Since Bradt first published a guide to Benin over 10 years ago the country has become more
popular with visitors to West Africa. Bradt's Benin remains the original and one of the only
comprehensive guides in English to this French-speaking country arguably the region's best
wildlife destination and the birthplace of the much maligned and little understood religion of
Vodou (voodoo). This new edition includes coverage of the growing range of eco-travel and
community based tourism options that have sprung up in recent years. Also included is more
information on the wildlife and national parks of the north which are becoming more popular
with general safari tourists including the Parc National de la Pendjari (now under African
Parks Management) increasingly recognised as the closest place to Europe easily to see lions
and elephants. A dedicated chapter on Cotonou ensures the capital is covered in full detail
including up-to-date recommendations for places to eat and stay while the rest of the country
is divided into five easy-to-follow chapters each replete with listings hotels and
restaurants background and historical text as well as recommendations on what to see and
entertainment. Bradt's Benin also includes a field guide to gods ghosts and dead people: after
all it's easy here to arrange to have a cup of tea with a wizard and buy spells to make
someone love you. And what makes Benin so special from a visitor's perspective is that such
characters are a visible part of day-to-day life and encounters with them may well form the
backbone of a Benin adventure. But there is more than just storybook magic to this country. It
has a huge and varied array of birdlife and two of the finest parks this side of the continent
and it is a place in which heart-in-the-mouth encounters with buffalo elephant and lion are
day-to-day events. Whatever your interest whether it's wildlife culture golden sand beaches
or tracing your ancestral roots Bradt's Benin offers comprehensive and extensive travel
information for all price bands and is the perfect companion for a successful visit
