A question, a date, a vague idea.

Yes, for both, and both are applied for online before departure — Benin issues an e-visa, Togo an electronic authorisation. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your return date.

Requirements and fees change: always check the country’s official portal and your own foreign ministry’s travel advice before booking flights. If you travel with us, Tony sends you the current procedure and reviews your file before you submit it.

Yellow fever is required on entry, with your international certificate of vaccination. Antimalarial treatment is strongly recommended for the whole stay.

The rest depends on your vaccination history: book an appointment at a travel clinic or with your doctor four to six weeks before departure. We do not give medical advice in their place.

The regions on the itinerary — southern Benin, the coast, Abomey, Ouidah — are well travelled and calm. We move in a private vehicle with a driver who knows the roads, and never drive long distances at night.

Some northern areas are subject to specific and changing advisories: check your own government’s official travel advice before you go. We adapt or change the itinerary if the situation calls for it, and we tell you plainly.

November to March: the dry season, good roads, bearable heat and superb light. It is also when the Vodun Days take place in Ouidah, in January.

The heavy rains run roughly from April to July and return in September–October. You can still travel then — the landscape is spectacularly green — but some northern tracks become difficult.

The CFA franc (XOF) in both Benin and Togo, pegged to the euro. You withdraw cash in the larger towns and keep notes for markets, villages and tips.

Cards work in hotels and a few city restaurants, very rarely elsewhere. Tony tells you at each stage how much to carry.

Light, covering cotton; a pair of closed shoes that can take red dust; a hat; a water bottle; a head torch; and effective insect repellent. Something slightly smarter if you attend a ceremony.

Bring a soft bag rather than a hard case: boots are packed tight and some tracks are rough. The short guide "The 10 essentials" gives the full list.

In a small group, always. That is what makes it possible to enter people’s homes without overwhelming them, to fit in a pirogue, and to change the plan mid-route.

The Bespoke package is private, just for you — as a couple, a family or a group of friends.

No. International flights and tips are at your own expense; everything else in the programme is covered by the advertised price.

We are happy to advise on the best routings from Paris, Brussels or Geneva, and we set the itinerary around your arrival times.

Secure payment, with the option of three interest-free instalments. A deposit confirms your dates and the balance is settled before departure.

The detail — deposit amount, schedule, cancellation terms — is sent to you in writing with the quote, before you commit to anything.

Yes, and it is common. The small group makes solo travel easy, and Tony is there from the first day to the last.

Tell us when you enquire: we will explain what it changes on the accommodation side and find the fairest arrangement.

The guide works in French. English-speaking support is possible: mention it in your enquiry so we can arrange it.

On the ground, French is the official language in both Benin and Togo; English is uncommon outside hotels.

Ghana is coming. We are building the itineraries and local partnerships to the same standard as Benin and Togo.

If you want to be told when it opens, write to us: we keep a short list, used for nothing else.