What time zone is Benin in?
UTC+1, all year round. Benin never changes its clocks: it shares the time of Lagos, in neighbouring Nigeria. Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal are on UTC+0, one hour behind Ouidah: keep it in mind if your trip continues to Lomé or Accra.
What is the time difference from Europe?
Paris, Brussels, Geneva: same time as Benin in winter, one hour ahead in summer. London and Lisbon: one hour behind in winter, same time in summer. During the January Vodun Days, Paris and Ouidah are therefore on the same time.
What is the time difference from the Americas?
Salvador, Rio, São Paulo: 4 hours behind Benin all year. Martinique and Guadeloupe: 5 hours behind. New York, Montreal, Port-au-Prince, Havana: 6 hours behind in winter, 5 in summer. Los Angeles: 9 hours behind in winter, 8 in summer. In January, when it is noon in Ouidah, it is 8 am in Salvador and 6 am in New York.
How to avoid jet lag?
From Europe there is no jet lag to manage, only the fatigue of the flight. From the Americas, you travel east, the harder direction: bring your bedtime forward by an hour a day before leaving, get morning light on arrival, and keep the first day light. That is why the After Vodundays programme begins with a day of settling in.
Further reading
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