- Join for free
- Sign In
janiebaxter Says: The python temple is one of the highlights of a visit to Ouidah – unless you are bothered by being in a room with over 40 snakes! The pythons are Royal Pythons and are sacred, representing the God Dan who is one of the most popular Voodoo Gods, particularly in Ouidah and...
janiebaxter Says: There is another important sacred tree in the sacred forest with a more recent history. In 1988 there was a strong storm and the tree fell over and blocked the forest path. When the workers came to cut up the tree they found it had put itself back up again by magic!
The Tree That is Really a King
janiebaxter Says: All the trees in the forest are sacred, some more than others, but this tree is the reason the forest is sacred and is THE most sacred tree. King Kpasse who ruled Ouidah in the 16th century when it was a small peaceful farming area learned that the dreaded and feared King of...
janiebaxter Says: This small temple in the sacred forest stands next to the sacred Iroko tree and is dedicated to King Kpasse who was responsible for the forest becoming sacred in the 16th century. It was built by his descendants who still visit it and hold ceremonies there. It is decorated...
Zomachi, the Repentance Monument
janiebaxter Says: The Zomachi monument symbolises repentance and reconciliation. It was built after the first day of repentance and reconciliation in January 1998, when the leading citizens and elders of Ouidah held a ceremony to ask forgiveness from God for the sins of the ancestors who...
janiebaxter Says: The Tree of Forgetfulness was planted by King Agadja, one of the Dahomey Kings who controlled the capture of slaves, who ruled from 1718 to 1732. The tree was blessed with magical powers. The captured slaves would walk around the tree hoping to forget their past life and...
janiebaxter Says: This temple stands near the sacred Iroko Tree in the sacred forest. Entrance is reserved for Voodoo priests and priestesses, as is the area of the forest beyond it, and it is used for special ceremonies. The most important ceremonies are held every 7 years – 7 is a sacred...
The Slave Trader Don Francisco De Souza
janiebaxter Says: Many Ouidah people have Portugese names, and De Souza is a common one, after Don Francisco De Souza the famous slave trader. Born in Brazil to a poor farming family, De Souza went to Ouidah to make his fortune in the slave trade, which he did, soon becoming the most...
janiebaxter Says: The Door of No Return was the last land stage of the journey of the slaves which started in their villages, when they were captured, then took them to the slave market in Chacha Place, around the Tree of Forgetfulness, to dungeon prisons then finally the 3.5km walk to the...
Slavery Museum in the Old Portugese Fort
janiebaxter Says: The slave trade is a big part of the history of this part of Africa. It lasted for around 300 years starting from the 16th century and during this time millions of Africans were transported from their homes to work in plantations in America, Brazil, Cuba and the Caribbean...
janiebaxter Says: This temple is dedicated to the Gozin, which is a clay pot that was used in traditional ceremonies. If a King ruled for 10 years a ceremony was held in celebration, and then held every 10 years he ruled after that. The Gozins were carried to the river by young girls who must...
janiebaxter Says: Chacha Place was the site of the old slave market where the slaves were auctioned under the big tree, planted in 1747 by one of the Dahomey Kings. They were then taken to the dungeons to await their shipment to America. There is a monument of hope to the slaves who were...
janiebaxter Says: The Cathedral is not one of the prettiest, and considering all the other fascinating and wonderful things to do and see in Ouidah it is easy enough to miss. It was built in the early 20th century and refurbished in the 1980's.It is opposite the entrance to the python temple...
Chodaton Plantation, Festival for Twins
janiebaxter Says: The Chodaton plantation is the venue for the annual festival in honour of twins which is held the first Sunday in October. Twins travel from all over the country and are given special food to eat, then they celebrate with their families.Twins are considered extremely special...
janiebaxter Says: The forest of King Kpasse has been a highly important sacred place in Ouidah for hundreds of years, and only Voodoo priests and priestesses were allowed to enter until 1992 when it was opened to the public for the first annual Voodoo Arts and Culture Festival. King Kpasse...
Benin Diasporo Auberge: Lunch by the Beach
janiebaxter Says: We ate lunch here and although it was not as good as some of the places in Cotonou and Grand Popo it was perfectly fine with nothing to complain about. We had the usual basket of French bread and some very welcome fresh peanuts to start. This was followed by fish with rice...
georeiser Says: My best memory of Oidah is the corrupt police. The bush-taxi was stopped by the police for nothing, just to pay a dash-bribe. There were two different road blocks within the city border. I was sitting in the back seat of the car and was told to "hide my white face" when the...
mi5chelle Says: Ouidah is reportedly the birthplace of Voodoo and even if you are not remotely interested in that, it is still a great destination. However, be wary of voodoo witches who want to show you various ceremonies that are in essence just an excuse to do cheap visual tricks for a...
georeiser Says: Thin trousers and a shirt blouse in the daytime is recommended. The shoes should not be too warm and easy to take on/off, like a sandal.
georeiser Says: Ouidah is the spiritual capital of Benin with a population of 100000 people. The city has some popular attractions like the Market Center, Maison du Brésil art gallery, a voodoo python temple and numerous statues and monuments where the slaves were taken to the beach.
Plan a Ouidah vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Ouidah locals
Thin trousers and a shirt blouse in the daytime is recommended. The shoes should not be too warm and easy to take on/off, like a sandal.
Our members can help!
1
OUIDAH, History Magic and Voodoo
Ouidah is just 40km from Cotonou, on the coast and close to Lake Aheme, and is one of the main tourist attractions in Benin with its important and well documented history in the slave trade and...
2
Ouidah is 45 Km from cotonou, the Benin port city. Ouidah is known to be the place of origin of the Black Magic (Voodoo Magic). It is also the gateway to slave trade in the early 1800. Ouidah is a...
3
Ouidah, the spiritual capital of Benin
Ouidah is the spiritual capital of Benin with a population of 100.000 people. The city has some popular attractions like the Market Center, Maison du Brésil art gallery, a voodoo python temple and...
4
Benin in general and Ouidah, in particular, are great places in West Africa....never a dull moment when backpacking through.
5
I've got some interesting experiences in Ouidah. I'd love to share with you the 0 tips I've written, the 3 photos uploaded, and 3 travelogues I've created.
Build your own Ouidah page
