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Benin Highlights and Events

Travel in Benin with Intrepid

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As the birthplace of voodoo, Benin oozes the exotic. With its glittering palaces, floating villages and python-filled temples, this is a country that has always moved to its own beat. From filling your belly with fried beans and yams, to paddling across a lagoon or following in the footsteps of slaves, Benin is filled with engaging, curious and amazing experiences.
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Experience Benin's highlights on these trips

Dakar to Ghana

Palm trees under blue skies, Benin
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56 days
Basix
  • USD $5,360*
    CAD $5,347*
    AUD $5,193*
    EUR €4,069*
    GBP £3,254*
    NZD $6,622*
    ZAR R40,596*
    CHF FR4,691*
    *     Total price tool tip

Ghana, Togo & Benin

Clay homes of the Ditamari people, Boukoumbe, Benin
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21 days
Basix
  • USD $1,495
    CAD $1,505
    AUD $1,455
    EUR €1,165
    GBP £905
    NZD $1,860
    ZAR R10,320
    CHF FR1,175
    Trip Price tool tip
  • USD $410
    Kitty tool tip
  • USD $1,905*
    CAD $1,903*
    AUD $1,847*
    EUR €1,451*
    GBP £1,155*
    NZD $2,352*
    ZAR R13,171*
    CHF FR1,499*
    *     Total price tool tip

West Africa Overland

Palm trees under blue skies, Benin
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70 days
Basix
  • USD $5,140
    CAD $5,170
    AUD $4,995
    EUR €4,005
    GBP £3,115
    NZD $6,405
    ZAR R39,945
    CHF FR4,635
    Trip Price tool tip
  • USD $1,590
    Kitty tool tip
  • USD $6,730*
    CAD $6,713*
    AUD $6,516*
    EUR €5,114*
    GBP £4,084*
    NZD $8,313*
    ZAR R51,003*
    CHF FR5,892*
    *     Total price tool tip
* Refer to booking conditions

Highlights


Benin's Top Picks

Voodoo ceremony
 
Benin is the birthplace of voodoo
 

Top 5 Distinctly Beninese Moments

  1. Paddle a Pirogue: A good chunk of Benin is under, over, or around water and when the roads disappear, there’s only one way to travel – by pirogue! These dugout canoes have serviced the Beninese for centuries.
  2. Step in the Footsteps of Slaves: Ouidah was often the last bit of Africa slaves saw as they were sent around the world to be traded and worked. The Portuguese, English and French all constructed forts here to protect their trading interests, one of which now houses a museum that gives you a unique glimpse into the terror and destruction that the slave trade wreaked on this part of the world.
  3. Stay in a Stilt City: Over 10,000 people call the waters of Ganvie home. Perched up above the lagoon in stilted houses, they eat, sleep, fish and live miles away from dry land. Stay in an auberge for a taste of life on the water.
  4. Learn Voodoo: Over 60% of Beninese practice voodoo. Dive right into the traditions and everyday rituals as you travel through villages. The Musée d'histoire d'Ouidah gives an interesting insight into voodoo history and culture in the area.
  5. Tuck Into Yams: They’re the favourite, number one food of the Beninese. Mashed, fried, as chips or slathered in peanut sauce - it’s not a meal until it’s been yammed.

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Benin at a glance

  • 3
  • Porto Novo (population 223,600)
  • 9.6 million
  • French, Fon, Yoruba, Dendi, Bariba, Ge
  • XOF
  • (GMT+01:00) West Central Africa
  • Type C (European 2-pin), Type E (French 2-pin, female earth)
  • +229

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