After a mission for the Quebec organization Accueillons un enfant, I wanted to return to Benin, but this time as a real tourist. I wanted to take the time to visit the country, without professional obligations, and see again the people who had welcomed me with such kindness.

Itinerary

Day 1 Montreal Paris

Day 2 Paris Cotonou

Day 3 Cotonou

Day 4 Cotonou Parakou

Day 5 Parakou

Day 6 Parakou Natitingou

Day 7 Natitingou Pendjari Park

Day 8 Pendjari Park Natitingou

Day 9 Natitingou Parakou

Day 10 Parakou

Day 11 Parakou

Day 12 Parakou

Day 13 Parakou Bohicon Grand Popo

Day 14 Grand Popo

Day 15 Grand Popo Cotonou Paris

Day 16 Paris Montréal

Accomodation

During this trip, I had the pleasure of staying with friends in Cotonou and Parakou.

I also had the opportunity to stay in several hotels in Natitingou, in the parkde Pendjari et à Grand Popo :

Natitingou: Hôtel Tata Somba, hôtel Bellevue

Pendjari Park: Hôtel Pendjari 

Grand Popo : Hôtel Awalé Plage - Village Vacances

Climate

In Cotonou, as in the whole of the south, the subequatorial climate is characterized by high humidity (800 to 1200 mm of rain per year) and two rainy seasons (April - July and September - October). The temperature varies between 18 and 35°C.

In the north, the tropical climate is marked by higher temperatures (40° on average), cool nights, lower annual precipitation (between 900 mm and 1100 mm) and the alternation of two seasons, one dry (November - early May) and the other rainy (May - October).

The northwestern part of the country, occupied by the Atacora mountain range, has a particular tropical climate: the Atacorian climate. Temperatures are indeed cooler and precipitation higher than in the rest of the country.

From December to January, the Harmattan, a hot and dusty wind, blows from the desert across the country.

Travel

Plane

From Montreal, there is no direct flight. So I had a connection in Paris before arriving in Cotonou.

Zem

Zems or zemidjans are motorcycle taxis that can be found in all cities in Benin. Fast and economical transport, I used this type of transport a lot during my stay especially in Cotonou and Parakou.

Here is an example of a luxury motorcycle taxi borrowed in Cotonou.

Bush Taxi

To travel from Parakou to Grand Popo, I used several bush taxis. This is an inter-urban collective taxi. The taxi only leaves when all the seats have been sold. The car is then loaded more than to its maximum capacity. To give you an idea, the first bush taxi I took, there were 6 adults and 2 children plus the driver in an old 504, not forgetting the luggage... I was lucky because there were no animals in the car!

Bus

During this trip, I had to take the bus several times for quite long distances. 2 times out of 3, the bus broke down! The bus stops in the middle of the countryside and the driver shows ingenuity to repair it with the means at hand and we set off again... A classic situation that everyone finds normal.

Pendjari Park

Pendjari Park

Pendjari National Park is a protected area of ​​approximately 5,000 km2, located in the extreme northwest of the country, in the Atacora department, on the border with Burkina Faso.

The cheetah is the emblem of the national park. It is found in the grassy savannahs, particularly along the Pendjari River. Lions are few in number (about fifty) and they are distinguished by the almost complete absence of manes in males.

Among the large herbivores, there are hippopotamuses and African elephants whose tusks are slightly shorter than those of East Africa.

Other important herbivores include all kinds of antelopes and African buffaloes in the park.

The day before my visit to Pendjari Park, I slept at the hotel in Natitingou because my driver for the safari was leaving from there.

We leave at dawn, because it is a 2-hour drive to reach the entrance of the park. It is really not warm at this time of day. The Harmattan and the altitude have a lot to do with it. In the morning, the temperature becomes more comfortable but it becomes very high in the afternoon.

The visit to the park takes place in two periods: in the morning until noon and in the late afternoon before nightfall. Driving in the park is prohibited at night. So I spend the afternoon at the hotel which is in the middle of the savannah.

The next morning, I leave again very early to take another tour of the park for the whole morning before heading back to Natitingou.

This was my first photo safari and I was amazed. A superb experience that will remain forever etched in my memory.

Tanougou Falls

Falls

After leaving Pendjari Park, I stopped for a refreshing break at the Tanougou Falls, a magnificent place lost in the middle of nature. You can get there by a small path that runs along the river to reach a pool into which a superb waterfall flows. A very refreshing swim…

Somewhere on the road

Here are some random photos taken from my various trips across the country...

Grand Popo

Awalé Plage Hotel

For those who know me, my motto is: a vacation is not a vacation if I can't see the sea! So I ended my holiday in Benin with a short stay at the beach, in the south of the country in Grand Popo.

See you soon!