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Togo- Benin
Day 1 - ARRIVAL AT LOME
Arrival in Lome and transfer to the hotel.
Day 2 - DANCERS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
Day two begins with an exploration of Lome , the vibrant capital of Togo . We will visit the central market of Lome with its famous Mercedes Mama's (Nana-Benz), the colonial buildings in the administrative quarter, and the fetish market- where an eclectic assortment of all the necessary ingredients for love potions and magical concoctions are sold.
Afterwards we travel north to Atakpame a wonderful city surrounded by hills, in order to visit the weavers of kente, a fabric worn by kings and queens on ceremonial occasions.
Traveling to central Togo we visit villages inhabited by people indigenous to northern Togo . Their ancestors were forced to settle in central Togo by the colonial government many generations ago. Despite the passage of time the indigenous northerners practice their ancient traditions in order to maintain a symbolic link to the land of their origins.
In the evening we are invited to witness a fire-dance, which is an animist tradition still practiced today despite the century long presence of Islam. Trusting the power transmitted from father to son, the dancers throw themselves fearless into the fire. Not only do they walk on the burning embers, they also hold fire red coals in their hands and pass them over their body without leaving any burn marks on their skin.
Afterwards we spend a quiet night reflecting on the amazing events of the day in a wonderful hotel that has a nice restaurant.
Day 3 - THE SACRED MOUNTAIN OF THE FETISH PRIEST
Leaving Sokode we head towards the mountains of Malfakassa-Fasao. Here we visit the pioneers of iron-civilization in this part of Africa , the Bassar, who live in huts of clay and conical roofs.
A short walk in the afternoon leads us to the sacred mountain of Djamde , where we follow a local guide who cuts his way through the underbrush using a machete. The old track, now covered by vegetation, climbs through a rocky landscape to a high plateau where we discover the ruins of ancient villages. Not long ago archaeologists showed an interest in this area, but no excavation has yet started. It is a real archaeological site, rich in drawings left on carved stones. In this place the indigenous people still practice rites to invoke their ancestors. After the days exploration we spend the night in a comfortable hotel.
Day 4 - CASTLES OF CLAY
Day four we enter the land of the Tamberma and Betammaribe, also known as the Somba that live in fortified dwellings. Similar in form to medieval castles, they are one of the most beautiful examples of ancient African architecture. With the permission granted to us by the inhabitants we will enter their homes so we can better understand their way of life. In order to defend themselves, as well as a desire to escape all external influences, these people have for centuries sought refuge in the hard to access Atakora mountain chain. After visiting these wonderful people we cross the border to Benin , where we dine and sleep in a quaint hotel.
Day 5 - THE MOUNTAIN OF THE FETISH PRIEST
We discover the ancient villages of the Yom situated on the homonymous mountain. These villages are composed of round huts covered with conical roofs and protected at the top by terracotta vases. The upper part of the village is inhabited by the fetish priests, dressed in a goatskin, and their young initiates. This population has for centuries lived on an archaeological site. It seems the first inhabitants, of Kabye origins from Togo, occupied the mountain in the 9th century A.D. Afterwards, other populations joined the Kabye to form a kind of melting; each group has maintained its own culture and its own rites of initiation, and at the same time the entire population shares common institutions of power and cult practices.
From the Yom villages we travel south along a road used by the herds of zebus and their nomadic shepherds, the Fulani.
At Savalou we visit an ancient shine of the occult. On this mysterious site people travel hundreds of miles to invoke the fetish. This site is one of the most important animist sites in the region.
After the days exploration we dine and sleep in a charming hotel.
Day 6 - THE KINGDOM OF DAHOMEY
We begin the day with a visit to the Royal Palace in Abomey. The walls of the palace are decorated with symbols of the ancient Dahomey kings. Now a museum, the palace displays the items belonging to the ancient kings: thrones, ancient cultures, statues, costumes and arms. The economy of the Dahomey kingdom was based on war and the slave trade. In the middle of the royal courtyard is a temple build with a mixture of clay and human blood. At the height of their power there were up to 4.000 women in the palace harem.
Crossing Lake Nokwe by boat we reach Ganvie, the largest and most beautiful African stilt village. The approximately 18,000 inhabitants, of the Tofinou ethnic group, build their huts on teak stilts and cover the roofs with a thick layer of leaves. Fishing is the principal activity of the village which, because of their isolation, has preserved their particular customs. Life unfolds each day within the canoes that men, women and children, thanks to the brightly colored poles, guide with ease. It is with these canoes that one fishes, that one gets about, and that one delivers goods to the market.
Traveling from Ganvie we arrive in Ouidah. Ouidah is considered the spiritual capital of voodoo. In this old slave trading post, with its Afro-Portuguese architecture, we find sitting face to face the python temple and the Catholic Cathedral. The laid back attitude of the locals mixes with the thunder of the distant waves on the beach and the rhythm of the Tom-Tom to create an atmosphere outside of time and very well described by Bruce Chatwin in his book, "The Vice-Roi of Ouidah".
Walking the streets we visit the python temple and the Portuguese fort, now transformed into a museum, where the history of Ouidah is displayed. Afterwards, we finish our tour of the city by following the "slave route" to the beach where the slaves embarked.
In this wonderful city we spend the night in a cozy hotel.
Day 7 - BEACHES, PALM TREES AND OCEAN
We spend a full day in a small motorboat along the Mono River exploring tiny villages where the old ways of extracting salt are still practiced. Our journey leads us to a marvelous estuary where the waters of the river and the ocean meeting, giving birth to contrasting forces playing with each other. Crossing the lagoons hemmed in by small forests of mangrove trees. Along the coast we see the fishermen living in villages built out of palm tree branches.
At night we dine and sleep at a charming hotel.
Day 8 - VOODOO
We cross the border into Togo and visit a village hidden in the high grasses of the Savannah we are invited to attend a real Voodoo ceremony. To the hypnotic rhythm of the drums and chants, certain dancers fall into a deep trance: eyes rolling back, grimaces, convulsions, impervious to fire or pain. This is a typical demonstration of the profound African religious communion known as "possession of the spirits".
Afterwards we head to Lome for lunch and an afternoon free to sightseeing or shopping . If shopping for African art is your thing, Lome is the perfect place because it is the transit point for African tribal art, folk art, modern paintings, and handcrafts. Some serious art galleries are known for old ritual objects highly valued by collectors of primitive art; colorful, museum quality, Folk Art; paintings from the 'Togolese school', these artists are popular in European and American galleries. In Lome transportation will be provided, as well as some rooms for day-use. In the evening we leave for the airport.
Call today for a quote: 800-372-3274
10 Days Expeditions ( Togo & Benin )
Day 1 - GUINEA GULF
Assistance at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
Day 2 - BETWEEN THE OCEAN AND THE FOREST
Visit of Lomé , Togo 's cheerful capital. The central market is famous for Nana Benz, the administrative quarter with its colonial palaces and the fetish market where all necessary ingredients for voodoo sacrifices. Transfer to the region of Kpalimé, distinguished by its lush forest. Visit of coffee- and cacao plantations. With the guidance of a local entomologist, we will discover butterflies and insects of the forest.
Day 3 - DANCERS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
Transfer to the north. Stop at Atakpamé in order to visit the weavers of kente cloth, precious local tissue, worn by the notables in ceremonial occasions.
On our way north we will be visiting villages habited by people coming from the northern Togo . Their ancestors have settled in these regions two generations ago. In spite of the time passing by, they have maintained their northern traditions, as symbolic link to the earth of their origins. Late afternoon we're arriving in Sokode our destination for the day.
In the evening, after dinner, we will move to a tiny village in order to witness the fire dance preformed by the Tem people. Accompanied by the deep sound of the drums, the dancers will get closer and closer to the fire until some dancers will be dancing on the burning logs. But this isn't the end. They will grab the embers with their hands and will pass them over their body without the sign of the slightest burning.
Day 6 - CASTLE OF CLAY
In the North of Togo and Benin live people who belong to "the fortified houses civilisation", as we like to call them.
This region is considered still one of the most authentic of the African Continent. Here life goes on without changes for centuries, in big patriarchal, fortified and isolated homes. The Tamberma and the Sombas, who we will meet today, are a perfect example of this kind of civilisations. For centuries they've been finding shelter for defence reasons in the mountain chain of the Atakora, a territory of very difficult access, in order to escape to all external influences. Their homes look like small castles. They are one of the most beautiful examples of traditional African architecture. Being granted the possibility of entering their homes, we will be given the possibility to understand their way of living.
Day 6 - THE MOUNTAIN OF THE FETISH PRIESTS
By foot we will discover the ancient villages of the Taneka situated on the homonymous mountain. These villages are composed of round huts covered with conical roofs, protected at the top by some vases of terracotta. The upper part of the villages is inhabited by the fetish priests, dressed in a goatskin, and by the young initiated. This population lives since centuries on an archaeological site. It seems that the first inhabitants, of Kabye origins, have occupied the mountain in the IX century after J.C. Later other populations have joined forming a kind of melting pot. Each group has maintained its own culture and its own rites of initiation, and at the same time has shared common religious institutions and politics. Archaeologists guess that the Taneka are the descendant of the mysterious culture of Koma, which mysteriously disappeared 400 year ago.
Day 7 - THE KINGDOM OF DAHOMEY IN ALL ITS EXTENTION
Visit to the royal palace of Abomey . Its walls decorated with symbols of the old kings of the Dahomey kingdom. The palace is now a museum, in which are kept the documents and the ritual objects of the court. Here we find the great shrines that gave the final shelter to the bodies of the kings. The shrines are made of clay mixed with gold dust and human blood. Once upon a time the kingdom of Dahomey , was flourishing. The kingdom maintained its power by being in a permanent state of war, which allowed them to capture prisoners to be sold on the slave trade market. The royal army was made mostly of female warriors, which were known for their braveness and ferocity.
A few kilometres north of Cotonou , a region of lagoons will lead us to Ganvié, the largest village built on stilts in the lake Nokwe . We will reach the village by a small boat. The inhabitants of the Tofinou ethnic group build their homes on teak stilts and cover the roofs with a thick layer of straw. Fishing is the main activity. Men, women and children poles the boat with great easiness in which the everyday life takes place: fishing, moving, displaying the goods for sale at the market, singing at the rhythm of the sticks sliding in the waters.
We will stay overnight in this village, rocked by the rhythm of the oars, children going to the well, or of those fishermen leaving at sunrise hoping in a day of abundance.
Day 8 & 9 - IN THE VOODOO LAND
Ouidah is considered one of the African voodoo capitals. Once upon a time one of the main slave trade harbours. In the town with its decadent afro-Portuguese architecture, are the python shrine and the catholic cathedral now living together face to face. The drowsiness of people under the blinding sun contrasts the sounds mixing in the background, of words whispering magical spells, of the far breaking waves on the beach and of the rhythm of drums, that bring us back to the time when the lamenting echo of slave columns were shipped on these shores. The atmosphere is beyond time, very well described by Chatwin in his book "the vice king of Ouidah". On of our special visits will be the visit of the python shire, where snakes are venerated as voodoo protectors of the city.
Transfers to the coastal village Grand Popo were we would spend the night. Relax on the beach, at the shade of the coconut trees, with the moon reflecting in the ocean, and the constant rhythm of the waves and the singing of fishermen.
Tour in a small motorboat along the Mono River to discover tiny villages, where the old way of extracting salt is still practised. Our journey will lead us to a marvellous estuary, where the waters of the river and the ocean are meeting and giving birth to contrasting forces playing with each other. Crossing of the lagoons limited by small forests of mangroves. Along the coast the fishermen live in villages built out of branches of palm trees.
Crossing the border and entering Togo .
Not far from the coast, we will visit the home of a traditional medicine man specialised in healing madness. He takes care of his patients with the use of herbs and magic rituals that will heal the body and the soul. In another village hidden by the high grass of the savannah we will be invited to witness a real voodoo ceremony. At the increasingly hypnotic rhythm of the tam tam and at the sound of enchantment songs some dancers will fall into a deep trance: eyes rolled over, grimaces, stretched mussels, insensibility to pain and fire. It is the possession of the spirits, part of the African religious experience.
Day 10 - LOME , ART ET AFRICAINS HANDCRAFTS
Returning to Lomé in the morning. Free time for relax and shopping. Lomé is an important centre for buying antiques, tissues and African handcrafts.
In the evening transfer to the airport and assistance at the check-in
Call today for a quote: 800-372-3274
Niger Tenere Desert Expedition
19 Days
Day 1 - NIAMEY , CAPITAL OF NIGER
Arrival at the airport, assistance and transfer to the hotel.
Days 2, 3 - FROM THE SAVANNAH TO THE DESERT
A paved road will live Niamey and drive us through a landscape that slowly will change from the Savannah 's sedentary villages with typical round granaries to the desert with nomads Campement and camels.
We will be at the oasis of Tahoua in the day of the market, the markets on the edge between savannah and desert are the place where two civilizations meet and trade: the Berber nomads coming from the desert and the black African farmers coming from the savannah.
The central market will be in the villages with hundreds of different colourful items. The cattle market will be outside town: aristocratic Tuareg arrive riding tall camels opening the way between the large herds of Zebu cattle. Hundreds of cattle and camels, people in colourful traditional costumes, goat's, donkeys and chariots will compose a sine "out of time".
Arrival to Agadez.
Days 4, 5 - GRAND ERG DU TENERE
As Agadez is "the gate of the desert", in the morning we will live town to start the "ultimate" part of our Sahara expedition.
After the well of "Arbre du Ténéré" we will ride trough lengths of dunes and reach the remote oasis of Fachi. Its salt mines are manufacturing pillars of rock hard salt those are sold to the camel caravans. Fachi is one of the more interesting Oasis of Ténéré: its architecture with the old adobe fort, the traditional style of life. The town is under the authority of the traditional ruler the Sarki. Fachi oasis has more than 30.000 palm trees and his well is a key point on the caravan route.
Fachi is the main place to encounter the Azalai salt caravan. The oasis is a terminal of the caravans that load here and also a mandatory stop over fro the caravans coming from Bilma. December is in the pick of the caravan season.
(In the region of Fachi were filmed most part of the documentary on the salt caravan that we have fit for Discovery Channel)
Days 6 to 8 - ULTIMATE AND ABSOLUTE
From Fachi we will live the caravan track for an itinerary of ultimate beauty that have rarely been passed thank is difficulties. In a virgin sea of sands with out any track we will find our passages trough high ranges of dunes. The only fix points of these "way" will be the well of Araga and the rocks of Gosso Lolom silent volcano. From Gosso Lolom we will reach Termit. , Thanks to its isolated situation Termit massif is a "word a part" and rich in Stone Age tools.
DAYS 9, 10 - THE TEDDA CORRIDOR
Driving out of any track, the direction will be given by compass and by the experience of our Tuareg guide. We will follow the direction of long corridors of dunes to the ghost oasis of Dibella, Ténéré is a geological domain, crossing this immensity is a real adventure. The ultimate navigation through the "spiritual vertigo" of total emptiness gives an interior experience for lifetime. The geographical journey becomes an internal journey through a time-less land. The wind of the desert will blow away commonplaces. Words like: essential, basic, archaic will gain meaning.
Days 11 to 13 - SAND LABYRINTHS
This itinerary is considered one of the more extreme of Ténéré, from Dibella to Bilma. To realise this itinerary we must be able to "go trough" 72 ranges of dunes that cross our way. The straight distance between Dibella and Bilma is only 131 Km, the continuous changes of directions to find the "doors" between walls of sand can bring it up to 425 Kilometres. The oasis of Zoo Baba will announce the Kaouar mountain range that we will follow to the Oasis of Bilma and Dirk ou.
Bilma is an adobe village with salt mines and a green oasis surrounded by hundreds miles of sand in any direction. Dirk ou has become an important trading point of actual trans-Sahara commerce, in the oasis people from old West Africa waiting a truck that will bring them to Libya , the get waypoint to Europe .
Days 14 to 16 - FOSSILS OF DINOSAURS
Niger is known for his "Dinosaurs cemeteries", rarely visited place where the sand covers and discovers the fossils of dinosaurs, giant crocodiles and snakes. We will visit a well-preserved place recently studied by the University of Chicago . Old more then 100.000.000 years, this site belongs to the Cretaceous period. Until a few years ago this place has been a forbidden to be preserved; actually the place is managed by the local Tuareg tribe that have organized the visit to protect the fossils from vandalism. In the silent and virgin sands and rocks we will discover intact fossilized bones of animals that have lived on the earth long before men. We will have the impression of being the first to arrive in this strange land after thousand years.
Day 17 - AGADEZ, ADOBE CARAVAN TOWN
Arrival in the morning, visit the town. The symbol of Agadez is the triangular minaret of the ancient mosque built in pure Sudanese style. The main caravan terminal and adobe town of Agadez is the best get-way to discover the more remote parts of Sahara Desert . We discover the unique atmosphere of the old quarters, decorated adobe palaces and narrows streets of send with Tuareg nomads in traditional costumes and indigo blue turban.
Days 18, 19 - NIAMEY , DEPARTURE
The road will bring us back to black Africa . We will arrive in Niamey late morning in time to visit the town.
Niamey is a metropolis of Sahel where the modernism of some buildings mixes with the traditional indigenous quarters. The National Museum that includes sections on Sahara Desert , tribal costumes and art exhibitions.
Evening transfer to the airport and departure of your international flight.
TECHNICAL SHEET
OVERNIGHTS:
Day 1: NIAMEY : Grand Hotel, totally renovated, full air conditioned, swimming pool, beautiful terrace with view over the Niger River .
Day 2: TAHOUA: Hotel de la Paix, comfortable.
Day 3: AGADEZ: Hotel de la Paix, full air-conditioned, swimming pool.
Day 17: AGADEZ: Hotel de la Paix, full air-conditioned, swimming pool.
Day 18: DOUTCHI: Magama Hotel, simple comfort.
Day 19: NIAMEY : Grand Hotel, some air-conditioned rooms in day use available to the group.
Days: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, Bivouac.
Group: minimum 6, maximum 15 participants.
Transportation: Toyota Land Cruisers fully equipped for an autonomous raid out of any track, assisted by a 4WD Pick Up.
Vaccinations: Yellow fever. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended between Niamey and Agadez
Bivouacs: The collaboration of the participant is welcomed. Modern tents fitted to a Sahara climate
Meals: The meals during the bivouac are prepared by e a professional cook of the organization. Cold lunches and warm dinners. The food, a mixed of French, Italian and Tuareg cuisine will be abundant, and, when it is possible, integrated with fresh local products. Cold French and Italian wine will be served during dinners.
Climate: December: warm days, cool nights.
Visas: The visa can be obtained at the arrival to the Airport of Niamey . Itinerary, dates, overnights can be modified or cancelled, by major causes. Changes are decided by the tour leader.
The above Safari is only an example of the many Safaris we have available for you. Contact us today at 800-372-3274
or e-mail us at: info@safariguides.com
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