Sandwiched between Nigeria and Togo is this simple, unassuming country, Benin, often overlooked as a tourist destination. It’s home to some of West Africa’s powerful historical happenings. While its largest city, Cotonou, may not ooze luxury or the usual gorgeous scenery of a tourist destination, there’s something special about this place. Here are a few things to do to make your visit worthwhile.
Cotonou is best for anyone who wants a chilled experience, and great for the tourist who appreciates the simple things in life.
Accommodation
For places to stay, check out Hotel du Lac. It has good security, very clean rooms and is situated at a great location that gives you easy access to different parts of the city. If you’re going as a family, request for their villa which comes with a spacious shared living room and dining room.
Food
La Pirogue is your plug. They make amazing sea food – note the keyword is ‘amazing’. You get to choose your preferred fish fresh and they cook it right then. The food is delicious – you’ll visit twice during your trip, guaranteed.
Places
If you’re a lover of the arts, then you must visit Fondation Zinsou located in Fidjrosse. It’s an interesting space that features an art gallery, historical monuments that promote Benin’s rich history, and a play ground.
There are a number of beaches in the city, but a clean and beautiful one to check out is El Derado beach. A bit of caution, though, the establishment itself (beach club) is run down and quite deserted so it’s advisable not to go there alone as a tourist.
And last but not the least, you can’t visit Cotonou without visiting checking out the 30m tall ‘Amazon’ statue that honors the warrior women of Dahomey. They were an all-female military regiment in the 19th century Kingdom of Dahomey, now modern day Benin, and inspired the award-winning movie “The Woman King” starring Viola Davis, John Boyega, Thuso Mbedu and others.