Exploring mountain villages in rural Togo
Having spent time in Togo’s capital city, Lomé, we also visited Kpalimé, a rural area noted for its green hills, cocoa and coffee plantations, and unspoilt mountain landscapes. There are also lots of small traditional villages and our itinerary included a walk around Kouma Konda – one of 10 villages with populations ranging from 300 […]…
Sightseeing in a capital city being renovated
Sightseeing in Benin’s capital, Porto-Novo, was disappointing. The President, Patrice Talon, has launched a ‘Benin Revealed’ programme designed to promote beach and cultural tourism, but it is still work in progress, and both the Musée da Silva and the Ethnographic Museum were closed for renovation. Although the Royal Palace Musée Honmé was open, it hadn’t […]…
Little to see in Benin’s administrative capital
Cotonou is for all intents and purposes Benin’s capital, although the official capital is the smaller Porto-Novo, just 30km away. Whilst we stayed in Cotonou for three nights, using it as a base for excursions, we found little to see in the city itself. However, this is set to change with President Patrice Talon’s ‘Benin […]…
Where art and food combine
It’s always good when food and art combine, which it did beautifully at The Museum of the Zinsou Foundation in Ouidah, Benin. After a morning of sightseeing, we stopped for lunch in the light and airy café which was adorned with relaxing murals of the beach and palm trees. As it was a full day, […]…
A somber slave route being turned into a theme park
As well as voodoo, Benin’s city of Ouidah, is known for its role in the 17th to 19th century Atlantic slave trade. What is known as The Slave Route highlighted the journey captives would have taken before boarding the ships. We began at Tchatcha Square, where newly arrived slaves would be auctioned as a commodity, […]…
A forest full of voodoo deities
The Sacred Forest or Forest of Kpassè is located on the outskirts of Ouidah, in Benin. According to folklore, when King Kpassè, a 16th century ruler of the kingdom of Whydah, felt he was going to die, he didn’t want his body to be seen by his children, but after many signs from a peacock […]…
Conquering ophidiophobia
Sightseeing in Ouidah, the voodoo centre of West Africa, sounded like an unforgettable experience, although as I suffer from ophidiophobia, I was somewhat apprehensive about a visit to The Temple of Pythons. However, I decided it was time to conquer my fear of snakes and watched You Tube videos, so I knew what to expect. […]…
All about Krobo beads
Krobo beads are traditional handmade glass beads produced by the Krobo tribe. They are often referred to as ‘trade beads’ as they were a form of currency, but despite their beauty, had a sinister association as they were used in Ghana’s Trans-Atlantic slave trade. To see the beads being made we visited Cedi’s Beads Industry […]…
A fabulous range of trees, both familiar and unfamiliar
The Aburi Botanical Gardens, a 50-minute drive from Accra, are located on the grounds of a sanitorium built for British Gold Coast Colonial officials in 1875. However, because of the cool climate, it was turned into a botanical garden in 1890. In theory you should be able to see Accra in the distance, but because […]…
A very underwhelming experience
If you’ve watched the 2022 film, The Woman King, starring Viola Davis, you’ll know the Agojie were the all-woman fighting force of Abomey, the capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey between the 17th and 19th centuries. The 6,000-strong force, raided villages under the cover of darkness, took captives and slashed off resisters’ heads to present […]…
Underwhelming holes and trees
When travelling, I’ve often been advised to cover legs, shoulders or head, but never to avoid wearing red. However, on a visit to the underground village of Souterrain Agongointo-Zoungoudo in Benin, our guidebook suggested avoiding the colour for ritual reasons. The village was discovered as recently as February 1998, during the construction of a ring […]…
The mysterious Zangbeto
After two underwhelming experiences whilst sightseeing near the Benin city of Abomey, we hoped our guide’s surprise, a Zangbeto show, wouldn’t disappoint. We’d learned that Zangbeto are traditional voodoo guardians of the night who act as informal police, and we’d seen their costumes whilst visiting the capital Porto Novo. However, nothing prepared us for what […]…
