When we began planning our trip to the Republic of Benin, we wanted to learn what set it apart from its West African neighbors.

We knew some of the commonalities: It shares vodún, or voodoo, with Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria, where this traditional spirit worship is still the primary religion. It is part of the horrible history of the continent’s “Slave Coast,” which was the point of departure for approximately two million enslaved Africans from the 15th through the 19th centuries. And it was colonized by France along with Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

But one of the unique things about Benin was at the top of our list to experience: the floating village of Ganvié.

Because so many African countries were colonized by Europeans in the past, you still come across a lot of terms that are colonial relics, typically as shorthand to make places feel familiar to Westerners. We heard many references to Ganvié as “the Venice of Africa.” While both cities were built on water to elude invaders, that is largely where the similarities end.

Ganvié was established in the 16th and 17th centuries by Beninese who were escaping from the slave trade and fled to the water because their pursuers had religious restrictions preventing them from leaving dry land. The name Ganvié means “I was rescued here” in the native language.

Around 20,000 people currently live in the village, which can only be accessed by boat, and they make their way among the stilt buildings to work, attend school and church, do their shopping, and socialize with their neighbors around the lake.

In the 30 years since Ganvié was named a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site (and since removed from the list), tourism has begun adding to the village’s revenues, which come primarily from fishing and fish farming. But it remains a crossover between the past and the present of the country, where hard work and ingenuity are required for survival.

To visit Ganvié, you’ll travel about an hour north of Benin’s primary city of Cotonou. At the Abomey-Calavi pier, you can hire a motorized or pole-guided pirogue boat and pay the tourism and boat entry fees of 5,000 to 10,500 Central African Francs (approximately $8-18 USD) per person. The cost varies based on the size of your group and the type of boat you hire. A local guide is mandatory — and invaluable.

All-inclusive tours round-trip from Cotonou are also available.