๐ Quick Facts About Benin ๐ง๐ฏ
Benin is a West African country on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria. Its official capital is Porto-Novo, but Cotonou is the largest city and the country's main economic, transport, and government hub.
Historically, Benin is closely linked to the Kingdom of Dahomey, the Dahomey Amazons, and Vodun traditions. Today it is one of the most culturally interesting countries in West Africa, with French as the official language and local languages such as Fon and Yoruba widely spoken.
- ๐๏ธ CapitalPorto-Novo
- ๐ต CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)
- ๐ฃ๏ธ LanguageFrench, plus local languages including Fon and Yoruba
- ๐ก๏ธ ClimateTropical, hot, humid, with wet and dry seasons
- ๐ Plug typeType C/E ยท *Anker Universal Travel Adapter
- ๐ RegionWest Africa
โ๏ธ Arriving in Cotonou
Benin was country number 157 on my mission to travel to every country in the world. I flew in with Brussels Airlines from Brussels, via a stop in Abidjan, and afterwards continued overland to Togo.
I landed in the evening and had a very smooth arrival. Immigration was straightforward, I exchanged some money at the airport, and then decided to walk to my accommodation.
The airport is surprisingly close to parts of the city, and my guesthouse was only around half an hour away on foot.
I stayed at the Cocotier Guest House in Cotonou, which cost only around โฌ9 per night. For that price, I really could not complain. The room was basic but perfectly fine.
The only downside became apparent the next morning. I woke up covered in mosquito bites. Apparently, the mosquitoes had enjoyed my stay even more than I had.
Still, for the price, it was hard to complain too much.
If you are looking for a more established hotel in Cotonou, here are three popular options that offer a higher level of comfort than budget guesthouses:
- Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel & Spa โ The city's most prestigious hotel, featuring modern rooms, multiple restaurants, pools, and a beachfront location.
- Golden Tulip Le Diplomate Cotonou โ A well-known upscale hotel near the ocean, popular with both business travelers and tourists.
- Novotel Cotonou Orisha โ A reliable international-standard hotel with comfortable rooms, a swimming pool, and a convenient location close to the city center.
๐จ First Impressions of Benin
One of the first things I noticed about Benin was how colorful everything felt. The clothing was incredible.
West Africa in general is known for colorful fabrics and patterns, but Benin stood out even compared to neighboring countries. Everywhere I looked, people were wearing bright, vibrant outfits that made the streets feel alive.
I spent the morning exploring some of Cotonou's nicer neighborhoods and public spaces. One landmark that immediately caught my attention was the enormous Place de l'Amazone, home to the giant Amazon statue that has become one of modern Benin's most recognizable symbols.
The statue honors the legendary Dahomey Amazons, the all-female military regiments of the Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states in West African history.
The entire area around the monument is beautifully maintained and serves as a symbol of national pride. Cotonou also surprised me with its street art, colorful murals, huge painted walls, and creative public installations.
๐ฅ Trying Beninese Food
One of my priorities whenever I travel is trying local food. For this trip, I visited Loving Hut Cotonou, one of the city's vegan restaurants.
It is not the easiest country in the world to be vegan, but if you know what to look for, there are actually quite a few naturally vegan dishes.
The first thing I tried was amiwo, a spicy red maize paste that is one of Benin's most famous dishes. It reminded me slightly of polenta or fufu, but it definitely has its own unique texture and flavor.
I had it with vegan chicken and absolutely loved it.
The second dish was even more interesting. I tried tรฉlibo served with gboma, a leafy green sauce commonly prepared from African eggplant leaves and other vegetables.
Tรฉlibo itself is a dark, creamy paste with a rich texture that almost feels sticky. It was probably my favorite dish of the entire trip.
I ended up talking with the owners of the Loving Hut restaurant, including one man who had been vegan for more than thirty years. That was not a conversation I expected to have in West Africa, but it was a great reminder that you can find like-minded communities almost anywhere in the world.
๐๏ธ The Dantokpa Market
If there is one place in Cotonou that everyone should visit, it is Marchรฉ Dantokpa. This is the largest market in Benin and one of the biggest markets in West Africa.
It is also one of the craziest markets I have ever visited anywhere in the world. The place is absolutely enormous.
It is loud, chaotic, colorful, confusing, and messy all at the same time. Trash covers parts of the ground. Vendors sell everything imaginable. Tiny pathways weave between endless stalls.
And just like in many markets around the world, people have very mixed feelings about cameras. Some vendors were excited and wanted to be photographed. Others clearly did not.
You have to be respectful and pay attention to people's reactions. I managed to film quite a bit and even took some selfies with some of the food vendors, who again were wearing beautiful colorful outfits.
Walking through Dantokpa feels like sensory overload in the best possible way.
โ๏ธ The Airplane on the Beach
The most unusual attraction in Cotonou is probably the famous abandoned airplane on the beach. Located near Fidjrossรจ Beach, this abandoned aircraft has become something of a local landmark.
For less than two dollars, you can actually climb inside. Of course, I had to do it.
The experience is surprisingly fun. You can sit in the cockpit, explore parts of the cabin, and see details that you would normally never get to see on an airplane.
One of my childhood dreams was always to try one of those emergency oxygen masks that drop down during safety demonstrations. Obviously, you never want that to happen on a real flight. But inside this abandoned aircraft, I finally got to put one on.
Officially, photography was allowed while filming was not. Unofficially, the staff seemed willing to look the other way.
The coolest part is the setting. The airplane literally sits right next to the beach. It is such a bizarre sight.
๐ Fidjrossรจ Beach
After exploring the airplane, I spent some time walking along Fidjrossรจ Beach. One thing that surprised me was how clean it was.
Many coastal areas in West Africa struggle with plastic pollution, but this section of beach was actually quite pleasant.
The coastline stretches for a long distance and makes for a nice walk. The Atlantic Ocean is powerful here, and you can watch the waves crashing onto the shore. I also spent some time with locals there.
๐๏ธ Cotonou's Landmarks
I continued exploring some of Cotonou's main landmarks. One of them was the Cathรฉdrale Notre-Dame-de-Misรฉricorde, the city's famous cathedral with its distinctive red-and-white striped architecture.
I also visited รtoile Rouge, or Red Star Square. This monument dates back to Benin's Marxist-Leninist period, when the country was officially known as the People's Republic of Benin.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Benin experimented with a socialist system and maintained close ties with other communist countries. The giant red star remains one of the most visible reminders of that era.
Nearby, I also noticed something I never expected to find in West Africa: a statue of Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgaria's first communist leader.
It is a strange sight if you do not know the history, but it reflects Benin's political connections during the Cold War.
I also explored the government district, including the National Assembly area, where broad avenues, flags, and public spaces create a completely different atmosphere from the busy markets.
๐ญ Final Thoughts on Visiting Benin
Benin was one of the most surprising countries I visited in West Africa. The food was fantastic. The markets were chaotic and unforgettable. The colorful clothing made every street feel vibrant.
And somehow, the country managed to combine ancient kingdoms, communist history, giant monuments, and abandoned airplanes on beaches into a single destination.
I only spent a few days in Cotonou, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
After country number 157, I continued overland into Togo to continue my journey toward every country in the world.
