Highlights of West Africa Overland

Below are some of the major travel highlights for West Africa Overland. For more in-depth attractions of each country on this route, click on the country names below or select a route to see the highlights on this section of the journey. Click on the icons below to focus on specific types of features (click again to return to all).

In-depth highlights: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo


Natural	History	Wildlife	Trekking	Cities	Religious Monument	Boat Journey	Rail Journey	Diving	Cultural	Adrenaline	UNESCO WHS

Trekking opportunities of West Africa Overland

Cliff of Bandiagara
Bandiagara is a 135 kilometre long escarpment of cliffs and sandy plateaus. It has been inhabited by the Dogon people for over 600 years when they fled here to escape Islamic persecutors. The Dogon still live a very traditional lifestyle in villages with some beautiful architecture, such as flat-roofed huts, tapering granaries, clifftop cemeteries and communal meeting places (Togu Na). The Dogon are famous for their elaborate masked dances and ceremonies which are integral to their traditional beliefs. This region is an excellent area for trekking - along, up and down the escarpment as you travel between the Dogon villages. UNESCO World Heritage Site: Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons)

Cliff of Bandiagara

Bandiagara is a 135 kilometre long escarpment of cliffs and sandy plateaus. It has been inhabited by the Dogon people for over 600 years when they fled here to escape Islamic persecutors. The Dogon still live a very traditional lifestyle in villages with some beautiful architecture, such as flat-roofed huts, tapering granaries, clifftop cemeteries and communal meeting places (Togu Na). The Dogon are famous for their elaborate masked dances and ceremonies which are integral to their traditional beliefs. This region is an excellent area for trekking - along, up and down the escarpment as you travel between the Dogon villages.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons)

Atakora Mountains
The Atakora Mountains in northern Benin are home to a number of traditional tribal groups including the Tamberma, Bessoribe, Betiabe, Wama and Somba. They still hunt with bows and arrows, practice initiation rituals to mark passage through childhood and puberty and live in three storey houses with the ground floor for animals, first floor for the kitchen and top floor for living space and sleeping. This region is a great location for trekking through the mountains between the trial villages and learning more about the their lives and traditions.

Atakora Mountains

The Atakora Mountains in northern Benin are home to a number of traditional tribal groups including the Tamberma, Bessoribe, Betiabe, Wama and Somba. They still hunt with bows and arrows, practice initiation rituals to mark passage through childhood and puberty and live in three storey houses with the ground floor for animals, first floor for the kitchen and top floor for living space and sleeping. This region is a great location for trekking through the mountains between the trial villages and learning more about the their lives and traditions.