Arrival in Cotonou by international flight. Meeting the guide, transfer and
accommodation at the Hotel du Lac. Meet the guide again to discuss about the
trip and short briefing.
Accommodation: Hotel du Lac
Breakfast and departure for Ganvie, the biggest lake village in Africa, where live
more than 40,000 Tofinu people doing their activities aboard small pirogues.
Ganvie is also known as the African Venice, appears a great concentration of
Tofín fishermen families who used to hide in Lake Nokoué escaping from slavery
in the 18th century. Tour along the water, meet the people, learn about
Tofín culture.
Head for Porto-Novo, the administrative capital of Benin via Cotonou. We will
have Egoungoun dance performance in Adjarra and drive to Ketou
Overnight in Ketou.
Accommodation: Residence Celine Hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
After breakfast we will have Guelede dance before heading to Natitingou.(long
way driving). On the way we will stop in Djougou for warriors dance(TEKE)
Accommodation at Totora Hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
After breakfast we explore some Tata Somba villages. Commonly called Somba
the Betamaribe people, animists, they live mainly south-west of Natitingou in the
plains of Boukoumbé near the Togolese border. The Somba live isolated in the
middle of their crop fields rather than clustered in villages. Their dwellings, the
Tata Somba are a typical constructions which resemble miniature fortresses.
The Somba people are known for their traditional body scarring rituals, starting
between the age of two and three. These special marks are a form of lifelong
identification marks (tattoo ID), which identify a person as belonging to one's tribe
as well as more coded personal information. Additional marks are added at
puberty, readiness for marriage, post-child birth as a form of visible
communication. Here in the morning we will have the dance of men initiation and
after the visit the dance of women initiation.
In the afternoon we will drive to Pendjari National Park the most important animal
reserve in West Africa.
Overnight at the Pendjari Lodge.
Accommodation: Pendjari Lodge.
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Very early in the morning we will drive to the Park. Pendjari National Park is the
most important animal reserve in Africa. We will spend the day in the park and
come back in the evening.
Accommodation: Totora
hotel
Meals: breakfast, lunch
In the morning after breakfast departure to Taneka KOKO in YOM tribe to have
the dance of circumcision and visit the village. In this tribe before they circumcise
boys they must have 25 or 30 years old. After the dance we will take the road to
Savalou to visit Dankoly voodoo temple; From here we will drive directly to
Abomey to visit the royal palace. Abomey is the historic city of Benin. The
kingdom of Abomey is the most important kingdom in the south of Benin. The
role of the kings of Abomey in the slavery trade was very important. It is that
kingdom who gave his name to the country before changed it to Benin. In
Abomey we will visit the kingdom of the 12 kings of Abomey.
Overnight stay in Nifur Hotel Bohicon.
Accommodation: Nifur Hotel Bohicon
Meals: breakfast, lunch
In the morning we will drive to mythical city of Ouidah, capital of the African
Voodoo. Visit the History Museum, former Portuguese fortress, the Python
Temple, the sacred forest Kpassè with its innumerable convents and shrines.
Experience the Slave Route to the Gate of No Return by the Sea.In the night we
will take part of the ceremony of purification in the sacred forest. Overnight stay
in Casa del papa Hotel on the Ocean’s beach.
Accommodation: Casa del papa Hotel
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Early in the morning we will drive to the city to visit the priest and the kings
making sacrifices to start the ceremony before coming back to hotel for the
breakfast.
Today is the big day of the Voodoo festival where come people from all over the
world from Africa to America and the Caribbean. The Voodoo religion, very
unknown and misinterpreted by some theorists is one of the most important
religion the world. Every person who attends to this celebration will discover that
Voodoo and Evil are different things. In the collective imagination. Voodoo
believes that the ancestors and natural forces decide life of its believers. At that
time thousands of devotees go to Ouidah, the main center of this cult to receive
the blessing of the Voodoo leader of the city. Today, the great priests and their
faithful from all over Benin and even neighboring countries meet to magnify the
deities through songs, dances, drums, animal sacrifices, libations and prayers.
Attend this important festival with high dignitaries and other crowned heads.
Overnight in Ouidah.
The main ceremony starts at 10 am on the beach and it lasts half day. Then we
will follow the Voodoo priest in their different sacrifices and « private »
ceremonies and come back to hotel late in the evening.
Overnight stay in Casa del papa Hotel
Accommodation: Casa del papa Hotel
Meals: breakfast, lunch
In the morning we will drive to Lokossa for a private Zangbeto ceremony
(haystack dance), also visit some voodoo convent. In the afternoon you will rest
at the beach in Casa Del Papa hotel.
Accommodation: Casa del papa Hotel
Meals: breakfast, lunch
In the morning after breakfast we will head to Houegbo to visit the king Glele
Milonon II. He will have a conference with us about Voodoo religion, he will make
some voodoo ceremony in his temple. In the afternoon we will have Sakpata
ceremony and the dance.
Accommodation: Casa del papa Hotel
Meals: breakfast, lunch
In the morning we drive to Cotonou in order to visit some fishermen villages. In
Cotonou we also visit the arts market to buy souvenirs. We will rest in afternoon
before transferring to Cotonou airport and flight back.
Accommodation: Half day in hotel du Lac
Meals: breakfast, lunch
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