A unique and fascinating lake village of bamboo and teak stilted houses is attracting more tourists than ever before.
Often dubbed as ‘the Venice of Africa’ , Ganvié is located near the southern shores of Benin in West Africa.
With its floating stilts and never-ending stream of canoes navigating its narrow water alleys, it boldly emulates Venice despite being world’s away.
Home to 20,000 people, the intriguing Ganvié is the largest lake village in Africa.
Here there are hospitals, schools, churches, and markets, but instead of motorcycles and cars, villagers opt for canoes as their mode of transport.
Added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 31, 1996, the Ganvie villagers are often referred to as “water men”.
Dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, Ganvié was originally created by the people of the Tofinu tribe who fled to the area and built a new village on stilts.
The villager’s ancestors were desperate to escape from the soldiers of the Fon and Dahomey kingdoms, who captured people and sold them to Portuguese traders.
The villagers knew they would be safe from their pursuers in the lake as the soldiers believed a terrible demon lived under the water’s surface.
The name of the village pays tribute to this history, Ganvié means ‘we survived’ or ‘I was rescued here’ in the local language.
With its incredible stilted houses, bustling floating markets and vibrant culture, curious tourists have started to flock to this area to interact with the friendly locals and learn about their way of life.
Around 10,000 tourists visit the lake village annually. Most visitors come on day trips from Abomey or Cotonou.
Fishing alongside tourism is the area’s main source of income. The locals have developed a clever method of fish farming which involves corralling fish into enclosures made by driving bamboo poles into the bed of the lake. These are then intertwined with palm fronds to form cages.
For many people from Ganvié, the only time they ever go to the mainland is to sell their fish or buy items that are not available in the village.
