You’ve probably heard of Venice, the city floating on water, but have you ever heard of a village built on water? In 1995, the Hollywood movie “Waterworld” was released.

The film depicted an entire city built on water. A similar village exists in Africa. This stilt-hut settlement is located in Benin, and the village is called Ganvie. It’s known as the “Venice of Africa.” Beautiful boats navigate its waterways, and the village resembles Venice. However, in reality, the houses here are quite different from those in Venice, Italy.

Ganvie is a village located on Lake Nokoué near Cotonou in Benin, an African country. Benin’s capital, Abomey, has two royal palaces with thrones made from human skulls. When we think of the world’s strange and mysterious places, this unique village built on a lake is certainly one of them. Over 30,000 villagers live here in houses made of bamboo. All the homes stand on wooden stilts. Although this town is situated on water, the biggest challenge here is access to drinking water.

Amenities Available in the Village

The amenities in this floating village are similar to those in an ordinary village. Handicrafts are sold here, and there’s also a floating market on the water. For the village children, a school has been built on land within this settlement. There’s also a bank, a post office, a church, a mosque, and medical facilities. For a graveyard, villagers have to import a significant amount of soil.

Income from Tourism

Most villagers here are fishermen. Their income is also supplemented by visiting tourists. The fishermen in this region use various techniques to catch fish, employing bamboo and nets. Many villagers have also bought land outside and are raising dairy animals. There are some restaurants on the water that serve fresh fish and rice dishes. Fruits and vegetables are sold from boats.