Benin & Togo Voodoo Discovery (Voodoo Festival)

Arrive in Lome, the lively capital of Togo.

For those arriving on time our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner.

There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Lome at any time. If you would like to receive a airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Lome Tokoim International Airport (LFW), which is about 15 minutes' drive from the airport. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

If you have free time on arrival then you may choose to walk through the bustling streets, relax or visit the Museum of the Arts 'Palais de Lome'. Dating back over 100 years, the building has been used as the French governors residence, the seat of Togolese presidency and also the residence of the Prime Minister before being abandoned. The 11 hectare park surrounding the palace is now home to a number of gardens and sculptures. We would suggest speaking to the hotel reception if you would like to visit so that they can assist with arranging a taxi. Stay: Hotel Napoleon Lagune (Comfortable)

After breakfast and our welcome meeting, we will kick off our West African adventure with a guided tour of the capital city of Togo. Once an important landmark within West Africa's notorious slave trade, Togo was colonised in the 15th century and this can still be seen today in the faded European architecture and tree-lined boulevards. We'll visit the colourful market and Togo's famed fetish market where locals and voodoo priests alike can source anything from good luck charms to animal skulls to aid their pursuit of bringing themselves good fortune and health. The market can be extremely busy, on most departures we visit on a Sunday so its a little quieter. Time permitting we will also make a stop at one of Lome's craft markets and its imposing gothic cathedral building.

Bidding the capital farewell, we will drive north to Kpalime, Togo's fourth largest city which is surrounded by tropical forest. This area is Togo's biggest producer of artisanal items including pottery, weaved items and wood sculpture, and we'll visit the Centre of Artisans to see their work (if the day is running late we can visit the Centre of Artisans the following day).

Tonight we stay in a simple guesthouse thirty minutes from Kpalime. The guesthouse has en-suite bathrooms (cold water only) and fans but no air conditioning. It has a terrace with great views over the forest. Our friendly hosts generally offer a choice of two options for dinner, the food is locally sourced its often possible to drop into the kitchen to see what is being prepared. Drift off to sleep with the sounds of the forest around you. Stay: Auberge JP Nectar (Simple) (B)

Set off after breakfast for a guided hike through the countryside. Following well-marked tracks we will hike for around two hours guided by a butterfly expert. Along the trails we will learn about the important and delicate eco-system in the surrounding adjacent forest, where over 500 species of butterfly can be found. The walk is mainly flat terrain but will be humid and warm, so insect repellent and sun protection is recommended.

This afternoon we drive north to Sokode for approximately five hours. As we travel we get a good insight into the country's culture as we stop to visit local villages, experiencing the smells and sounds of the colourful markets; one such market is found at Atakpame, a cross roads town and our lunch stop. The settlement has a lively market where we can usually stumble on elaborate weaving demonstrations.

In the evening we witness a traditional Fire Dance. Dancing to the hypnotic beat of the drum, the dancers eventually leap into the glowing embers. They then pick up burning coals and pass them over their body and mouth without showing any pain or injury. Whether it is a matter of courage or magic, witnessing these rituals is a real privilege and a truly interesting experience. Stay: Hotel La Mirell (Comfortable) (B/L)

Today we travel towards Kara with stops along the way to meet the Bassar people. The Bassar live in traditional large clay houses with conical roofs and produce iron following an old traditional procedure. Strict rules have to be followed: only old women should provide the coal needed, which they collect from the mountains surrounding the villages. According to their belief, the iron would only melt under particular circumstances and if a strict code of conduct is observed.

Our tour leader will also see if it's possible to meet a traditional Chief who will talk to us about their role in the society and leading their village, it is traditional for the chief to welcome new guest to the village and give a blessing however it should be noted this is not a touristic activity and the chief may not be available on the day of our visit.

We'll arrive in Kara in the early evening. Our hotel is an old government building, we stay in the bungalows in the gardens. The hotel features a swimming pool and has a good restaurant, although there are also several dining options in Kara as well. Stay: Hotel Kara (Comfortable) (B/L)

This morning will be an early start to be begin our journey into Benin. The first part of our drive is through a mountainous region where the Kabye people reside. The Kabye are excellent blacksmiths who still work with traditional methods that have been lost in the Western world. After visiting the communities here, we reach the Atakora Mountains, a chain of mountains that starts in south east Ghana and cuts through Togo and Benin and have offered a refuge for the Tamberma people for generations. We'll join the track through this region, offering opportunities for us to see the fortified dwellings of the Tamberma; their clay castles are revered throughout Africa. With phallic shaped fetishes adorning the entrance to their houses and surrounding wall representing the spirits of their ancestors, these isolated homesteads could feasibly hold out in a siege situation and offer a great base from which to protect themselves against enemies.

We'll stop somewhere close to the border for a lunch break before crossing into Benin around Ketao in the early afternoon. Continuing to Djougou we drive North to Natitingou, from there we enter the Somba land, heading to Boukoumbe. The road condition varies, this is one of the most remote parts of the trip. We plan to stop at a Somba village and viewpoints to catch a great photo over the Benin landscape.

Our accommodation for the next two nights is basic, reflecting the remote environment we are visiting. The property has two floors, the rooms are very basic but do have air conditioning and mosquito nets. The owners are very friendly and all meals are produced by the hotel team. Stay: Totora Hotel (Basic) (B/L/D)

An early start this morning, ahead of a day walking in this remarkable region, discovering some of the villages in the Atakora Mountains. We'll be walking for around two hours over undulating hills along visible trails with stops along the route. We will have the chance to meet the Somba people (this word means nude in the traditional language) whose traditions have not yet been changed by outsiders, due to their geographic isolation. Similar to the Tamberma architecture, the Somba architecture is characterised by dwellings that resemble a three storey castle. These beautiful fortifications are separated from the others depending on the ownership of fertile land.

Returning to our guesthouse to escape the heat of the day, there is the option to head out again in the afternoon for further walks accompanied by a fetish priest. Walking shoes and walking poles are recommended for today. The terrain can be rocky in places with some ascents and descents. With warm temperatures sun protection and insect repellent are essential.

This evening there is the opportunity to take part in an impromptu cooking experience, joining the kitchen in preparing tonight's dinner, all sourced from local produce. Stay: Totora Hotel (Basic) (B/L/D)

We'll have a more relaxing morning today, setting off around 8.30 on the one hour drive to Natitingou. Arriving in time for lunch, our leader will give us some information about the town before a free afternoon.

There will be time to discover the town or relax by the pool in the hotel. The town hosts a market and an interesting museum about the people living in the Atakora Mountains. The museum is located in a French colonial house built in 1915. In comparison to the previous two nights our hotel this evening is more modern, built in the style of the Tamberma people, with a central terrace garden and swimming pool. Stay: Hotel Tata Somba (Comfortable) (B/L)

Today is a travelling day, with several stops en-route. Departing early, we drive to the village of Taneka Beri at the base of the Taneka Plateau, where we will start our walk to a fetish shrine. We'll be walking for two to three hours throughout the morning, ascending the plateau along a rocky track to discover the ancient villages of the Yom who reside here. The Yom People live in round huts covered with conical roofs and decorated with terracotta vases. The upper part of each village is inhabited by fetish priests, dressed in a goatskin and their young initiates.

In the afternoon we drive south for around five hours to Dassa where we'll spend the night. Stay: Hotel Jeko (Comfortable) (B/L)

We start our day exploring Dassa, which used to be the capital of an ancient kingdom in 1385, by visiting Sacred Hill where funerals for the royal family take place accompanied by Voodoo practices. The town is full of history, our tour leader will share the story of the infamous wooden horse which dates back from the middle ages and is still preserved to this day.

We'll the drive three hours to the town of Abomey, where we'll visit the Royal Palace with our leader to discover the ornate majesty that was once the Dan-Homey dynasty. Now a museum, the Palace walls are still decorated with bas-reliefs representing the symbols of the Dahomey kings and its halls and rooms hold the thrones and altars, statues and arms of a kingdom that lived in a perpetual state of war and built its greatness on the slavery of its neighbours. In the centre of the royal courtyard is the House of Pearls, a temple built by king Glele to honour his father's spirit, the walls made from a mixture of clay and human blood.

Our base for the next two nights is a comfortable hotel in Abomey situated in a former colonial administrative lodge with several beautiful buildings, it also has extensive gardens and a restaurant. Stay: Bois Vert Hotel (Comfortable) (B/L)

This morning we are lucky enough to witness an Egun mask performance in nearby Cove. According to the local tradition, people perform the rituals not only to represent but also to embody the spirits of the ancestors. Dressed in bright, colourful costumes, they emerge from the forest and form a procession through the village streets. We'll have lunch in Cove.

This afternoon we also have the opportunity to visit a Gelede mask ceremony back in Abomey. A cult to the great divinity Oudua, the earth mother, Gelede is a cult, a secret society and a type of mask all at the same time. The brightly coloured masks represent the bridge between the society and the ordinary villagers and are comprised of a head with large eyes and sensual lips over which are an animated collection of characters and objects that tell stories, to the accompaniment of a choir and an excited audience.

This is a really special day as we encounter contrasting ceremonies, both very different and yet equally memorable, please note that the exact timings of the day may be amended and some flexibility is required, we may see the second mask ceremony on the morning of day 11. Stay: Bois Vert Hotel (Comfortable) (B/L)

Our departure time will depend on mask ceremony the day before. We spend this morning travelling by bus and boat to Ganvie, the largest stilt village in Africa. Settled by the Tofinou people, fleeing the slave traders of the 16th century, the village today is an atmospheric setting of thatched huts, balanced on stilts of teak, where daily life is still very much conducted on the waters of the lake.

Fishing is still the principal activity for the inhabitants and every day the men go about their business, whilst women deliver their goods to the floating market and children go to school and play from the backs of open pirogues. But even amidst this tranquil aquatic idyll voodoo plays its part; after a relaxing afternoon we'll meet a local Bokono oracle, a village soothsayer, this evening. We'll learn how these traditional people are guided through life by the drums and dancing of voodoos haunting rhythm.

Tonight we stay in a very basic stilt house which we get to by sailing accross the lake. Its the most basic accommodation of the trip, with no air conditioning and only limited running water; the experience provides a great insight into how the community of Ganvie live their daily lives. Stay: Auberge Carrefour Ganvie Chez M (Simple) (B/L)

We'll depart Ganvie after breakfast, and travel by boat and bus on to the town of Ouidah, considered to be the spiritual home of voodoo, which attracts thousands of people including Chiefs and fetish Priests every 10th January to be part of the dozens of ceremonies taking place during this national day of celebration; the Benin Voodoo Festival.

Arguably West Africa's most colourful and vibrant celebration, here we will be able to watch an unimaginable procession of people, motorbikes and traditional 'taxi-brousse' making their way down to the Door of No Return, a memorial arch commemorating those enslaved Africans who left from Ouidah's shoreline. The many Beninese are joined by voodoo worshipers from around the world commonly including Haiti, New Orleans and Brazil, many wearing jaw-dropping traditional costumes and dress. The festival reaches its peak with the arrival of the Dagbo Houno, the chief Voodoo priest, who can be seen to slaughter a goat in honour of the spirits, a sacrifice that is followed by masked dancing, singing, speeches and the continuous beat of the drums.

Later today we head east to Grand Popo. Stay: Hotel Djegba (Comfortable) (B)

We depart after breakfast this morning by bus for a short distance before we swap into boats for a 5 minute journey to a small village where we will see our last mask ceremony, the Zangbeto. The masks for this ceremony are full body, straw decorations and the wearers of these masks keep their identity hidden as part of a secret society of traditional Voodoo guardians.

Later this morning we'll cross the border back into Togo, where we'll continue for a short while before stopping in Aneho, a village of thatched houses with shrines and fetishes, and there may be an opportunity to watch a Voodoo ceremony. During such a ritual we will see traditional dancers falling into a deep trance at the hypnotic rhythm of drums. After the ceremony we meet a traditional healer who treat the patients with voodoo rites and herbs. Later this afternoon, we continue 90 minutes towards Lome where there will be time for a last minute trip to the bustling market before our last meal. Stay: Hotel Napoleon Lagune (Comfortable) (B)

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Lome.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Lome at any time. If your flight is departing early in the morning, breakfast will be served very early. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. There may be the option to pay for a day room at €30, which is subject to availability at the hotel.

If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Lome Tokoim International Airport (LFW), which is about 15 minutes' drive from the airport. (B)