The Voodoo Trail: Self-Launched West Africa — Lomé to Ouagadougou

Fly into Lomé–Tokoin International Airport. Grab a shared taxi (moto or regular taxi) from the airport to your guesthouse in the city centre — agree the price before you get in, expect around £3–5. Check in, rest, and wander the lively Grand Marché area in the evening to get your bearings.

🚌Shared taxi or moto-taxi from airport (~£3–5)

🛏Hôtel Galion or Chez Alice Guesthouse, Lomé — budget guesthouses in a central location, approx £18–25/night

• →Arrive at Lomé–Tokoin International Airport
• →Take a shared taxi or moto-taxi to your guesthouse (£3–5)
• →Evening stroll around Grand Marché and Lomé seafront boulevard

Start the morning with a self-guided walk through Lomé's famous Marché des Féticheurs (fetish market) — entry is free but tip your informal guide £2–3. In the afternoon, catch a shared bush taxi (£4–6) from Lomé's Kpalimé station toward Kpalimé. En route, ask locals about any active voodoo ceremonies in nearby villages — these are community events and travellers are often warmly welcomed with a small donation. Arrive Kpalimé by evening.

🚌Shared bush taxi Lomé → Kpalimé (~£5)

🛏Auberge de Kpalimé or similar guesthouse, approx £12–18/night

• →Visit Marché des Féticheurs (fetish market) — free entry, tip guide £2–3
• →Self-guided walk around Lomé's colonial quarter and Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
• →Bush taxi from Lomé to Kpalimé (~£4–6, ~2.5 hrs)
• →Enquire locally about voodoo ceremonies in surrounding villages

Early morning guided forest walk in the Kpalimé hills — hire a local guide directly at the trailhead for around £8–12 for a half-day walk through coffee and cocoa plantations up to Pic d'Agou. After the walk, take a bush taxi back through Lomé (£5) and cross the border on foot at Hillakondji/Sanvee-Condji into Benin. Get your Benin visa on arrival (£35–40). Take a shared taxi on to Ouidah (~£5). Total border crossing and transit takes 3–4 hrs.

🚌Bush taxi Kpalimé → Lomé border (~£5); shared taxi into Ouidah (~£5)

🛏Auberge de la Route des Esclaves or Casa del Papa, Ouidah — approx £15–22/night

• →Guided forest walk in Kpalimé hills — hire guide at trailhead (~£10)
• →Bush taxi back to Lomé border crossing (~£5)
• →Walk across Togo–Benin border at Hillakondji — visa on arrival for Benin (~£38)
• →Shared taxi to Ouidah (~£5)

Hire a local guide in Ouidah for the morning (£10–15 negotiated directly) to walk the famous Route des Esclaves — a deeply moving 4km walk to the Door of No Return on the beach, with monuments and shrines. Visit the Temple des Pythons (entry ~£2) where sacred pythons roam freely. After lunch, take a shared bush taxi toward Cotonou (£3), then a pirogue boat from Abomey-Calavi to the extraordinary Ganvié stilt village on Lake Nokoué — boat hire roughly £6–8 return per person. Continue east to Porto-Novo by bush taxi in the late afternoon.

🚌Shared bush taxi Ouidah → Cotonou area (~£3); pirogue boat to Ganvié (~£7); bush taxi to Porto-Novo (~£4)

🛏Hôtel Beaurivage or Songhaï Centre guesthouse, Porto-Novo — approx £15–20/night

• →Guided walk along the Route des Esclaves with local guide (~£12)
• →Visit Temple des Pythons, Ouidah (~£2 entry)
• →Pirogue boat to Ganvié stilt village, Lake Nokoué (~£7 return)
• →Bush taxi to Porto-Novo (~£4)

Morning city tour of Porto-Novo on foot — visit the Ethnographic Museum (entry ~£3), the Grande Mosquée, and the colourful herbal market. Hire a moto-taxi to take you to local religious centres for a small tip. Then take a bush taxi to Abomey (£4–5, ~1.5 hrs). In Abomey, visit the UNESCO-listed Abomey Royal Palace — entry ~£6, guided tour available at the gate for ~£8–10. With luck and advance arrangements via your guesthouse, an audience with a local Yoruba king or Fon chief can sometimes be arranged through community contacts (donation expected, ~£5–10). Ask your guesthouse the evening before.

🚌Bush taxi Porto-Novo → Abomey (~£5)

🛏Auberge d'Abomey or Chez Monique, Bohicon/Abomey — approx £12–18/night

• →Self-guided Porto-Novo city walk: Ethnographic Museum (~£3), Grande Mosquée, herbal market
• →Bush taxi Porto-Novo → Abomey (~£5)
• →Guided tour of UNESCO Abomey Royal Palace (~£6 entry + £9 guide)
• →Arrange audience with local Yoruba/Fon king via guesthouse (donation ~£8)

Egun (Gelede) mask ceremonies happen seasonally in villages around Abomey — ask your guesthouse or the palace guides the evening before if any are scheduled. These are genuine community celebrations; always ask permission before photographing and offer a small donation (£3–5). After the morning ceremony, take a bush taxi north to Dassa-Zoumé (£5–7, ~2 hrs). Dassa is a peaceful hilltop town — explore the rocky hills dotted with chapels and shrines in the afternoon.

🚌Bush taxi Abomey → Dassa-Zoumé (~£6)

🛏Auberge les Collines or Mission Catholique guesthouse, Dassa-Zoumé — approx £10–15/night

• →Attend Egun/Gelede mask ceremony in a nearby village (donation ~£4)
• →Bush taxi Abomey → Dassa-Zoumé (~£6, ~2 hrs)
• →Self-guided walk around Dassa-Zoumé's rocky hills and Christian shrines

Take an early bush taxi north — a long travel day (6–8 hrs, ~£12–15 total with possible changes at Parakou). En route, ask your driver to stop at the sacred fetish site of Dankoli, where offerings and animist rituals take place — entry/donation ~£2–3. From Parakou, look out for Fulani herders near the roadside; your driver or a local fixer can often arrange a stop at a Fulani encampment for a small fee (~£5). Arrive Natitingou in the evening.

🚌Shared bush taxis Dassa → Parakou → Natitingou (~£13)

🛏Hôtel Tata Somba or Auberge Natitingou — approx £14–20/night

• →Bush taxi north toward Natitingou via Parakou (~£12–15 total)
• →Stop at Dankoli fetish site en route (donation ~£3)
• →Arrange roadside visit to a Fulani nomadic encampment (~£5)
• →Arrive and settle into Natitingou — one of Benin's most scenic towns

Hire a local guide in Natitingou (arrange through your guesthouse the night before, ~£15–20/day) for a full-day walking tour into the Atakora hills to visit Somba villages. The Somba's remarkable two-storey tata (mud fortress-houses) are a UNESCO-recognised tradition. Meet residents, learn about the architectural and animist significance of the buildings, and enjoy the dramatic Atakora landscape. Return to Natitingou for the night.

🚌On foot with local guide (~£18 guide fee)

🛏Hôtel Tata Somba or Auberge Natitingou — approx £14–20/night

• →Full-day guided walk to Somba villages in the Atakora hills (guide ~£18)
• →Explore tata fortress-houses — the unique mud-brick architecture of the Somba
• →Meet local families and learn about animist traditions
• →Return to Natitingou for overnight

Early start for the border crossing back into Togo at Nadoba/Porga. Take a bush taxi to the border (£5–7), walk across, then continue by shared transport north to Dapaong (£6–8, 2–3 hrs). En route, visit Tamberma villages (similar tata architecture to the Somba, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Moba communities. A local fixer or guide at the Tamberma site can be hired for ~£8–10 for a village walk.

🚌Bush taxi to border (~£6); shared transport to Dapaong (~£7)

🛏Auberge de Dapaong or similar, approx £10–15/night

• →Bush taxi to Benin–Togo border crossing at Nadoba (~£6)
• →Shared transport into Dapaong, northern Togo (~£7)
• →Visit Tamberma UNESCO World Heritage tata villages en route (~£8 guide)
• →Stop at Moba village community

Cross into Burkina Faso at Sinkassé/Bittou by bush taxi (£5–8). Burkina Faso visa can be arranged in advance from your home country or sometimes at the border — check current requirements before travel (~£50). Head north toward Pô, stopping in the towns of Bagré (near the Bagré Dam) and Zabre to see Gurunsi painted fresco houses — these extraordinary geometric wall paintings are one of the highlights of the entire route. A local community guide (~£8) makes a huge difference here.

🚌Bush taxis across border and toward Pô (~£14 total)

🛏Campement de Pô or basic guesthouse in Pô — approx £12–18/night

• →Bush taxi to Burkina Faso border at Sinkassé (~£6)
• →Shared transport toward Pô (~£8)
• →Stop at Gurunsi villages near Tiébélé to see famous painted fresco houses (guide ~£8)
• →Visit Bagré and Zabre towns

Take a shared bush taxi west through Burkina Faso's savannah landscape to Gaoua (£8–10, 3–4 hrs). Gaoua is the heart of Lobi and Dagarti territory — compact and easy to explore on foot. In the afternoon, visit the Musée de Gaoua (entry ~£2), which offers excellent context on the region's peoples and animist traditions before tomorrow's village visits.

🚌Shared bush taxi Pô → Gaoua (~£9)

🛏Campement Diocésain or Hôtel Les Cascades, Gaoua — approx £12–18/night

• →Bush taxi Pô → Gaoua through savannah (~£9, 3–4 hrs)
• →Arrive and explore Gaoua town on foot
• →Visit Musée de Gaoua (~£2 entry) for context on Lobi and Dagarti cultures
• →Explore Dagarti village outskirts in the afternoon

Hire a Lobi-speaking local guide for the full day (arrange through your guesthouse or the Musée de Gaoua, ~£18–22/day) to explore Lobi villages in the surrounding countryside. The Lobi are known for their fierce independence, distinctive bronze figurines, and sacred animist practices. Your guide will introduce you to a traditional healer (féticheur) and may be able to arrange a peek inside their home — always follow your guide's lead on etiquette. This is one of the most extraordinary cultural encounters in all of West Africa.

🚌On foot and local moto-taxi with guide (~included in guide fee)

🛏Campement Diocésain or Hôtel Les Cascades, Gaoua — approx £12–18/night

• →Full-day Lobi village tour with local Lobi-speaking guide (~£20)
• →Visit traditional healer (féticheur) — follow guide's lead on customs
• →See Lobi iron and bronze sacred objects and animist shrines
• →Explore surrounding countryside on foot

Take a shared bush taxi or STMB bus northwest toward Bobo-Dioulasso (£8–12, ~3–4 hrs). 'Bobo' is Burkina Faso's second city and cultural capital — a relaxed, music-filled city with excellent street food. In the afternoon, explore the famous Grand Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso (a stunning Sudano-Sahelian mud-brick structure) and the old Kibidwé quarter on foot. Great evening for local food — try tô (sorghum paste) and grilled chicken at a maquis (local eatery).

🚌Shared bush taxi/bus Gaoua → Bobo-Dioulasso (~£10)

🛏Auberge les Touristes or Hôtel Burkina, Bobo-Dioulasso — approx £14–20/night

• →Shared bush taxi Gaoua → Bobo-Dioulasso (~£10, 3–4 hrs)
• →Visit the Grand Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso — free, respectful dress required
• →Explore the Kibidwé old quarter on foot
• →Dinner at a local maquis — tô, grilled meats (~£4–6)

Spend the day exploring Bobo at your own pace. Visit the Marché Central for crafts, bronze figurines, and woven fabric. The Musée Provincial du Houet (£2 entry) gives a strong overview of regional ethnic groups. In the afternoon, visit the sacred fish ponds at Dafra (a short moto-taxi ride, ~£3 return) where catfish are considered sacred — a local caretaker guide is included in the small entry fee (~£2). Bobo is also known for its live music scene — ask your guesthouse about djembe performances or griot music in the evening.

🚌Moto-taxi around town (~£3–5)

🛏Auberge les Touristes or Hôtel Burkina, Bobo-Dioulasso — approx £14–20/night

• →Morning market visit — Marché Central (crafts, bronze, fabric)
• →Musée Provincial du Houet (~£2 entry)
• →Moto-taxi to sacred Dafra fish ponds (~£3 return + £2 entry)
• →Evening live music or griot performance at a local bar

Take the SOGEBAF or TSR bus from Bobo-Dioulasso to Ouagadougou (£6–10, ~5 hrs — book at the bus station the day before). Arrive in 'Ouaga' and check in to your guesthouse. Spend the afternoon exploring the central Marché Rood Woko (one of West Africa's great markets) and the peaceful Jardin de l'Amitié. The city has a buzzing arts scene — ask about the FESPACO film festival schedule or any local events.

🚌SOGEBAF/TSR coach Bobo → Ouagadougou (~£8)

🛏Hôtel Indépendance annex/budget wing or Auberge Karitié, Ouagadougou — approx £15–22/night

• →SOGEBAF/TSR bus Bobo-Dioulasso → Ouagadougou (~£8, ~5 hrs)
• →Check in and explore Marché Rood Woko
• →Visit Jardin de l'Amitié and the National Museum (~£2)
• →Evening in Ouaga's lively restaurant and arts district

Final morning — pick up last-minute crafts at the Village Artisanal (fixed-price cooperative, great for bronze castings and woven goods). Head to the airport (shared taxi ~£5–8) for your onward flight. Most international flights depart from Ouagadougou Thomas Sankara International Airport. Allow plenty of time — West African airports can be busy and slow.

🚌Shared taxi to airport (~£6)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Morning visit to Village Artisanal for crafts and souvenirs
• →Shared taxi to Ouagadougou airport (~£6)
• →Depart Ouagadougou