Togo and Benin - Places to Explore
 

Hi,

I would be riding from Accra to Togo and Benin and plan to stay for a week in each country. I would appreciate it if someone could share what/where are nice places to explore and also could recommend places to stay in these countries.

I already have Togo visa and not Benin but I was informed that I could get Benin visa at the border. Is this information correct?

After Benin I am going to Nigeria and already gotten my visa for Nigeria (applied in Bamako).

Thanks in advance.

Borneoman

The very north of Benin is nice - some 'national parks' which are really just wildness areas with a few remaining animals in them. Cheap, pay about 30 euros and stay as long as you like. Hack about as much as you like. Only one lodge, so take everything you want with you including water and watch out for the odd herd of Buffalo, Elephants, Hippo's and apparently some Lions.

I liked Benin, nice people, by default anyway, as anything bad that happens is blamed on Nigerians ;)

The Voodoo side of things is interesting in the south.

Hot and humid in the south, dry heat in the north. Enjoyed both northern Togo and Benin. Sweated it out in the south's.

If your going to Nigeria then:
Explore eastern Ghana around Lake Volta, quite fun. Enter Togo in the north and drive zig zag to the south. Enter Benin in the south but not at the main border crossing, get any visas you need in the south's btw, then zig zag up to the north of Benin - then enter Nigeria up there...

Generally the middle of Nigeria is the best route across...

Wish I was there in that 36 degree heat with you!

Boti waterval N6 11.650 W0 13.122 Volta River N6 14.558 E0 05.586
Arboretum N6 16.045 W0 27.606 AubergeGrandPopo N6 16.744 E1 49.769
Volta Hotel N6 17.343 E0 03.306
Ferry naar Yeji N6 18.585 E0 02.779
Campement hotel Jardin le Bresilien N6 19.463 E2 05.529 Posottome N6 31.964 E1 58.147
auberge le Papillion N6 57.324 E0 34.834
*Grens Togo Ghana N6 58.169 E0 31.224
Supermarkt Bohicon N7 10.521 E2 03.817
Voodoo ceremomie Abomey N7 11.845 E1 59.022
Chez Monique Abomey N7 11.850 E1 58.827
Voodoo ceremonie N8 01.027 E1 59.084
Gariba lodge N9 26.654 W0 50.683
Motel du lac Djougou N9 40.820 E1 39.148
Bushcamp Kota N10 12.639 E1 26.763
Hotel Tata Somba N10 18.510 E1 22.431 Symbool en naam 18-2-2009 15:04:38
Museum Somba N10 18.625 E1 22.813 Paleis N10 19.983 E1 41.466
Sandgardens Hotel N10 47.376 W0 50.563 Hotel campement Penjari N11 24.580 E1 35.061

*My advise: take this border Ghana/Togo

I put some extra waypoits in Ghana along the way.

GRTZ,

JP

I was in Togo a few weeks ago, rode down the length of the country from Burkina. I tried where possible to stay off the tarmac and the southern half was just wonderful. The forests and mountains of the Ghana/Togo border line were stunning. I can recommend Kpalime and the surrounding area.

If you need to stay in Lome the German Seamans Mission opposite the main docks on the seafront is very good, I stayed there for a week. There is also Le Galion, it is mentioned a lot. I stayed there for a few days when I got ill but it is not as good as the mission.

No idea about Benin, sorry.

This last March, travelling with three others from Lome (Togo) to Cotonou (Benin), we tried to get visa at Benin border but were rejected, had to return to Lome to get visa from Benin Embassy... but as you probably know things change!!

For Nigeria, we decided that there were safer places to be, so from Cotonou we headed briskly just north of Lagos, then due east via Benin City, Onitsha, Enugu, Ikom and into Cameroon near Mamfe. Time in Nigeria: 2 days and 5 hours. Got Cameroon visa at the border... no charge... (but, as you probably know, things change!!)

Good luck... Charlie

Thanks guys for sharing all the information, really appreciate it.

To further update about visa, we applied our Angola visa in Accra and it took us only 3 days to get them. Applied on Tuesday and collect on Friday and the staff were super friendly but the fee is quite high - USD160. They don't accept other currency.

Cheers,