Benin and Togo Voodoo Discovery

We have an early start this morning to begin our journey into Benin via Ketao. Today is a long travelling day, with several stops en route. Just before we arrive in Dassa, we will make a stop at the Dankoli fetish, an important place of the Voodoo cult where thousands of little sticks are pushed in the fetish as witnesses of the countless prayers made to the local god to satisfy their everyday needs, a good harvest, a happy wedding, an easy delivery, a success at school. Once their prayers are answered, they come back to sacrifice what they promised to the fetis, this could be a goat, a chicken or a cow, according to the nature of the prayer. Traces of blood, palm alcohol and palm oil on the fetish prove that a lot of pilgrims had their prayers answered. Please note you may witness the slaughtering of animals as part of your visit to the Dankoli shrines, if you feel uncomfortable about this speak to your tour leader to make alternative arrangements.

Our hotel for the next two nights is centrally located in Dassa with a large outdoor swimming pool, an on-site restaurant and complimentary Wi-Fi, the rooms are somewhat basic, conforming to the regional standards widely found this remote part of central Benin.

This morning we’ll head out of Dassa to visit a Fulani settlement. The Fulani are mainly shepherds, the men move around with their herds while the women take care of the camp and milk the cows to produce butter to be sold at the local market. The Fulani are famous for their beauty. Fulani means beauty in the local dialect. Beautiful tattoos on their face send messages to the people who understand the language.

After spending time with the Fulani people we’ll witness an elaborate Egungun performance. The human performer is traditionally completely concealed beneath heavy layers of vivid, multi-colored textiles often richly decorated with shells, beads and sometimes carved wooden masks. The identity of the dancer remains anonymous to preserve the spirit's sacred divinity. The performance is accompanied by rhythmic drumming and sometimes chanting and is a magical experience to witness.

Our final stop is back near Dassa, we’ll visit the Okuta site, an artistic landmark containing sculptures and rock art set with a backdrop of granite outcrop that dominates the town. For those that want to we can ascend the hill for fine views over the surrounding landscape and the town below.

We start our day exploring Dassa, which used to be the capital of an ancient kingdom in 1385, by visiting Sacred Hill where funerals for the royal family take place accompanied by Voodoo practices. The town is full of history, our tour leader will share the story of the infamous wooden horse which dates back from the Middle Ages and is still preserved to this day.

We'll then drive three hours to the town of Abomey. The Royal Palace has been undergoing refurbishment for some time and there is no notice of any reopening date, however, there is still plenty to see. Abomey was the capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey from the 17th to 19th centuries, well known for its skilled blacksmiths. We will take a tour of the town, seeking permission to visit one of the traditional workshops to learn more about their skills and hear about the history of this once-powerful capital. We will still be able to see the Royal Palaces of Abomey from the outside and if some of the artefacts from the museum are on display at another location, we will do our best to try and view them.

The Palace's outside walls are still decorated with bas-reliefs representing the symbols of the Dahomey kings and its halls and rooms hold the thrones and altars, statues and arms of a kingdom that lived in a perpetual state of war and built its greatness on the slavery of its neighbours.

Our hotel for the next two nights does not offer twin bed configuration rooms, we will therefore offer only a double or single bedded room. If you are a solo traveller booking on a twin-share basis (sharing with someone of the same gender) you will be allocated a single room.

This morning we visit the Chameleon temple in Abomey and a church, which for many is an unexpected highlight of the trip. Next, we head out to witness an Gelede mask ceremony in nearby Cove. A cult to the great divinity Oudua, the earth mother, Gelede is a cult, a secret society and a type of mask all at the same time. The brightly coloured masks represent the bridge between the society and the ordinary villagers and are comprised of a head with large eyes and sensual lips over which are an animated collection of characters and objects that tell stories, to the accompaniment of a choir and an excited audience. We'll have lunch in Cove and then return to Abomey, please note that the exact timings of the day may be amended and some flexibility is required.