Togo & Benin holiday

Planet

By keeping the group size to a maximum of 12, we can also minimise the human impact on the fragile sites and ecosystems we visit.

We attempt to reduce plastic bottle use wherever possible by promoting use of reusable and filtered water bottles. Our partnership with Water-To-Go provides a discount on filtered water bottles to our clients. We do not provide water from plastic bottles to our clients in country but always ensure there is regular access to drinking water on our tours.

We are promoting the natural beauty and ancient heritage of Togo & Benin through visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Abomey Royal Palace and Ganvie stilt village. UNESCO Sites are chosen by the UNESCO committee and must "bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to civilisation", "an important interchange of human values" or be outstanding examples of major stages of Earth's history or ecological and biological processes in evolution. Visiting such sites helps sustain the traditions and natural ecosystems of Togo & Benin through tourism.

Using no-carbon transport such as walking not only gives you a slower paced experience, but also cuts environmental damage and tourist carbon footprint. We are committed to low-level tourism impact and we keep group sizes to a maximum of 12 to avoid huge tour bus loads of tourists, which increases environmental damage but also is less likely to be welcomed by locals. Slower travel also allows for more chances to interact with people from another culture.

People

Ouidah Voodoo Festival is always a special day for people as they celebrate their ancestral heritage and traditions. The Voodoo adepts meet in Ouidah and convey in a long procession to the ‘Door of No Return’ on foot, motorbike or ‘taxi-brousse’. Festival participants dress up in traditional and elaborate costumes, with white being the dominant colour. The festival is made up of dances, libations, masks and speeches, with the festival reaching its peak as the Dagbo Houno arrives, the chief ‘feticheur’. It’s sure to be a real highlight of the tour!

We will stay in a homestay/guesthouse on one night for a unique glimpse into the traditions and customs of local life. The homestay/guesthouse market helps them to provide good, clean and interesting accommodation which in turn allows them to educate their children, improve their standard of living and look after their ill. The wonderful thing about this kind of interactive tourism is that everyone gains – the families financially and us with the wonderful welcome and experience they give us. Wherever possible we stay in locally owned accommodation, eat in locally owned establishments and purchase supplies from the local nomads.

On each group tour we use local ground handlers. This means that all operational costs go directly into the local economy and help improve employment opportunities in remote regions. Such support can also be seen in our incorporation of homestays, locally owned hotels, family run restaurants and the services of local guides and drivers into our itineraries, which ensures that the money you spend with us goes directly into the local economy and local community.