Benin is one of Africa’s most fascinating cultural destinations. Considered the birthplace of Voodoo, it preserves some of the continent’s most spectacular and authentic traditional ceremonies.
On this exclusive photographic journey, we will attend the legendary Ouidah Voodoo Festival and travel across the country in search of the great ceremonies of the Yoruba world, ancestral masks, ritual dances, traditional communities, and some of the most interesting ethnic groups in West Africa.
PhotoTravel is the only Spanish agency specializing in ethnic festivals and traditional ceremonies around the world, designing exclusive routes for photographers and travelers seeking authentic and unique experiences.
International flight to Cotonou , the economic capital of Benin.
We have scheduled our departure for the late afternoon/evening to respect Three Kings’ Day.
Overnight on board
Arrival in Cotonou and transfer to Ouidah, the spiritual center of Voodoo and one of the most important places in West Africa to understand this ancestral religion.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
The first day is dedicated to the Voodoo Festival. We will visit different locations where traditional ceremonies, rituals, and celebrations take place, alongside priests, initiates, and followers of the various Voodoo cults.
Accommodation at Hotel A.D
We will continue photographing the ceremonies and cultural events taking place in and around Ouidah, a unique opportunity to document one of Africa’s most important spiritual expressions.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
Last day dedicated to the festival, visiting different ceremonial spaces where we can experience firsthand the atmosphere, the music, the dances and the traditional rituals.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
We will begin our journey into the interior of the country by visiting Porto Novo and Holi communities, known for their impressive facial and body scarification, one of the most interesting expressions of identity in Benin.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
We will dedicate the day to exploring the Covè region, where we will attend the spectacular Gelede ceremony, one of the most important traditions of the Yoruba people recognized by UNESCO.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
Meeting with nomadic Fulani communities, one of the most emblematic pastoral peoples of West Africa, before continuing our journey to Dassa.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
A day dedicated to the great traditions of northern Benin.
Meeting with the Fulani Borgu and attending the spectacular Horse Dance, one of the most photogenic and colorful ceremonies in the country.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
Visit the Taneka villages, settled in the mountains of northern Benin and known for preserving many of their ancestral traditions.
Continue towards Natitingou.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
Day dedicated to the legendary Somba people and their impressive fortified mud houses known as Tata Somba.
Depending on access conditions, there is also the possibility of visiting Temberma communities, one of the most amazing traditional architectures in West Africa.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
I head south again, visiting Abomey, the former capital of the powerful Kingdom of Dahomey and one of the most important historical sites in Benin.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
Attendance at the Gambada Dance and the ceremonies of the Hebiosso priests, a deity linked to thunder and the forces of nature within the voodoo world.
Accommodation at Hotel A.D
We will participate in the spectacular Shango ceremony, where the impressive ritual dances associated with the god of thunder stand out.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
The final great ceremonial day of the trip with the impressive Egungun ceremony, a representation of ancestral spirits within the Yoruba tradition.
We will finish the route in Ganvié, a city built entirely on water.
Accommodation at a bed and breakfast hotel
Early in the morning we arrived back in our home city, the end of our Photographic Trip to Benin.
Overnight on board
…”In all PhotoTravel trips there is one constant: visit the country off the beaten track, get closer to its people, learn about their lives and routines, and enjoy their culture and traditions. The trip to Benin has been impressive from the point of view of photography and also of emotions. I would go back to Benin with you without hesitation. A hug”…
Encarni Santia
Single room supplement 450€
If the group is between 8 and 9 people there is a supplement of 200€.
If the group is between 6 and 7 people there is a supplement of 250€.
PhotoTravel manages the purchase of airline tickets.
Contact the PhotoTravel team by filling out the booking from the website or by email to info@phototravel.es, you can also do it by phone at +34 616 22 42 82.
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