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Kalọ̀ sí ilé®Bénin Roots

The journey, day by day

Seven days, six nights, seven stages. The itinerary follows the six questions of the journey, from the peoples of the interior to the Atlantic.

01/07Stage shown on the map

  1. 3 January

    Stage 0: Cotonou

    Welcome and opening of the journey

    Airport welcome, Briefing, Roots Passport handover

    Preparing for the journey of reconnection.

  2. 4 January

    Stage 1: Porto-Novo

    Legacies

    Vodoun Museum, Bayol square, Kpakliyao temple, Architectural and colonial heritage

    Before searching for what happened to our ancestors, let us discover who they were.

    Discover this stage

  3. 4 January

    Stage 2: Kétou

    Roots and resistance

    Akaba Idenan, Redemption square, Moats, Kouhoudou square, Route of the Ancestors

    From which cultural world did our ancestors come?

    Discover this stage

  4. 5 January

    Stage 3: Savè

    Resistance

    Oké Shabè, Fiditi, Entrenchments and hiding places, Walls and watchtowers

    The story of our ancestors does not begin on the coast. It reaches deep into the inland territories.

    Discover this stage

  5. 5 January

    Stage 4: Savalou

    A land of memory, royalty and tradition

    Slave Route, Pan-African Pantheon of Resistance, Royal Palace, Mahi culture

    Territory, memory and spirituality all contribute to the survival of communities.

    Discover this stage

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  6. 5 January

    Stage 5: Abomey

    The heart of Danxomè

    Singbodji square, Kingdom of Danxomè, Cultural evening of Vodoun dance

    Understanding the societies before and during the slave trade gives our ancestors back their historical depth.

    Discover this stage

  7. 6 January

    Stage 6: Grand-Popo and Agoué

    Memory and resilience

    Coastal societies, Trading posts, Lagoon routes, Afro-Brazilian heritage

    We reach the coast, where the world of our ancestors met Atlantic history.

    Discover this stage

  8. 7 and 8 January

    Stage 7: Ouidah

    The heart of the experience

    Route of the Ancestors, Places of memory of the slave trade, Museum city

    In Ouidah, we do not discover who our ancestors were. We discover what happened to them.

    Discover this stage

  9. 7 and 8 January

    Highlight: Vodun Days

    What survived

    Vodun Days village, Concerts by the sea, Arts market

    They left. Their story went on. We have come back.

  10. 9 January

    Return

    Back to Cotonou according to flights

    Arts market to extend the experience

    Setting out in search of my roots. Coming home with a story to pass on.

Before you leave

Visa
Benin e-Visa, entirely online: €50 for a 30-day single-entry tourist visa.
Passport
Valid for at least 6 months after your return date.
Yellow fever
Vaccination certificate mandatory at boarding and on arrival.
Flight
Not included: everyone leaves from their own country. Welcome and transfers from Cotonou airport included.

What if the return began here?

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