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Benin constitutes a long stretch of land perpendicular to the Coast of the Gulf of Guinea. It is the former Dahomey, the so-called most beaten track by Europeans of any Africa. The history of Benin can be rooted to the chain of kingdoms.
Benin is a conservative country and you should dress well and behave in order to respect their culture and so as not to offend. I would suggest the best time to visit this place, with regards to its climate, the idea is to visit the Southern area from December to March and July/August while visiting times for the Northern part of the Country is from December to April.
If you are interested to explore the history of Benin, one extraordinary and astonishing museum is the Abomey which is referred to as the Royal City, the capital of Dan-Home, and is known as the ancient Kingdom. It has one of the most remarkable museums of Africa. The artists and craftsmen, weavers, jewellers, woodcarvers, iron and brass workers are famous far beyond the boundaries of the Republic of Benin.
Tourists can also try visiting another museum, the Quidah, known as Whydah in English, the Museum City. Quidah shows the European invasion with the earliest Portuguese, English, Danish and French trading posts or strongholds. It is great to see and discover the remains of the ancient haven from which the slaves were boarded and shipped to America. The unique Porto Novo offers a good experience. This is the City with three Names (Porto Novo, Hogbonou, Adjatche). It is the administrative capital of Benin, right in the middle of the Yoruba land.
There are also important museums in this particular area but the difference here is Adjogan music which is prevalent to Porto-Novo. The style of music is played on an alounloun, a stick with metallic rings attached which jingle in time with the beating of the stick. They say that the alounloun descend from the office staff of King Te-Agdanlin. The music is played as a tribute and respect to the King and his ministers. It is also being used in the city’s Roman Catholic churches.
If you are a lover of nature, one of the greatest tourist attractions here in Benin can be found at Natitiogou. This area has castle-type Tata-Sombas. There are also traditional huts of the Tanekas and other tribes in the North where there are the richly varied fauna of the National Parks of Pendjari and W. This is one of the highlights of visiting Benin and indeed the whole of West Africa. You will discover numerous different species of birds as well as different species of mammals including baboons, lions, elephants and water buffalo.
The Tanougou Falls, a natural waterfall is also a famous attraction of Benin. If you want you can relax and do some swimming, the natural pools located at the base of the waterfall are refreshing and can be used free of charge. It is a natural treasure to be enjoyed. Kota Falls is also another attraction where you can gain the experience and gain insight into the natural beauty of Benin.
Ganvie is the Africa’s unique floating villages built on stilts. It is the fishing village. There you can also see the lake market. Try to experience the motorboats or dugouts which are available for trips across the lake to the Ganvie. During the trip there are Akadjas made of stakes and bushes in the shape of open circles or triangles driven into the bed of the plantless Lake. Seeking shelter among the foliage, the fish can be easily caught or kept for breeding.
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Source by Andy Gibson
