Benin vacation advice

Visit your GP or travel clinic 6-8 weeks before departure to ensure you are up to date with any necessary vaccinations. A Yellow fever certificate is required to enter Benin, and malaria is present.

Take our comprehensive travel insurance including emergency repatriation.

Medical facilities are poor in Benin even in the cities, and even more so in rural areas. Take a basic first aid kit, all prescription medicines and any over the counter drugs you think you may need.

Do not drink the tap water in Benin, and sure the seal is not broken on bottles of water you have bought. Be careful too with unpeeled fruit, salads, ice and so on which may have been washed or prepared with tap water.

Benin is located very close to the equator and the sun is fierce. Always wear high factor SPF, and cover up as much as possible, even on overcast days. And keep well hydrated, too.

The harmattan wind blows down from the Sahara in November to March. It is a very hot, dry wind that brings a lot of dust – you’ll appreciate having plenty of moisturiser and lip balm. Contact lens wearers may need to use eye drops or think about using glasses, and keep a bottle of water handy for a tickly throat.

Petty crime and pickpocketing is the greatest threat in Benin, so take the usual precautions, don’t carry valuables and use a moneybelt. Avoid walking round the cities alone at night, and don’t walk along the beaches by yourself. Visitors should also be very vigilant in Cotonou and in particular in its Dantokpa market.

Public transport is always a full on immersion into a new culture – but be aware that driving standards are poor, as is vehicle maintenance. If you are really keen to try Benin’s buses, take a short minibus ride around the city, rather than an intercity bus or taxi.

The long, empty, sandy beaches are incredibly enticing, but the sea is rough with large waves, strong currents and dangerous undertows and riptides. Do not swim in the sea here. If you do happen to get caught in a riptide, swim parallel to shore and never against the current; most deaths occur when the victim exhausts themselves by trying to swim back to shore. Wait until you come out of the rip (and you will), then swim back.

You generally won’t experience much hassle in Benin as tourism is still rare– but women in particular can reduce the amount of attention they get by wearing modest clothing, covering shoulders and knees, at least. The more rural the community, the more conservative – so cover up as much as possible, even though it is hot. Loose scarves around the shoulders or sarongs are a good idea.

Homosexuality is legal but still a taboo in many communities; same sex couples should act discretely.

There is no British Embassy in Benin. Note down the contact details for the British High Commission in Accra, Ghana, should you require assistance while in West Africa.