There's nowhere on earth quite like West Africa. This is a destination with cachet, a front territory where the unspoiled Africa of your imagination awaits, a challenging destinati that promises endless opportunities to venture into the unknown.

Salt caravans in the Sahara, imposing forts on the Ghanaian coast, urban buzz in Lagos, the steamy lushness of Casamance-West Africa's attractions are as diverse as they are intriguing. Whether you want to set out for Timbuktu,laze on a sandy beach or overland it from desert to jungle,Lonely Planet shows you the what, where and how.

The Authors

Getting Started

Itineraries

Snapshot

History

The Culture

The Music of

West Africa

Arts & Craftwork

PeolesofoWest Africa

Environment

Benin

 Highlights

 Itineraries

 Climate & When to Go

 History

 The Culture

 Religion

 Arts

 Environment

 Food & Drink

 COTONOU

 AROUND COTONOU

 THE SOUTH

 Porto Novo

 Ouidah

 Grand Popo

 Lake Aheme & Around

 Abomey

 Dassa Zoume

 THE NORTH

 Parakou

 Djougou

 Natitingou

 Boukoumbe

 Parc National de la Pendjari

 Kandi & Around

 Malanville

 Pare Regional du W

 BENIN DIRECTORY

 TRANSPORT IN BENIN

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Cote d'lvoire

The Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Liberia

Mali

Mauritania

Nicler

Niqeria

Seneqal

Sierra Leone

Togo

West Africa

Directory

Transport in

West Africa

Health

Language

Glossary

Behind the Scenes

Index

World Time Zones

Map Legend