Benin and Togo Voodoo Discovery

The guides were fantastic. The hotels were disappointing. The Hotel Awale Plage was really disappointing. The staff were rude and didn't understand simple instructions even when spoken to in French. The service was slow at the best. The shower was cold . The location was good. The other hotels were comfortable but I never got a hot shower. I enjoyed Ganvie and the hotel was better than I expected. The guides were great. They sorted out any problems we had and they looked after us exceptionally well.

It was a great trip and the leaders really looked after us well. They were knowledgeable and answered all our questions. The visit to Ganvie was exceptional! The only downside was that in a few places there was no hot water which after long days was disappointing. Watching the different mask dances was fscinating and I felt we had a real insight into local beliefs and culture

This is a very nice tour. We visited some really isolated communities that you would not be able to find on your own. There are long drives but it’s worth it because you see a lot. The accommodation is basic most of the time but this is because the countries are so poor. You will need to shift your mindset and enjoy seeing very extreme and extraordinary practices like fire eating men and amazing mask dance performances. The guides were excellent. Always there to help out and genuinely interested in making the trip worthwhile. Thank you for an amazing experience.

A full on trip, with excellent tour leaders. Maybe one too many dance shows. A shame that at some of the hotels, they didn't think to check air con was working before we arrived. Temperature up to 37C and 60% humidity. A very interesting insight into two countries which are new to tourism.

Highly recommended tour for those who want to start exploring West Africa! The four members of the local Ashanti African Travel team that accompanied us on the ground (Oscar Kwarteng [tour leader], Edmund, Yaw and Stephen [driver]) were all wonderful, and I felt well looked after and completely safe throughout. It was also great to see them all so proud of their cultures and each one visibly lit up when they entered their home areas (we had guides from both Togo and Benin with us). Everything went like clockwork which, for this part of Africa, is miraculous - huge thank you to them for creating great memories! I loved all the parts of Northern Togo and Benin, so much so it was a bit of a culture shock to suddenly come back to the more touristy part of Benin on the coast and larger numbers of people and tourists (e.g., Ganvie). Highlights for me were the Tamberma village and scenery in the Atakora mountains, the market in Djogou, the friendly town of Dassa, the Egungun dance, the trance dance, and the Chameleon temple (which really brought together everything we had seen and learned of voodoo). The unexpected welcome from the boat of synchronised drummers and rowers in Ganvie was also a lot of fun! On a more practical note, the accommodation was mixed as you would expect but all survivable. Lunches and dinners were fine if often repetitive - I especially enjoyed both lunches in Djogou, and also the final lunch in Lome. Breakfasts were generally poor and often only offered an anaemic looking omelette, so you may want to bring your own snacks to tide you over if you don’t like eggs. Finally, as outlined in previous reviews, you DO need to obtain 'bordereau de voyage' authorisation for entering Togo, AND another one for leaving Togo via the airport in Lome. Explore, the local guides, and even expert visa companies from the UK all seemed to be unaware (or in some cases even sceptical) of the latter, but it is correct. As a group we all made sure we filled in the correct info a few days before we went home and got the bordereau de voyage for exiting Togo printed with the help of our guide, and none of us therefore had any problems at the border going home – recommend you do the same!

The hotel we stayed in in Grand Popo was very poor and the food was very expensive compared to other places. It was a beach hotel except you couldn't see the beach for the wall erected around the hotel! It was also about an hour and a half to two hours away from the Voodoo Festival at Ouidah so time was wasted travelling to and fro for the two nights spent there when we could have had more time at the festival if we'd had accommodation in Ouidah

If you are thinking about booking this trip... don't hesitate! This was the most amazing experience! Every time I look at my photos, I can't believe all the amazing experiences I had on this trip! Edmund, our tour leader was fantastic! Overall, a great cultural experience !

good all round trip with Oscar our main guide working hard to make it a good experience

Another excellent trip with Explore. Fascinating itinerary which helped us discover many parts of both Togo and Benin. The tour leaders, Oscar and Edmund were both excellent and gave us a great insight into these fascinating countries. Some hotels were better than others, but that is to be expected in more remote regions.