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Logistics
Venue
Hotel PLM Alédjo
01 BP 2292
Cotonou, Benin
Tel. : 21-33-05-61/62
Benin by
air
There are direct flights from France, Belgium and many African countries. It is
also possible to fly to Lagos in Nigeria. Transfer from Lagos airport to Cotonou
is about two hours, and from Lomé, Togo, about three hours by taxi.
Visas for Benin
Citizens of many African countries (i.e. Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, ECOWAS
members, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger,
Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) do not need visas for stays of less
than 90 days. Visas are not required by citizens of Denmark, France, Germany,
Italy and Sweden. Benin has embassies or consulates in a number of countries,
including Belgium, Cuba, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and USA, and in several
African countries, including Algeria, Ghana, Niger and Nigeria. Two-day entry
visas are available to travelers arriving by road from Togo or Burkina Faso.
Entry and exit cards have to be completed at the airport in Cotonou and at other
frontiers.
Vaccinations
Yellow fever
An international certificate of vaccination for yellow fever is compulsory for
entry to Benin and is strictly checked for air travelers.
Other recommended vaccinations
Tetanus, polio, diptheria, meningococcal, meningitis A, C, W135 and Y, hepatitis
A and B and typhoid.
Health
Malaria
The risk of malaria is high in Benin, particularly during or shortly after the
wet seasons. Resistance to older prophylactic medicines is known. Travelers
should check for details of appropriate products with their doctor or a travel
clinic before leaving.
Cotonou
Cotonou, with more than 800 000 inhabitants, is the de facto capital (officially
Porto Novo). In terms of personal, safety it is probably better than other
African capitals.
Banks
The unit of currency is the Central African Franc or CFA. A number of banks and
currency exchange shops will change money for broadly similar rates. Hotels are
likely to offer poorer rates. There are one or two machines where it may be
possible to obtain CFA using a Visa card but this is not guaranteed and may
depend on the country of issue. Currencies other than US dollars, euros or £
sterling may not be acceptable to some exchange points.
Restaurants
Cotonou has countless small maquis and restaurants offering local or West
African cuisine based on stews, chicken, meat or fish, together with rice, yam,
manioc, couscous or pasta. European dishes are found generally in the hotels.
There are a number of Lebanese, Chinese, Indian and other ethnic restaurants.
Transport in Cotonou
Taxis-motos or zems
These are the classic form of transport in Cotonou and also potentially
dangerous for those unused to riding on the rear of a moped or motorcycle. They
are cheap and fast when roads are otherwise clogged but leave the passenger
exposed to rain, dust and Cotonou’s ample traffic pollution. Prices are
negotiated before starting a journey and will start from 150 CFA.
Taxis
Green and yellow taxis are seen everywhere in Cotonou but many are plying fixed
routes and should be hailed by shouting your destination at the driver as he
slows to pass. Taxis with all seats empty are rare so be prepared to share and
be taken out of your way as your companions are dropped off. Rates in town for a
shared taxi are only a few hundred CFA but an empty taxi for one hour should
cost around 1500 CFA although you will certainly be asked for more. Some rates
are written on the dash inside the taxi. Hotels can arrange taxis or cars with a
driver from 25 000 to 30 000 a day.
Language
French is the official language and spoken everywhere. English will be
understood in hotels and a few shops. Fon or fongbe is spoken in the south,
Bariba and Dendi in the north, and Yoruba near the Nigerian frontier, with
several hundred local dialects in between.
For more information, please
see Benin Gateway:
http://www.developpementbenin.org/index.php | |
