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| Viewing: Ghana Cultural Tour - 8 days |
Package ID: 1443 |
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| Ghana Cultural Tour - 8 days |
Experience the colourful warm hospitality of the varied ethnic groups within Ghana, and immersing yourself in their diverse culture and traditions is an experience that will change your life forever.
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I T N E R A R Y
Day 1
You arrive at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana. Accra is situated on the Gold Coast of Western Africa. This is the start of what will be an amazing journey that will live with you forever. After passing through immigration, you proceed to the conveyor to collect your baggage before heading to customs. We will meet you on the other side, just look out for our representative with a sign as you come out of the terminal building. Make yourself known to us and we will take care of you from here, and for the duration of your stay. We will board our air-conditioned vehicle, your mode of transport for the duration of your stay, before setting off. Our first stop, the Dutch hotel, is 20 minutes outside of Accra. Located in a quiet area on the coast, the Dutch hotel is our accommodation during our stay in Accra. Once we have checked you in, Mark Williams and the two local guides, who will be accompanying you for the duration of your tour, will offer you Akwaaba (Welcome). We will brief you on all aspects of your holiday during complementary drinks (first evening only) at the hotel bar. In the evening you can relax on the hotel terrace overlooking the Gold Coast.
Day 2
After breakfast, we will set off for Tafi Atome in the Volta Region. En route, we will take a short detour to the Agumatsa wildlife sanctuary where we will find Wli falls, West Africa’s highest waterfall, which is beautiful. After lunch, we will continue our journey to Tafi Atome for a 1 night stay. Upon our arrival, you will have a choice of accommodation either in a traditional homestead, as the guest of a local family, or in the village guesthouse. Once you have settled in, we will tour the village interacting with the friendly locals. In the late afternoon, we will venture into the surrounding forests to see the endangered True Mona monkeys that live here. A wonderful experience, enhanced further by the fact that they are endangered in this part of Africa. The Ewe villagers of Tafi Atome have been protecting the monkeys for over 200 years and believe them to be messengers from God.
During our walk in the forest our guide will identify many medicinal plants, which grow here and are used by the locals. We will return to the village for our evening meal and refreshments. Tonight we will witness traditional drumming and dance, which dates back centuries. We will have the opportunity to join in the fun. After this wonderful cultural display we will have the opportunity to sample some local beers, minerals and the local hot drink known as “kill me quick” or Aketeshie. The evening can be spent interacting with locals, at various spots (bars) around the village, learning more about their culture and history. We will wind down the evening listening to old fables from village elders, around a campfire, under the stars and moonlight of a beautiful African night sky.
Day 3
This morning we shall visit the nearby village of Tafi Abuife, a beautiful and friendly village which has been producing some of Ghana’s finest Kente cloths for centuries. Many designs of cloth are woven here, and some designs are exclusive to this region and not found in other parts of Ghana. The majority of the morning would be spent interacting with locals learning about the history behind the many designs and the skilled process of making these beautiful cloths. The process and machines used have not changed for centuries, and we will have an opportunity to buy high quality cloth at the lowest prices in Ghana.
We load up the vehicle and set off west along the beautiful Gold Coast. Our destination is Cape Coast, stopping en route for lunch. We arrive in the late afternoon and transfer to Hans Cottage Botel, which will be our accommodation for the evening. Hans is built over a lake containing Nile crocodiles and set in a beautiful location, surrounded by tropical guinea rainforest. Hans is an original and comfortable establishment, which is teeming with bird life and an excellent place to stay, during our time in Cape Coast.
Day 4
During our breakfast, in the restaurant on the lake, we can enjoy the sights and sounds of the many beautiful birds, which can be found in the surrounding vegetation, and catch a glimpse of Nile crocodiles which inhabit the lake. We will set off for Cape Coast and Elmina castles after breakfast. These wonderfully preserved colonial fortifications are recognised as UNESCO world heritage sites. They are both steeped in history and played a major role during Ghana’s tragic slave trade era. We will tour these castles and embark on a fascinating and thought provoking journey. Both of these monuments have an excellent museum and information centre. We shall return to our hotel, for lunch and to relax, before making the short journey to Kakum National park, Africa’s only rainforest canopy walkway. This is a beautiful, tropical guinea rainforest and the canopy walkway is sure to be a highlight of your time in Ghana. The canopy 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. We return to Hans Cottage, after a wonderful day, for our evening meal and to relax and enjoy the atmosphere around the restaurant and bar.
Day 5
After a good breakfast we leave Cape Coast, our destination is Kumasi, Capital of the Ashanti Region and home of the Asantehene, King of the Ashantis. En route to Kumasi, we will be making an emotional stop at Assin Manso, an important town along the slave trade routes. The town surrounds the Ndonkor Nsuo (Slave River). This river is where Slaves were checked for fitness and bathed before being transported to Cape Coast for shipment to the Americas. In 1998 a symbolic gesture was made when the bodies of two people who were slaves from Ghana, Samuel Carson from the USA and Crystal from Jamaica, were brought to Cape Coast castle and symbolically passed back through the “door of no return” and transported to Assin Manso for reburial. After visiting their graves, we will continue our journey to Kumasi. During our journey, the landscape changes from tropical guinea rainforest to broad-leaved woodlands as we head inland towards the Ashanti Region. We arrive in the bustling city of Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, and check into our hotel. We will head into town where we will find the Cultural Centre and the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum. The Cultural Centre and Prempeh museum offer an excellent overview of Ashanti history. There is a wonderful craft market in the grounds of the Cultural Centre and an opportunity to buy traditional Ashanti crafts at reasonable prices during our leisurely tour.
We shall relax in our hotel, for a well-deserved rest, in the evening.
Day 6
After a good nights rest and an early breakfast, we will set off for Kejetia market. Found in the heart of the city, Kejetia is the largest outdoor market in the whole of West Africa. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience everyday life for the people in this great city. The market is a labyrinth of stalls nestled close together and a hive of activity. Some stallholders sleep here in the evenings, as trade rarely stops. I am sure we will pick up some bargain souvenirs during our time here. We will stop for lunch, at one of the nearby spots or restaurants, before making the short journey to Manhiya Palace, home of the Asantehene, king of the Ashantis. This is a fascinating excursion through the history of this powerful tribe. After our tour, and if time permits, we will make another short journey to Ahiwaa, an old craft village on the outskirts of Kumasi. Here we visit Kofi and his older brother, who have been sculpting for over 40 years in this village. They can be found sitting outside in the shade carving, using centuries old methods and tools. We will learn about the different meanings behind these wonderful sculptures and have the opportunity to buy some souvenirs at a very reasonable price.
This evening, you will be invited to our head guide’s house for your evening meal and complementary drinks. This offers an opportunity to meet and learn more about the locals, their history and traditions.
Day 7
This morning we shall take a leisurely breakfast before setting off for Accra, Ghana’s capital. En route we will visit the village of Bonwire, famous in the Ashanti Region for producing some of Ghana’s finest Kente cloths. Many designs of cloths are woven here. Some designs are exclusive to this region and not found in other parts of Ghana. We will interact with the locals, learning about the history behind the many designs and also the skilled process of making these beautiful cloths. The process and machines used have not changed for centuries. During our time at Bonwire, we have the opportunity to buy some excellent quality cloth at very reasonable prices. After our excursion we continue to Accra, stopping for lunch en route. Accra is a busy bustling city situated on the Gold Coast. If time permits, on our arrival, we will visit the National Museum, a truly fascinating place, where almost all the displays are ethnographic in nature and there are some wonderful examples of traditional crafts.
As it is our last evening in Ghana we will head back to our hotel, to freshen up, before an evening out at one of Accra’s beachfront restaurants and bars.
Day 8
A well-deserved lie in, the day is at your leisure, you may decide to relax on the beach or around the pool of the hotel. Alternatively we can take you to the National Cultural Centre, which has an excellent craft market and is a good place to pick up any last minute souvenirs. If you decide to go to the Cultural Centre, it would be a shame not to visit the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum as it is situated a short walk away. The mausoleum is set in attractive gardens and has an interesting museum attached. Depending on your flight departure time, we will visit a nearby beach hotel, to relax and enjoy an early evening meal, before your sad departure and flight home after an unforgettable 8 days experience.
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All our tour prices include
Accommodation: range from air conditioned hotels with en-suite facilities to traditional village homestead
All meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
Transportation around Ghana in an air conditioned vehicle
Cultural excursions
Park entrance fees
Guide fees: fully escorted by professional and expert Western and local Ghanaian guides
24/7 care and attention
Prices do not include
International Flights
Visas
Items of a personal nature
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Please complete the form below to request more information and check availability
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