bar menu dujour Rose desSables La Sota deKandi Auberge Popular placestodrinkinclude A barbecueattheturningforAuberge Near themarket, (Route deNdali) BENIN DIRECTORY ••Accommodation BENINDIRECTORY and cold beers. serves ( , behindthemaquis. % wagassi 97 64 97 48; r with fan/air-con & TV 97 6448;rwithfan/air-con&TV , southof themarket, and

CFA4500) makes thisthe ( % a

( 23 670125;rwithfan/air-con/ % (Route deNdali) (cow’smilk cheese) SouslesNeems ) Thisauberge 2km 23 630243;www.hotels Buvettes pas Tropicana a ) andfood Onekilo- , southof ) Malan-

(admis- (meals Oasis ,

based based and guide,bothof which thepark’sKandi- nexttothefalls. including Koudou,right ara, andlodges withrestaurants inlocations Kandi theroadbetween tarmac and Baniko- has abridge over theRiver Mékrou,plansto access andinfrastructure. Wnow However, thelatter hadbetterpark, partlybecause thelesspopularit hastraditionallybeen falos, hippos,crocodilesandelephants. speciesof several catandantelope, buf- see recognised biospheres worldwide. Youmay of theparkis.Itwasoneof thefirst Unesco- whereNiger thelargest andBenin, section get toNiamey,isaboutCFA1000. taxis zemi-john but theyare often fullup(see p125 ). A CotonouandNiameyviaMalanville,tween travel buses be- EHGM, STN andSNTV bus andminibus(CFA3000, hours). seven (CFA4500,kou bybushtaxi five hours), border. and Kofonou, nearKarimama ontheNiger northwest of Kandi; Sampéto, AlfaKouara which is69km Banikoara, Kérémou near piroguesforhippo-watching.car, even foot, bike,cessible toothertransport–horse, with. There are planstomake theparkac- -w.org; Jun) vations canbe madeon Savalou, Parakou reser- and Kandi. Central Zoumé, good hotels in Grand Popo,Dassa over CFA100,000. Top Endprices range fromCFA70,000 to listed prominentlyat thehotel entrance. ofinclude thetourist tax CFA500, andbe rooms are generally en suite. Tariffs should range roomsare around CFA10,000. Bath- air-conditionedwhile comfortable mid- rooms withafancostaboutCFA6000,Basic ACCOMMODATION BENIN DIRECTORY duW Parc Regional PARC REGIONALDUW www.hotels-benin.com. Visitors theirown4WDtransport need WistwiceaslargeAlthough asPendjari, Malanville iswellconnected withPara- The park has four entrances in Benin: at The parkhasfourentrancesinBenin: The ‘Auberge de’chain hasconsistently covers 10,242sqkmin BurkinaFaso, h Bureau deLiaison Bureau 8am-12.30pm &2pm-lateMon-Fri) toGayainNiger, where youcan

(admission CFA10,000;

( % www.lonelyplanet.com % 23 630080;www.parc 21 31 3862 or h canhelp 1 Dec-15 www.lonelyplanet.com how heandthe kings of Dahomey built the Brazilian slave trader Fancisco daSilva and is abiographical sketch of the notorious The Viceroy of Ouidah, BOOKS Club AhémèinPossotomè ( p109 ). Plage ( p109 ) inGrandPopoandVillage organise activities forguestsincludeAwale Papa ( p107 ) in Ouidah.Otherhotels that Zoumé ( p113 ) andSavé. roads inthenorthof thecountry. rides forsomestretches; oralongquietback Ahémè( (p102) orLake p109 pirogue ), taking lage tovillage ontheshores of Nokoué Lake is nothingtoprevent youwalkingfromvil- (p110). Abomey and cyclearoundPortoNovo ( p103 ) or bikes) mountain don’t expect18-speed nis courtsopentononguests. large hotels have swimmingpoolsandten- alongthecoast. Manystrong right of the Popo ( p108 thecurrents), although sunbathing andswimming,headtoGrand are Forbetter dinary, andpronetomuggings. The beaches aroundCotonou are fairlyor- ACTIVITIES You can kayak on the lagoon at Casa Del You cankayakon thelagoonatCasa A goodarea forrockclimbingisDassa There are few organised hikes butthere If youget thechance, hire abicycle(but PRACTICALITIES outside themaintowns. The supplyistemperamental electricity runsonechannel. ORTB popular commercialchannels,while LC2 andGolféTélévision are themost (101.7MHZ). Afriquestations, includingRadio Cotonou hassome15commercial languages. the radioinEnglish,French andlocal broadcastson ORTB The state-owned stands. occasionally befoundatnewspaper Foreign newspapersandmagazinescan Matinal. Le Nation, Cotonou’s dailypapersinclude Benin usesthemetricsystem.

Le Soleil,

L’Option byBruce Chatwin, and Le Le normally associated withtourism. which suffers fromthecrimes ern Benin, Tourists shouldbeontheirguardinsouth- DANGERS &ANNOYANCES courses available inCotonou ( p98 ). There are Fon,Tai Chiandmartialarts COURSES Saturday. 7pm MondaytoFridayanduntilnoonon are openfrom9amtonoonand3pm and 3pmto5pmMondayFriday.Shops banks are generally open8amto12.30pm and 3pmto6.30pmMondayFriday.The areBusinesses openfrom8amto12.30pm BUSINESS HOURS and disappointments. viahisdescendents,theirdreamshimself moves backtotheoriginalAfro-Brazilian century reunion of thedaSilvaclanand trade. Thevividnovella begins witha20th- the coast. in Ouidahavoid theroadstoandalong ifyouwanttotraveltaxi inCotonou,and take a carry orwearvaluables.Atnight, whenwalkingwithsomeone,don’t even p97 walkonthebeach). Never alone, and tonou’s shoreline, duringtheday(see even swimming. ous currents localadvicebefore –seek relevant country chapter. the see For details, Nigeria and Senegal. consulates in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana,Niger, hasembassiesand In WestAfrica, Benin Beninese Embassies&Consulates EMBASSIES &CONSULATES ously disappeared. forafellowsearches expatwhohasmysteri- theCotonouunderworld ashethrough thriller writer, followinganEnglish‘fixer’ son, isthedebutof thisaward-winning B VodouPrincess Spice GirlMel Bforthedocumentary and herdriver repeated thejourneywith of She inataxi. travelling aroundBenin Henry,laborated withthecomedianLenny by thisEnglishcomicwriter, whohascol- account glibbutentertaining is aslightly Muggings areMuggings areal danger onCo- Instruments of Darkness, Benin’s beaches are plaguedbydanger-Benin’s Show Methe Magic, BENIN DIRECTORY •• Activities ••Activities BENIN DIRECTORY . by Annie Caulfield, byAnnieCaulfield, byRobertWil-

Mel 121 BENIN BENIN ( Belgium sulates includethefollowing: Congo, GabonandLibya. in Algeria, DemocraticRepublicof the the EnglishInternationalSchool,canbeofsome help. communityinBenin,Paulinethe British Collins,basedat Lagos ( p666 for theCommunityLiaisonOfficer ). However, Commission in Deputy High als mustdealwiththeBritish shores of Ahémè. Lake brations inOuidah, Abomey and onthe other black andblue. thattheyhavesatisfied literally beaten each togo on untiltheyoungmenare seems ‘whipping ceremony’ inBoukombé,which early November, there isthecoming-of-age 10 January (see p107 ). annual VoodooFestival, heldinOuidahon isthe them–themainevent places tosee Djougo andNatitingouare especiallygood lim celebrationsinthenorthern towns– Apart from thecolourfulannualMus- FESTIVALS &EVENTS USA UK Nigeria Niger Ghana Germany France ing, openMondaytoFriday: Embassies inCotonouincludethefollow- inBenin Embassies &Consulates USA UK Germany France Canada 122 Ave, Washington,DC) Caporal BernardAnani) 12pm) 228-5300Bonn) Sech, 2pm) 11.30am) House, 16 The Broadway, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4DW) House, 16TheBroadway,Stanmore, Middlesex 87 Ave Hugo,75016Paris) Victor Brussels) Ottawa K1S2C3) Ottawa 3-6pm) % ( Elsewhere, Beninese embassiesandcon- Elsewhere, Beninese alsohasrepresentation In Africa,Benin There are frequent minor voodoocele- Every fouryears orso, inlate Octoberor ( ( ( % % BENIN DIRECTORY ••Festivals &Events BENINDIRECTORY 21 300225;Routedel’Aéroport) % % ( ( ( % Consulate ( ( 020-8954 8800;fax442089548844;Dolphin % 21 30 12 74; Haie Vive) Officially, British Nation- British 21 301274;HaieVive)Officially, % ( % % 202-232 6656;fax202-2396500;2737Cathedral 21 300650;cotonou.usembassy.gov;Rue ( ( % % % 21 315665;Rue651A; 21 30 07 46; Route de l’Aéroport; 21 300746;Routedel’Aéroport; 01-45 00 98 82; www.ambassade-benin.org; 01-45 009882;www.ambassade-benin.org; 21 30 11 42; Blvd de la Marina; 21 301142;BlvddelaMarina; 613-233 4429;www.benin.ca;58GlebeAve, 02-35 9471;5Ave 1180 del’Observatoire, 21 312968;Ave Paul Jean II; 0228-34 4031;Rüdigerstrasse10Post- ( % 21 312638;Rue651A); h 8am-noon & h h h Embassy 10- 9am- 8am- to muggings than groups. to muggings Cotonou as they may bemore susceptible Lone travellers shouldbe on theirguardin SOLO TRAVELLERS information see p823 . A are notclear-cut, soit’sbesttoaskfirst. religious buildingsand ceremonies. Rules careful shotsof whentaking cultural and A photo permitisnotrequired, butbe PHOTOGRAPHY &VIDEO be reliably changed inCotonou. major canonly currencies, these although and Gare duDantokpa. black market around theJonquetdistrict butCotonouhasahealthy of NairiinBenin Nairi. There waytoget isnoofficial hold from Nigeria, where thecurrency isthe often have ATMs. of Africa,EcobankandBTCI, which also changing moneyare Bank Financial Bank, banks inCotonou.Thebest for only)arecards (Visa possibleatthemajor advancesagainstcreditcaine) franc.Cash Africa CFA (ComunautéFinanciere Afri- The unitof isthe West currency inBenin MONEY CFA7500 inCotonoubookshops. of PortoNovo andCotonou,itcostsabout citymaps andinsert good countrydetail National.With the InstitutGeographique Générale,lique duBeninCarte The bestmapbyfaristhe1:600,000 MAPS of dates of Islamicholidays. and Muslimholidays.See p818 foratable alsocelebrates theusualChristian Benin Day Harvest Day Republic Armed ForcesDay Independence Labour Day Liberation Day Day Martyr’s Vodoun New Year’s Day Public holidaysincludethefollowing: HOLIDAYS Banks accepttravellersBanks cheques inmost neighbours CFAs alluse Benin’s apart cadeau 10January 1May mayberequested. Forgeneral 31December 16January 4December 1August 28February 1January 26October www.lonelyplanet.com producedby Repub- CFA25,000 (see p828 ). five-country Touristique Entente Visa for passport photo. alsooffers Theoffice the one process up ifyouask.You willneed the itmaybe possibletospeed day, though be collected at6pmthe followingworking can and 11amMonday toFriday.These 95, andAreeba with97. with93,Telecel Benin) (Bell BBCom with phone numbers are nowprefixed with90, and thenorth)with23.Libercommobile Donga, AliboriandBorgou areas (Parakou Zoumé)with22;and the Atakora, Dassa Ahémè,AbomeyGrand Popo,Lake and ZouandCollinesareasCouffo, (including Cotonou andOuidah)with21;theMono, Littoral andAtlantiqueareas (including Porto Novo) are nowprefixed with20;the the OuéméandPlateau areas (including dated atthetimeof writing.Numbers in The phonecodeshadrecently up- been Codes Phone to Australasia. CFA1400 toNorthAmerica,andCFA2640 France, CFA1850 elsewhere in Europe, The costperminute isaboutCFA1350 to vate telephone agencies Benin. throughout can bemadeattelecom offices and pri- International telephone callsandfaxes TELEPHONE www.lonelyplanet.com 3-6.30pm) ( nou. The (CFA12,000)multiple-entry visa inCoto- (CFA10,000). issue 48-hour,single-entrytransit visas attheborder,wherevisa the24-hourposts bassy intheUSAcharges less. consulate inthe UK; theem- the Beninese costs UK£55from 30-day, single-entryvisa nou youwillrequire before avisa arrival.A nationals of theEcowas.IfflyingintoCo to- areVisas required foralltravellers except VISAS about Parc NationaldelaPendjari. in Natitingouisalsoagoodplaceto inquire two wildlife parks.Hôtel Tata Somba( p117 ) of offices the nou, and,innorthernBenin, There isalacklustre inCo touristoffice to- TOURIST INFORMATION % You can then obtain a30-day,single-or You canthenobtain If crossingoverland, to get it’sfareasier a 21 314213;Ave JanPaul II,Cotonou; accepts applications between 8am acceptsapplications between Direction Emigration Immigration Direction h 8am-11am,

II, Cotonou; say you aresay waitingforyour husband. situationsisto inthese ficials. Thebesttack is unwanted attention, especially fromof- husband?’ curiosity, thegreatest annoyance theusual‘Where isyour for women.Beyond presentsTravelling few problems inBenin WOMEN TRAVELLERS also issuedattheborder(see p804 ). forTogo(CFA10,000) visas Seven-day are TOGO tralia) andare day. issuedonthesame UK, CFA68,000 forUS,CFA20,000 forAus- vary accordingtonationality(CFA30,000 for ward travel fromNigeria. Theexpensive visas port and,ifyouhave one,your ticket foron- photos, alongwithphotocopiesof yourpass- two bassy intheirhomecountry.You need totravellerstransit visas withaNigerian em- The Nigerian embassyissuesonlytwo-day NIGERIA requires twophotos. takes 24hours toprocessapplicationsand issuedbytheNigervisas embassy,which asthethree-monthIt costsaboutthesame TouristiqueEntentethe Visa (see p828 ). For Niger, itis,again,worthconsidering NIGER entry. Fourphotosare required. cost CFA12,000/30,000 forsingle/multiple take twodaystoissueand Ghanaian visas GHANA Emigration Immigration(see p828 ). (CFA25,000) Direction attheBeninese the five-country TouristiqueEntente Visa be preferable, ifmore expensive, toget with twophotosrequired. itmay However, (CFA6000)transit visas in24to48hours, sues three-month (CFA20,000) visas and d’Ivoire andTogo,theFrench consulate is- For onwardtravel toBurkinaFaso, Côte ForOnwardTravel Visas Emigration Immigration Only available inCotonouatthe Extensions Visa is adefinite no-go area during the day. especially in Cotonou, wherenight, the beach –don’twander aroundsoloat mon sense As withanywhere com- in theworlduse BENIN DIRECTORY ••TelephoneBENIN DIRECTORY h 8am-11am, 3-6.30pm).

( % 21 314213;Ave JanPaul Direction Direction

123 BENIN BENIN suit. For more advice, see suit. Formore advice,see p828 . the localwomenare andfollow wearing a modestfashion.Ifindoubt,lookatwhat todress itisadvisable in from headtotoe, .com; Quartier Cocotiers)Hub:Paris. .com; Quartier Steinmetz) Hub:Libreville. taxi cantake youacross the Rivertaxi Niger Airways Nigeria Virgin Point-Afrique Airlines Ghana International Air Togo Air Ivoire International Air Gabon Air France inCotonou: offices reconfirmations, thefollowingairlineshave andEurope. Benin between quent services Cotonou, inCocotiers. The mainairportisonthewestern fringe of Air rarely have toshowit. ayellowfeveryou need certificate, butyou only beextended inCotonou.Officially isonlyvalidfor48hours,the visa andcan youcanifenteringHowever, byland,but onarrival. avisa try, youcannotobtain cials are awkward.Ifflyingintothecoun- immigrationregulations andoffi- Benin’s Benin Entering THERE&AWAY GETTING INBENIN TRANSPORT 124 on tarred road,a From Malanville, 733kmfrom Cotonou NIGER to findaride. Monday, Porga market day,is a goodday can crosstoTindangou inBurkinaFaso. to Porga (CFA1500, twohours), where you the 97kmof tarred roadfrom Natitingou There’s adayalong atleastonebush taxi BURKINA FASO Land Route de l’Aéroport) Hub:Paris. Route del’Aéroport) Gouverneur Ballot)Hub:Lagos. Abidjan. Blvd Steinmetz)Hub:Accra. While it is not necessary tocoverWhile itisnotnecessary yourself For flight information,ticket and For flight sales Air Francehasthemostreliable andfre- TRANSPORT IN BENIN •• Getting There &Away INBENIN••Getting TRANSPORT (YT) Hub: Lomé. (YT) (VU; (VU; (AF; (6V/DR; % % 21 318614;BlvdSteinmetz)Hub: 21 30 18 15; www.airfrance.com/bj; 21 301815;www.airfrance.com/bj; % (VK; (VK; (GN; zemi-john 95 8485;www.point-afrique % (GH; % 21 315824;Blvddu 21 3187;Blvd % or shared 21 314283; Gaya andwalkor ville, Parakou orCotonou.Instead, get to fromNiameytoMalan-geots orminibuses Niamey coaches, which are usuallyfull. ontooneof theCotonou– it istosqueeze or aminibus(CFA4100, 5½hours) than toNiamey(CFA4500,bush taxi five hours) therevisas forbothcountries. and itisquite topickup straightforward CFA1000/500). Theborderisopen24/7 in Togo and Boukombé in Benin. The latin Togo and Boukombé inBenin. east of Kara Nadoba in Togo, andbetween Cotonou toLomé(CFA3000, three hours). from There isalsoa dailySTIF busservice sideof onthe Togolese thefrontier.other taxi the borderpointat Hilla-Condjiandgraban- Alternatively,early evening. to pickupataxi thedayand Cotonou forLomé through which regularly leave theGare deJonquetin (CFA3000,quent bushtaxis three hours), Cotonou andLomé are connected byfre- TOGO check whetherthepriceincludesbribes. across the border, Ifhiringataxi officials. ceipt isagoodwaytodiscourage corrupt Kraké (see p670 askingforare-), although public transport. thereby crossingatKétou,though isless canbebypassed heading toIbadan,Lagos and 3pm7pm)–it’samess. Ifyou’re 6amand10am, hour (the‘goslow’between to Nigeria andlesshecticthanCotonou. (CFA2700, 2½hours), which isbothcloser fromPorto Novoare toLagos alsotaxis black market inCotonou(see p97 ). There to get someNairaattheborderoron Ifyoudothis,willneed inBenin. those there, asNigerian are taxis cheaper than border crossingatKrakéandchanging tothe could save ataxi moneybytaking as wellfromtheGare deDantokpa. You de l’AncienPont(CFA3000, three hours), thedayfromGare throughout for Lagos leave andminibuses In Cotonou,bushtaxis NIGERIA south. and Malanville, fromwhere head bushtaxis to GayainNiger ( Heading south,there are nolonger Peu- From Gaya,it’seasiertofindaPeugeot Other crossings are atKémérida, north- You mayhave togrease afew palms at Avoid atrush arriving orleaving Lagos moto zemi-john - www.lonelyplanet.com taxi it totheborder /shared taxi than bushtaxis. still more andoften comfortable, cheaper, with passengers andluggage, buttheyare are,buses asusualin Africa,overloaded Cotonou andNiamey.The between buses nou andParakou (CFA5500, five hours). Coto- between Routes hasdailybuses Benin thattherepany’s boast are nohidden charges. and theconductors are faithfultothecom- towns enroute. There are free sandwiches (CFA7500, 10hours), stoppinginallmajor CotonouandNatitingou viaSavaloutween Lagos (CFA30,500).Lagos Cotonou (CFA20,000) which continuesto has aSundaybusfromOugadougouto off. on astheyfillupwhenset kou andMalanville, buttheyare hardtoget (CFA18700, 13to15hours). Thursday, SaturdayandSundayat4am 15 hours) andEHGM’sleave onTuesday, Niamey dailyat4am(CFA20,000, 13to leave buses Cotonou andNiamey.SNTV’s coach linesthatplytheroutebased between STC BUS organised, withyourown4WDvehicle. tobewell countryside butyouwouldneed ter spectacular crossingtakes youthrough www.lonelyplanet.com travel north. The pricefluctuates because per litre, with prices generally rising asyou Petrol CFA300 costsbetween andCFA600 &Motorcycle Car Lines Confort gotiable surcharge forluggage. take much longer. There issometimesane- costabout25%less and while minibuses orLoméandCFA6500Lagos toParakou, Ouidah, CFA2000 toAbomey, CFA3000 to fromCotonoucostsCFA600A bushtaxi to faster thaninmanyWestAfricancountries. means of towns,andare transport between are andbushtaxis theprincipal Minibuses &Bus Bush Taxi, Minibus AROUND GETTING Accra (CFA15,000, hours). seven nou andAbidjan (CFA34000, 28hours) via SNTV It is best to book ahead, particularlyon It isbesttobook ahead, Burkina Faso–based TVC (see p170 ) stopinmajorBuses townssuch asPara- There are few domesticbuscompanies. EHGM

( %

( % 21 326669)

( % 227 733020)

( 227 743716) % 21 325815) runs buses between Coto- between runs buses are amongtheNiger- , STN runs daily buses be- runsdailybuses

( % 227 740369) and TRANSPORT IN BENIN •• Getting Around INBENIN••Getting TRANSPORT Grand Popo, Abomey and Natitingou. towns noton therailway –Ganvié, Ouidah, tour (CFA250,000/200,000) alsotakes in farm. Meals onboard. Thelonger are served you canwalk inthehillsand visitanostrich Thursday Zoumé,where morning forDassa groups of 12ormore) departsCotonou on (CFA50,000 orCFA40,000 perperson for d’Ebene restored colonial railroadcars on tours areTwo- andseven-day available in Tours to drive slowly. – everyday often ones.Tell fatal yourdriver Cotonousees ular taxis. around thecities,theyare notassafe asreg- fastest andmostconvenient wayof getting (scooter Whiletheyare taxis). byfar the In nearlyalltowns,you’llfind ZEMI-JOHNS taxis. Gare duDantokpaisagoodplacetofind Tariffs are often written onthedashboard. hour; rates on. increase evening fromearly ride. Taxis canbehired forCFA2000 per inCotonouarebuses CFA150 forashared Fares forregular andmini- journeysintaxis TAXI Local Transport roads with1Lto5Lbottles. official rate. Justlookfortheguysalong the blackmarket belowthe atpricesslightly andsoldon across theborderintoBenin cheaper, somuch of itiscarriedillegally depends forpetrol.InNigeria petrolis of inNigeria, instability onwhich Benin way toget toremote destinations. CFA150 toCFA250. Theyare alsoaneasy price before thejourney.Thetypicalfare is andbesureyou wouldataxi, toagree ona some regional centres). Hail themjustas low andgreen shirt(green andpurple in Marina Hotel.Benin outsidetheNovotelthan those Orisha and outside theHôtel duPortare better value thiscanprovenou, though costly.Thetaxis oneofthrough themajor hotels inCoto- condition throughout Benin. condition throughout tional DrivingPermit. Roadsare ingood You’ll recognise thembythedriver’s yel- For private transport,organise ataxi If you’re anInterna- driving,youneed

( % 21 313862) . Theshorter tour zemi-john zemi-johns crashes La Train

125 BENIN BENIN 07 13;[email protected]) spacious butfrustratinglyslow,thetrain Abomey) Zoumé.Cheapand andDassa Parakou viatownsincludingBohicon (for onerailwaylinelinksCotonouwith Benin’s des CheminsdeferetTransports by Run Train 126 © LonelyPlanetPublications the above - ‘Do the right thing withour content.’ the above -‘Do theright the termsandconditions onoursitefor alongerwayof saying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,massemailit to only. Inother words,please don’t uploadthischapter toapeer-to-peer In return, wethinkit’sfairto askyoutouseit forpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapter isnotdigitally Tomake Franck Tok offers tripstootherpartsof Benin. Zoumé,hostsgroupsofDassa touristsand the village of 10kmfrom Camaté-Shakaloké, is fluentinbothEnglishandFrench. language forthePeace facilitator Corps,he For ecotourism, A recommended guideisCotonou-based TRANSPORT IN BENIN •• Getting Around INBENIN••Getting TRANSPORT L’Organisation CommuneBenin-Niger L’Organisation

( % 95 056104;[email protected]) CPN LesPapillons , an NGO based in , anNGObased

( % 21 322206),

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(about 11hours) costCFA5600/4000. hours) costCFA2900/2500, andtoParakou CFA1400/1100, Zoumé(aboutfive toDassa nou toBohicon (aboutfourhours) cost food isavailable alongtheway. atstations bar, and West Africa. Ithasarudimentary asyou’llfindon anytrainin as comfortable humanity andproduce. First classisabout but thecarriages tend tobecrowdedwith abushtaxi nificantly cheaper thantaking 8am tobuytickets. before tothestation the followingday.Get kou at7pmandreturning southat8.42am Thursday andSaturday,arrivinginPara- leaves Cotonouat8.30am onTuesday, Tickets in1st/2ndclassfromCoto- onthetrainare seats sig- Second-class www.lonelyplanet.com