- The Republic of Benin is the biggest attraction for site visitors. The country’s rich history and heritage tell its story. From the ancient palaces of Abomey, through to the museums, even to the pathway on which slaves once walked, are a specialist and always part of the country’s heritage’s.
As a first-time traveler to West Africa, Benin offers a wide selection of tourist attractions, from ancient palaces to wildlife-rich parks, sweeping beaches, a national park, and a big game safari amongst several others.
On the history of the Republic of Benin;
- The Republic of Benin, formerly (until 1975) Dahomey is from north to a long-stretched country in West Africa, situated east of Togo and west of Nigeria, it is bordered to the north by Burkina Faso and Niger, in the south by the Bight of Benin, in the Gulf of Guinea, that part of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean which is roughly south of West Africa.
The official capital is Porto-Novo, but Cotonou is Benin’s largest city, its chief port, and its economic capital. Benin was a French colony from the late 19th century until 1960.
The history of Benin is a succession of several kingdoms, it was the seat of Dahomey, one of the great medieval African kingdoms.
The three main kingdoms (created by the Fon) were of Allada before they fell to the armies of Dahomey (Abomey). The Kingdom of Abomey was founded in 1625 and that of Porto-Novo was probably founded in the late 16th century, then called Adjacé then Hogbonou.
Benin’s coastline is just 121 km (75 mi) long and it has a population of 10 million people in 2013. The spoken languages are French (official), Fon, and Yoruba.
While words convey one idea, the use of images can convey multiple at the same time while also engaging you on a different level.
Here are some of the Amazing and lovely adventures waiting on you when you visit the Benin Republic.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:
- Royal Palaces of Abomey
The royal palaces of Abomey are a unique reminder of this vanished kingdom.
Between 1625 to 1900, 12 kings succeeded one another at the head of the powerful Kingdom of Abomey. Only King Akaba had his separate enclosure, they all had their palaces built within the same cob-wall area, in keeping with previous palaces as regards the use of space and materials. The kingdom established itself as one of the most powerful on the western coast of Africa.
These palaces obey the principles relating to the culture Aja-Fon and constitute the decision-making center of the kingdom, the center for the development of craft techniques, and the storage for the treasures of the kingdom.
- Abomey Historical Museum
The Musee Historique d’ Abomey was created by the French colonial administration in 1943. It is a culmination of history, living culture, and tourism. The entire palatial site extends over approximately 108 acres and has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage list since 1985. These collections are made up of arms, thrones carved in one block of wood, jewelry, portable altars in metal (“assign”) dedicated to ancestors or deceased kings whose spirits they represent, and also sculptured animals which symbolized “the kings”.
- Slave Route (Route d’Esclaves)
Point of No Return
The Route d’Esclaves, or the Slave Route is a 2.5-mile stretch of heritage road that is the last piece of African soil slaves from Benin touched before they were shipped to the Caribbean and Americas. The slave trade and slavery that has affected all continents and caused great upheavals that have shaped our modern societies.
This area now holds several landmarks which are important for telling the story, including the Slave Auction where owners bargained for help, the Tree of Forgetting where slaves were forced to perform a ritual that allegedly made them forget their homeland, and the Zomai Cabin, a tiny dark enclosure which was thought to prepare the slaves for the torrid conditions aboard the ships.
The most haunting of all is the remarkable monument on Ouidah Beach, the slaves’ point of departure, known as the Point of No Return.
NATIONAL PARKS
National parks are the prime locations of wild and untamed nature; in many countries, they are the most exciting places to visit, if you can find them
Pendjari National Park
The Pendjari National Park is named for the Pendjari River. The national park is known for its wildlife and is home to some of the last populations of big game like the African forest elephant, lion, hippopotamus, African buffalo, and various antelopes in West Africa. The park is also famous for its richness of birds.
You can spend a few days at the billowing waterfalls, and gorgeous green landscape, which is a lovely respite from the sometimes overwhelming nature of Benin’s large city centers.
The Pendjari National Park borders extend into that country as well as into Niger.
- W National Park
W National Park (WNP), named after the shape of the Niger River, is connected with Pendjari National Park through hunting concessions, and together the parks form a significant portion of the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex.
REPUBLIC OF BENIN’S LAKE
Ganvie Lake Village
This is one of the largest lake towns in the West African region, and the village of Ganvie is an interesting place to visit. It is home to nearly 30,000 people who all live in houses on stilts, the Ganvie Lake Village is quite a site to behold. Only 11 miles (18 km) northwest of the center of Cotonou, Ganvie is a beautiful place to spend the day. There is also a water market from which all sorts of local crafts can be purchased.
SHOPPING IN BENIN REPUBLIC
Grand Marche du Dantopka
For tourists interested in shopping, there is only one place to go in Benin, the Grand Marche du Dantopka in Cotonou. Everything under the sun can be purchased in its labyrinthine lanes, from fish to soap, plastic sandals to goats and pirated DVDs to spare car parts. A veritable labyrinth of lanes and alleys, the market can be both exhausting and exciting at the same time. It is also economically important for the country, with a reported commercial turnover of over a billion CFA Francs a day.
Craft Market
Craft items of every sort and nice quality to remember your trip by. Necklaces, wooden stuff, paint, whatever you might like to bring home to hang or sit out can be found here. There are on display many crafted souvenirs and household decor items usually patronized by locals and tourists.
VOODOO Festival
January 10 of every year see to the celebration of Voodoo festival in the capital Ouidah, the former slave port during the Atlantic slave trade.
The practice spread as far as Brazil and Haiti in South America , this is due to the abundant slave trades during the earlier centuries.
Thousands of foreign visitors visit the country during this time to witness mind blowing ceremonies celebrated in an unusual way. Pythons and preserved skulls of dogs, elephants, goats, monkeys, and even of humans are all used in the ceremonies.
Live rats and fish often make an appearance, as does hand-carved wood.
More than half of the population still practices the 10,000-year-old religion in modern times, despite being exposed to Christianity and Islam. The historic centre of voodoo worship is to receive blessings from the city’s voodoo.
For millions of Beninese, voodoo is a free part of everyday life. this is only one aspect of it. The Republic of Benin is associated with Voodoo as its panteon of gods include more than 300 deities.
CUISINE
Benin’s delicacies involve many fresh meals served with a variety of sauces. Meat is very much expensive.
In the southern part of Benin, the most common ingredient is corn quite often used to prepare dough which is mainly served with peanut– or tomato-based sauces.
Many people have mud stoves for cooking and also mud pots which are used to preserve the meal, and mud pots are used to store water; these pots are usually kept outside the home.
Igname Pilée
The dish signifies a cultural meal as to many Benin inhabitants, yams were the most consumed meals. This character is even distributed to its neighboring countries like Nigeria.
Benin’s cuisine is an eclectic mix of several regional influences, There are plenty of bars and pubs in Cotonou, with many serving the local brew. Most other regions have low-key entertainment scenes as well.
In conclusion, I would recommend a visit to the Benin Republic first because has a lot of history. The best time to visit is from December to March, July, and August.
In many ways, the Republic of Benin is a perfect introduction to the continent of Africa.