An Unconventional Points Trip Through West Africa

West Africa isn’t usually the first place people think of for burning their points.

If you asked most points-and-miles folks to name a redemption goal, you’d probably hear Paris, Tokyo, maybe the Maldives if they’re feeling dramatic. You probably wouldn’t hear “Benin.”

And honestly? That’s part of the appeal.

This region feels far, complicated, maybe even intimidating, especially from a logistics standpoint. Visas, regional airlines, limited alliance coverage, and a general lack of mainstream coverage.

But once you start pulling at the threads, you realize something cool: it’s very doable with points. 

Not perfectly. Not elegantly in every case. But absolutely doable.

So instead of another Europe business-class redemption or budget hop around Asia, I stitched together a route through Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania, all using airline transfers, portals, hotel programs most people ignore, and the occasional “fine, I’ll just pay cash” moment.

Here’s exactly how it came together. 👇

Part 1: Senegal and the Ivory Coast

I kicked this trip off in New York City with a nonstop Delta flight to Dakar… in business class. 😎

Delta wanted 255,000 SkyMiles for it.

I did not want to give Delta 255,000 SkyMiles for it.

So instead, I booked the exact same flight for 70,000 Flying Blue miles (yes, really) and around $46 out of pocket.

Same seat. Same aircraft. Same Champagne. Just a wildly different mileage bill.

Because the ticket was marketed as Delta One, I also got access to the Delta One Lounge at JFK.

I’ve been to a lot of U.S. lounges, and I usually go in with low expectations.

But this one genuinely surprised me. It was calm and spacious with excellent à la carte dining, a spa, and more.

If this is the direction premium lounges are going, I’m cautiously optimistic.

Landing in Dakar feels different than landing in Europe or Asia. It’s coastal and breezy, with Atlantic waves crashing along the Corniche, street musicians playing mbalax, and a blend of French influence and West African identity that feels unique.

It felt like it couldn’t decide if it was in North Africa, Southern Europe, or West Africa (in a good way). I really liked it.

Points-wise, Dakar is mostly an Accor and Marriott town.

Two brand-new Marriott properties are running around 18,000 to 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Solid pricing with one catch: they’re in Diamniadio, nearly an hour from the city center.

This is great if you’re looking to maximize airport convenience, but less great if you actually want to experience Dakar. For most of my stay, I booked the Pullman Dakar Teranga, right in the heart of downtown.

Cash rates were north of $300 per night, so I transferred points to Accor to cover the three-night stay.

Was it the most mind-blowing hotel I’ve ever stayed at? No. But being able to walk to restaurants, museums, and small beaches made it worth it, especially when you’re only in town for a few days.

For my final night before an 8:00 am departure, I relocated to the Courtyard by Marriott near the airport for about 19,000 Marriott points. Sometimes the hotel strategy is glamorous. Sometimes it’s just minimizing the chance you oversleep and miss your flight. 😅

From Dakar, I needed to get to Abidjan.

Only two airlines fly the route, and neither can be booked with traditional airline miles.

But instead of shelling out almost $300, I used the Chase Travel Portal.

Because I had Ultimate Rewards points from before the Chase Sapphire Reserve® relaunch last year, I could redeem them at 1.5 cents each.

In the end, the flight cost 18,820 points.

This is one of those rare moments where portals save the day. It’s not flashy, but it works.

Abidjan has a different energy… modern skyline, lagoon views, strong French culinary influence, and some crazy nightlife. 🍻

Accor Live Limitless dominates here too, with eight properties in the city center alone.

But I went in a slightly different direction. 😏

Marriott has exactly one property in one of Abidjan’s more upscale neighborhoods: La Maison Palmier, a Design Hotel.

Cash rates were over $300 per night, so I burned three 35k Free Night Awards (which I earned from my various Marriott co-branded credit cards) and topped them up with 6,000 points total.

This is one of my favorite uses for free night certificates – boutique properties in cities that don’t get much points-and-miles attention. They often punch above their weight.

And after Abidjan, things got a little more logistically interesting.

Part 2: Benin and Nigeria

Originally, I considered traveling overland from Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria.

But a few things stopped me:

1. Ghana’s visa process is notoriously difficult.

2. I’ve already been to Togo.

3. Land borders are exhausting.

So instead, I flew to Cotonou, the largest city (but not the capital) in Benin.

Benin doesn’t show up on most travelers’ bucket lists, but it’s historically significant, particularly in relation to Vodun (which would later evolve into Voodoo) and the transatlantic slave trade.

Air Senegal runs a fifth-freedom route between Abidjan and Cotonou for about $162 most days.

At that price, I paid cash. Not every flight needs to be a redemption masterclass. 🤷🏼‍♂️

I briefly tried to use my $50 quarterly Hilton Aspire flight credit… only to discover that Air Senegal doesn’t accept American Express cards.

It felt personal, but I’ve decided not to take it personally. I’m fine.

Hotel-wise, Benin is essentially an Accor monopoly (surprise, surprise). So I leaned in and booked the Sofitel Cotonou, one of West Africa's most luxurious hotels.

Cash rates hover around $400 per night, which almost made me hurl up my yassa puolet. Instead of going broke, I transferred Capital One miles to Accor (again) and paid 28,000 points plus about $50 cash for my two-night stay.

Staying at luxury hotels is always lovely, but this one also served a practical purpose.

From Benin, I need to cross the land border into Nigeria. I contacted the hotel in advance and arranged a private car to take me to Lagos.

Nigeria can feel overwhelming if you’re not prepared. So instead of bouncing around the country, I focused on Lagos.

Lagos is massive, with a population of over 20 million people. It’s creative, ambitious, loud, and home to Nollywood and Afrobeat.

Hotel options are plentiful: Marriott, Hilton, Accor, and even a shiny new Hyatt Regency opening soon. I opted for the Protea Hotel Kuramo Waters near Victoria Island, which is a posh (and safe) neighborhood.

Protea is a Marriott brand exclusive to Africa, and I’ve consistently had good stays at their properties.

At just $128 per night, it made sense to pay cash, earn points during Marriott’s global promotion, and enjoy elite perks like breakfast and late checkout before my next flight.

Speaking of my next flight, that brings us to the final stretch…

Part 3: Rwanda and Tanzania

From Lagos, I’m flying nonstop on Rwandair (Rwanda’s flag carrier) in lie-flat A330 business class.

What most people don’t realize is that you can book Rwandair flights using Qatar Avios… and the pricing is surprisingly good.

I booked a multi-city ticket in business class:

• Lagos, Nigeria, to Kigali, Rwanda

• Kigali to Arusha, Tanzania

Total cost: 34,500 Avios + $216 cash for about seven hours in business class across two segments with three days in between to hang out in Kigali.

That’s excellent value, especially for intra-Africa premium cabins, which can otherwise be expensive.

In this case, the same flights were priced at almost $1,400. 👇

Plus, you can transfer points to Avios from every major U.S. points program. Once you have Avios with one airline (say, British Airways), you can also freely transfer them between other Avios airlines.

Kigali has a very different vibe from Lagos.

It’s often described as one of the cleanest and most orderly cities in Africa, surrounded by rolling green hills, which is why Rwanda is called “the land of a thousand hills.”

Marriott has some strong sweet spots here. The property I booked costs 12,500 points per night, compared to a cash rate of over $220.

That’s a very solid value for Marriott points, especially in a central location that will make exploring Kigali nice and easy.

From there, I’ll continue to Arusha, Tanzania.

No points involved this time. My best friend of 30 years lives there with his family, so I’ll be deploying the timeless “crash on my friend’s couch” strategy.

Hard to beat that redemption value. 😉

How to Get Visas For These Countries

If there’s one thing that intimidates people about traveling in Africa, it’s visas.

They can be annoying. But for this trip, the visa situation was surprisingly smooth.

Here’s how it went for me:

• Senegal: No visa required for U.S. citizens (yay!).

• Côte d’Ivoire: Frustrating e-visa application process, but issued in about 5 days.

• Benin: Took 15 minutes for the e-visa. Approved instantly (I was impressed).

• Nigeria: Moderate difficulty for the e-visa. Issued in 3 days, but expensive ($160).

• Rwanda: Visa on arrival or e-visa for $50. I got a $30 transit visa online, and it was issued in 3 days.

• Tanzania: I already have a multi-entry visa, but e-visas and visas on arrival are available.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, this trip wasn’t about chasing a single perfect redemption.

West Africa isn’t the simplest region to book, and requires a lot of flexibility…

… but it’s absolutely within reach.

And if nothing else, I hope this proves that your points don’t have to take you where everyone else is going.

Sometimes they can take you somewhere entirely different. 🙂