Benin and Ivory Coast

Day 1 .-  COTONOU

Upon arrival at the international airport, a representative of Nomad Photo Expeditions will be there to greet you and accompany you on a complimentary transfer to your hotel. Enjoy your first acclimatization free day in Cotonou.

Photographic Opportunities: Street photography capturing the vibrant life of Cotonou, portraits of locals in their daily routines, sunset views of the city, local markets, and daily life scenes.

Day 2.- COTONOU – PORTO NOVO – COVE

We will leave for Porto Novo, the political capital of the country, and a fabulous little place to lose yourself for a few hours so we can breathe in the history it emanates. We’ll wander around the Afro-Brazilian neighborhood and have a good look around, doing some less posed and more off-the-cuff photography for the afternoon. This city, as you will see, is an incredible fusion of cultures, from the Yoruba to the Afro-Portuguese, and the architecture is also strongly influenced by both the French and English colonial eras.

We will continue our journey to Adjarra, a village famed for its vibrant percussion traditions. From there, we will travel to the Holi territory, where we will have the opportunity to visit and interact with the local community, gaining insight into their unique culture. Our adventure will culminate at the royal palace of Angolin Houegbo, a site rich in history and tradition. We have a long but very rewarding day today. We will be traveling through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in all of Africa up into the foothills of Agonlin by way of red earth roads.

Photographic Opportunities: Street scenes and architecture in Porto Novo, portraits of locals in the Afro-Brazilian neighborhood, cultural interactions with residents in Adjarra, traditional percussion performances in Adjarra, daily life and traditions in the Holi territory, including portraits of locals, historical architecture and a private reception ceremony at the royal palace of Angolin Houegbo, scenic landscapes, and red earth roads of Agonlin.

Day 3.-  COVE – BOHICON – ABOMEY – BOPA

After breakfast, we will set off for Don, a village where we will enjoy a morning of magical dance: the famous Guelede dance, a UNESCO heritage. We will then head to Bohicon to visit the fetish market. Here many fetishes and images of many deities are made and presented, and we will even see some being worked on at the market stalls.

Then we will arrive in Abomey, an UNESCO cultural heritage site and national monument. We will visit the royal palace and the basic art museum to better understand the cultural history of this wonderful country. We will then take to the streets to the central market to attend and photograph some traditional dances performed in various plazas in the central neighborhoods.

We will continue to the ancient kingdom of Dahomey, where we will be greeted with one of the most important dances in the country: the EGUNGUN. After witnessing the dance, we will head to the coast and stay at Casa del Papa. After breakfast, we will have a brief chat about the day’s activities and set off into the city for some spontaneous shooting and capturing day-to-day life.

Photographic Opportunities: Guelede dance in Don village, including portraits of dancers and spectators, the fetish market in Bohicon capturing artisans at work and portraits of vendors, the royal palace and art museum in Abomey including local guides and performers, traditional dances in central Abomey focusing on dancers and onlookers, EGUNGUN dance in the ancient kingdom of Dahomey featuring detailed shots of costumes and expressive portraits, coastal scenes and local life at Casa del Papa including beach activities and portraits of fishermen, spontaneous street photography capturing daily life in the city.

Day 4.-  BOPA - OUIDAH

Our journey will take us through the village of Bopa, where the chief priest of the Shango temple will welcome us in his temple, known as the palace of justice. We will connect with this highly revered world of the ancestors and witness the remains of those punished by lightning. The variant of Voodoo here is fully expressed, and we’ll experience it at its maximum intensity. They still practice ritual chicken sacrifice to feed their ancestors and participate in dance rituals that join the living with the dead. It is critical to remember that though it will seem strange, we are in their world, and we must enter it with respect and curiosity. We will have several photography sessions in the animist village, facilitated by our local guide who will be key in the interaction process.

We’ll set out for Ouidah. Upon arrival, we will explore different important locations in the area and start our photographic activities at the Temple of the Snakes, the Road of the Slaves, and the Holy Forest. This will be the day before the festival, providing numerous photographic opportunities. There will be small groups dancing, others strolling and greeting everyone they encounter, individuals making small offerings, mothers balancing baskets on their heads with babies tied to their backs, and men beating drums as the parade progresses.

Photographic Opportunities: Portraits of the chief priest and local practitioners at the Shango temple, rituals and ceremonies in the animist village, daily life and cultural activities in Ouidah, Temple of the Snakes and local worshippers, the Road of the Slaves with historical and emotional moments, Holy Forest scenes with spiritual ceremonies, street photography capturing festival preparations and interactions.

Day 5.- OUIDAH – GANVIE – COTONOU

Festival day. Via our local guide, who is an acolyte himself, we will become immersed in the festival, where the faithful will gather from all over the world to worship and celebrate. The three miles that separate the coast from the city center will transform into a cavalcade of chaos, joy, and color; masked men, priests, and devotees move in this archaic and disjointed parade with no particular hurry – the festival is only just starting.

Even in this beautiful mess, it is not difficult to distinguish the high caste. They are the ones carried along, protected from the inhospitable sun by enormous umbrellas. At the beach, just next to the historic Gate of No Return, everything is whirling, reeling, happy chaos. And heat.

In precariously placed grandstands, these honorables enjoy dance and music dedicated to them after long and pompous speeches and much presentation. On a central stage, griots (minstrels) entertain doing stunts, human castles, or demonstrations of balance standing at the end of a high pole. Later, fetishes (representations of deities) made of straw are brought across the sand, turning wildly.

But the best part of the entertainment comes with the small groups of men beating drums. Around them, devotees, all dressed in traditional garb of bright, vibrant colors, seem compelled to dance to the endless beating. Men in ritual clothing bedecked with amulets, faces painted white, and young, recently initiated acolytes dance and reel ceaselessly. We will stay the whole morning in the midst of all this celebration, photographing this singular and incredible event.

We will proceed to Ganvie today, often referred to as Africa’s Venice, where a significant number of fishermen from the Tofi ethnic group reside. They escaped slavery and found refuge around Lake Nokoue in the 18th century and have remained there ever since. We will interact with them and have the opportunity to photograph their daily activities, including bringing in their catch, scenes inside their homes, and the aquatic streets where the majority of daily tasks are performed.

We’ll finalize this intense day in Cotonou at our hotel.

Photographic Opportunities: Festival preparations and participants in Ouidah, portraits of masked men, priests, and devotees, festival dances and rituals at the beach near the Gate of No Return, performances by griots and fetish ceremonies, colorful traditional clothing and dynamic festival scenes, daily life and fishing activities in Ganvie, portraits of Tofi fishermen and their families, scenes of local life in the aquatic streets of Ganvie.

Day 6.-  COTONOU – AIRPORT – ARRIVAL IN ABIDJAN + ROUTE TO YAMOUSSOUKRO

Flight day from Cotonou to Abidjan. Flights usually depart at 10 AM, so we will need to wake up early. After arrival and completing formalities, we will head straight to Yamoussoukro. Arrival, dinner, and relaxation at Hotel Detente.

Photographic Opportunities: Portraits of locals during the drive to Yamoussoukro.

Day 7.-  YAMOUSSOUKRO – ZENOULA – MAN (approximately 400 km & 6 hours of driving)

After visiting the basilica in Yamoussoukro, we will continue towards Zenoula, where we will witness the Zaouli dance. Following this, we will visit the village of the Yaboa people, who will welcome us with various dances from the Guere ethnic group. We will arrive in Man in the afternoon. Overnight stay at Hotel Beau Sejour.

Photographic Opportunities: Zaoli dance performances in Zenoula, scenic landscapes and sunset photography in the mountains, portraits of mask makers and performers in Man, sacred forest rituals and ceremonies, acrobatic performances of the "snake girls," Gla Dance with masked dancers, wildlife and nature photography in the Monkey Forest.

Day 8.-   MAN-  DIOURONZON- TOUBA

The day is dedicated to exploring the mountain region of Man. We travel to Diouronzon to meet the celebrated "snake girls," young female performers of the Jongleur dance, whose acrobatic partner-throwing is a hallmark of Yacouba culture. In Goudefouma, ancestral Yacouba rites unfold in a more contemplative register, with masked figures and ceremonial attire.

Photographic Opportunities: Jongleur "snake girls" airborne sequences against red earth, Yacouba masks and ceremonial attire, drummers and elders in Goudefouma, ancestral-rite altars, mountain backdrops of the Man region, and sunset portraits along the route between Man and Touba.

Day 9.-  TOUBA – SENOUFO– KOROGHO 

this day enters the Malinke troubadour zone, where wandering musicians perform with kora and balafon. We meet the Dozo, a traditional brotherhood of hunters, in their ceremonial attire with amulets and amulet-laden tunics.
We attend a Senoufo ethnic dance, visit a Peulh nomadic camp with characteristic woven huts, document the Niafoin animist temples and nineteenth-century granaries, and witness Poro initiation rite celebrations in Korhogo. Night at Hotel Rose Blanche, Korhogo.

Photographic Opportunities: Malinke troubadours and their performances, Dozo hunters in Tieme capturing rituals and attire, daily life and portraits of the Peulh nomads, village scenes in Tieme and Niofoin, clay granaries and fetish houses in Niofoin, Poro Secret Society dances and rituals, Boloye and Wambele dances with intricate costumes and masks.

Day 10.-  KOROGHO – BOUAKE (approximately 400 km & 6 hours of driving)

We will pass through the region of the Baoulé ethnic group, one of the most important in Ivory Coast, representing almost a quarter of the population. In fact, Baoulé is considered the "native language" of the country, although not official, and it is the most widely spoken language after French. We will witness the Goli Dance, another characteristic celebration of the Baoulé ethnic group, which serves to transmit knowledge. The elders of this ethnic group use dance to teach the youth the values and traditions of the community. During the journey, we will see one of these dances, where the masks come out in pairs. In addition to fast movements, they strike their backs with a stick, causing a noise similar to a gunshot. 

Photographic Opportunities: Goli Dance performances by the Baoulé ethnic group, portraits and daily activities of Baoulé villagers, dance scenes and rituals involving masks, interaction with local elders and youth during the dances.

Day 11.-  BOUAKE – TIASSALE - GRAND BASSAM- ABIDJAN

We visit Tiassalé, exploring cocoa plantations and the chocolate-production process from harvest to fermentation and drying, followed by an excursion along the N'Zi River by pirogue. We continue to Grand-Bassam, the former colonial capital and UNESCO World Heritage site, walking its faded French quarter by the sea. We end in Abidjan

Photographic Opportunities: Cocoa pods being split open, fermenting beans drying in the sun, hands sorting and grinding, N'Zi River reflections from pirogue level, weathered colonial façades of Grand-Bassam, Atlantic surf along the old quarter, fishermen pulling nets, and final farewell portraits.

Day 12.-  ABIDJAN AND DEPARTURE

We will spend the day exploring Abidjan, with opportunities to visit key areas of the city or simply relax. Depending on your flight schedule, we will ensure a late check-out to allow time for packing and freshening up before heading to the airport. This marks the end of our services.