As vacation destinations go, Benin is not exactly at the top of everyone's must-see list. In fact, my husband, George, and I had initially wanted to visit Mali - the land of Timbuktu and the great mud mosque of Djenne - but with a number of security issues in place in Mali and caution advised by the Canadian government, we decided that, as much as it would make for a fascinating school report, getting kidnapped was not the best spring break idea for our daughters Emma (15) and Hannah (11). As we explored other options in West Africa we stumbled upon Benin. A narrow West African country sandwiched between Nigeria to the east and Togo to the west (with Burkina Faso to the north), Benin has everything from historical sites to national parks and beaches. Better still, Benin is peaceful and relatively safe.

Republished with permission.

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