IS IT SAFE TO VISIT BENIN?

Benin in West Africa borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. It is a great country to visit with a large quantity of palatial ruins and temples of the once powerful Kingdom of Dahomey. Benin is the birthplace of Vodun (Voodoo) and all that goes with it and the country’s national parks and wildlife are well worth a visit.

Fortunately, Benin is one of the most stable and safe countries of the region so tourists may confidently visit its rich history, vibrant culture, protected wildlife, Grand Popo ocean beach, and artisan market in Se.

POLITICAL SITUATION IN BENIN

Politics are stable in the country with no major upheaval in general.

TERRORISM IN BENIN

No terrorist organisations are active or based in Benin but terrorists may enter Benin through its unprepared borders in order to raise funds, gather ship supplies or plan future attacks. Boko Haram operates in Benin’s neighboring countries and because Benin has agreed to fight against Boko Haram, retaliations are possible.

Of course, terrorists may try and carry out an attack in the country, but the biggest threat would only be near the Benin-Nigeria border region, including possible incursions by Boko Haram.

NO-GO AREAS IN BENIN

Non-essential travel north of National Highway 7, to W National Park and areas along the borders with Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria should be avoided due to the threat of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

Porto Novo is the official capital of Benin, but the real center of power is Cotonou as it is the largest city in the country and administrative capital of Benin. The larger the city, the larger is any risk of robberies, pickpocketing or even carjacking.

CIVIL UNREST IN BENIN

In the country itself, peace generally reigns with little or no national civil unrest.

CRIME IN BENIN

Although a peaceful country, it doesn’t mean that criminals are idle. Scams are widespread throughout Benin, especially ATM fraud. Visitors are advised to try and withdraw money inside the bank, if possible, or at ATMs in safe areas. Unfortunately, such scams happen on a regular basis in Benin and if it is not possible to withdraw money in a bank, visitors should take extra care when they have to use the ATM because there are all kinds of different ATM-related frauds that might happen.

Public transport is highly risky in Benin with robberies and armed hold-ups on roadways where buses are sometimes stopped while the robbers attack or harass the passengers.

Petty crimes such as pickpocketing and bag snatching also occurs on the streets, so visitors should be careful and hold bags tightly. Don’t unnecessarily expose valuable possessions on the street, rather leave it in your accommodation. Pickpocketing usually happens where most tourists can be found – near hotels, ports, railroads, restaurants or beaches.

Muggings also occur, especially around the area along the Boulevard de France and on beaches near hotels frequented by tourists.

Fraud and scams are widespread in Benin, just like in the rest of West Africa, so visitors should be extremely careful and alert when using credit cards and ATM machines. Other types of scams on the ‘market’ include anything from false romance or friendship, business opportunities and work opportunities. Any requests for funds, job offers, business opportunities or romantic getaways should always be taken with a grain of salt.

Visitors should not walk alone, especially on the streets of Cotonou and must always remain vigilant, regardless of the time of day. Stay away from isolated places and be alert even when going to the beach.

If you fall victim to a crime, you should alert the Gendarmerie (local police in Benin) and not try to solve matters with your own hands as it may cost you dearly in the end.

The infiltration of Boko Haram increased the number of kidnappings in Benin, so rather do not ignore such a possibility. While it shouldn’t discourage travelers from travelling through Benin, it should increase everybody’s level of vigilance.

Under no circumstance visitors should go out at night to places completely unknown to them. Always try to get the company of a guide who you can trust completely. Thieves are often armed with pistols, knives or machetes, even assault rifles have been used in robberies. These attacks are violent and tend to occur during the late-night hours.

It is also not safe to walk with your original passport on you but rather carry certified photocopies to decrease the risk of your passport getting lost.

SAFE TRANSPORT OPTIONS IN BENIN

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Benin has a timely and reliable bus system that runs through every major city in the country every day on major lines with a range of quality buses. Bus lines run through Porto-Novo, Cotonou, Calavey, Bohicon, Dassau, Parakou, Djougou, Natitingou, Tanguieta, Kandi, and even all the way up to Malanville. One can have the bus stopped at any point you would like to get off at.

Bush Taxis run between most cities, every day in major cities and periodically between the more remote ones. It will cost more for long distances than by bus, with less comfort and security since drivers tend to maximise the number of people in the vehicle. An option for travelers that are willing to pay for comfort is to buy up all the seats in a bush taxi, or at least all the seats in one row.

The traffic in Benin is not for the fainthearted to negotiate and the rules of the road hardly ever enforced. Also note that a visitor needs an International Driver’s license. Traffic flows on the righthand side of the road.

Hiring a local guide is recommended to help negotiate hazards like police roadblocks at night. Even then traveling by car is recommended only between major cities. One can hire a car to take you personally wherever you want to go without unnecessary stops.

Traveling by car within the city is not recommended at all since it is uneconomical. The best way to see any city or village is by motorcycle taxi, also called moto, zemidjan or zem). They are cheap and the drivers usually know the city well. Just choose your driver carefully, because drinking and driving in Benin is very common and moto drivers may be involved in crime rings in major cities.

There is a train route that goes from Cotonou to Parakou, quite a relaxing way of traveling. First class tickets are not much more expensive than second class ones and are worth extra cost.

RESPECT RELIGION AND TRADITION

The most widespread religion is Christianity (43%), predominantly in the south, and Islam in the north (24%) but many visitors find the strong influence of Vodun, practiced as a religion by a good 18% of the populace, very interesting. Visitors should acquaint themselves with relevant traditions and act accordingly.

GENERAL SAFETY TIPS FOR BENIN

The best way to stay safe in Benin is to always be in the presence of a local person whom you can trust. Women especially, should avoid travelling alone, but try to be in the company of other people as much as possible.

Do not travel alone at night, attacks along the beaches are frequent, as also near hotels, nightclubs and other venues.

Benin is a peaceful country and the people are kind and generous, but muggings and robberies occur everywhere no matter how peaceful the place is. If you are a victim of a crime, contact the Gendarme (Police) immediately.

HEALTH HAZARDS IN BENIN

Visitors should watch what they eat or drink and where they do it. Street food should only be eaten when it is served very hot so that any bacteria would not be able to survive. The most common causes of sickness are e. coli bacteria found in undercooked meat.

Drinking water is readily available, with “Possatome”- a natural spring water bottled in the city – very good and affordable. In Cotonou, tap water is safe to drink but treated with chlorine which some people may be sensitive to.

Malaria is a health hazard in Benin and anti-malarial pills available by prescription only. When you plan to travel to Benin it is highly recommended to speak to a doctor that specialises in travel risks.

The equatorial south of Benin experiences two rainy seasons of the year, from April to mid-July and from mid-September through the end of October. The rainy period in the subequatorial north runs from March until October. The best time of the year to visit the country is from November to February. Then temperatures are moderates and the weather is dry with low humidity.

HIV/AIDS AWARENESS IN BENIN

HIV/AIDS is an issue in Benin as in most sub-Saharan African countries, therefore the use of a condom is highly recommended if entering any sexual relationship with a Beninese partner. Other risks pertaining to unprotected sex are the same as elsewhere in the world, whether developed or not: Syphilis, Chlamydia, HPV, or more.

VACCINATIONS NEEDED FOR BENIN

The only compulsory vaccination needed to enter Benin is against Yellow Fever and although customs agents at the airport generally do not check to confirm a visitor has it, it is strongly advised to get it before entering for your own health.

Other general vaccines, like those against polio, hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, rubella, rabies and all the other standard childhood vaccines should also be up to date, with those against Typhoid, Cholera and Influenza strongly recommended.

IS BENIN SAFE FOR FEMALE TRAVELERS?

Women should not travel through the country unaccompanied, especially not at night. Places where attacks mostly happen are beaches outside of hotels and streets near bars and clubs. They should never ever walk alone at night in Benin.

In recent years a study found a high reported incidence of non-consensual sex, although most of these cases were not reported to the police because the perpetrator often was the victim’s boyfriend or husband. Although the study was performed on women from the University of Benin and there weren’t any tourists involved, the results should put any female visitor on guard for a proximate trip to Benin.

Since it is known that in many African countries’ women, especially foreigners, aren’t as respected as they should be, female travelers must be on guard always, especially if they travel on their own.

Women must be accompanied when they walk through the streets of Benin, especially during the night.

IS BENIN A SAFE DESTINATION FOR CHILDREN?

There is a medium risk for families and people travelling to or through Benin with children. All normal precautions should be observed, like keeping your eyes on your child all the time. Under normal circumstances this should be safe enough, but any responsible parent should carefully ponder upon bringing a young child into a Western African country.

The major risk for a child is represented by kidnaps. If everything is considered, a visitor will be best advised to not bringing children on this type of adventure holiday.

LGBT RIGHTS IN BENIN

Since same sex relationships are normally frowned upon by Africans, people in homosexual or lesbian relationships should perhaps carefully consider their behaviour in public as well as the risks of travelling to or through the country, even if the local law may not explicitly prohibit sexual acts between individuals of the same sex.

NOTE ON CORONAVIRUS

Since the beginning of 2020 visitors to any country should be aware of and help to avoid the spreading of the coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses found in both animals and humans. Some infect people and are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

CONCLUSION:

Enjoy a safe holiday in Benin with a reputable tour operator.

MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to Benin. We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in Benin that make safety a priority.