Located on the infamous strip of West Africa’s shoreline known as the Slave Coast, Ouidah was once the country’s human trafficking trade capital. During the 18th and 19th centuries, enslaved people were captured from all over the region and taken to the town to be shipped to other parts of the world. Today, this tragic episode is commemorated with a memorial trail lined with monuments, including the Tree of Forgetfulness and the Door of No Return. Benin is the birthplace of the original form of voodoo – known here as Vodun – and one of Ouidah’s most intriguing attractions is the Temple of Pythons, home to around 60 snakes held holy in this animist religion. Another must-see is the Sacred Forest – dotted with statues representing Vodun deities.