Backpacking Benin

Benin was part two of my journey to the motherland, as I also discovered I have Beninese ancestry. After a week in Togo, I took a taxi to the border and walked across after going through customs, which was a pretty painless process. 

I spent a week in Benin, which I found to be a bit more lively than Togo. Below are my recommendations for any trip to Benin.

Grand Popo

A beach city about 15 minutes from the Togolese border. It’s a great place to relax and unwind; many residents from Cotonou come here on the weekends to escape the city life.

Porto Novo

Benin’s capital and second largest city. One of the main attractions here is Grande Mosquée de Porto Novo. Unknown to many, following emancipation in Brazil in 1888, many Afro-Brazilians returned to their native land of Benin. They settled in the city of Porto-Novo, bringing elements of their culture with them, which later led to the creation of Grande Mosquée de Porto Novo mosque.

Ganvie

Arguably the best place in Benin to visit. Ganvie is a lake village, which was created in the sixteenth or seventeenth century by the Tofinu people who took to the lake to avoid Fon warriors who were taking people hostage to sell them to European enslavers. This area is known as the “Venice of Africa.”

Ganvie definitely lives up to the hype and is the most scenic place in Benin. Getting around is simple, all one needs to do is take a taxi to the port, pick a guide, and hop on a boat. Like Togo, I went with the same tour company, Mowoki Tours.

Ouidah

Ouidah was a densely populated, prosperous kingdom. It rose to prominence as an exporter of slaves in the late 17th century and flourished for about sixty years before falling to the inland kingdom of Dahomey in 1727. Check out the voodoo python temple and Djegbaji salt village.

Cotonou

Benin’s largest city and the country’s administrative capital. It’s similar to Lome in terms of vibes and could keep you entertained for a day or two.

If you’re into history, Benin is definitely the place to be. As a member of the African diaspora, to hear stories about the ancient kingdoms of Benin and its links to slavery was fascinating. For example, many Black people in Haiti and Louisiana descended from Benin, which explains the heavy presence of voodoo culture in those places. Each day I spent in Benin was a history lesson, and I felt more connected to my roots than ever.

Once upon a time, I, like many African-Americans, believed in the narrative that West Africans were primitive prior to European colonization. As a consequence, many of us grow up wanting to distance ourselves from our roots, often claiming that we are nothing more than Americans and not Africans. Though we are indeed Americans, we must understand that our roots will always be in Africa. Understanding the greatness of Benin through this trip was inspiring, and I truly believe that coming home is something that all from the diaspora must strive to do in their lifetime.