Join paramount, divisional and sub chiefs to pay homage to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of the powerful Asanteman Kingdom during the colourful spectacular that is the Akwasidee festival.
Day 1 Our expert cultural tour guides will meet with you on your arrival at the Kotoka International Airport Accra, which is situated on the beautiful gold coast of Western Africa. Look out for our sign board when you leave the main terminal building after passing through customs. Make yourself known to your guides who will be accompanying you for the duration of your time in Ghana and they will take care of you from here.
After boarding our air conditioned vehicle, which will be your mode of transport for the duration of your tour, we transfer you to your hotel which is situated in Accra. Once we have checked you in, our experienced guides will offer you Akwaaba (welcome) and brief you on all aspects of your trip. You can enjoy your evening meal at the hotel restaurant whilst acclimatising yourself to Africa. D
Day 2 Your first full day in Ghana, after breakfast we load up our vehicle and depart Accra, Ghana’s busy capital city. Our destination is Kumasi capital of the Ashanti region and home to the Asantehene, king of the powerful Ashanti Empire and its people. Our journey takes us through the beautiful Akwapim range, which offers outstanding panoramic views of Tema and Accra in the distance.
At the top of the range we find the relaxed and friendly Aburi craft village, where traditional African drums and crafts have been carved for generations. As we watch the skilled craftsmen at work it is worth noting that prices here are amongst the lowest in Ghana, making Aburi an ideal place to pick up some souvineirs. We make the short detour to the picturesque Boti waterfall, a great place to kick off our shoes for a refreshing paddle. Boti is in the eastern region of Ghana which is famous for producing traditional glass beads. We stop at a nearby village to visit Comfort and her family, experts in making beautiful hand painted beads the traditional way. Your guides will talk you through the skilled process of making the beads as we enjoy a demonstration from Comforts husband. After the demonstration we have the opportunity to admire and buy a wide selection of beads that have been made here.
We enjoy our lunch in Koforidua, capital of the Eastern region of Ghana before setting off on the final leg of our journey to Kumasi. Upon our arrival we check into our hotel and eat our evening meal around the pool, the rest of the evening is at leisure. B, L, D
Day 3 Kumasi is widely regarded as cultural center of Ghana, with its many ancient craft villages within touching distance of the city center. Today is dedicated to visiting these traditional villages, our first stop after breakfast is Bonwire famous as the birth place of Kente.
Bonwire produces some of Ghana’s finest Kente cloths, many designs of cloth are woven here and some are exclusive only to this region. We will interact with the community, learning about the history behind the many designs. As we walk through the village, we see highly skilled locals weaving outside their homes. The machines that the weavers use have not changed in design for centuries. During our time at Bonwire, we have the opportunity to buy excellent quality cloth at very reasonable prices before setting off for the village of Ntunso.
The ancient village of Ntunso, is where adinkra cloth and symbols originate. These traditional symbols all have meanings and are carved from calabash shells. The adinkra symbols are then printed onto traditional cloth using natural dyes made from the bark of certain local trees. Adinkra cloth has been adorned by the Ashanti’s for more than 4 centuries and pre dates kente cloth. Even today most Ashanti’s will wear adinkra cloth for funerals, festivals and other important occasions. During our time here we have the opportunity to make our own strip of adinkra cloth using symbols with personal significance.
After lunch we visit the village of Sokoban Krofrom where traditional brass casting has been the main source of income for the community for generations. A wide selection of items ranging from beads and jewellery to traditional statues are made here. The methods used to produce these wonderful brass works has not changed and during our time here we see a demonstration of the skilled process. After visiting some of the stores selling a wonderful selection in the village we return to our hotel for our meal and to relax the rest of the evening is at leisure. B, L, D
Day 4 The Akwasidae festival is soon upon us, the excitement builds as we enjoy our breakfast before setting off for the Manhiya Palace, home of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu ll, King of the Asanteman Kingdom. Before the festival begins we visit the palace museum which is extreamly informative on Ashanti history and culture. Our tour gives us a first hand insight into the legacies of the Asanteman Kingdom and enables us to have an understanding of their culture and traditional values before the Akwasidae festival begins.
After our tour we make our way to the durbar grounds of the palace courtyard, which by now will be a hive of activity. Many people of the Asanteman Kingdom make the journey here to pay homage to their King. The Akwasidae festival is celebrated every 42 days (every sixth Sunday) and gives us an insight into the rich culture of the Asanteman Kingdom. Paramount, divisional and sub chiefs of the Asanteman are adorned in rich, colourful and traditional kente and adinkra cloths, accompanied by native sandles whilst sitting under their traditional umbrellars. Traditional drumming and dance accompany proceedings as the chiefs pay homage and gifts are offered to the Asantehene. The Asanteman Kingdom is as strong today as ever before, it is evident the present generation fuses the culture, customs and traditional values for future generations to uphold. After our amazing morning with the King we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant serving a wide selection of West African and continental dishes, before setting off for the National Cultural Center.
The cultural center is found in one of the oldest suburbs of Kumasi. There is a wonderful craft market here and during our leisurely tour we have the opportunity to visit the Prempeh ll Jubile museum which offers an excellent overview of Ashanti history. We return to our hotel, the rest of the evening is at leisure. B, L, D
Day 5 We begin the day with a visit to Kejetia market. Found in the heart of the city, Kejetia is the largest outdoor market in the whole of Western Africa. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience everyday life for the people in this great city and pick up a few bargain suvineirs. The market is a labyrinth of stalls nestled closely together, and a hive of activity. Some stall holders sleep here in the evenings as trade rarely stops. After testing your bargaining skills we start our journey towards Elmina in the central region of Ghana. The town of Elmina was given its name by the Portuguese due to the abundance of Gold found in Ghana, translated Elmina means The Mine. Gold is of such importance to Ghana today and historically, with this in mind, we stop for lunch en rote in the mining town of Obuasi.
Ghana is the world’s second largest exporter of Gold and Obuasi is home to Ghana’s largest Gold mine. As we drive through the town we can see the scale of the gold production that is going on here. After lunch we continue our journey to Elmina stopping at Cape Coast. On our arrival we visit Cape Coast castle, designated a world heritage site by UNESCO the castle is a thought provoking monument to a harrowing period in the regions history. We will spend the afternoon on an emotional journey touring this castle which held more enslaved Africans captive than any other in the region, viewing the dungeons and the infamous “Door of no return”. There is a magnificent historical museum inside, which explains the whole history of the castle and Cape Coast itself, as well as a souvenir shop which sells literature on all of Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as the cultural history and traditions of Ghana.
After our tour we check into our beautiful beach front hotel in Elmina, enjoy our evening meal and relax. B, L, D
Day 6 Firstly we will visit Kakum National Park in the morning, after breakfast, Africa’s only rainforest canopy walkway. This is a truly beautiful, tropical guinea rainforest and the canopy walkway is sure to be a highlight of your time in Ghana. The walkway consists of a series of 7 bridges, attached to 7 emerging trees, 40 metres above the rainforest floor. Prepare to take a deep breath as you walk the suspended bridges. You will marvel at the outstanding views that stretch for miles across this breathtaking rainforest, as you rest on the tree platforms between the bridges. We are sure you would agree that this is an exciting excursion never to be forgotten. We return to the park headquarters where we find an excellent information centre that offers a very informative overview of the parks flora and fauna. Over 40 different mammal species have been recorded within the park, which includes forest elephants, leopards and 6 primate species to mention just a few. A short distance from Kakum we find traditional palm oil producers and a coco farm. Ghana is the world’s second largest producer of coco and many Ghanaians rely solely on the income it brings from their small farms. During our time here we see how the farmers produce the palm oil and harvest the coco whilst interacting with the friendly locals in the village. On our way to Hans Cottage we stop off to witness traditional palm wine tapping and even get to sample the local brew.
We stop for lunch at Han’s cottage Botel near Kakum, Han’s is built over a lake containing Nile crocodiles and set in a beautiful location surrounded by tropical guinea rainforest. It is an original and comfortable establishment, which is teeming with bird life and an excellent place to enjoy lunch before setting off for an afternoon of relaxation at one of Ghana’s most beautiful beaches. Before our arrival we pass through the wonderful fishing town of Elmina.
We enjoy the sights of the many colourful fishing boats bringing their daily catch into the harbour and take this opportunity to mix with the locals at the nearby market. A short distance from the market we visit the boat builders, still building colourful fishing boats using traditional tools and methods spanning centuries. We arrive at Brenu beach for a well deserved afternoon of relaxation, our surroundings are perfect, golden sands with coconut trees for as far as the eye can see. There is a traditional fishing village well worth a visit nearby before we settle down for our early evening meal at a local restaurant on the beach. We enjoy our meal and reflect on a wonderful tour whilst watching the sun set over the beautiful gold coast of Western Africa. This is a wonderful way to spend your final evening with us before we return to Elmina and your beach front hotel. B, L, D
Day 7 Sadly your final day with us in Ghana, after a leisurely breakfast we will set off for Accra. If time permits on our arrival in Accra we can visit the National Museum. Almost all the displays here are ethnographic in nature and you get a chance to view and purchase some wonderful examples of traditional crafts. Then we have the opportunity to pick up some last minute souvenirs at the cultural center which is actually Ghana’s largest arts and crafts market.
We will enjoy an early evening meal before your transfer to the airport and departure after a wonderful 7 day tour. B, D
All our tour prices include Collection Accommodation All meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks Mineral water Park entrance fees All guide fees Excursion costs Professional care and attention Transportation in and around Ghana Fuel
Price does not include Flights (UK travellers contact us for competitive quotes) Travel Insurance Ghana entry visas Items of purely personal nature
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It's been a month since we returned from our 10-day wildlife/birding tour of Ghana, we're putting the finishing touches on our photo album, and we still marvel and how perfectly everything went.
The naturalist guide, James, is a world class birder who worked very hard to eke out every additional species sighting for us. Just as importantly, he worked hard to see that we were well taken care of by the hotels and restaurants. He and the driver, William, were very congenial as well as professional, and we shared many laughs as well as thought-provoking discussions on long drives and at dinner.
The itinerary -- custom designed for us to maximize time spent experiencing nature at different venues -- could not have been better. The timing worked out great, William drove us safely on rough back-country roads and through incredible traffic (to us, since we're from a small town in the western U.S.) in the cities.
The hotels were clean and comfortable, the food was quite good, and it's impossible to say enough about James' keen eye and ear. While we were still struggling to find a bird in a far-away tree, James would say, "In the scope." and there it was at high-power magnification for us to admire and study in detail. Kakum's canopy boardwalk and Mole's beauty and abundant wildlife were wonderful.
If we are fortunate enough to visit Ghana again someday, we would like to see the eastern region with its waterfalls and hike to Ghana's highest point. But for this first visit, we wouldn't change a thing. If we do return, we would hope to travel with James and William again. We will never forget them, the amazing sights of Ghana, and the excellent service provided by Mark, Lydia, and the other staff.
The 14-day birdwatching tour was very rewarding. Going from location to location allowed us to see quite a bit of the country in addition to our 250+ species. I was very pleased with all of the accommodations -- they all had aircon and hot water.
The highlight of the hotels, however, was the proprietors. Ghanaians are supremely friendly! I especially liked the cook/owner of D&A Guest House in Shama. Very delicious buffet dinner.
Our guide, Robert Ntakor, amazed me. A bird would flit by and he'd identify it in a split second. He was also excellent at spotting birds in the dense brush and canopy. He seems to have the calls of every bird in Ghana on his iPod and we had great success attracting beauties such as the long-tailed hawk, great blue turaco, emerald cuckoo, and the list goes on.
It was great fun seeing and photographing the exotic birds.
Our family of four recently completed the Walking with Elephants tour. The detailed itinerary was very appealing to us. From the wildlife to the villages and markets, from a mosque to museums, and even a bead factory - everything exceeded our expectations!
Yaw and Kawawa (our guide and driver) were both outstanding! Yaw is extremely knowledgeable and was quick to customize the schedule to meet our needs. Kawawa always had a smile on his face, even while driving on some of the bumpiest roads we've ever encountered.
Even before the trip, Janet and the administrative staff were very responsive to our needs. When the airlines canceled certain flights, with a smile, Janet rearranged all of the dates and hotel accommodations to fit our needs.
In 10 days, we traveled over 2000 km circling the diverse country of Ghana but we wouldn't have given up any of our destinations. We would highly recommend this tour operator.
Our holiday exceeded our expections! from the moment the beaming smile of our driver and guide greeted us at the airport things just got better and better.
The whole experience was delightful, we have so many memories and photos that I could go on for ever! The services of Yah and Kawawa were fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they looked after us very well. The 2 safaris we had at Mole National Park were just wonderful. To come across an elephant is something to be experienced, feeding monkeys from my hand was amazing! The stay at Talawano lodge was an experience that I would not have wanted to miss, and the last night stay at Anamobo beach resort was lovely.
I would, without hesitation, recommend this operator to anyone.
My wife and I had a 12 day birdwatching trip to Ghana in December and enjoyed it enormously. We could be called veterans of such trips having travelled to many countries and dealt with numerous travel companies who organise these kind of holidays.
This organisation was up with the best of these and their prices are very reasonable, much lower than any UK based organisation could offer. The quality of the tour was equal to if not better than any other organisation and I would wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone planning such a holiday.
They were fully supportive and informative throughout the planning process and the whole holiday went smoothly, which is quite unusual for this kind of holiday in our experience. We originally found the operator via the Africa Guide web site and regard ourselves very fortunate to have done so.
We covered a number of the key birding sites in Southern Ghana focussing particularly upon the Guinea rainforest endemics, successfully locating 275 species of which 127 were new birds for us and also observing the majority of the target species.
Transport and driving services were excellent and the accommodation was generally very good. The sites that we visited were evocative and in some cases spectacular: the Kakum walkway has to be experienced at least once by everyone, although in my case once will be quite enough (no head for heights). As anyone with a real interest in nature would know the experience of being in rainforest away from the crowds and the hurly burly provides a real insight into what any country has to offer.
Ghana is really an excellent country to visit, quite unlike many others in Africa where we had been previously and, whilst we had expected this to be our sole journey to this country. We are now inclined to return and experience its special atmosphere once again.
I had a fabulous time in Ghana on the Tribal Trek Tour in October.
The organization was very good and our guide, Yaw Asimoah, is most knowledgeable.
Although I could have done with fewer shopping opportunities (not the usual complaint, I expect) the wildlife viewing, historical experiences and social interactions were superb.
The trip met my family's expectation. We had professional, experienced and friendly guides. Itinerary was super. Changing hotels frequently made it more fun.
We saw many things, explored the history culture and vast areas of Ghana. Accra,Cape Coast, Kumasi, Kitampo, Mole, Water falls, Elmina Castle, Canopy walk way, Volta dam etc ,etc. We met the people, ate their food, felt their warmth and smiles, made new friends and shared their feelings.
Ghana was hot, but with the wonderfully airconditioned hotels with swimming pools that we enjoyed nightly and often during a pm break, we Northerners survived.
Our guides were personable, knowledgeable, and excellent at finding the birds we had gone to see. The ever present bottled water was a real plus as that was not something we needed to worry about. Price was not only very reasonable but it included everything(which isn't always true), even trying local treats from car vendors.
No one bugging us for tips, local food was a treat, locals were friendly and interested in us as we were in them.
We had a great vacation and I would recommend this company for any tour of Ghana, as they will take you whereever you want to go. They went out of their way to make us comfortable and to do the things we wanted to do and to find the birds we were most interested in.
9
Client:
Christine Lane - from United Kingdom
Trip:
currently unavailable
Rating:
rating 9/10
Comment:
Five of us travelled to Ghana on their 15 day Culture and Wildlife tour.
Our itinerary was excellent and we covered 8 out of the 10 regions in Ghana.Our 2 guides and 1 driver were all Ghanaian, they were informative, flexible and fun and took us to places of interest not included in the itinerary.
We started on the coast visiting the Castles and learning about the Slave Trade, we visited the largest market in West Africa, completed the amazing Canopy walk, visited various villages,learnt and watched Kenti Clothes being produced,also Palm Oil, Cocoa, Fufu and Garri. At Mole National Park we walked within 20 yards of Elephants, we went in a dug out up the Black Volta so close to Hippos and wonderful bird life and spent 2 days and 1 night living with the Lobi tribe on the border of Burkino Faso, sleeping as they do on the roof of their houses-----no electricity and water from one bore hole.
So many highlights but for me the greatest higlight was the Ghanaian people. I have lived and travelled all over Africa but never before have I met such friendly, welcoming and smiley people.
On the downside we were asked to use Paypal to pay the balance of our trip--they were a nightmare to deal with and we found other means of paying,we passed this on to the opeator.
There are a few long drives and don't always expect showers etc to be in good working order.
The tour operator was extremely helpful when we were planning this trip, nothing was too much trouble.
Finally I have no hesitation in recommending them and Ghana.
They provided any and everything we needed. The guide was very knowledgeable and was able to provide great insight into the history behind all the sites we visited. All the food and hotels except the Afia African Village were great.
The management of the African Village was not very helpful and would not except anything except Cedi's but that was not told to us until we where to check out.
I would recommend the operator to all that want to see the historical side of Ghana. I am a history teacher and I thought it was informative and insightful.
