The colonial-era heritage museum façade in Ouidah

Journal

Stories from the road.

Written by the team and our travelers. Travel guides, photography, culture, and the long-form pieces we promised the algorithm would love.

Featured

Guests painting side by side at easels during a MrUSB Sip & Paint on the Cotonou coast

Culture · 3 min read

Sip & Paint on the Beach: How Our Cotonou Art Day Went

Easels under a thatched paillote, fresh coconuts on the sand, and forty people who swore they couldn't paint. A look back at our West Africa Experience Sip & Paint.

Mr USB · July 22, 2026

Sip & Paint on the Beach: How Our Cotonou Art Day Went

Easels under a thatched paillote, fresh coconuts on the sand, and forty people who swore they couldn't paint. A look back at our West Africa Experience Sip & Paint.

Travellers kayaking through the mangroves of Lake Nokoué

Guide · 3 min read

A Day on Lake Nokoué: Ganvié and the Aguégué Mangroves

The Venice of Africa by pirogue in the morning, kayaks, hydrobikes and jet skis in the mangroves by afternoon. How to spend a perfect day on Benin's great lake.

Mr USB · June 9, 2026

A MrUSB traveller laughing with a royal python draped around his neck

Culture · 3 min read

The Temple of Pythons: Meeting Ouidah's Sacred Snakes

In the heart of Ouidah sits a small temple where dozens of royal pythons live under human protection. Here is what it actually is, why it matters, and what to expect when you visit.

Mr USB · May 18, 2026

The Amazon of Dahomey monument rising over Cotonou against a blue sky

History · 3 min read

The Amazon of Dahomey: The Story Behind Africa's Tallest Statue

A 30-metre bronze woman stands guard over Cotonou. She commemorates the Agojie — the all-female army of the Dahomey kingdom — and she's one of the most striking monuments in West Africa.

Mr USB · April 27, 2026

A Vodun priestess dancing in bright wax-print cloth at the Ouidah festival

Culture · 4 min read

What Voodoo Actually Is (And Isn't)

Hollywood got it wrong. A clear-eyed introduction to one of West Africa's oldest spiritual traditions — and what travelers should understand before visiting Ouidah.

Mr USB · March 14, 2026

Two travellers at the Ouidah voodoo festival in the evening

Guide · 4 min read

The Best Time to Visit Benin

A month-by-month guide to weather, festivals, wildlife, and the moments worth planning a whole trip around.

Mr USB · January 30, 2026