There are traces of this religion throughout the country that accompany the daily actions of the southern populations. In the north, ethnic groups such as the Somba have beautiful fortified houses, and practice strict initiation rites. Unforgettable: Ganvie, town with houses built on stilts.
Learn more about BeninIn January a great annual Voodoo festival in Ouidah opens a long series of festivals held in the country. Mask dances, such as Egun, Guèlèdè, Zangbeto, animate the lives of the people. Periodically, the initiation rites introduce the young Taneka and Somba people into the adult world.
Discover festivalsEnjoy a trip in two countries running alongside the Gulf of Guinea, both tiny and fascinating. In Togo and Benin, you will experience tribal villages and ways of living embedded with powerfull cultural traditions. This itinerary will take you from Lomé to the Atakora Mountains.
Yam is one of main ingredients of the stable diet in West Africa. In August, the population of Central Regions of Benin gather together around notables and kings to celebrate a ritual of continuity: eating together the new tubers bring two meanings.
Witness the colorful Voodoo Festival in Benin and other fascinating ceremonies in two magical countries of West Africa - friendly people, beautiful landscapes, misterious rituals! A special journey with travel photographer Catherina Unger
The celebration of the Millet Festival, among the Krobo people, is rich in colours and jewels. It happens every year during the harvest period. A terrific ceremony and a great time of joy to thank the ancestral spirits and to invoke protection for the year which is coming up.
January 10th is always a very special day in in Benin, a day for celebrating ancestral cults. In particular all the Voodoo's adepts meet in Ouidah and then convey in a long procession to the Door of No Return, some on foot while other by motorbike or taxi brousse.
Come and meet with fetish priests, healers and oracles. Attend a fire dance, initiation rites and ancestral ceremonies and witness the state of deep trance the adepts can sometimes reach. Voodoo is originally from those countries, this part of the world where beliefs always remained authentic.
Twelve days to discover these amazing countries, which are among the most interesting of West Africa. From the North, with almost unknown populations, to the South where you find evidence of colonial past and voodoo celebrations, by the Ashanti and the traditional festival Akwasidae.
