enin is one of Africa's little-known cultural jewels. Part of its appeal is its small size, a land area that is roughly equal to the state of Tennessee. Visitors usually spend most of their stay at a hotel in Cotonou, Benin's largest city and economic hub. From there, it's possible to visit most of the country's major attractions as day trips - without the need to change hotels. Venturing forth each day, new wonders await your eyes in every direction. To the east lies Porto Novo, the official capital and the center of the Yoruba culture that shares a common heritage with Nigeria. One of Porto Novo's landmarks is the 300 year-old palace of King Toffa. Among the other attractions in Porto Novo are the Ethnographic Museum with its fine collection of masks and carvings, and the historic ornate Brazilian church which has been converted to a mosque. To the west is Ouidah, once a center for the European domination of the Slave Trade.

Ouidah's many monuments honor the memory of ancestors who suffered under the rule of the Portuguese and the French. They include a slave cemetery and a "Gate of No Return". Ouidah is also the epicenter of Africa's voodoo worship. It is from these shores that slaves carried voodoo to the New World where it evolved into new forms in Haiti, Cuba, Brazil and New Orleans. Here too is the home of the Voodoo Pope who always has time for visitors from abroad. Landmarks of the voodoo religion include the Temple of Pythons, the mysterious Sacred Forest and hundreds of voodoo shrines. On January 10 each year, a large celebration is held in Ouidah to honor voodoo as Benin's official religion - the only country in Africa that has kept an animist belief system as the official religion. Ceremonies usher in the new year and pay homage to victims of the Slave Trade. Libations are poured and blessings are asked from the gods to ensure good harvests and protection from evil forces. The day of festivity is accompanied by energetic drumming and dancing and draws huge crowds of local people and tourists alike.

To the north of Cotonou is the ancient kingdom of Abomey, where you tour the Royal Palace Museum - a World Heritage Site and once home to the Fon dynasties of the Dahomey Empires. The Fon kings had large female armies - the origin of the legendary Amazon warriors. The museum houses the thrones of many kings, including that of Behanzin, one of Benin's most famous warriors. On another day you depart Cotonou for a boat ride to the fantasy world of Ganvié, a stilt village of 25,000 people built over the waters of a lagoon. Here, all facets of daily life take place on the water, including weddings and funerals and even a floating market. The people of this isolated world fled here three centuries earlier to escape wars and raids from the Dahomey kings of Abomey.

Your journey ends in Cotonou with visits to the National Arts Center and the huge open-air Dantokpa market, where you will find everything from crafts and textiles to voodoo fetishes. Cotonou is a vibrant city where you will discover wonderful restaurants serving everything from French and Asian cuisine to local dishes. Those with more time might want to take an excursion to Benin's north - to the realm of the Somba people who are famous for the unique architecture of their houses. On the border with Burkina Faso, is Benin's major wildlife refuge, Pendjari Park - home to lions, buffalo, antelope, warthogs and countless species of birds.

In recent years, Benin has gained some notoriety with the elaborate production of the film "Amistad". Actor Djimon Hounsou hails from Benin. He received a Golden Globe nomination and won an NAACP Image Award for his stirring portrayal of Cinque in Steven Spielberg’s production which dramatized the true story of a revolt on a slave ship in 1839. He went on to co-star in the thriller "Deep Rising." Another power on Benin's cultural stage is the popular singer Angelique Kidjo. As a regular on the World Beat tour circuit, her high energy music is a blend of contemporary sounds and West African traditional rhythms. In 2002 she was appointed a Special Representative for UNICEF.

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