Togo & Benin: Culture, Nature and Voodoo

Today you head towards Kpalimé, leaving behind the southern coast of Togo. Along the way, you meet populations settled on the mountainsides, where they have found refuge to escape wars. These communities practice intensive agriculture, adapted to their mountainous environment.

You then reach Kpalimé, a region renowned for its coffee and cocoa crops and its lush landscapes, between wooded hills and deep valleys. The Agou peak, the highest summit in Togo, dominates this natural environment, covered in dense forests and dotted with small villages. The region also has numerous natural waterfalls, ideal for relaxation by the water.

Kpalimé is also an important craft center in Togo, where many artists and craftsmen gather: woodcarvers, batik artists, potters, weavers and artisans working with gourds. Their skills testify to the richness of local traditions.

Upon your arrival, you set off to discover the Womé waterfalls. After a short drive, a brief walk through the forest allows you to reach this natural site. You can enjoy swimming in the cool and sufficiently deep waters of the waterfall, in a lush setting conducive to relaxation.

This morning, you set off to discover Agbodrafo, a former Portuguese city that has become a peaceful small town, located between Lake Togo and the ocean, about thirty kilometers from Lomé.

Once a slave trading port, Agbodrafo was part of the region historically known as the "Slave Coast". The town preserves several vestiges of this painful past, notably the slave house (Woold Home) and the well of the enslaved, two places of remembrance that testify to the history of the slave trade in Togo.

You also discover the locality of Glidji, known for its traditional ceremony of the taking of the sacred stone, a practice rooted in local traditions.

You then spend a good half-day meeting and exchanging with the inhabitants of Agbodrafo. These moments of sharing allow you to approach their daily lives and better understand local customs, in a spirit of conviviality and respect.

You join Aneho, where you settle into your hotel for the rest of your stay in Togo.

This morning, you head to Ouidah (Benin), a historic city located near the Atlantic coast, marking your entry into Benin.

You devote this day to exploring the city and its cultural heritage. Your visit begins at the Python Temple, located across from the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the city's cathedral. These two buildings, with their different religious traditions, offer a striking architectural and spiritual contrast.

You continue your discovery with a walk through the sacred forest of Kpassé, a wooded area home to centuries-old trees. You discover a voodoo temple and its statues representing different deities, before contemplating the iroko tree of the king, closely linked to local traditions.

Your journey then takes you to the Slave Route, a historic itinerary that traces the five symbolic stages of the slave trade in Benin. You walk several kilometers to the beach, following in the footsteps of this painful period in Ouidah's history.

Finally, you conclude your visit with a stop at the Zinsou Foundation, a space dedicated to contemporary African art, where you can admire artistic creations testifying to the continent's cultural richness.

You continue your journey towards Ganvié, a lakeside city located in the heart of Lake Nokoué, in Benin. Inhabited since 1770 by the Toffin people, this water village originated from populations fleeing ethnic conflicts and slavery.

You set off to discover Ganvié by pirogue, a privileged way to observe the daily life of its inhabitants and the organization of this lakeside city.

As you navigate, you discover Ganvié's floating market, animated by its colors and the aromas of the products being traded. You also admire the traditional stilt houses, built from bamboo and thatch, which characterize the architecture of this village.

This pirogue ride allows you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Ganvié and better understand the lifestyle of its inhabitants, closely linked to the waters of Lake Nokoué.

You then head towards Porto Novo (Benin), the administrative capital of Benin and the Ouémé department. This port city stands out for its cultural and ethnic diversity, as well as its architectural heritage marked by the colonial period. Among its emblematic buildings is the Grand Mosque, recognizable by its original architecture.

Porto-Novo also holds an important place in Benin's religious traditions, particularly in cults dedicated to Orisha deities. Christianity, Yoruba and voodoo religious traditions, as well as Islam, coexist there and contribute to the city's cultural identity.

Your visit begins at Honmé Palace, before continuing to Porto-Novo's ethnographic museum, dedicated to local history and traditions. You discover various cultural objects there, including Guèlèdè masks, weapons and musical instruments, witnesses to traditional knowledge and practices.

You conclude your exploration with the Grand Mosque of Porto-Novo, whose multicolored façades and architectural style are particularly striking. This building illustrates the richness of the city's architectural and religious heritage.

On the way to Abomey (Benin), you make a stop in Pobé to meet with the Holi women, a community committed to preserving its cultural traditions.

During this courtesy visit, you discover their traditional jewelry and tattoos, which testify to the identity and customs of this people.

This moment of exchange allows you to experience Holi culture and better understand the importance of these traditions, still preserved within the community.

You are heading to the discovery of Abomey, the former capital of the Dahomey kingdom, founded in the 16th century. The city is home to the royal palaces of former sovereigns, witnesses to the history and cultural heritage of Benin.

These palaces now house a historical museum where royal objects, ornaments and treasures from the ancient kingdom are preserved. Abandoned after King Béhanzin's defeat by French colonists, these buildings were later restored with UNESCO support, allowing this historical heritage to be preserved.

Your visit continues on Goho Square, followed by a stop with the Hountondji craftsmen, who specialize in the transformation and manufacture of gold and copper objects. This encounter allows you to discover their expertise and appreciate the traditional craftsmanship techniques perpetuated in Abomey.

You head out today toward northern Benin, with your first stop in Dassa-Zoumé, a historic town surrounded by rocky landscapes. You discover the 41 hills of Dassa-Zoumé, imposing rock formations that surround the town and form a natural amphitheater. This characteristic landscape of the region offers a remarkable setting to appreciate the reliefs of central Benin.

Before heading to Natitingou (Benin), you make a second stop in Djougou to discover the village of Taneka Koko, located in a region mainly inhabited by animist hunters and millet farmers.

This visit allows you to experience the traditional way of life of the inhabitants and discover the agricultural practices and beliefs that characterize this community.

You then continue your journey to Natitingou, where you settle for the night.

Before leaving Natitingou (Benin), you start the day by visiting the popular museum, then the city market, where you discover the local atmosphere. Depending on your preferences, you will also have the opportunity to enjoy a swim in the natural pool of the Kota Falls.

You then head towards Boukoumbe (Benin), through a region dotted with villages whose inhabitants live mainly from agriculture. Located in the Atacora department, near the Togo border, Boukoumbé is in the heart of the Somba country.

You thus discover a region marked by the traditions of this people, who remained isolated from the rest of the country for a long time. Until the 1960s, the Somba notably preserved traditional clothing practices. From 1975 onwards, schooling policies helped gradually transform their way of life.

A few kilometers from Boukoumbé, you reach the village of Koutagou, whose name means "where there is happiness" in the Somba language. The village is notably known for its tatas Somba, traditional fortified dwellings whose architecture is reminiscent of small castles.

Beyond this architectural heritage, you discover a plain conducive to hiking and meeting with the inhabitants. An opportunity to share moments of exchange about their daily life, while enjoying the surrounding landscapes and views of the peaks of the Atacora that stand out on the horizon.

Continuation towards the famous Batammariba country which is none other than the counterpart, on the Togolese side, of the Beninese Somba country. The houses there are original fortified farm-fortresses with multiple stories, distinguished by their fortified shapes with terraces. They are grouped in small villages of about ten units corresponding to a clan, essentially in northern Togo and Benin. They are built to contain everything the family head possesses. In the heart of the village, discovery of the tamberma with the population to see the construction techniques, the way of life of the Batammariba people and visit several types of tamberma. With their permission, we will enter their homes.

A city in full expansion, Kara is at the heart of visits to Northern Togo. It is here that one finds one of the most numerous ethnic groups in Togo, the Kabyés or "farmers of stone", because they practice agriculture on rocky terrain. The Kabyés have made the region an important agricultural center where yams, cotton, peanuts are cultivated, and where mangoes and other fruits are found. Their houses called Soukala are a set of huts joined together by an enclosure wall where only a single patriarchal family lives. Meeting and exchanges with craftsmen, particularly blacksmiths. Possibility to attend in July of each year the traditional festivals Evala, an initiation celebration.

Sokodé is one of the largest cities in Togo. It is an administrative center where the Kotokolis live mainly, Muslims whose clothing recalls North Africa. The men wear large boubous and the women wear veils over magnificent very colorful outfits. Local music and dances are not found anywhere else in Togo. During the knife festival, the streets fill with traditional music and dances.

Visit and discovery of certain private houses (tombs of warriors) to which regular offerings are still made.

You head today towards Atakpamé, a prosperous town perched on a hill, which forms together with Kpalimé and Badou the coffee-cocoa triangle in Togo.

Once a mountainous refuge, Atakpamé became an important agricultural and administrative centre during German colonization. The town is also renowned for its cultural traditions, particularly the tchébé dance, a traditional stilt dance characteristic of the region. With a bit of luck, you will have the opportunity to witness a performance of this dance.

You then discover the central market of Atakpamé, set up around the main square. As night falls, the atmosphere becomes more lively: residents and visitors stroll to the rhythm of music, in a friendly atmosphere.

Your discovery of the region continues at the Nangbéto dam, located not far from Atakpamé, where you may have the opportunity to observe hippopotamuses in their natural environment.

You discover Notsé, considered the historical capital of the Ewe people. It is here that a kingdom developed in the 15th century, of which some ruins remain today. The city holds an important place in the history and traditions of the Ewe, notably through the traditional festival Agbogbo-Za, celebrated each year and considered one of the main cultural events of this community. Your visit begins with a meeting with pineapple farmers, an opportunity to exchange with them and discover their agricultural activity.

You then continue your exploration through the historical ruins of Notsé, witnesses to the ancient Ewe civilization and the history of this people.

The day continues with a shared lunch with the pineapple farmers, a convivial moment conducive to exchanges and meetings with the local people.

For these last hours in Togo, you enjoy a final tour of the city of Lomé, an opportunity to soak in the atmosphere of the capital one last time.

You continue with a pleasant stroll on the beach, a moment conducive to sharing your impressions and emotions after this trip rich in meetings and discoveries.

A few souvenir purchases and a refreshing break complete these final moments before your transfer to Lomé airport for your return flight.