Best Traditional Beninese Royal Palaces of Abomey UNESCO 1985 12 Kings 1625-1900 Dahomey Kingdom Ouidah Slave Route 4 km Door of No Return Tree of Forgetfulness Tree of Return Cotonou Capital Port-Novo Constitutional Capital Pendjari National Park UNESCO 2017 W-Arly-Pendjari 1.7 Million Ha Voodoo January 10 National Festival Ganvié Stilt Village 30,000 Tofinu and Benin Heritage Tour Destinations
Browse more guides: Benin travel | Africa destinations Best Traditional Beninese Royal Palaces Abomey UNESCO 1985 12 Kings 1625-1900 Ouidah 4 km Slave Route Cotonou Porto-Novo Pendjari UNESCO 2017 1.7M ha Voodoo January 10 Ganvié 30,000 and Benin Heritage Tour Destinations TL;DR Beninese - Republic of Benin + ~13 million population + 114,763 km² and birthplace of Vodun (Voodoo) - preserves the most-significant Abomey, Ouidah, Cotonou, Pendjari, and Ganvié heritage and the renowned Dahomey Kingdom legacy. Major destinations: Royal Palaces of Abomey UNESCO 1985 + 12 kings 1625-1900 + Dahomey Kingdom + 47-hectare walled compound, bas-relief panels, and Houegbadja founder 1645 , Ouidah and Slave Route 4 km and Door of No Return Memorial 1995 + Tree of Forgetfulness slaves circled 9 times men 7 times women, Tree of Return, and Sacred Python Temple 1717 + ~1 million enslaved through Ouidah 1660-1860 , Cotonou economic capital, Porto-Novo constitutional capital, and Cotonou Dantokpa Mar...