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| Viewing: 15 Day Ghana Cultural & Wildlife Tour |
Package ID: 1445 |
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| 15 Day Ghana Cultural & Wildlife Tour |
Our cultural tours take you on an amazing journey through the history of this wonderful country, immersing you in the cultural traditions and daily life of the many tribal communities we visit.
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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
I T I 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 the our 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 4x4, 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 will always be our accommodation when we stay in Accra. Once we have checked you in Mark and the 2 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
Our first full day in Ghana. After breakfast, on the terrace overlooking the ocean, we set off leaving the bustling city of Accra behind. We head west along the beautiful Gold Coast; our destination is Cape Coast and Elmina. Upon our arrival, we head for Cape Coast and Elmina castles. These wonderfully preserved colonial fortifications are recognised as UNESCO world heritage sites. They are both steeped in history, which includes a major role in Ghana’s tragic slave trade era. We will tour these castles and embark on a fascinating, thought provoking journey. Both castles have an excellent museum and information centre. We shall transfer to Hans Cottage Botel after our tour. This 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. It is an excellent place to stay during our time in Cape Coast.
Day 3
During our breakfast, in the restaurant on the lake, we can enjoy the sights and sounds of the many beautiful birds found in the surrounding vegetation and catch a glimpse of Nile crocodiles which inhabit the lake. We will set off for Kakum National park, 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 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 for lunch before loading up and setting off for the village of Mosomagar. Our journey should take approximately 1½ hours passing through small towns and remote villages en route.
Mosomagar is famous locally for its wonderful bamboo orchestra and dance troupe. All the instruments in the orchestra are made from bamboo, which is found in the surrounding forests. It creates a unique sound and is a wonderful cultural experience. The dance troupe, who accompanies the orchestra, is amazing and each dance tells a story from history. After witnessing a performance, we will interact with the locals learning the history behind the orchestra and then tour the village seeing their traditional ways of life. We return to Hans, after a wonderful day, for our evening meal and to enjoy the atmosphere and wonderful surroundings of the hotel restaurant.
Day 4
After a leisurely breakfast we will set off for Kumasi, which is home of the Asantehene, King of the Ashantis. 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 for the first night of a 2 nights stay. After lunch, we will head into the city 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 5
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 closely together, and a hive of activity. Some stallholders sleep here in the evenings as trade rarely stops. I am sure you 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 crafts 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 6
Leaving Kumasi after breakfast, we head northwards towards the villages of Boebeng and Fiema. These two villages, nestled close together, have set up a sanctuary to protect the vulnerable Geoffrey’s Pied colobus and Mona monkeys that are found in the surrounding forests. The locals perceive monkeys to be sacred and offer them traditional burials. We will spend the day in the villages interacting with locals and walking trails into the forests, viewing these beautiful monkeys and learning about the history behind their protection. During the walks, our guides will identify the many species of medicinal plants and explain how they benefit the locals.
Our hotel is at Techiman, where we shall enjoy our evening meal and reflect on a wonderful day.
Day 7
We rise early and depart after breakfast for the Tono Dam in the Northern Region. As we venture northwards, the landscape becomes more savannah woodland. We pass through many villages and stop at Tamale for lunch and refreshments. Tamale is Ghana’s 3rd largest city and capital of the Northern Region. We arrive at the Tono Dam in the late afternoon and check into our guesthouse for the evening.
Day 8
After a hearty breakfast, we will set off for Paga and the sacred crocodile ponds. Paga is a busy town on the Burkina Faso border and the most frequently used border crossing. Its traditional homesteads are similar in design to the Dogon homesteads in Mali. The roofs are flat and used for drying crops, but also for sleeping on in hot weather. After a tour of the town, we precede to one of the crocodile ponds. It’s customary to feed one of the sacred crocodiles a chicken upon arrival at the pond. During our interactions with the locals, we will learn the history behind the crocodiles and why they are perceived to be sacred. We depart Paga and head for Sirigu in the Upper East Region. As we approach the village, the beautifully painted traditional homesteads stand out. It’s a tradition, which spans centuries but unfortunately is dying out in many parts of Western Africa. We will tour the village interacting with locals and learning about their history and traditions, a highlight of our time at Sirigu would be a tour of the local markets and Chief’s Palace. The people are wonderfully welcoming and friendly. The women of Sirigu are also famous for their beautiful pottery and art, I am sure we will find some bargain souvenirs during our tour of the markets.
We continue our journey to the Bawku West district and the village of Widnaba, a truly beautiful village. Migratory elephants often pass the surrounding valleys and the birdlife is excellent. Kasaasi tradition lives on in Widnaba and during our interactions with the locals we will learn more about their history and traditions. We will be taken to a nearby slave market and visit areas where slaves were kept captive, a thought provoking and sometimes emotional excursion. On our return to the village, we will witness traditional pito brewing in one of the homesteads and it would be rude not to sample the finished product. This evening we will have the option of staying in one of the local rooms, camping or returning to our guesthouse at the Tono Dam.
Day 9
We set off for Mole National Park, Ghana’s oldest, largest and best game Viewing Park. On our arrival, we check into the Mole Hotel, which is the only accommodation in the area. Situated on a 250 metre high escarpment, overlooking this 4840km² parks, it offers simply breathtaking views. It is an amazing feeling to be sitting around the pool, on the hotel terrace, watching African Savannah elephants bathing in the two nearby watering holes inhabited by crocodiles. After our evening meal, we shall watch the beautiful sun setting over the savannah woodlands and gallery forest, which surrounds the hotel. This is a perfect ending to a wonderful day!
Day 10
This morning, we shall take a leisurely breakfast on the hotel terrace overlooking the watering holes. Hopefully by the time we have finished the elephants would be making their way to the watering holes to bathe and drink. This would be an ideal opportunity for a morning foot safari around the watering holes with armed guides. Many of our guests who have travelled extensively around Africa are amazed at how close we get to the world’s largest land mammal on foot. There are over 93 mammals recorded in Mole. As we walk through the savannah and bush we are likely to see troops of olive baboons and patas monkeys and get extremely close to these beautiful primates. Kob, bushbuck and hartebeest regularly come to the watering hole to drink whilst being cautious of the crocodiles lurking in the muddy water. Deeper in the park lions, leopards, hyenas and African buffalo can be found.
As we return to the hotel, we may encounter a family of giant warthogs or a crocodile sunning itself on the waters edge. Once we return to the hotel, we can relax over lunch before heading off on a cultural excursion to Larabanga and the 14th century mud and stick mosque. This wonderfully preserved traditional Sudanese style mosque dates from around 1421 and reportedly houses one of the original copies of the Koran. We will tour Larabanga learning about the history of the mosque and the traditions of the villagers. A short distance from Larabanga is an ancient spiritual stone, which is definitely worth a visit and the history behind it is fascinating.
We return to the hotel after our tour, eat a good meal, and enjoy the atmosphere of being so close to nature on our last evening at Mole.
Day 11
We set off after breakfast for Wechiau. As we venture northwards, the Sahelian Savannah plains and woodlands are becoming increasingly more prevalent. We will stop off en route for refreshments at one of the local spots (bars) before reaching our destination. As we near Wechiau, we will notice the change in design of the traditional homesteads of the Lobi tribal communities of the Upper West region. On our arrival, we pick up a local guide at Wechiau town before proceeding to our accommodation for the evening. The Talowana Lodge is clean, basic and comfortable accommodation built in the design of a typical Lobi homestead. Wechiau is a truly wonderful project protecting vulnerable hippos on the beautiful Black Volta River. It was voted the 3rd best conservation destination by the Independent Newspaper, UK in 2000.
After settling into our lodge, we tour a nearby Lobi village and compound interacting with the locals and learning about their fascinating traditional practices and ways of life. If daylight permits, we shall head down to the river for a late afternoon river safari in a traditional dug out canoe. The Black Volta is stunning and the canoe ride is a memorable experience. As we travel up the river to one of the hippo pools, you will be dazzled by the beauty of the woodlands either side of us. To our left is Ghana and right is Burkina Faso. The bird viewing, as we travel along this border, is excellent with over 250 species recorded.
Encountering the hippos is obviously the highlight of the safari. The feeling you experience is enhanced all the more as these beautiful mammals are endangered in Ghana. We enjoy the breathtaking African sunset as we return down river arriving at our lodge for our evening meal. In the evening we will sit under the beautiful African night sky listening to traditional xylophone music. This is a perfect time to experience pito, the local brew before retiring for the night.
Day 12
After a leisurely breakfast and morning river safari, we head back to Mole for a 1 night stay.
Day 13
After an early breakfast, we bid a sad farewell to the beautiful Mole National park; we retrace our steps back to Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti kingdom. We stop en route at the picturesque Kintampo waterfall to relax.
Some of our more adventurous guests use this opportunity to experience the best shower in Ghana, an invigorating experience and a great way to cool off after our journey. We will set off on our final leg to Kumasi, on our arrival; we will check into our hotel and enjoy our evening meal around the pool.
Day 14
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 fascinating place where almost all the displays are ethnographic in nature and there are some wonderful examples of traditional crafts.
As it is our final evening in Ghana, we will head back to our hotel to freshen up before an evening out at one of Accra’s beach front restaurants and bars.
Day 15
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 15 days experience.
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Price does not include
International Flights
Visa
Items of a personal nature or not mentioned in the itinerary above
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