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janiebaxter Says: The Natitingou museum is located in an old French colonial house, built in 1915. As usual with museums in Benin, you get a much better experience if you hire a guide to explain the exhibits, although the guide we had didn’t speak English so Alex translated his explanations...
janiebaxter Says: The Tata Somba area is a good place to see Shea butter being made. Shea butter is an oily textured cream produced from a nut that grows on a tree, in many North and West African countries. It is used for cooking and household purposes instead of palm oil in countries where...
janiebaxter Says: The Tata Somba houses have 3 storeys and are made from mud bricks. Originally they were built for defence against rival tribes and the slave traders but the Somba have continued their traditional way of building and when you visit one of their homes you can see why. They are...
Pirrewiet Says: If you like swimming on a quite place don't miss the Kota Falls (Chutes de la Kota). There is a small water bassin down of the falls that is perfect for swimming. Because there are very few tourists in this part of the world, you are almost always alone. During the tourist...
Bonobo2005 Says: After the daytime rains, the sky usually clears up a bit and colours beautiful as the sun set.It is great to climb uphill and overlook town while the sun goes down behind the hills!!
It does mind where you urinate...
Bonobo2005 Says: Sometimes it was hard to get around without basic French, but at other times the signs were quite obvious!When I decided to urinate against this wall, I somehow understood that I shouldn't do it here!
Bonobo2005 Says: Like anywhere in Togo and Benin, mototaxi's are abundant in Natitingou. They are an excellent and cheap means to cover short distances.You can distinguish taxi moto's from others looking at the driver. The taxi drivers always wear green and yellow shirts with a number...
Local red cheese, a "must taste"
Bonobo2005 Says: More a "must taste" than a must see, on the way to / from Natitingou, some villages specialized in producing cheese.The cheese is sold along the main road; if you stop, the women come to offer you some cheaply.
Bonobo2005 Says: Most tourists don't leave the region without having visited some of the famous Tata Somba Houses. Probably the best place to organise a visit to a traditional homestead is Boukoumbe, about an hour west of Natitingou. In Boukoumbe you will be approached by guides (at least I...
Bonobo2005 Says: We visited the spectacular (at least in the raining season) and attractive Kota Falls as a daytrip from Natitingou. Not that they were very easy to reach, though. The moto taxi dropped us after 20 minutes at the junction on the main road, from where it's still a 6 km walk on...
Bonobo2005 Says: The most spectacular mountain scenery can be found along the Natitingou - Boukoumbe road, there are some brilliant viewpoints, but the hills around town are also appealing for a some unstructured hiking.We followed a bushpath behind the fancy Tata Somba Hotel uphill, and...
Bonobo2005 Says: I really enjoyed staying 3 nights in the relaxed town of Natitingou (pop. 60000).People are hospitable and polite, the climate is moderate, there are some nice bars, a long string of decent food stalls around the taxi park and even a cinema!! I lodged in La Vieuw Cavalier,...
Le Vieux Cavalier: Attractive small family hotel
yarpao Says: Good attention from the personnel. A little bit far from the main road (1 km) but free transfer from and to the bus station was provided. Small rooms but clean with an english spoken news station on the tv. Only cold water but very refreshing in this hot climate. Internet...
Hotel BELLEVUE , Natitingou ( Bénin ): Best hotel of Natitingou
Indiana-Jordi Says: Localised in a beautiful place , at the top of hill , Hotel BELLEVUE is the perfect establishment for holiday's dream . Crew very professionnal and cheap prices . Restaurant of quality , spacious rooms climatised , ventiled and very clean . Pendjari Park visit with guide...
Tata Somba Hotel: Small and Spacious with a Pool
janiebaxter Says: The Tata Somba Hotel is small and built in the traditional style of the area. The rooms are arranged around the swimming pool and are quite spacious and very clean. Meals are mostly served outside by the pool. Dinner was a generous plate of guinea fowl with peanut sauce and...
Helpfulness
La Brais de Nati is set on a hill just outside the town centre, overlooking the town. You can choose to eat either inside in the traditionally styled hut or outside. We chose to eat outside with a view of the twinkling lights of Natitingou below us.
The food is very good, and although it is a traditional grill featuring local meats there are also plenty of fresh tasty vegetables. I had Guinea Fowl with rice and green beans, carrots, onion and peppers and it was delicious but the portion was huge – far more than I could eat, although I tried my best!
Our driver ordered millet beer which is a local speciality. I decided to play safe and not try it as it is made with local water. It is also very strong. I had my usual Beninoise beer.
Written May 26, 2009
janiebaxter Says: The Somba are one of the most interesting tribes in Benin, living in the North close to the Atakora mountains. They are one of the main reasons for visiting the North, to see their traditional lifestyle and amazing 3 storey Tatas (houses) They are related to the Taneka tribe...
janiebaxter Says: As in most of Benin, the traditional religion plays an important part in daily life. The Tata has an area on the ground floor where Fetishes are kept to keep evil spirits away or to help solve a problem. When we visited we noticed many feathers on the floor in the fetish...
janiebaxter Says: Houses in the Tata Sombas are made from traditional mud bricks. The bricks are made from mud, grass and water in a mould then dried in the sun. When a Somba man wants to get married he has to build his own Tata or house which can take up to a year, depending on how much help...
Helpfulness
Luggage and bags: Re-sealable plastic bags are useful if you visit the Tata Sombas and want to buy Shea butter from one of the villages. The women in the village don’t have any bags and the Shea butter is quite oily and messy, plus they only have large quantities of it. The bags that you get at the airport to take your cosmetics through security are ideal as you can put a portion of Shea butter in and it can be sealed for the rest of your trip.
Written May 16, 2009
Natitingou: capital of an intriguing region
Natitingou is a very friendly town in Northern Benin in the hills towards the border with Togo. Travellers come to this somehow isolated area to visit the fortress-like homesteads of the Tata Somba...
Natitingou is the principal town in the North of Benin, with a population of 40,000, and is the base for trips to the Pendjari National Park and to the Tata Somba region. Although not large, the town...
Magnifique hotel disposant d'un grand domaine arboré surplombant Natitingou . Chambres spacieuses et très propres . Endroit paisible et calme avec restaurant sur terrasse . Prix très abordables ....
Build your own Natitingou page
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Chez Guillaume is another excellent restaurant in Natitingou just off the Goudron on the right at the southern end of town. Located in a large, airy paillote with an outdoor garden eating area, specialites include oven-baked pizza (2,500 - 4,000 CFA), grilled wild meats (guinea fowl, antelope, rabbit, hare, pigeon) and delicious Moroccan-style lamb or vegetable tagines. The owner-chef, Guillaume, makes his own pastries and ice-cream as well. Live jazz concerts every Saturday night. Beer and wine at buvette prices.