Benin Incentive Tours – iMEC Planet https://www.imecplanet.com Global MICE Company Sun, 16 Apr 2023 19:13:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://www.imecplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/IMEC_Planet__200x100-transparent-90x90.png Benin Incentive Tours – iMEC Planet https://www.imecplanet.com 32 32 Colourful Benin Incentive Tour https://www.imecplanet.com/tour/colourful-benin-incentive-tour/ Wed, 21 Oct 2020 08:37:56 +0000 https://www.imecindia.com/?post_type=tour&p=5345

Togo, a West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, is known for its palm-lined beaches and hilltop villages. Koutammakou, inhabited by the Batammariba people, is a traditional settlement of fortresslike clay huts dating to the 17th century. In the capital, Lomé, are the multistory Grand Marché bazaar and the Fetish Market, offering traditional talismans and remedies relating to the vodun (voodoo) religion.

Itinerary

Day 01 Arrive Lome
Arrive in Lome by international flight. Meet, assist and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02 Lome – Kpalime (120 Kms/ 2H appx.)
After breakfast, embark on a comprehensive tour of Lome visiting Togo-Ghana border, National museum, Independence square, artisans’ village, Art Street and grand marché; at the realm of the famous Nana Benz. The tour continues with the visit of the fetish market, the traditional drug store for the locals. Proceed to Kpalime in the Plateau region of Togo. En route, visit typical villages and markets and stop at the foot of Mount Agou, the peak of Togo. Arrive in Kpalime; check in at hotel.In the evening, invitation to Akpesse folkdance in a village in the real Ewe traditions. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03 Kpalime – Atakpame – Sokode (319 Kms / 5H 50M appx.)
After breakfast drive through Missahoe lush forest for Kouma Konda on top of Mount Kloto, a real butterfly haven. On arrival, trek in the surround woods learning about virtues of some plants of the area. Return to Kpalime, visit the prolific craft center famous for pottery, macramé, batik and mostly woodcarving. Continue to Sokode, heart to the Tem tribe passing typical villages and rural sceneries. On arrival, check-in at hotel.Overnight at hotel.

Day 04 Sokode – Bandjeli – Kara (179 Kms / 2H 40M appx.)
After breakfast, drive through Malfakassa mountains to Bandjeli, a village at the heart of mining and processing iron ores in northern Togo. On arrival, welcome by village elders and visit a prototype of blast furnace, the frescoes decorated huts in the chief’s house. Sitting in the shade of trees in the village, witness the captivating fire dance T’bol and head to Kara. Arrive in Kara center to the Kabye tribe. Check-in at Hotel Kara or similar.Overnight at hotel.

Day 05 Kara –Natitingou (103 Kms/ 1H 42M appx.)
After breakfast, drive in the mountain to meet the amazing Kabye blacksmiths molding iron with heavy rocks. Further north in the valley lies the land of the Losso with its typical habitat, the soukala. Visit some of these villages and get acquainted with the everyday chores of the locals and drive through Defale ranges to Koutammakou, the land of the Tamberma, a Unesco World Heritage Site. On arrival, information on the site and with the authorization your hosts, visit their habitat, the takienta; adobe castles spread in the fields. Drive through this amazing tribal land to Boukoumbe. After border formalities, proceed through the land of the Somba to Natitingou in northern Benin. Arrive in Natitingou. Overnight at hotel.

Day 06 Natitingou – Savalou – Abomey (424 Kms/ 5H 45M appx.)
After breakfast, drive to the Yom village “under the rock” Taneka Koko. Courtesy to the spiritual chief, the sepulcher of his predecessors before driving to Savalou in mid-Benin. En route, stop at typical villages and at the shrine of the famous Dankoli voodoo shrine. Proceed to Dassa Zoume, the city with 41 hills. Visit the sanctuary of the Virgin and proceed to Abomey, the historical capital city of Benin. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07 Abomey – Cotonou (122 Kms/ 2H appx.)
After breakfast, visit the historic museum, former palaces of kings of Dahomey featuring the weapon room, the throne room, the administrative blocks of king Glele and king Gezo, the common grave of king Glele’s wives and his sepulcher, shrines and palace artisans. Courtesy to king Agoli Agbo, the reigning king of Abomey [If his agenda allows] and have the amazons perform their war dance in your honor. Drive to Abomey-Calavi. Cruise the Nokoue Lake aboard a motor boat for Ganvie, the biggest stilt village in Africa, home to over 33,000 Tofinu people. On arrival, stop at the house of Francophonie, go the Lovers’ Lane through the floating market and stop at a typical Ganvie souvenir shop. Return to Abomey-Calavi and proceed to hotel. Overnight a hotel.

Day 08 Cotonou – Ouidah (113 Kms / 2H 34M appx.)
After breakfast, embark on an hour drive to Porto-Novo, the administrative capital city of Benin. En route, stop at the livestock market. In Porto-Novo, visit Honme, the former palace of King Toffa; a former Brazilian church converted into a mosque and the museum of ethnography with a fabulous collection of Gelede masks. Return to Cotonou; visit the craft market and drive to Ouidah, the voodoo capital city of Benin. Overnight at hotel.

Day 09 Ouidah – Grand Popo – Lome  (112 Kms / 2H appx.)
After breakfast go the Salve Route from the Door of No Return to the museum of History a former Portuguese slave fort. Visit Kpasse sacred forest and the temple of pythons. Drive to Grand Popo; witness the ritual dance of the night guardians, the Zangbeto in a village on the bank of the Mono River and proceed to Glidji in Togo crossing at Hilla Condji border post. Meet priests of the sacred forest and learn about some of the voodoo deities and the important ceremony of the raising of the sacred stone. Drive to Lome. Overnight at hotel.

Day 10 Depart Lome
Departure transfer to onwards destintion.

Hotels

City Nights 5* Hotels
Lome 02 Hotel Novela Star
Kpalime 01 Hotel Ivans Plaza
Sokode 01 Hotel Central
Kara 01 Hotel Kara
Natitingou 01 Hotel Tata Somba
Abomey 01 Sun City Hotel
Cotonou 01 Hotel du Lac
Ouidah 01 La Casa Del Papa

Includes

  • Accommodation as per the program.
  • Meals as per the program.
  • Entrance fees.
  • Local English speaking guide.
  • All transfers, sightseeing, excursions.
  • All taxes

Branding
– Logo branding on Vehicles.
– Color and logo branding Merchandise.
– Departure gifts with company’s branding.

Excludes

  • Personal Expenses.
  • Camera / Video Camera Fees.
  • Medical Aid.
  • Tips.
  • Travel Insurance.
  • Visa (If any).

Important

– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.

]]> Benin Cultural Incentive Tour https://www.imecplanet.com/tour/benin-cultural-incentive-tour/ Wed, 21 Oct 2020 08:12:54 +0000 https://www.imecindia.com/?post_type=tour&p=5342

Benin is a great country to visit on any West African itinerary. You’ll find a large quantity of palatial ruins and temples of the once powerful Kingdom of Dahomey (1800s–1894). Moreover, Benin is the birthplace of Vodun (Voodoo) and all that goes with it, to this day Vodun remains the official religion of the country, and an important part of the life of ordinary Beninese.

Itinerary

Day 01 Arrive Cotonou
Arrive in Cotonou by international flight. Meet, assist and transfer to hotel.Overnight at hotel.

Day 02 Cotonou – Porto Novo – Ouidah (82 Kms/ 2H appx.)
After breakfast, drive to Porto-Novo, the administrative capital city of Benin. On arrival, stop at the obelisk of the Zangbeto, the traditional night guardians and visit Honme, the former palace of King Toffa, the 19th monarch of the Hogbonou kingdom. Proceed to a former Brazilian church converted into a mosque and visit the museum of ethnography with a fabulous collection of Gelede masks. Drive to Abomey Calavi.Cruise the Nokoue Lake in a motorboat for Ganvie, the biggest stilt village in Africa, home to over 33,000 Tofinu people. On arrival, visit the “maison de la Francophonie” and go the Lovers’ Lane through the floating market and stop at a typical Ganvie souvenir shop. Back to Abomey-Calavi and proceed to Ouidah, the voodoo capital city of Benin. Check-in at Hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03 Ouidah-Grand Popo (50 Kms/ 50M appx.)
After breakfast, join in the celebrations of the voodoo festival till the late afternoon. Go the Slave Route to the temple of pythons and Kpasse sacred forest and drive to Grand Popo between river and sea. Arrive at Grand Popo; check-in at hotel.Overnight at hotel.

Day 04 Grand Popo
After breakfast, go the Mono waterways for the voodoo village of Adame. On arrival, visit voodoo Amega shrine and stop at local fishing villages and salt mining villages shrines. Return to your hotel. In the late afternoon, witness the Zangbeto, the traditional night guardians’ ritual dance in a village nearby. Return to hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 05 Grand Popo – Abomey – Bohicon (162 Kms/ 2H 30M appx.)
After breakfast, drive to Abomey, the historical capital city of Benin. On arrival, visit historic museum, former palaces of Dahomey kings featuring the throne room, the weapon room, the administrative blocks of king Glele and king Toffa, the common grave of the wives of king Glele, his sepulcher and palace artisans, great grandchildren of former palace artisans. In the early evening, proceed to a village to witness the Gelede masked dance. Check-in at hotel.Overnight at hotel.

Day 06 Bohicon – Savalou – Djougou – Kara (401 Kms/ 6H appx.)
After breakfast, drive to Kara in northern Togo via Djougou crossing at Ouake border post. En route, visit the famous Dankoli voodoo shrine en route. Scenic drive to Kara. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07 Kara – Sokode (75 Kms/ 1H 41M appx)
After breakfast, drive to Koutammakou, upper north, a Unesco World Heritage site to visit the Tamberma adobe castle builders. Proceed to Sokode, heart of the Tem land. Check-in at hotel. In the evening witness the fire-eaters’ dance in a village nearby. Overnight at hotel.

Day 08 Sokode – Agbodrafo (104 Kms / 2H 30M appx.)
After breakfast, drive south to the potters’ village of Bolou. Arrive at Bolou; visit village and drive through the valley of the Sio river to Lebe village. Walk to the river and cross it in dugout canoe for Devego and proceed to Agbodrafo, a former slave trade post. Check-in at hotel.Overnight at hotel.

Day 09 Agbodrafo –Lome (69 Kms / 1H 20M appx.)
After breakfast, visit slave dungeons and proceed to Glidji, the spiritual center for the Guin people via Aneho, the former capital city of Togo. On arrival, visit some of the shrines and meet priest of the sacred forest before driving to Zooti, famous for its voodoo rituals. Witness a voodoo ceremony and proceed to Aneho, Togo’s forst capital city. Continue to Lome. Check-in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 10 Lome
After breakfast, embark on a city tour visiting fetish market, Independence Square, Artisans’ village; central market, realm of the famous Nana Benz. In the afternoon, drive to a village to consult before a “bokonon” [a soothsayer] and witness a voodoo ceremony. Return to Lome. Overnight at hotel.

Day 11 Depart Lome
Departure transfer to onwards destination.

Hotels

City Nights 5* Hotels
Cotonou 01 Azalai Hotel de la Plage
Ouidah 01 Hotel Casa Del Papa
Grand Popo 02 Ganna Hotel
Bohicon 01 Hotel La Majeste
Kara 01 Hotel Kara
Sokode 01 Hotel Central
Agbodrafo 01 Hotel Le Lac
Lome 02 Hotel Novela Star

Includes

  • Accommodation as per the program.
  • Meals as per the program.
  • Entrance fees.
  • Local English speaking guide.
  • All transfers, sightseeing, excursions.
  • All taxes

Branding
– Logo branding on Vehicles.
– Color and logo branding Merchandise.
– Departure gifts with company’s branding.

Excludes

  • Personal Expenses.
  • Camera / Video Camera Fees.
  • Medical Aid.
  • Tips.
  • Travel Insurance.
  • Visa (If any).

Important

– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.

]]> Classical Benin Incentive Tour https://www.imecplanet.com/tour/classical-benin/ Wed, 21 Oct 2020 08:05:36 +0000 https://www.imecindia.com/?post_type=tour&p=5339

Benin, a French-speaking West African nation, is a birthplace of the vodun (or “voodoo”) religion and home to the former Dahomey Kingdom from circa 1600–1900. In Abomey, Dahomey’s former capital, the Historical Museum occupies two royal palaces with bas-reliefs recounting the kingdom’s past and a throne mounted on human skulls. To the north, Pendjari National Park offers safaris with elephants, hippos and lions.

Itinerary

Day 01 Arrive Cotonou
Arrive in Cotonou by international flight. Meet, assist and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02 Cotonou – Porto Novo -Cotonou (41 Kms/ 2H appx.-ONE WAY)
Breakfast at hotel and proceed to Porto-Novo, also called Hogbonu or Adjatche. Arrive; visit Honme, the former palace of King Toffa, the nineteenth monarch of Hogbonu. Continue to the museum of ethnography displaying aspects of Birth, Life and Death with a fabulous collection of Gelede masks. Return to Cotonou. Drive to Abomey-Calavi. Aboard a motorboat, cruise the Nokoue Lake to Ganvie, Africa’s biggest stilt village. On arrival, visit the “Maison de la Francophonie”, a replica of Ganvie traditional houses. Go the narrow alleyways between the stilt houses passing the Lovers’ Lane, the floating market to a typical Ganvie souvenir shop. Return to Abomey-Calavi and continue to Cotonou.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 03 Cotonou-Allada-Ouidah (By Road) (87 Kms/ 1H 30M appx.)
Breakfast at hotel and proceed to Allada, origin of most kingdoms in southern Benin, also the birthplace of Toussaint Louverture, the Negro hero of Haiti’s ancestors. Join in the preliminary ceremonies of the voodoo festival including prayers, chanting and drumming by various priests from the area. After a brief exchange wih King Kpodegbe, road to Ouidah, the voodoo capital city of Benin. Arrive in Ouidah; experience the Slave Road from the former slave market till the awesome Door of No Return on the beach that saw millions of Africans embark on slave vessels for the Americas. Scenic drive through the coconut grove passing fishing villages for beachfront Casa del Papa. Overnight at hotel.

Day 04 Ouidah-Cotonou (By Road) (38 Kms/ 1H appx.)
Breakfast & Today, join in the official events of the voodoo festival, a religion with sixty million worshippers worldwide. Embark on a tour of Ouidah including the temple of pythons opposite the Basilica, Kpasse sacred forest dotted with many sculptures representing artist representation of many deities. This shaded wood is where the second King of Ouidah, Kpasse got deified into a tree, still visible here today. We end our tour of Ouidah visiting the museum of History, a former Portuguese slave fort. Continue to Cotonou. Overnight at hotel.

Day 05 Depart Cotonou
Departure transfer to onwards destination.

Hotels

City Nights 5* Hotels
Cotonou 03 Azalai Hotel de la Plage
Ouidah 01 Casa Del Papa

Includes

  • Accommodation as per the program.
  • Meals as per the program.
  • Entrance fees.
  • Local English speaking guide.
  • All transfers, sightseeing, excursions.
  • All taxes

Branding
– Logo branding on Vehicles.
– Color and logo branding Merchandise.
– Departure gifts with company’s branding.

Excludes

  • Personal Expenses.
  • Camera / Video Camera Fees.
  • Medical Aid.
  • Tips.
  • Travel Insurance.
  • Visa (If any).

Important

– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.

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