Cotonou - Post Report Question and Answers
What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Nightlife is good. Plenty of restaurants. - Oct 2024
Game nights, happy hour, pool parties. Many people do formal dinner parties. - Feb 2020
There are few good standbys such as Code Bar and Sanctuary that are pretty good. For the more adventurous, many others abound as well. Lots of places for live music. Full American-quality movie theater runs the latest flicks for very low prices. - Aug 2018
Eat dinner out or at each others' houses. - Oct 2015
Restaurants, clubs, live music. - Jun 2015
Things at the house, restaurants, the beach...that's pretty much it. A lot of people drink a lot, for lack of anything else to do. - Aug 2014
Again, the expat scene tends to be largely Francophone, which is tricky if you don't have the French skills or don't necessarily want to use them during your time off work. Within the American community there is a lot of at-home entertaining. Younger people sometimes break into the Peace Corps social scene. - May 2013
There is a surprisingly robust expat social scene in Benin, among both married folks and singles. But again, you will find significant barriers to integration without solid French. Among the anglophones, there is a large Peace Corps presence in Benin. - Mar 2013
We make our own fun. - Dec 2011
