Planning a trip to Benin

by Bill Dean and Chris Starace (Fon is Fun Webmaster)- Type in black is by Bill Dean and type in this color is by Chris Starace.

I would like to thank Bill for giving me permission to post his article below in black type.

This past July 2004, my wife Cara and I went to Benin and I have updated this entire page with the the things that I learned from planning my our trip. In the last few years information about airlines, visas etc has changed so some of the things Bill Dean said are no longer true. .I was surprised at how much work it was and how expensive it is to plan a trip to Benin. As a volunteer, Peace Corps takes care of getting you your visa, money, airline tickets, vaccinations, anti-malarial prophylaxis, and they provide for your in-country health care. Now we were on our own, and we had to arrange for all these things ourselves.

We are the Deans. Bill and Jo Lynn. Our daughter is in the Peace Corps in Bopa, Benin, where she is an English teacher in the local "College" or middle school. Angie arrived with the educational stage in June 2000.

Jo Lynn and I lived in West Africa in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, for nine years. This is a country bordering Benin to the northwest. I was a medical missionary in Bobo where I had a dental clinic. Over the course of those 9 years we traveled extensively in Africa, and between Europe and the States and Africa. We recently visited Angie in April 2001 in Benin.

With that said, I will tell you that I don't consider myself to be an expert in West African travel, but at least I am experienced. In this posting I will attempt to convey some of what we have learned about traveling in West Africa. Most of what we learned was from the 1980's and early 1990's. But judging from our recent trip in 2001, most of it is still pertinent.

If any of you have specific questions, feel free to contact me by email at BillDean@amaonline.com

1. Decide when to go and decide if you can afford it.- It will cost you a lot more than going to common tourist destinations due to higher airfare, visas, vaccinations, and travel insurance. The good news is, once you get there, things are relatively inexpensive (depending on how you do things of course).

This is what we spent per person to just get there at peak season (July). Once you're there it won't cost much unless you're staying in the Benin Marina Hotel (Formerly the Sheraton and it is Benin's only 5 star hotel.) If you go off-peak (i.e. not the end of June, July or August, you may be able to find a ticket for $1000- $1500 total instead of the $2,000+ we paid for a ticket leaving in July ( I bought it in February). I came to the sad realization that in the summer prices are sky high and the dollar being weak now does not help. In the past there have been several airlines that flew into Cotonou. They were Air France, Sabena, and Air Afrique. Air Afrique and Sabena no longer exist so Air France has a monopoly and is charging exorbitant prices in my opinion. Since we paid a lot of money to get to Benin and we had to pass through Paris, we made one vacation into two and spent time in France before going to Benin. There are other possibilities to get to Benin but they involve overland travel. You could take another airline into Ghana, or Togo, but you would have to get more visas and take a very long taxi ride to get to Benin. I have heard that Air Ghana recently had problems and was grounded so you should do your homework before buying a ticket on an African Airline.

Yellow Fever vaccination				$ 80.00
Levaquine co-pay (anti-biotic)				$ 10.00
Co-pays for two doctor's visits				$ 40.00
Malarone- antimalarial pills				$ 90.00
Typhoid Vaccination				$ 60.00
Passport Photos for visa				$ 20.00
Visa for Benin with postage				$ 113.00
Cancellation and Medevac insurance				$ 110.00
Plane Ticket to France				$ 783.00
Plane Ticket France to Cotonou				$ 1,250.00
Airport Transportation round trip				$ 100.00

Total travel expenses				$ 2,656.00

Spending money in Benin $40 / day (15 days)*				$ 600.00

Total trip expense per person				$ 3,256.00

* This is my estimate for staying in moderate hotels. This amount will vary a lot depending on if you're staying in hotels all the time, what kind of hotels, how much traveling you're going to do, how you travel, where you eat, how many souvenirs you buy, how much you like to bargain, and how much gift giving you do. I made $6 a day as a PCV and survived so you can spend a lot less than $60 a day for two people if you want to..

After getting your plane tickets, the next step is to get your vaccinations updated. Make sure you bring your WHO card if you have one to show your doctor which vaccinations you’ve already received and when. Your best bet is to find a travel clinic or a doctor who specializes in travel medicine. If your doctor or insurance company can’t find one for you, call your local department of health. Only doctors who specialize in tropical medicine usually have vaccinations specific to tropical countries such as yellow fever and typhoid. It is better that you see a doctor who specializes in travel medicine because they keep up to date on what vaccinations are required for specific countries around the world. If you can’t find one where you are, it’s more likely you’ll find one in a large city.

Some vaccinations like Yellow Fever, Hep A, and Hep B are good for 10 years or more so I didn’t need those shots since mine were still active. I needed only polio, meningitis, and typhoid, which are good for about two years. We took an oral form of the typhoid vaccine, which my doctor said was more effective than the injectable version. Your doctor will also have to give you a prescription for your malaria prophylaxis.

When I asked my family doctor if most insurance companies pay for travel related vaccinations, he said “no.” I called my insurance company, and they said the same thing. I was very worried that our vaccinations would cost us a fortune because Cara needed all the vaccinations. Luckily, my travel doctor informed me that insurance companies usually pay for all vaccinations except for the diseases that don’t exist in the US. The catch is that the doctor can’t say that the vaccination is only for travel purposes. He or she has to submit the claim saying that you need the vaccinations here is the U.S. The vaccinations that you need for Benin that aren’t given automatically in the US are Hep A, Hep B, polio, and meningitis). Check whether or not your doctor is willing to do that before you go for an appointment, or you could end up paying a lot of money. The vaccinations we did have to pay for were yellow fever, typhoid, and the malaria prophylaxis. Our doctor prescribed a relatively new anti-malarial drug called Malarone. It’s supposed to have fewer side effects than Mefloquin, but the disadvantage is that you have to take it every day, and it’s easier to forget than Mefloquin, which is taken only once a week. We took Malarone and we had no problems. We had to start taking it two days before we left and continue one week after we left. Because our doctor did not sell Malarone or the oral typhoid vaccine and our insurance didn’t cover it, we bought them online from a Canadian pharmacy where we saved a bit of money over getting it at a pharmacy.

To go to Benin you need the following vaccinations: ( I put the amount of time that I believe they are good for but make sure you check with a doctor who specializes in travel medicine to determine whether or not you need the shots)

When you get your vaccinations you will be given a yellow World Health Organization (WHO) card. This card is used to record of all your vaccinations. You will need to send it to the Beninese embassy with your passport to prove that you have the Yellow Fever vaccination in order to get your visa. You will also need to show it at the airport upon arrival to Benin. Keep it with your passport and don't lose it! Make photo copies in case you do.

The travel doctor I saw in New York City and liked very much was Dr. Zeiger- NYC 650 1st Av. NY NY 10016. Tel: 212-725-0580

Online Pharmacies: I got Malarone (Malarial Prophylaxis from : http://www.Canadapharmacy.com . Malarone- 12 pills for $43 - You have to take one pill a day, start 3 days prior, and continue 1 week after returning. Meflaquin 8 pills for $48 and you take only one pill per week. There are many Canadian pharmacies online that you can use. I looked for the Typhoid oral vaccination (pills) online but could not find them. I think it is because they have to be refrigerated. I got them through my local pharmacy instead.

Health Insurance: Check to make sure your health insurance is valid outside the US.

At the present time the only required vaccination to enter Benin is the Yellow Fever Vaccination. This vaccination has to be done by an approved provider. Your family physician should be able to point you in the right direction. The CDC in Atlanta can possibly provide you with a list of nearby clinics or physicians who are certified to provide the yellow fever vaccination. When we traveled to Benin in April 2001, yellow fever was the only thing we were required to show proof that we had received.

Malaria is prevalent in all of West Africa, and precautions against malaria are recommended and needed. Jo Lynn and I used Aralen which is a chloroquine based anti-malarial. Your family physician should be able to recommend a regimen for you. Currently the CDC recommends other medications over chloroquine, but we have had excellent results using the chloroquine derivatives. Your PCV may be able to give you the Peace Corps suggested recommendation. Whatever medication you elect to take it should be started at least 2 weeks prior to your arrival in West Africa. With most anti-malarial medications you will take one dose once per week on exactly the same day of the week. Sunday seems to be the consensus for the best day to take the anti-malarial meds. I don't think that the mosquitoes care which day you choose, but everyone seems to be able to remember Sunday afternoons. The medication needs to be continued for at least 4 weeks after you leave Africa.

Peace Corps has volunteers take Mefloquin and it works well with few side effects for most people.

Meningitis vaccination is not required at this time, but it is recommended for Benin. I feel that this is a valid recommendation, especially considering that there was an outbreak of meningitis in the States this spring.

Cholera is sometimes recommended from those in West Africa, but the cholera vaccination is not available in the States at this time. During our years in Africa we did not receive the cholera vaccination. There are many different variations of cholera. Preventive practices and good hygiene are your best protection against cholera. The Cholera vaccination is usually not given because it is not very effective and if there is a Cholera outbreak you would probably not want to travel at that time.

Typhoid is also recommended, but not required. We have kept our typhoid vaccinations current.

Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccinations are available. I recommend them both. I had hepatitis A in 1988 before the vaccination was available while we were in Burkina Faso, and it is not a pleasant experience. The hepatitis B vaccination is a wise move even if you never leave the States. The hepatitis B vaccination consists of an initial dose, a secondary dose in one month, and the final dose at six months. I believe that most newborns receive Hepatitis B at this time. Medical personnel or those who will be exposed to Hepatitis B are strongly urged to receive the vaccination. Again use the advice of your family physician.

Be prepared to spend from $300 to $600 per person for the yellow fever and recommended vaccinations. We spent about $350 each. Another in our group spent closer to $600.

Consideration should also be given to things like aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil for minor aches and pains. Anti-histamines like benadryl are good for mosquito bites and other itches. If you will be traveling in the rainy season anti-fungals such as Tinactin are nice. Insect repellent might be nice to have. While we were there the mosquitoes weren't bad at all, but that can change from week to week. Pepto-Bismol or other anti-diarrheals could be a welcome addition. Our doctor prescribed Levaquin, an anti-biotic for us in case of diarrhea.

Certainly any prescription drugs that you must take should be carried with you. I would recommend taking twice as much as you will need for your trip in case something is lost. Some prescription medications are available but it is often difficult to find the French equivalent of your American medication.

Consider taking an extra set of glasses if you are dependent on glasses or contact lens. If you routinely wear contacts be sure to take a pair of glasses. Jo Lynn wears contacts but there were days when it was so dusty and dirty that she had to revert to her glasses.

Your PCV will have a pretty good medical kit so it really shouldn't be necessary to take things like antibiotics. But once again use the advice of your family physician. Jo Lynn and I both stayed very healthy while we were in Benin, and we did not have any post-vacation complications. We also did many of the things that travel books tell you expressly not to do. Such as eating street foods, fresh fruits, salads, drinking tap water, and boating in fresh water. The worst problem I had was athlete's foot for about a week.

Bill, you were really lucky not getting diarrhea. I had it quite often when I was there. I would suggest drinking bottled water only. Street food is really good but the utensils are not very hygienic. I have seen on many occasions the cold dish water that they use to wash their plates ( more like a bacteria farm). For that reason, I'd suggest you buy your own plates and eating utensils when you get there and use them whenever you get street food. After you eat you can ask your food seller to wash them for you. As long as they are dry the next time you use them, you should be fine. That is what we did and we were fine. As long as your food is hot, it should be free from bacteria and parasites.

Athlete's foot can be avoided by wearing open sandals so your feet don't sweat continuously.

Even if you take all the precautions, it is still possible that you could fall very ill or have an accident. The hospitals in Benin are primitive at best and the US embassy hospital is only available to Peace Corps and Govt. employees. For this reason you should get medevac insurance in case you need to flown to Abidjan, Paris, or the US, ASAP for medical attention.

Another thing I had to do before we left was get travel and medevac insurance. I wanted travel insurance that offered cancellation benefits because we paid so much for the plane tickets. The insurance cost us $200 for both of us for our month trip. If we got sick, if a close relative died, we lost our job, or if the state department issued a warning not to travel to Benin, our airfare would be reimbursed to us. As a Peace Corps Volunteer I was grateful for the medical care I had available to me. When you go back on your own and you get hurt, the embassy medical staff is not available to you. Health care in Benin is still very primitive so it’s important that you get medevac insurance. If you break a leg, and you catch the next first class seat out to Paris, you’ll pay a lot, but it won’t put you in bankruptcy. On the other hand, if you have a serious head injury, and you need a private plane to fly you to London with a doctor to accompany you, it could cost well over $50,000. For that reason we got $100,000 per person medevac insurance (and a lot of peace of mind) that was included in the $100 per person fee. The insurance also included other benefits such as reimbursement for emergency medical expenses, reimbursement for lost luggage, missed flight connections, and delays over six hours.

To get your visa from the Beninese embassy you need to have your yellow fever vaccination updated. I was appalled when I found out that the Beninese embassy increased its fee from $40 to $100 for a Visa for Americans only, with no explanation. After doing some research, I found out that the American Embassy charges $100 for Beninese citizens to apply for a visa to enter the US. I think the American Embassy increased its fee not long after 9/11, and the Beninese Embassy is just catching up with us. Not only is $100 a huge amount of money for most Beninese, but they are often denied a visa and their $100 is not refunded! After hearing this I was not so angry about the high visa fee we had to pay. The visa is good for a year and a half and is good for multiple entries. You have to send your passport, a passport picture, your WHO card (not a copy), an application, a money order, and a postage paid envelope for the embassy so they can return your passport and WHO card to you. I got mine back a week after I sent it.

For the latest information on obtaining a visa for Benin go the Beninese Embassy's Website as visa requirements change from time to time. Their site contains information about Visas as well as other information about Benin.

4. $ 100 (One hundred dollars) fee for each applicant. (Money order or certified check only)

5. A letter of guarantee from employer or travel Agency or Xerox of round trip Ticket or a Bank letter of guarantee

- Passport must be valid for at least six (6) months and if it is to be sent back by mail, please enclose self addressed certified envelope or an express mail envelope.

If you are traveling to more than one African country and you are getting the visas in the US before you leave, you may want to pay a company to get them for you so you don't have to keep sending your passport back to Washington, DC and then having each individual embassy send it back to you. These expediting companies are used for people who are in a hurry because it will cost a lot more than if you do it yourself as explained above.

If you are going to more than one African country you must get the visa for at least the country that you are flying into first. Once you're in that country you can get the visas there for the other countries that you are going to go to. It may be cheaper this way but realize that you will be spending a bit of time getting to the embassy when it's open and going back a few days later to pick your passport up. If you choose this route, make sure you bring extra passport photos.

Our airfare was the most significant cost of the trip. We paid about $2000 each to get there: $780 to get to Paris and another $1200 from Paris to Cotonou (both round trip). Just a few years ago Air Afrique, Sabena, and Air France had direct flights to Cotonou from Paris, Brussels, or other African Cities like Abidjan and Dakar. Today Air Afrique and Sabena no longer exist so Air France has a monopoly and is charging exorbitant prices in my opinion. Another reason why it was so expensive was because the US dollar is very weak now ($1.20= 1 Euro or $1= 540 CFA), and because we went in July (peak season). Since we were paying a lot of money to get to Benin, and we had to pass through Paris, we made one vacation into two, and we spent two weeks in France before going to Benin. The other less expensive possibility to get to Benin is to fly into Accra, Ghana on Air Ghana. I think it costs between $800 and $1000 for a direct flight from New York. The disadvantage is that you will have to get visas for Ghana and Togo in addition to Benin. You will also have to suffer a very long bush taxi ride to get to Cotonou unless you break it up with a stop in Lomé, Togo. I think it takes a full day to get to Cotonou from Accra in a bush taxi.

There are other possibilities to get to Benin but they involve overland travel. If you plan on going to other countries first you may be able to save by flying into Ghana. You will have to get visas for Ghana and Togo, and suffer a very long bush taxi ride to get to Cotonou. I bought our tickets in February and I checked the prices again in June. I found that they had gone up about $400 so it is always good to buy your tickets as far in advance as possible. Beware of Air Ghana. In July 2004 they were grounded in the US due to safety issues and they are in a lot of debt.

The last time I checked Expedia, Orbitz, and Cheap Tickets don't sell tickets to Benin. Travelocity does however:

There are several options for obtaining airline tickets to Benin. We used Sola Travel when we purchased our tickets for our April trip. They booked us on Sabena Airlines. (Note Sabena went out of Business). The flights on Sabena were punctual, and the aircraft were top notch. We flew from Dallas Fort Worth to Brussels with a change of planes before leaving for West Africa. The leg from Brussels had a stop in Abidjan before landing in Cotonou. We did not have to deplane at Abidjan. The price for our tickets ran approximately $1500 per person, round trip. The web address for Sola Travel is http://www.travel-to-africa.com/ You can get information on prices and packages, but I had to call by telephone to book the reservations. They did not respond to emails. I purchased the tickets about 3 months in advance, so travel dates did not present a problem. With less lead-time one might have to be more flexible. Another Travel Agency that has been mentioned is Spector Travel, but I have no first hand information for this agency. Its web address is: http://www.spectortravel.com/

Although we used a travel agency to obtain our tickets, I believe that several of other Peace Corps families have dealt directly with the airlines to arrange their travel. This needs to be done by telephone. If the Internet travel planning option is done, the price for roundtrip travel will usually end up in the $5,000 range. Talking to a person usually gets a more respectable price. Flexible travel dates will also help to get better prices. I disagree with this. It is true that you can come up with some ridiculous prices on the internet, but the trick is knowing why. Air France only has flights from Paris to Cotonou a few days a week. If you pick a day that there are no flights, the online software will find another way to get you there on that day with lots of connections and a very high price such as sending you to Morocco, then to Ghana, then to Cotonou. The best thing is to play with the dates until you find a reasonable price with no layovers.

Airlines with connections to West Africa that I am aware of are as follows:

Ghana Airways http://www.ghana-airways.com/index1.html (Travel on Ghana Airways is to Accra. From there you have to arrange transport from Accra to Benin. The price for this flight is about $800 roundtrip from the East Coast. If you want a little adventure, this wouldn't be a bad option. Especially if your PCV can meet you in Accra. I wouldn't recommend it for the first time traveler if there isn't a PCV to get you from Accra to Benin)

There are many options of flying into another African country and then going from there to Cotonou, but other than the Ghana Airways, I don't think that many of them would be financially attractive. An exception to this might be for those PCV who live in the northern part of Benin. It might be closer (either by miles or by time) to fly into Niamey in Niger or to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. The same airlines that fly into Cotonou will also serve Niamey and Ouagadougou. From the States one can plan on a stop in France or Belgium to get to Cotonou, except for the Ghana Airways flight.

After you arrive in Cotonou you need to reconfirm your return flight. Supposedly this can be done by phone, but it is much more advisable to go directly to the airline's Cotonou office and do this in person. They will stamp your ticket showing that you have reconfirmed, and hopefully you will have a place on your scheduled flight on the correct day.

If your trip originates in the States and has no layover in Europe that requires you to claim your baggage in Europe, you are allowed two 70 pound checked bags from the states. The international allowance is 1 twenty-kilo bag (44 pounds). An overnight in Europe requires that you claim your checked baggage and revert to the international allowance. A changeover of several hours does not require that the bags be claimed. Check with the airline to verify your baggage allotment. Insist that they check your luggage all the way to Cotonou from the states. (The airport identifier for Cotonou is "COU") In addition to your checked luggage you are allowed a carry-on bag. From personal experience I recommend traveling lightly with the carry-on. It gets progressively heavier as you travel.

In the carry-on you should have your toiletries - shaving kit for the men, cosmetic kit for the ladies. Toothbrushes, reading material, and snack foods are useful. (If you take an American newspaper take it on to Cotonou. Our PCV are starved for current U.S. news. A 3 day old newspaper is current. Take at least one change of clothes in your carry-on. Luggage does get lost, and it sometimes arrives a few days after you arrive.

Do not put valuables in your checked baggage. Keep your passports, traveler's checks; return tickets etc. with you during your trip. Once you arrive in Cotonou our PCV have lockers that you can store some of your valuable papers while at the bureau in Cotonou.

Checked baggage needs to be durable enough to not come apart. If you travel with 2 checked bags per person going over, be prepared to leave one of your bags. The international return allowance is one 20 kilogram (44 pound) bag per person. You can pay for excess baggage if you want to bring home two checked bags. My experience is that they don't charge you unless your baggage is really over weight. Sweet talking or offering an inconspicuous "gift" can help too.

On our latest trip we took 2 metal Halliburton suitcases, which we brought back, and 2 footlockers (from K-Mart at about $25) which we left. We placed a padlock on the footlockers, and wrapped them in plastic. The plastic wrap was purchased at "Mailboxes Unlimited". It came in a roll about 6 inches wide and about 200 yards in length. We wrapped each piece of luggage with several layers of this plastic wrap, and we then wrapped them with duct tape. This assures that they won't come open if they are dropped or slightly abused during transit. Once you arrive at the airport in Cotonou, it is a simple matter to remove the wrapping so that the contents can be inspected. If there is someone who wants to get into your bags there really isn't anything that you can do to prevent this. I will say that in 20 years of traveling to West Africa we have never had a baggage vandalized. We did have to wait 2 days for a bag to catch up with us, but it was intact when it arrived. The footlockers make good storage for the PCV.

If you want to maximize the pounds that you take, a duffle bag from an army surplus store gives the best results. We have taken duffle bags in the past with good results. Angie used a duffle bag when she went to Benin last June. The biggest drawback to a duffle bag is the lack of protection it provides, but for clothes and other non-fragile items a duffle bag works well.

Assuming that you make all your connections and have made it to the African continent, your first impression of Africa will be at the arrival lounge of the airport. Don't judge all of Benin by the airport! Remember that you have been on a plane for the past 24 to 36 hours, and that you are very weary. And very anxious to see your PCV. As you disembark from the plane you will have to walk across the tarmac to the terminal. The terminal is supposed to be air conditioned, but you probably won't be able to tell that it is working. You will first have to go through the "Police" inspection. This is where they inspect your passport and your visa. There is a form that you have to fill out which they give you as you arrive. I believe that Sabena gave us a copy on the airplane before we landed. You will need your passport number, flight number, where you were coming from, and who your contact person is in Benin. List your PCV and B.P 971 - Corps de la Paix, Cotonou. They are mainly looking for your Benin visa and will stamp your arrival into the country.

After the Passport inspection you will pass to the left through a small door into the next room where you will collect your baggage. At this door there will be someone from the Health Department who will want to see your Yellow Fever vaccination certificate. (His smock may say "Santé" which is the French word for health). This is the only required vaccination at this time into Benin. More about vaccinations later.

Inside the baggage room there is a carousel that your luggage will arrive on. Depending on the mood of the Air Afrique workers, your luggage will be unloaded in a few minutes or in a couple of hours. The other airlines contract with Air Afrique to do the ground handling. We arrived on a national holiday and found the workers not happy about having to work. It took 2 hours to collect our luggage, but this is the exception rather than the rule. As you arrive in this room there will be 20 to 30 baggage handlers who will accost you wanting to get your bags for you. In my opinion it is in your best interest to pick one of the baggage handlers and let him get your bags, carry them to the customs inspection, and work you through the system. During our 20 years of travel in Africa I always used the local porters and it always worked to my advantage. In Cotonou the porters have a union and they will all be wearing the same color of vests. (I think that they were yellow, but they may have been blue for what I can remember at this time. I do remember that they were advertising EconoBank, for what that is worth!) They will each have a number. Our porter's name was Noel and his number was 25, which made it easy to remember who we had asked to help us. Jo Lynn and I both speak French, which is an advantage, but you can do it with just English. After your bags are collected the porter will put them on a cart and take you to the customs inspection area. It will help if you have Peace Corps or Corps de la Paix somewhere on the outside. Let the customs officers know that you are here to visit a volunteer with the Corps de la Paix. Be kind, smile, and be pleasant. Even if it did take 30 hours of flying, an hour or more to get your bags, and you are just plain irritable and ready to see your baby, this is the time to maintain your composure as well as your sense of humor. You are only minutes away from completing all the airport formalities. Sometimes the customs officials will just pass you on through. Sometimes they will do a cursory inspection. But it really isn't a big deal to go through customs. Even if you have a dozen suitcases full of Gatorade and velvetta cheese.

Using the local porters does more to get you through customs easily and quickly than anything else. Another advantage of using the porter is when it is taking an inordinate amount of time to collect your bags. The porter can hand deliver you out to the front to give hugs and kisses to your PCV while you wait on your bags. After you assure him or her that you really have arrived, he or she can cry some tears of relief and you can go get your bags. Your PCV won't be allowed back to help you through customs, but by the time you are at the inspection area of customs you will be in sight of your PCV.

For tipping the porter you can use your own judgment. Err on the side of generosity. A day's wages is only a few dollars for these young men. I tipped our porter a 50 French franc bill and three $5.00 bills, which came out to about 15,000 cfa. It helps to have either French Francs or francs cfa, but an American dollar won't be refused by the porters. Your PCV will probably be appalled by anything more than 1,000 cfa. But remember that they have been living on an African salary for at least a year, and your generosity will astound them. I think the porters will be happy with 500 CFA to 1,000 CFA ($2.50 US) but more won't hurt. The best part of getting past the customs inspection is that you are now in the hands of your PCV. You can let them take over and all you have to do is follow their lead.

If you're not staying with a PCV you should make hotel reservations as flights from Paris arrive late. Hotels in Cotonou usually don't fill up but sometimes they do so plan ahead. There are a lot of hotels to choose from from one to five stars. The Benin Marina Hotel is still known as the Sheraton (It's former name). It is the only 5 star hotel in Benin and it comes with 5 star prices of course too. See the following website for hotel contact info.

At this point you have gotten past the airport and are headed toward a hotel. (Most arrivals are in the late evening) Your PCV will most likely have made arrangements for your arrival. They have been anticipating and planning this initial day since they first learned what day you would arrive. If your PVC is like ours, you will be headed to the Hotel du Lac. It is a very nice hotel. It is clean and air-conditioned. And they will send a van to pick you up at the airport. The e-mail address for Hotel du Lac is Hotelac@bow.intnet.bj The telephone number is (229) 33 19 19 and the Fax is (229) 33 02 22.

Our PCV tend to migrate toward the Hotel du Lac, and you won't be disappointed if you stay there. They will accept French Franc Traveler's Checks. (If you have an American Express card you can order French Franc Checks through them. Call the 800 number on your card. They will deduct the amount out of your checking account. You will need a blank check with your account number and bank routing number on it when you order the checks. They will coach you through which numbers are which. There is a limit on the amount of money they will transfer at one time. I think it is a thousand dollars per week, but this may not be accurate. They will send the checks to you by FedEx or UPS. When you receive them you will be able to sign them. American Express also has a provision to buy back unused foreign checks. American Express will also send you foreign currency if you feel a need to have some local currency. If you opt to purchase foreign currency, ask for French francs. The French franc is readily interchangeable with the francs cfa).

The Hotel du Lac also indicates that you can pay with your American Express Card while staying there. The cost for their deluxe room is about 30,000 cfa, which is about $40 - $45. You will find your stay in Benin to be the most economical vacation you have ever taken, if you don't count the costs of your tickets. Jo Lynn and I were there for 15 days. Angie was with us for the whole time. We also entertained several other PCV for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As well as ice cream, taxi rides, and other such stuff. Our total expenses for hotels, eating, taxis, curio shopping, and incidentals was about $700. You can spend more, or if you want to live 2 weeks like a PCV you can do it for about $100 per person. I recommend not doing it like a PCV. Our volunteers need a break from African living.

Note the French Franc no longer exists as it has been replaced by the Euro. The CFA was not affected by this change. Before you leave look up the official exchange rate of the CFA. XE.com's Full Universal Currency Converter is perfect for this. In section 2 select USD and in section #3 select CFA (BCEAO).

. Make sure you bring American Express traveler’s checks, a Visa Card, and American Cash or Euro cash in case of emergencies! Luckily we had all three which saved us a lot of problems.

Getting money was a big problem for us on our trip and frankly I don't think it's easy for any tourist. Plan on spending at least one or two full days in a bank and getting to one. Since you can use credit cards almost NO WHERE in Benin, you will be very dependent on cash. You will also have to carry lots of cash because banks that exchange money are so few and far between. If you are not in a city with a major bank during the week you'd better count your cash every night and have a plan as to where you'll be able to get more when you need it.

Our problem was that our flight arrived late so the change office in the airport was closed. We also arrived on a Friday night. All banks that exchange traveler's checks are closed on Sat. and Sunday. I heard there is an ATM in Cotonou, but I was not able to find it despite visiting about 5 banks. You can exchange US and Euro cash almost anywhere so that got us through the weekend. After the fact I heard that the change office in the airport is open on the weekend so if you get stranded with no money on the weekend, try going there.

Not every bank exchanges traveler's checks and the ones that do are in the major cities. Often service is very slow and the lines long at banks so you may be there at least an hour. The people at Ecobank (in Cotonou) are idiots. I stood in line an hour for a window that had a sign above it saying "Cheques de Voyages." When I got to the teller he said they only accept traveler's checks from people who have accounts there!! How insane is that considering that the only people who use traveler's checks are people who travel and therefore would not have an account there... Also note that banks are open from 9AM to 12:30 and re-open at 3 and close again at 7 PM. If you get to the bank a little to late you'll lose the whole day to changing money as we did due to our friends at Ecobank.

Another insane and possibly infuriating rule many banks have is that you must have your receipt with you in order to cash traveler's checks. Forget the fact that every traveler's check company tells you to keep your receipts separate from your checks. They need to see them both at the same time or they won't cash them.

The one exception to the above is Financial Bank. They were great! There was virtually no line and they didn't ask for the receipts usually. They did ask me once when I had a check whose number was out of sequence with the others. They also give cash advances on Visa cards which was also fairly easy but it did take a while for them to do all the paperwork. I did not remember about Mayfair (read below) and perhaps if I had, it would have made life a lot easier.

Plan on using your credit card only at the best hotels and restaurants in Cotonou. I don't think you can use them anywhere else. It's odd that many people have cell phones and you can access the internet in most cities and towns but forget about using your credit card!

You can change American Dollar Traveler's Checks or French Franc Checks at a local bank. Or you can do as the PCV and cash them in a back alley behind the Mayfair. When Angie took us down an alley, up another alley, and up a flight of stairs I thought she was surely pulling a joke on us. But we walked into an office and they asked us how much we needed to change. They made a copy of my passport and gave us an exchange rate better than the banks and with no hassle. Angie indicated that the banks take hours to convert money. At the Mayfair it only takes a few minutes. And it works. Angie said they would also cash personal checks, but we used traveler's checks.

The exchange rate between the dollar and the cfa is about 715 cfa to the dollar. ( Sadly on 6/9/04 the rate was at 541 CFA to the USD. This was the same rate I got when I was a PCV 1995-1997) When you go to change money they will give you more cfa than you feel comfortable carrying around! If you change $500 you will have money stuffed in every pocket, purse, and handbag. It is a little intimidating at first glance. If it completely overwhelms you, give it to your PCV. They are used to spending 10,000. Actually they aren't because they don't make enough to spend that much at one time, but at least they are accustomed to working in cfa. And after a week you will get your thinking converted to using cfa. A very nice dinner for 3 or 4 people will cost around 10,000 to 15,000 cfa, which is $15 to $20. At restaurants you don't bargain over the price of a meal. For curios your PCV will bargain until you are tired, but the vendors expect it, and the PCV will never pay the first price.

When you first arrive you will feel that the prices are extraordinarily high, but once you get accustomed to the 700 to 1 exchange rate you will be pleasantly surprised at how economical you can vacation in Benin. As one of Angie's friends stated, "When I first arrived and they gave me my salary for the first quarter I thought there is no way I can live on this little money. Now that I have been here 2 years when I get my salary I think there is no way that I will ever be able to spend all of this money!" It is all in your perspective.

Travel in Benin will take more getting used to than anything else you experience if your reaction is like ours. Getting around in Cotonou is done mainly by Zemis. These are small mopeds. Your PCV has been riding them for months if not longer. They think nothing of getting on the back of a Zemi, heading off against traffic with hundreds (literally) of other Zemis and automobiles heading toward you, and eventually getting into the flow of traffic on the correct side of the street. You on the other hand will see your life pass before your eyes, knowing full well that you will never live to see your loved ones again. But you will survive, and by the time you are ready to go home you will be marveling at the efficiency of the Zemi taxis. Ladies, you can't be modest and ride a Zemi. Men, if you are a little overweight like I am, you will be insulted when you get off and the driver reaches back to make sure the rear tire hasn't gone flat. But you will arrive. Maybe a little dirty and wide-eyed, and with a sense of real adventure. The Peace Corps was able to supply us with helmets to wear while we were in Benin. This will give you a little more sense of security while you are traveling by Zemi.

One bit of advice that I would give is to take walkie talkies, especially if you do not speak French. Jo Lynn's Zemi driver managed to get lost on the way to town one afternoon. As it turned out he didn't speak French, but Jo Lynn was able to flag down a policeman who was able to tell the Zemi driver how to get her where she needed to be. If you don't speak French you need to have a way to get "un-lost". You can purchase a pair of inexpensive walkie-talkies that you can carry with you. If you are separated from your PVC you can "radio for help" and your PCV can tell the Zemi driver where to go. Maybe literally where to go! I saw a set of walkie talkies at Sam's Club this weekend for about $50. If there are going to be more than 2 or 3 you might consider a couple of sets. This would be pretty cheap insurance if you don't speak French.

My low tech suggestion, is if you get lost, you have a designated meeting place to go back to such as the Hotel or the Peace Corps office.

As you may know, one of the most popular means of transportation in Benin is the Zemidjan (Zem or Zemi) or motorcycle taxi. Often it is the only way to get around unless you spend a lot of money to rent a taxi. In Cotonou you may have to wait a long time to find a regular taxi (a car) so you will invariably end up taking a Zem at some point during your trip. Traffic in Cotonou is often chaotic so you will want to be wearing a helmet. There are lots of Zemi accidents and the last thing you would want in West Africa is a serious head injury. I assure you a good brain surgeon is not easy to come by in Benin. The Peace Corps is so serious about this that they send volunteers home immediately if they are caught not wearing a helmet on a Zem. When you go to Benin you should either bring a bicycle helmet or arrange to get a helmet from Peace Corps. They often have extras and if you know a volunteer, they can usually get one for you.

Your PCV is the best one to advise you on this. Don't overburden yourself with too many clothes. Take durable clothing, but remember that you won't have to change clothes every day. You can if you want, but you will feel dirty and soiled within 30 minutes of taking a shower. Especially after you get out and go for a walk or a Zemi ride. You can find someone to wash clothes for you. We had a couple of changes of clothes washed, dried and pressed at Hotel du Lac.

Take comfortable shoes. You can buy a pair of flip flops to wear in the shower if your PCV has an outdoor type shower, or you can bring a pair with you. The stateside flip flops have a little more padding than the ones I bought in Bopa. Men, take pants with several pockets. I wore cargo pants and found them very convenient for carrying money and other things. Women, wear dresses that are full enough that you can get on the back of a Zemi without exposing yourself to the world. Pants are also acceptable for women. Jo Lynn wore Capri pants, which were good for Zemi riding.

Ladies, female hygiene products are readily available in Cotonou, but they might not be if you will be spending time out in the bush. I am not really the one to be making these recommendations. Bic razors are everywhere. Flashlight batteries are also plentiful, but not of good quality. One thing that Angie said she wished that we had brought for her to give out as a gift was a Mag flashlight. The Mag-Lights are very rugged and are coveted by the Africans who see our PCV's lights. If I were to go back I would take 2 or 3 so that Angie could have the option of giving them away.

Film is available, but we took about 24 rolls of film with us. The xray machines do not affect photographic film. We used about 14 rolls of film. Part was developed in Cotonou and part was brought back to the States. We used PhotoWorks to develop our film. They took our print film, developed 2 sets of prints, scanned them onto a CD, and then made a set of slides. The quality was good, and the turn around time was quick. Their web address is: http://photoworks.com/main.asp

Photo developing in Benin is not as good a quality as in the US. I recommend waiting until I returned to the US to do it.

We took an old video camera, which promptly died after 30 minutes. I could have purchased a new video camera at Circuit City for a reasonable price. I regret not doing that. Photographs are nice, but a video shows so much more.

Jo Lynn took scented candles to give out as gifts. She also took decorative cosmetic mirrors, which were well received. I took baseball caps to give away along with cheap t-shirts.

Take a very, very large bag of candy to leave at the Peace Corps bureau for the other PCV to munch on. The volunteers that we met at the bureau told us that you could leave an envelope full of money for another PCV and it would be safe sitting out on a table for days on end, but that candy, cookies, or other goodies were always fair game. We left a large bag of candy on a coffee table, which was empty within hours. Take magazines (not Time or Newsweek which the Peace Corps provides) that you can leave with the volunteers. Newspapers from the states were appreciated. Videos of current shows can also be utilized at the American club.

Jo Lynn found a water filter at a backpacking store, which I think was called a "Sweetwater Filter". It has a handle, which you can pump. The filter fits on the top of a Nalgene bottle, and will filter a liter of water in about a minute. That was really nice for Angie's water, which was usually a pale shade of rust. Filtering it made it clear and palatable.

These hand water filters are good for short trips Because they are time consuming to use, they are not practical for long term use. Ceramic filters can be made fairly easily in Benin but they are not portable.

Food items most of you should be able to decide for your own PCV. Peanut butter is available, but it is terrible. Just use your imagination for your PCV. Angie liked gummy bears, dried fruit, canned chips, skittles, raisins, Oreos, and other "junk".

The peanut butter is all natural. If you're used to the very smooth and sweetened American peanut butter then you might want to bring some from the US.

This has been a rambling chronicle of travel tips. I am sure I have forgotten something important. And I have probably given advice that won't prove to be useful to some. And some advice may be wrong for others. But it is given in the hopes that it will help as you travel. If we can answer specific questions or clarify points, please feel free to contact us directly.

BillDean@amaonline.com

Bill & Jo Lynn Dean