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At the end of the Route of the Slaves stands an impressive memorial in honour of the departed slaves. The beach here is a symbolic and historical site as central and final departure point of the slaves, boarding the boats to the Americas. Near this ''point of no return'' are some giftshops and a restaurant.
In the centre of Ouidah, opposite the catholic cathedral, you find the ''Temple des Serpents'', one of the most famous voodoo sites in town.Snakes are important in the voodoo culture, because traditionally they were fetishes and a principal object of worship.Normally you can visit the temple and see the snakes and get some explanation about the temple and voodoo traditions.During my visit the temple was closed, so I didn't see the sleeping snakes, but I saw a lot of bats hanging in the trees around the temple. For me these peculiar animals looked very much like voodoo fetishes.
In Ouidah were at least six slave forts. The old portuegese fort, Fortaleza Sao Joao Batisita, built in 1721, is still there and can be visited. In the buildings of this fort you can find the historical museum or Voodoo Museum, but also workshops, giftshops and toilets.You can walk in the garden and climb the fortifications. From here you have a nice view at a part of the centre of Ouidah.
The Musee d'Histoire d'Ouidah is also known as the Voodoo Museum. So, in this former Portuguese Fort, there are also all kind of mystical artefacts of the voodoo culture. I saw a lot of skins, skulls and other not always well recognisable materials of animals and plants.Also nowadays the practice of voodoo remains strong in Benin and Ouidah, and also in Brasil and the Caribbean, brought there by the Dahomeyan slaves.Since 1992 a second museum about voodoo culture is established in Ouidah, in the former Casa do Brasil ( 1 KM more west).
The museum of Ouidah is located in one of the former forts of Ouidah, just south of the Grand Marche.Ouidah was one of the most important centres of slavetrading in West Africa, so the exhibitions in the museum concern for a major part the slave trade and the connections of Benin with Brazil and the Caribbean. Entrance fee is 1000 CFA, including a friendly guide.First I couldn't enter the museum, because there was not enough change.
In the villages and small towns we passed, we saw a lot of colourful small shops and street stalls selling clothes, shoes and all kind of food.At these stalls we did mostly our shopping, buying bread, vegetables, fruits, spices and other food or we took a local snack here.I always enjoyed to stroll around and have a look at the local products in the stalls and shops.
When you visit Benin don't stay only at the beaches and in the towns, but visit also the countryside and the villages.I really enjoyed to travel in the countryside.The atmosphere there is very peaceful. The people in the villages are very friendly and the landscape is beautiful.Travelling can be very dusty. At the end of the day we looked rather reddish, but that was part of the fun.
The people of Ganvie live mainly of fishbreeding and fishing. The fishermen plant branches in the muddy bottom of the Lake Nokoue. When the leaves start to decompose, the fish come here to feed themselves. At that moment the men and boys of the village come to catch the fish in their nets.
Not every building in Ganvie is built on wooden stilts. In the middle of the village Ganvie you will find a small island with solid soil. Here at this island some buildings of stone, like the church and the school are constructed.This is also the only place in the village where you see the villagers walk around instead of moving by boat.
In the centre of the Ganvie village we saw a lot of pirogues with all kind of containers.Here all the families of the village came to fetch their drinking water. The place, where they fetch the water is at the island, where the church and more buildings of stone are built.
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Reviews and photos of Benin attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Benin sightseeing.
Q: I shall be travelling through Ghana, Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso very soon. Any advice on what I should or should not wear...
A: Hi I am assuming from your VT name that you don't usually favour skimpy clothing? Well, just in case I am mistaken, this is not the part of the world to venture out in...
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