Benin: via Natitingou to the border of Niger

Just a rainy short visit to the north of Benin

Natitingou is an aimable town in the hills of Northern Benin towards the border with Togo. Travellers come to this somehow remote area to see the fortress-like homesteads of the Tata Somba tribe and experience the market in nearby Boukoumbe. Outside of the raining season there are some accessible National Parks too. During my visit it rained a lot and it was far from appealing to undertake outdoor activities further afield. Also the market mentioned I skipped. Just to get out between the rains I ventured into the hills behind the ridiculously fancy Tata Somba Hotel. The bushpaths were inviting for some nice, random walking - stretching the legs so to say.

I stayed at the Auberge le Vieux Cavalier for 3 nights, very decent rooms for about 8 euro's. It was located a bit uphill and out of the town centre. Very quiet. Safety was no problem in the area, but better bring a torch if you plan to arrive after dark (maybe because you want to dine at one of the good foodstalls behind the taxipark!).

Cascade de Kota

The Kota Falls are quite spectacular (at least in the raining season) and can be easily visited during a daytrip from Natitingou. Not that they were very all too easy to reach, though. The moto taxi dropped me at the junction with the main road, from where it was still 6 km. by foot following a dirt track. After the entrance, the continuation was on a small downward trail that was eventually blocked by a wild stream, the stream would transform into thundering falls just a few meters away. A sign "To the falls" indicated the stream had to be crossed in order to reach its base. It seemed a bit tricky, and I was grateful that the caretaker offered a helping hand. The pool area appeared to be a nice place to relax, with great scenery, but because of reports of nasty insects in the water, I didn't want to swim. Then it started to rain heavily, again, and we waited all day for it to stop in the caretaker's hut. It didn't. Eventually, a wealthy local family arrived, that shared food and offered a ride back to town. How nice!!

Tata Somba Houses

Most of the tourist arrivals don't leave the region without having visited some of the famous Tata Somba Houses. Probably the best place to organise a visit to a traditional homestead is Boukoumbe, about an hour west of Natitingou. In Boukoumbe you may be approached by guides (at least I was), and there was some kind of Ecotourism project too. As for me, I had arrived in Boukoumbe by foot from the Tamberma Valley in Togo, and had seen numerous such homesteads. Although it would probably be interesting, I didn't see too much added value for a tour this time.

Continuation to Niger

It was my initial plan to head to the Beninese coast, but due to the long rains, I was not looking forward. Then I realised that I was within reach of the border with Niger and that my Visa Touristique Entente was valid for Niger too!!  The idea of going to Niger, towards the Sahel, where it would be hot and sunny, was utterly exciting!!  Just 534 kilometers to the border. And so I took a shared Peugeot taxi to the city of Parakou, stayed overnight, and next morning another one to Malanville, where the Niger-river marks the border between Benin and Niger. In hindsight Benin didn't add much to my Ghana and Togo experiences in terms of attractions and adventure, but I don't think you could blame Benin for that.