In The Heart Of Magic: Benin & Togo Voodoo Festivals 10 days

Day 1: In The Gulf of Guinea | Cotonou

Upon arrival in Cotonou, you will be transferred to your hotel. In the evening, join us for a delightful cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres, followed by a welcome dinner. This event will include an introduction and a presentation about the exciting journey ahead.

Day 2: Benin I Ganvie | Ouidah

We begin the day with a scenic ride across Lake Nokoué on a motorized boat to reach Ganvie, the largest and most stunning African stilt village. This village has remarkably preserved its traditions. Daily life revolves around the canoes, skillfully guided by men, women, and children using brightly coloured poles.

We arrive in Ouidah, celebrated as the capital town of African Voodoo. Ouidah features Afro-Portuguese architecture, with the Python Temple facing the Catholic Cathedral. The local atmosphere is wonderfully relaxed, blending with the distant sounds of waves and rhythmic drumbeats.

We visit the Python Temple and the Portuguese Fort, now a museum showcasing Ouidah's history and the slave trade. The tour concludes with a walk along the "slave road" to the beach, also known as the "point of no return" where slaves once boarded ships.

Day 3: Ouidah | Voodoo Festivals

Every 10th of January, Benin honours traditional religion and its associated cults with a national celebration. Ouidah, in particular, becomes the epicentre of this vibrant event, hosting dozens of voodoo ceremonies. Thousands of devotees, traditional chiefs, and fetish priests gather to partake in the festivities.

We will carefully select the best sites from the program to ensure an unforgettable experience. The festival spans the entire region around Ouidah, offering a unique glimpse into the heart of Benin's rich cultural heritage.

Day 4: Abomey | African Kingdoms

Our journey takes us to Abomey, where we'll visit the historic Royal Palace. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the palace-turned-museum showcases items belonging to the ancient kings, such as thrones, cult altars, statues, costumes, and weapons. For a long time, the kingdom's economy thrived on the slave trade. Within the royal courtyard stands a temple constructed from a mixture of clay, gold dust, and human blood.

We witness the spectacular Gelede dancing masks, a vibrant celebration involving the entire community to promote the fertility of both people and the soil. Each sculpted mask represents a different character, brightly painted and moving like puppets to narrate myths and moral stories through mime.

Day 5: Abomey | Royal Hills

Our journey begins in Dassa, the former capital of an ancient kingdom established by Olofin in 1385. We'll explore the remnants of this enduring dynasty, followed by a walk up the Royal Hill, the final resting place of past kings. Immersed in the world of voodoo, we will observe numerous statues and signs of recent rituals that protect the site. Our next stop is the Dankoli Fetish, a significant site in the Voodoo faith. Here, thousands of sticks are pressed into the fetish, symbolizing prayers for a good harvest, a joyful wedding, a smooth childbirth, academic success, and more. Once prayers are granted, people return to fulfil their promises, offering a goat, chicken, or cow, depending on the nature of their request. The presence of blood, palm alcohol, or oil on the fetish is evidence that many prayers have been answered. In the afternoon, we will reach Taneka Mountain.

Day 6: Taneka Villages | Royal Fetish

We explore the ancient Taneka villages, nestled on the mountain that shares their name. These villages consist of round houses with conical roofs, topped with terra cotta pots for protection. The upper part of the village is home to young initiates and fetish priests, who wear only goat skins and always carry long pipes. As we wander through the villages along alleys lined with smooth stones, we may encounter half-naked men. The Taneka people believe that becoming a man requires time, patience, and a significant amount of blood from sacrificed animals. This process is lifelong, as life itself is seen as a continuous rite of passage, not divided into "before" and "after," but following an unbroken path.

Day 7: Sokode | Fire Dance

We arrive in the land of the Somba and Tamberma, who live in fortified homes resembling medieval castles—beautiful examples of ancient African architecture. Their strong traditions are evident in the phallic-shaped shrines at their doorsteps. Inside, we learn about their way of life, where everything—family, food, and livestock—is kept safe from enemy attacks. For centuries, these communities sought refuge in the Atakora Mountains to escape slave traders. After crossing into Togo, we witness a fire dance. Participants leap into embers, handle burning coals, and even put them in their mouths, showing no pain—an enigmatic display of courage, self-suggestion, or magic.

Day 8 : Atakpame | Kpalime

We head south, stopping in Atakpame, a town on hills where products from nearby forests abound. Men here skillfully weave large, brightly coloured "Kente" fabric. We then move to the tropical forests around Kpalime, a town with a rich colonial past and now a bustling trade centre.

Day 9: Togo | Lome

Lomé, Togo's vibrant capital, is the only African city that was a colony of the Germans, British, and French. Its unique identity is reflected in its lifestyle and architecture, making it a cosmopolitan hub for people, trade, and cultures. We'll explore the central market, famous for the "Nana Benz" women who control the market of pricey "pagne" cloths from Europe; the colonial buildings in the administrative quarter; and the fetish market with its eclectic assortment of ingredients for love potions and magical concoctions. Lomé is also a significant trade centre for tribal art, with many shops and galleries featuring contemporary paintings from the "Togolese school.

Day 10 : Lome | Animisim

Along the coast of Togo and Benin, voodoo is a deeply rooted and fervently practised religion, often misunderstood as black magic. In a remote village, we will join a Voodoo ceremony, where the drum rhythms and chants summon spirits who possess some dancers, leading to trances marked by rolling eyes, convulsions, and insensitivity to fire or pain. Divinities like Sakpata, Heviesso, and Mami Water may appear. Surrounded by the ceremony's magic, we’ll grasp the meaning of "In your Churches, you pray to God; in our voodoo shrine we become God! Later transfer you to the airport for departure!