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Travel Information on Benin
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Benin (BJ)
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| Continent: |
Africa |
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| Area: |
122,622 km² |
| Population: |
725,003 |
| Capital city: |
Porto-Novo |
ISO code: |
BJ |
| National language: |
French |
International dialling code: |
+229 |
| Currency: |
CFA-Franc Communauté française d'Afrique |
Licence plate number: |
RB |
| Flight routes from Benin: |
108 |
Flight routes to Benin: |
97 |
| Popular airports: |
Cotonou (COO)
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| Large cities: |
Cotonou,
Abomey-Calavi,
Porto-Novo,
Djougou,
Parakou,
Bohicon,
Kandi,
Lokossa,
Ouidah,
Abomey,
Natitingou,
Savé,
Nikki,
Dogbo,
Cové
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| Airlines based in Benin: |
Afric'Air Charter,
Benin Golf Air,
Aero Benin
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Travelguide Benin (Africa)
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The Republic of Benin is a country in equatorial Africa and is on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean. The small state borders clockwise on Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Geography: this very fertile country extends for over 700 km (434 miles) in a northerly direction to the Niger and has a flat coast lined with coconut palms. Inland, the country rises to form a plain that is intensively used for agricultural purposes. Behind this area used for cultivation, which is of extreme emportance for the popualtion, is the Atakora mountain chain, which is also where the highest point in the country is to be found. East of this mountain range, the land drops again towards the Niger River.
Mountains and rivers: the highest mountain in Benin is the 658 m (2158 ft) high Mont Sokbaro in the Atakora massif, a lush green mid mountain range running from north east to south west. These mountains stretch from Ghana through to Togo to Benin and boast a great number of beautiful waterfalls such as the Kudou or Tanougou, the longest river in the country is the 500 km (310 miles) long Ouéme, it has its source in the Atakora massif near Djougou and flows through the whole of the country to the Gulf of Guinea, where it ends up in the Atlantic Ocean near Porto Novo.
Climate and best time to visit: the best time to visit Benin is during the dry season between December and April, whereby in the north, the climate is that of the south Sahel and the hot dry Sahara wind, the Harmattan, is still noticeable between December and February. The south of Benin is about 250 km (155 miles) from the coast and has a distinctly subtropical equatorial climate with 2 rainy seasons, one from May to July and the other from September to December with relatively constant maximum temperatures of about 29° C.
Language and communication: the official and national language is French. More than 60 colloquial languages are spoken throughout the country, in the north mainly the tribal languages Bariba and Fulani, in the south Fon and Yoruba. English is only understood by those working in the tourist industry on the coast and in the national parks. Knowledge of French is essential for independent travel into the interior of the country.
Health and vaccinations: vaccination against hepatitis A, typhoid, diphtheria, polio and tetanus is recommended. Long clothing should be worn to provide protection against mosquitoes and other insects, and a locally purchased insect repellent should also be used. All visitors to Benin require a yellow fever vaccination. Due to the great number of rivers and the two rainy seasons there is a high malaria occurrence in Benin. Please seek advice from your GP on effective anti malaria medication. Medical care is only sufficient in the larger cities. Important medicine may not be available at short notice. As a rule, hospitals and doctors demand cash in exchange for medical care. Visitors are advised to take out comprehensive medical and travel insurance that covers repatriation costs. Only bottled water should be drunk during the entire stay in Benin, a first aid kit should be packed and fruit and vegetables peeled or boiled before being eaten. Please heed the advice of the locals when swimming in the sea as the Gulf of Guinea can have extremely strong and dangerous currents.
Entry requirements: Visas are needed to enter Benin and may be obtained from the Honorary Consul to Benin in London or the nearest embassy in Paris and are valid for stays of up to 30 days. Some countries ask for documentary evidence of parental responsibility before permitting single parents to enter or leave the country: further information may be obtained from the Honorary Consul. More information on vaccination and entry requirements as well as current security issues is posted on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Website.
Arrival and onward journey: Air France currently provides the only non-stop flight from Europe to Cotonou (COO) from Paris-Orly (ORY). All other flights normally involve at least one short stop over in the respective national hubs of the airline involved. The Moroccan airline Royal Air Maroc (AT) flies from London-Heathrow (LHR) via Casablanca (CMN).
Benin does not have its own national airline at present. From Cotonou only hired private jets fly to the national airports of Parakou (PKO), Natitingou (NAE), and Kandi (KDC).
Capital city: the government of Benin has its seat in the second largest city Porto Novo, which presently has 250,000 inhabitants. The official capital is Cotonou only 50 km to the west, with a total of one million inhabitants. Cotonou is also the largest city in the country as well as being its cultural and economic centre. Attractions include the large international market on the Jonquet Strip in the district of Dan Tokpa that is held twice a week and is one of the biggest in West Africa. The art market is also worth seeing: here traditional woodcarvings, drums, baskets and pottery may be purchased at a good price. The beach of La Crique is good for swimming. Not to be missed is the nearby village of Ganvie. The Venice of Benin is more than 250 years old and is situated on a lagoon. Ganvie consists entirely of water roads and buildings on stilts. The best way of exploring the picturesque town is with a traditional Piroge which may be hired everywhere.
Places of interest: Benin may only be a small country in west Africa, but has a great wealth of culture, picturesque countryside with lush green hills and dream beaches fringed with coconut palms on the Atlantic ocean. This region is also famous for the fascinating voodoo culture, which spread to America with the slave trade in the 17th century.
Those interested in the voodoo ceremonies must visit Ouidah and establish contact to the locals as there is no other way of accessing the tribal rituals. The town is located on the Gulf of Benin and has a great selection of cultural and historic attractions. The most important of these is the Portuguese Fortress from colonial times, the holy forest of the Yoruba and the so- called slave route running from the slave market on "Cha Cha" square to the "Port de Non Retour". The „gate of no return“ is a memorial site erected by the UNESCO in 1992 on the beach. A large number of statues line the streets on the way to the site. Ouidah should definitely be visited during the voodoo festival on the 10th January, when a voodoo king performs different rituals and ceremonies on the former route. Other attractions in Ouidah are the Temple of the Holy Python and the nearby town of Possotome, with mineral springs on the shores of the local lake Aheme.
Further north, but on the same latitude is the city of Abomey. It was formerly the capital of the mighty kingdom of Dahomey, which between the 17th and 19th centuries controlled the slave trade on the West African coast. In Abomey the well-preserved ruins of the former palaces and their relics which are exhibited in the museum are worth seeing. This legacy is on the UNESCO’s red list, because in 1984 a powerful tornado caused extreme damage and more than 70 % of the building is threatened with collapse. The voodoo fetish temple should also definitely be visited in Abomey along with the nearby "Centre Artisanal", where traditional handicrafts may easily and cheaply be acquired.
Those travelling to the Pendjari National Park should definitely visit the province of Natintingou, which is situated south of the Atakora mountain chain. Here in the north west of the republic is the home of the Somba, a peoples famous for their two storied mud castles called tata. The tata have been built in the traditional way for centuries as a protection from the slave traders and wild animals. The best time to visit Natintingous is from the end of February, when the desert wind the Harmattan abates and the hot sand is no longer swirled up.
National Parks: Benin has two very famous national parks. The Pendjari National Park, in the north of the country, is particularly varied for West African circumstances. Here elephants, crocodiles, hippos, antelopes and countless zebras may be watched in their wild habitats. The Pendjari is a UNESCO protected biosphere reserve and is situated between the Atakora highland and the natural river border to Burkina Faso. Please note that the park is only open during the dry season between December and June and that only then do the animals gather to drink at the waterholes.
Another large cross-border national park is the "W", shared by Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso. The unusual name is derived from the shape of the route of the River Niger, which, seen from the air, represents the shape of a W. The park is further north of the Pendjari and on the Benin side is not developed to deal with large numbers of visitors. The “trademarks” of the "W"-National Park is the cheetah. Other significant mammals are elephants, Cape buffalo, antelopes, hyenas, lions, hippos, and several species of primates. Besides the countless numbers of African birds, in the winter there are also many migrating birds from Europe such as geese, storks and herons. Crocodiles, monitors, and many swarms of fish may also be watched on the Niger, which, as a result of the large amounts of water, possesses an extremely rich diversity of animal life.
Religion: more than 50 % of the inhabitants of Benin are followers of the natural religions. 30% are Christian, 20% Muslim but many people believe in voodoo even if not officially, which is why the natural religions, especially voodoo, are firmly anchored in the life of the population.
Major Cities and accommodation: Cotonou, Porto Novo, Godomey, Parakou, Abomey-Calavi and Bohicon.
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Favourite Flights and Cheap Flights from and to Benin / BJ
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