Togo & Bénin March Adventure

March 14th to 25th 2024, 12 days

Join us as we travel across mystical Togo & Bénin, to dive deep into voodoo culture and meet the locals. We will stop by various ethnic villages, learning all about their customs and differences. In Mount Agou and Kpalimé, the accent will be put on the flora and fauna, where as Taneka, Tamberma & Somba country will be a treat for those looking to meet the locals and discover different ways of life.
A special treat is in the program: the famous dance of fire in Bassar!

full itinerary

day 1 – 14/3/2024 • Lomé

• Arrival in Lomé at your convenience
• Your Papillon guide and driver will greet you at the airport, before starting our tour of Lomé, Togo’s capital.
• Depending on arrival time, visit of the fetish market
• Dinner in town

Overnight in Lomé, Hotel Napoléon Lagune or similar, AC room

day 2 – 15/3/2024 • Lomé – Agbodrafo – Togoville

• In the morning, we’ll embark in a pirogue – the West African boat of choice – to Togoville across the lake
• Arrival in Togoville where we will explore this unique town. Our first visit is to a chalk factory where most of the employees are visually impaired
• We’ll have a lunch there before heading onwards to Agbodrafo
• Evening in Agbodrafo among the locals, to properly take in the Togolese culture before our journey brings us further in the country

Overnight in Agbodrafo, Hotel Ecole Safari, AC room

day 3 – 16/3/2024 – Agbodrafo – Mt Agou – Kpalimé

• After breakfast, we’ll hit the road for a visit of Agou village, an unique place with incredible sceneries, right at the foot of Mt Agou
• Our journey then takes us to Kpalimé, an artisanal town. We’ll visit the learning center for potters and painters, before heading to Kouma Kunda, a place with an ecological reputation attracting numerous nature lovers every year. The botanical garden is breathtaking, and we’ll discover about the local flora and fauna.
• Dinner in town

Overnight in Kpalimé, Hotel Geyser or similar, AC room

day 4 – 17/3/2024 • Kpalimé – Bassar – Kara

• Today, we’ll embark on a road trip to learn everything about the traditional Bafilo weavers and their secrets. They’ll show us the traditional ways to make table cloths, blankets, etc.
• We will then drive towards Kara, with a stop in Bassar – where the local dance of fire will be performed for us
• Afternoon arrival in Kara
• We’ll take a stroll around town before choosing a nice restaurant for our dinner.

Overnight in Kara, Hotel La Douceur, AC room

day 5 – 18/3/2024 • Kara

• Today will be laid back as we take our time to explore Kara
• We’ll visit the local museum, the local market where fresh fruits, vegetables and spices from the whole region can be found, and take our time to meet the locals
• Dinner and overnight in town

Overnight in Kara, Hotel La Douceur, AC room

day 6 – 19/3/2024 • Kara – Tamberma & Somba Country – Natitingou

• Our last day in Togo has come, and for a last visit we’ll head to Tamberma Country, where traditional houses look like small castles and are well thought to host a whole family.
• We’ll then cross the border into Bénin, more precisely Somba Country (the Beninese version of Tamberma Country).
• We’ll explore Natitingou, before a well deserved local beer called Tchoukoutou.
• As the beer is likely to make us hungry, we’ll then discover some local banana doughnuts, a specialty from Natitingou!

Overnight in Natitingou, Hotel Totora, AC room

day 7 – 20/3/2024 • Natitingou – Taneka Country – Djougou – Natitingou

• After breakfast, we’ll head to Taneka Beri, another traditional village
• Home of the Tangba people, we’ll explore the village – we might even encounter the village chief and a voodoo witchdoctor!
• With more than 400 inhabitants, Taneka Beri kept its authenticity and particular architecture
• After the visit, we’ll go to Djougou to see its unique handicrafts and local artisans’ market
• Head back to Natitingou for dinner

Overnight in Natitingou, Hotel Totora, AC room

day 8 – 21/3/2024 • Natitingou – Kouandé – Natitingou

• Today, we’ll immerse ourselves in the ancient culture of the Bariba kingdom.
• After breakfast, we’ll head to the village of Kouandé, where none other than the king will greet us on arrival
• We will be learning all about their feudal system still existing in Benin
• After a visit at the traditional artisan market, we’ll take a look at a local karité butter established by a women’s cooperative
• Head back to Natitingou for the night and a nice local dinner

Overnight in Natitingou, Hotel Totora, AC room

day 9 – 22/3/2024 • Natitingou – Savalou – Dassa

• Today, we’ll learn more about the voodoo culture of Benin, which plays an important role to this day.
• We’ll head to Savalou for an offering to the Dankoli Witchdoctor, before making our way to Dassa. Also called the City of 41 hills, Dassa actually has more but the locals stopped counting after that number following spiritual reasons relative to voodoo culture.
• We’ll explore a local cave and basilisk.
• Dinner in town for a good taste of the local cuisine

Overnight in Dassa, Auberge de Dassa, AC room

day 10 – 23/3/2024 • Dassa – Ouidah

• Today we head South towards Ouidah, stopping by a traditional salt farm, before walking through the infamous Road of Slaves.
• At the end of the road, the Gate of No Return stands, which was the last one crossed by slaves during the slavery times before being sent to Europe or the Americas.
• We’ll also visit the Temple of Pythons, a symbolic animal in the voodoo religion.
• Time permits, we will do more exploration of Ouidah before enjoying a nice dinner

Overnight in Ouidah, Hotel Dauphins, AC room

day 11 – 24/3/2024 • Ouidah – Ganvié

• After breakfast, we’ll leave Ouidah by the Route des Pêches, famous for its scenery and coconut trees bordering the road. It will lead us to Abomey Calavi, where we’ll embark on a pirogue, the Beninese boat of choice, to Ganvié, in the middle of the lake.
• We’ll see the floating market along the way, together with the many species of fish and birds populating the lake and its surroundings.
• We’ll spend the night in a lakehouse, in the middle of the village, for a truly unforgettable night

Overnight in Porto Novo, Centre Songhai, AC room

day 12 – 25/3/2024 • Ganvié – Cotonou

• In the morning, we will travel to Cotonou
• Visit of the iconic Dantokpa market, the largest one in West Africa
• Lunch in the market, followed by the visit of the artisans workshop, where pretty much anything manmade can be bought
• Depending on your flight departure time, more visits can be arranged depending on your preferences
• Transfer to the airport

includes

Breakfast on days 2-12
Private transport
Accommodation

excludes

Flight to Lomé and from Cotonou
Visa
PCR test if needed
Tips for local guide & driver
Drinks, souvenirs
Personal spendings

prices

• 1,980€ per person
• single room supplement 320€ per person