This is the Benin chapter from Lonely Planet's Africa guidebook.

West Africa has cachet and soul in equal measure. Home to signature African landscapes and traditional peoples, this is Africa as it was. Its voodoo capital, Benin, was also the centre of the slave trade for nearly three centuries; the country's rich and complex history is still very much in evidence today.

• learn traditional fishing techniques in Lake Ahémé and get up close and personal with voodoo traditions
• maps
• spot lions, cheetahs, elephants and more in West Africa's best wildlife park, Parc National de la Pendjari
• transport & directory
• discover Benin's mellow capital Porto Novo, with its Afro-Brazilian heritage and visionary sustainable farming centre
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Cotonou & around, Ganvié, The South, Porto Novo, Ouidah, Grand Popo, Possotomé & Lake Ahémé, Abomey, The North, Parakou, Natitingou, The Atakora Region, Parc National de la Pendjari, Malanville, Dangers & Annoyances.