Travel agencies in Benin can help organize an effective trip to this country and save money on things like visas, flight connections, hotel rooms or other types of accommodation.
The Republic of Benin is a small country in West Africa. One comes here to meet the tribes, whose way of life remains almost like in the Stone Age. This is one of the few places on the planet, where one never celebrates birthdays, where no one reads newspapers. Instead, people celebrate magical sacrificial rites, worship voodoo, and believe in the existence of spirits. Such a lifestyle cannot fail to impress the modern man. It seems to be a return to the distant past. In Benin, it is easy to imagine what the land was like in its original form, before the rapid development of humanity and the advent of progress.
Benin’s architectural landmarks are represented by historic cathedrals, botanical gardens, and numerous museums. Tourism began to develop in the country not so long ago, but the number of people who want to get acquainted with the virgin nature of the country is constantly increasing.
The main natural attraction of Benin is the jungle. However, the tropical evergreen forests could not withstand the onslaught of civilization. Most of them have been logged, so the Benin landscape is dominated by tall grass savannah. The animals, however, are quite diverse and include elephants, antelopes, buffaloes, and panthers.
Porto-Novo is the nominal capital of the country, but the government and most companies have moved to Cotonou. However, Porto-Novo, with its 180 thousand inhabitants, is quite a beautiful historical site. Its proximity to the Nigerian border offers certain advantages in trade. The famous Grand Marche d’Adjara is still in operation and here you can buy tom-toms, cloth, handmade baskets and the best of Benin pottery. The Porto Novo Ethnographic Museum has a large collection of Yoruba religious objects. You can also admire the decorative style of the Brazilian Church, which is now a mosque. Covered in palm fronds, the fishing villages on the lagoon near Porto-Novo look very unnatural, like aliens from the past.
The largest city in the country is the port of Cotonou. First of all, tourists are attracted by the National Museum of Cotonou and the Botanical Gardens. Cotonou offers a great selection of local and international restaurants, as well as a large number of bars and clubs in the Zhonke area. To the north of Cotonou is the city of Ganve. Its 12,000 inhabitants live in bamboo huts on stilts, scattered for several kilometers along Lake Nokue. Local buildings, restaurants, shops and even a hotel are only 2m above the water. Local residents are opposed to being photographed, so it is recommended not to take pictures on the territory of Ganve.
The city of Abomey is the former capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey. The main attraction of the city is the restored Royal Palace and the museum inside the palace. Most of the buildings, built in 1645, were destroyed by fire. The remaining houses are very beautiful and attract the attention of visitors with reverential age. The interior of the Palace is decorated with unique bronze bas-reliefs, which have been declared by UNESCO as world heritage assets. The museum has an extensive exhibition displaying ‘voodoo’ cult objects, encrusted skulls, items from the Portuguese colonization period and traditional homes of the local population. Photography is also strictly prohibited here.
Several hundred kilometers northwest of Cotonou, on the border with Togo, is the city of Bokumbe, widely known for its market, considered the best market in the country. Only here you can buy rare and authentic traditional folk pipes and sculptures made of precious wood. These items are the pride of local artisans.