Added: 05/22/2006 |
Benin Travel - Stilted Villages, Urban Beaches and Succulent FoodBenin, formerly known as Dahomey, was one of the first countries in the 1990s to successfully effect the transition from dictatorship to a pluralistic political system. Today, it is one of the most stable countries in Africa. Benin is perfect for those seeking a fascinating glimpse into a complex culture. As far as organized tourist programs are concerned it's pretty light-on. For a low-key safari experience, head to the far-north to Pendjari Park and W Park. Pendjari is more developed for tourists than W, and is only open between mid-December and mid-May. The park contains elephants, hippos, buffalo and lions, but you'll be lucky if you see more than a few forlorn-looking antelope, a couple of wart hogs and maybe a few monkeys.
Benin coastline is spectacular, and especially well suited to swimming. Four km east from the centre of Cotonou is the best urban beach. It's safe, clean and regularly crowded. 40km West you'll find the absolutely perfect beach at Ouidah. Just a little better than perfect and a mere 40km further along the road, is Grand Popo. The beaches are quite safe, the sand is a spectacular white and the water clear and clean.
Benin has the hottest attractions in all of West Africa - the stilted fishing villages in the lagoon near Porto Novo. The towns however - and even Cotonou, the biggest - may seem unremarkable to the short-term visitor. Benin travel destination hides its best features. You need to be patient and observant to glimpse many of the cultural highlights of Benin. Food lovers don't need to worry. Beninese food is possibly the best in the region, and is widely available. Benin travel might be obscure, but when there's something going on, it is done in a big way.
The people in the area established the biggest slave trade in West Africa, were members of the most powerful kingdom have had the third-highest number of coups in Africa and Benin was the only country in West Africa to wholeheartedly adopt Marxism. Although Benin has seen economic growth over the past few years and has a high standing with the international community, it remains among the world's poorest countries. Within West Africa, Benin enjoys stable relations with Nigeria, the main regional power.
The only significant problem has been a long-running border dispute with Benin's northern neighbor, Niger, over ownership of islands in the Niger River. This was finally resolved by the International Court of Justice in July 2005, which awarded 16 islands to Niger and nine to Benin. Although no security issues exist in Benin, there are occasional incidents of mugging and personal assault in Cotonou and some armed robberies have been reported in other areas, notably the border area with Nigeria. Benin travel guides advise the visitors to be vigilant at all times here.
Benin has two climates. The south has a tropical climate with little range in temperatures, which average 28°C (82°F). The dry season is from December to April. In the north, abutting the Sahel, the humidity is much lower, but the temperatures can be much hotter.
For the best of both worlds choose your flight to Benin between December and March -the most comfortable window of opportunity in Benin travel.
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