Full Post Style - MustVisitPlace.com

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Benin, Porto-Novo, West Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Benin, Porto-Novo, West Africa, Africa

Benin is an African country located in the western part of the continent, having borders with Nigeria towards the east, Burkina Faso and Niger towards the north and Togo towards the west and the Gulf of Guinea towards the south. Porto-Novo is the capital city while Cotonou is the largest city of Benin. Benin spans a total area of 115,000 square kilometers.

Agriculture is the backbone of the Benin economy and is one of the member countries of the United Nations, the African Union, La Francophonie and many other international organizations. The geographical coordinates of Benin are 8.8333° N, 2.1833° E.

History of Benin:

Benin received its present name on November 30, 1975 replacing its earlier name Dahomey and the today’s name derived from the Bight of Benin on which the nation is positioned. The Kingdom of Dahomey is the most important name in the Benin’s history, which ruled the Benin from the 17^th to the 19^th century and during that period, slavery was largely practiced in Dahomey. Following the end of slavery, the French occupied Dahomey in 1892 and ruled until 1960 when Benin became independent from France.

Connectivity to Benin:

Cadjehoun Airport is the most important airport of Benin, situated around 7 kilometers from Cotonou. This airport operates flights to and from many global destinations including Paris, Brussels, Douala, Nairobi, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Moscow.

The intercity transportation of Benin is catered by both buses and trains. Confort Lines are the prominent bus company serving the Beninese cities and along the buses services, taxis and rental cars are commonly used.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Benin:

Fon and Yoruba are the widely communicated languages while French is the official language of Benin. Roman Catholics constitute the greater percentage of the Benin’s population, followed by Islam, Vodun and other religions.

The West African CFA franc is the currency used in Benin and for the shopping of traditional Beninese specialties, it is recommended for visitors to step towards Dantokpa Market in Cotonou.

Some kinds of practice cuisines in Benin are Wagasi cheese, Acarajé, Akpan, Aloko, Fufu and Garri.

Must see in Benin:

Cotonou Cathedral:

The Cotonou Cathedral is situated in the city of Cotonou in Benin, famous among visitors for its white and burgundy striped exterior architecture. This Roman Catholic cathedral gained the status of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cotonou in 1955.

Pendjari National Park:

A nature and adventure lovers’ area, the Pendjari National Park are spread over an area of 2755 square kilometers, housing a wide range of animal and bird species including West African lions, Western hartebeest, Violet Turaco and hippopotamuses. Tanguieta is the nearest city to the park.

W National Park:

Covering around total 10,000 square kilometers area of the three West African countries like Niger, Benin and Burkina Fas, the W National Park was established in August 4, 1954 and it gained space in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1996. Mammals are the highlights of the park, of which the most identified ones are cheetahs, elephants, baboons and hippopotamuses. In Benin, Kandi is the closest city to the W National Park.

Abomey:

Abomey is a city and the former capital of Benin, renowned for its historical palaces, of which most come under the UNESCO World Heritage Site List like Akaba Royal Palace, Palace of King Glele, Gbehanzin Royal Palace and Palace of King Tegbessu.

Cotonou Central Mosque:

The Cotonou Central Mosque is the focal point of the Muslim groups in Algeria, situated in the city of Cotonou. One can find a wide range of traditional hotels around the mosque.

List of the other attractive places in Benin include:

Musée en Plein Air de Parakou
Ancien Pont Bridge
Royal Palace in Porto-Novo
Basilique de l’Immaculée Conception
Alexandre Sènou Adandé Ethnographic Museum

Ideal time to visit Benin:

The best and most popular time to visit Benin is from November to February when the weather remains dry and supportive for outdoor activities.

Where to stay in Benin?

The hospitality industry of Benin is concentrated in the city of Cotonou with around 50 modernized accommodation centers, including hotels, holiday rentals, resorts and BB and inns. Hotels price are not very much, affordable. Here are some top end hotels in Cotonou in Benin:

Myosotis Residence Hotel & Spa
Ibis Cotonou
Maison Rouge Cotonou
Benin Marina Hotel
Novotel Orisha Cotonou
Hotel du Lac
Hotel du Port
Sun Beach Hotel
Benin Atlantic Beach Hotel
Residences Celine Hotel
Ancrage de l’Ocean
Azalai Hotel De La Plage
Sea View Hotel
Hotel Le Zenith
Rivoli Hotel Benin

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Tuli Block, Botswana, South Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Tuli Block, Botswana, South Africa, Africa

Tuli Block is a tourist favor narrow fringe of area situated in the eastern part of Botswana near the border of Zimbabwe and South Africa with Botswana, around 530 km northeast of Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. It is famous as a safari tourism destination, holding many privately owned game farms. Solomon’s Wall, a naturally formed spot, situated in the southwest part of the block, is famous among visitors for its geographical features.

Tuli Block also houses a wide range of animals migrating from the different regions of the continent like Wildebeest, kudu, eland and impala.

History of Tuli Block:

Along with the other parts of Botswana, Tuli Block also came under the rule of British, beginning from 1995 until Botswana gained independence from the British in 1966.

How to reach Tuli Block?

Francistown Airport is the closest major airport to Tuli Block, situated around 300 km away and offer flights to and from Gaborone and Johannesburg. There are airport taxis generally available at the airport and also one can pre-booked private transfers for convenient and comfort airport travel.

Through roadway, Tuli Block is connected to all around Botswana and burdening cities of South Africa.

For local travel, visitors can hire a car from the local travel agency.

Food and Shopping in Tuli Block:

There are plenty of traditional food corners in Tuli Block but finding restaurants with international menus would be a difficult task for visitors although visitors can find it at hotels and lodges of the area.

Shops are abundant in Tuli Block of which traditional food corners are higher in number.

Things to do in Tuli Block:

Mountain biking
Camping
Hiking

Places to see in Tuli Block:

Solomon’s Wall:

The Solomon’s Wall is a naturally formed tourist attraction measuring a height of 30 metres. There is a big lake near the wall with a waterfall with rich mineral deposits drawing a large number of nature lovers between May and October.

Tswapong and Lepokole Hills:

Situated around 140 km away from the heart of Tuli Block, the Tswapong and Lepokole Hills are featured with waterfalls, rock paintings and rich and eye-catching vegetation. It can be explored best through a guided tour.

The Northern Tuli Game Reserve:

The Northern Tuli Game Reserve is situated on the convergence of the rivers of Limpopo and Shashe, holding many famous game reserves including Tuli Game Reserve, Mashatu Game Reserve and Ntani Game Reserve. With an area of 300,000 hectors, Northern Tuli Game Reserve holds a dignity of the largest privately-owned game reserve in Southern Africa.

The Khama Rhino Sanctuary:

The Khama Rhino Sanctuary is a popular tourist attraction, situated around 50 km away from the town of Palapye, around 250 km from the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. Endangered black and white rhino are the highlights of the sanctuary.

List of other places of interest in and around Tuli Block include:

Martins Drift
Mahalapye
Bobonong
Letsibogo Dam
Sun International Menateng Casino
Supa Ngwao Museum
Tachila Nature Reserve
Domboshaba ruins
Francistown Stadium
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Botswana National Museum
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Desert
Jamea Masjid
Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Best time to visit Tuli Block:

Probably from May to October is the best time to visit natural tourist destination Tuli Block in Botswana.

Accommodation options in Tuli Block:

Hotels are less in number in Tuli Block but it houses many lodges, camping and vacation rentals with all standard facilities and services of which most offer advance booking facility for visitors’ convenience. Here are some nice accommodation options in Tuli Block:

Lotsane Safari Lodge
Kwa Tuli Island Camp
Stevensford Game Reserve
Tuli Safari Lodge
Oasis Lodge
Limpopo River Lodge
Limpopo Valley Horse
Mashatu Main Camp
Mashatu Tented Camp
Nitani Lodge
Tuli Wilderness Camp
Molema Bush Camp

Shakawe Tourist Places to Visit in Shakawe, Botswana, North Africa, Africa

Shakawe Tourist Places to Visit in Shakawe, Botswana, North Africa, Africa

Shakawe is a tourist favor village situated in the northwest part of Botswana near the border of Namibia and Angola with Botswana. It is geographically positioned between 18°22′9″ S latitude and 21°50′45″ E longitude, around 1100 km northwest of Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

Although having the village status, Shakawe houses two shopping centers with supermarkets and many other modern outlets. Shakawe is located around 50 km northeast of the natural tourist attraction, Tsodilo Hills. Shakawe holds an airport used for only charter flights during high season.

Connectivity to Shakawe:

The nearest major airport to Shakawe is Maun Airport, located around 350 km away from Shakawe and operates flights from and to Windhoek, Cape Town, Gaborone, Johannesburg, Kasane, and Victoria Falls. It takes around 5 hour by drive from Maun to Shakawe.

Those who come from Gaborone to Shakawe can use bus or rental cars but it would be a very long journey, so it is advised for visitors to reach Maun by flight first and then take rental car from there to Shakawe. Buses depart from Gaborone to Maun at 5:30am, 7:00am, and 11:30am every day.

Shopping and Food in Shakawe:

Shakawe houses two modernized shopping centres of which both have well stocked supermarket with wide variety of products.

Dejodeli is one of the famous restaurants in Shakawe serving visitors with African and Austrian cuisine at reasonable prices.

Things to do in Shakawe:

Village tours
Hiking
Shopping

Places of interest in Shakawe:

Tsodilo:

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tsodilo is an ancient settlement around 50 km away from Shakawe, known for its distinct religious and spiritual importance. Located within the Kalahari Desert, Tsodilo houses around 4,500 rock paintings of which the famous ones are Whale and Two Rhinos paintings.

Shakawe Airport:

Located around 1,030 meters above sea level, Shakawe Airport is a nicely built modern aerodrome, operated by the Department of Civil Aviation. It is located only one kilometer away from the village centre.

Maun Education Park:

Located in Maun, around 350 km away from Shakawe, Maun Education Park is a learning centre, focused on the flora and fauna species of Botswana, especially the interesting information on wild animals like wildebeest, kudu, impala, zebras and lechwe.

Moremi Game Reserve:

Moremi Game Reserve is a paradise of outdoor sport lovers, situated around 300 km away from Shakawe. Exploring it through a guided would be better as it is located in the isolated area.

List of other places of interest in Shakawe and Maun (around 350 km) include:

Nhabe Museum
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Khutse Game Reserve
Travel Adventures Botswana
Afro Trek Safaris
Hemingway Safaris
Botswana Quality Baskets
Helicopters Horizons
Okavango River
General Trading Company
Bush Camp Safaris

Best time to visit Shakawe:

Throughout the year is best, especially during the months between November and February is ideal to travel Shakawe in Botswana.

Accommodation options in and around Shakawe:

Shakawe houses a few standard accommodation centres with all the basic facilities and services. One can also find hotels in Maun (around 350 km) for memorable hospitality services. The prominent hotels in Shakawe and Maun are listed below:

Lawdons Lodge
Hawk Guest House
Drotskys Cabins
Shakawe River Lodge
Xaro Lodge
Okavango Fishing Safaris Ltd
Rileys Hotel
Mogothlo Safari Lodge
Thamakalane Lodge
Tshima Bush Camp
Maun Lodge
Kamanga Safari Hotel
Okavango Roadside Guesthouse
Okavango River Lodge Maun
Island Safari Lodge

Places to Visit in Selebi-Phikwe, Botswana, Africa

Places to Visit in Selebi-Phikwe, Botswana, Africa

Selebi-Phikwe is a town situated in the Central District of the African country, Botswana at an elevation of 878 meters, around 400 km northeast of the national capital, Gaborone. It is a mining town, mainly nickel mining, which has been the major economy source of the town since its discovery in 1973.

The town Selebi-Phikwe itself is an tourist destination housing a large shopping mall, plenty of cafes and restaurants and the Phikwe Marathon, the Botswana’s biggest marathon, is also held in Selebi Phikwe. Other than tourist attractions, Selebi-Phikwe is also famous for different outdoor activities like bird watching, fishing, cross country cycling, sailing and quad biking. Selebi-Phikwe coordinates with 21°58′33″ S latitude and 27°50′24″ E longitude.

Connectivity to Selebi-Phikwe:

There is an airport in Selebi-Phikwe but served by no scheduled flights. The Francistown Airport is the closest major airport to Selebi-Phikwe, situated around 150 km away and operates flights from and to Gaborone and Johannesburg, served by Air Botswana.

One can use airport taxi to reach Selebi-Phikwe or pre-booked private transfers for comfort airport travel.

Selebi-Phikwe can also be reached by bus from Gaborone operated by many renowned bus companies.

To move within the town of Selebi-Phikwe, visitors can hire car from any of the local travel agency on day or week basis.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Selebi-Phikwe:

Selebi-Phikwe is the site of the Botswana’s biggest marathon, Phikwe Marathon which is famous all around Africa.

Selebi-Phikwe is one of the shopping hubs of Botswana housing plenty of traditional shops all around the town and a large shopping mall in the heart of the town.

Selebi-Phikwe also houses numerous modernized and traditional food corners with mouthwatering delicacies.

Things to do in Selebi-Phikwe:

Bird watching
Fishing
Cross country cycling
Sailing
Quad biking

Tourist places in Selebi-Phikwe:

Letsibogo Dam:

Located around 25 km away from the town of Selebi-Phikwe, the Letsibogo Dam was initially constructed over the Motloutse River to supply water to Selebi-Phikwe and now it serves Gaborone through pipeline measuring a length of 400 kilometers. It is also famous as a bird-watching and fishing point.

Sun International Menateng Casino:

The Sun International Menateng Casino belongs to the Cresta Bosele Hotel, is situated on the Tshekedi Road in Selebi-Phikwe. It features 50 totally cashless slots and also visitors can enjoy a variety of traditional and international delicacies at the restaurant of hotel.

Selebi-Phikwe Airport:

The Selebi-Phikwe Airport is a modern and well constructed airport, situated around 12 km away from the centre of the city, near the wildlife and resort area of Selebi-Phikwe.

Supa Ngwao Museum:

Located in Francistown, around 150 km away from Selebi-Phikwe, the Supa Ngwao Museum is a famous museum concentrated on showcasing the culture and history of Botswana including the town of Francistown. It lies on the New Maun Road.

Tachila Nature Reserve:

The Tachila Nature Reserve is situated around 145 km north of Selebi-Phikwe. Although small in size, around 8200 hectares, the reserve is rich in ecosystem and natural habitat and is also a site of game drives.

List of the other attractive places in and around Selebi-Phikwe include:

Domboshaba ruins
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Desert
Jamea Masjid
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Botswana National Museum
Francistown Stadium
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Gaborone Dam
Lion Park Resort
Chobe National Park

Ideal time to visit Selebi-Phikwe:

The best time to visit Selebi-Phikwe depends on visitors’ interest and for outdoor activities, between October and February is the best time.

Where to stay in Selebi-Phikwe?

Although being a tourist favor town, Selebi-Phikwe houses a limited number of hotels, so it is advised for visitors to reach nearby Francistown for more facilitated hotels and also one can head towards Gaborone to have memorable hospitality services. List of the prominent hotels in Selebi-Phikwe and Francistown (150 km) include: