 |
 |
Choose from
(785) Africa travel packages |
| |
|
| Viewing: Ghana Wildlife Safari Tour - 12 Days |
Package ID: 1450 |
|
|
| Ghana Wildlife Safari Tour - 12 Days |
Ghana is an ideal destination for a wildlife safari holiday. With its 16 National Parks and resource reserves protecting savannah elephants, hippopotami, lions, leopards, hyenas and 7 primate species.
|
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 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 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 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
Your first full day in Ghana. After breakfast on the hotel 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 Kakum National park situated near Cape Coast. On our arrival, we will check into Hans Cottage Botel. 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. It is an original design and a comfortable establishment which is teaming with bird life, an excellent place to stay during our time at Kakum. After lunch, we shall head 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 one of the highlights during your time in Ghana. The canopy walkway consists of a series of 7 bridges which are attached to 7 emerging trees and erected 40 metres above the rainforest floor. Prepare to take a deep breath as you walk the suspended bridges. Take time to 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 parks headquarters to browse around the 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, such as 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 enjoy the surroundings and atmosphere of the hotel restaurant, as we reflect on a perfect day’s introduction to a tropical African rainforest.
Day 3
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. After 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. En route to Kumasi, we will visit Owabi wildlife sanctuary, a small area of pristine forest being protected around the Owabi reservoir. The sanctuary is home to a small locally endangered number of black and white colobus and Mona monkeys. Catching a glimpse of these shy primates is even more special due to the fact they are so rare in this part of Ghana. We will continue our journey to Kumasi, on arrival, we check into our hotel for our 1 night stay. In the evening, we will relax around the pool and enjoy our evening meal.
Day 4
Leaving Kumasi after breakfast, we head northwards to the villages of Boebeng and Fiema. These two villages nestled closely together have set up a sanctuary to protect the vulnerable Geoffrey’s pied colobus and Mona monkeys that are found in the surrounding forest. 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 5
The day starts with a buzz as we load up our vehicle after breakfast and set off northwards. Our destination is Wechiau and the community hippo sanctuary. The landscape changes from the broad leaved woodlands of the Ashanti Region to the sahelian savannah plains and woodlands of the North. We will stop off en route for refreshments at one of the local spots (bars) before reaching our destination. As we near Wechiau we notice, the change in design of traditional homesteads as we enter Lobi Tribal communities of the Upper West. On our arrival, we will pick up a local guide at Wechiau town before proceeding to our accommodation for the next 2 evenings. The Talowana lodge is a clean, basic and comfortable accommodation built in the design of a typical Lobi homestead. Wechiau is a fantastic 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. You will be dazzled by the beauty of the woodlands either side of us as we travel up the river to one of the hippo pools. To our left is Ghana and to our right is Burkina Faso. The bird viewing as we travel along this boarder 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 can enjoy the breathtaking African sunset as we return down river, arriving at our lodge for our 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 6
After breakfast, we will have another opportunity to go on a wonderful river safari to see these magnificent mammals in their natural environment. During our time on the river, we can expect to encounter local fishermen and observe their traditional fishing methods which have not changed for centuries. After lunch we will set off for a walking safari along the river before touring the town of Wechiau. The main ethnic groups in Wechiau are the Lobi, Biri and Wala. Some Lobi and Biri elders can still be seen wearing traditional lip plugs. A visit to the centuries old mud and stick Palace is a must whilst we are in Wechiau and there may be an opportunity to meet the local Yaa Na chief.
After our evening meal, you can either stay at the Talowana lodge or overnight at a hippo hide. This would be a fantastic and unique opportunity to see the hippos at close range whilst they feed in the vegetation surrounding the river. An unforgettable experience that would live in your memory.
Day 7
After two wonderful days at Wechiau, we will leave for Mole National park which is 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 over looking this 4840km² parks, it offers 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 which are inhabited by crocodiles. We will take an afternoon 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 getting extremely close to these beautiful primates. Kob, bushbuck and hartebeest regularly come to the watering holes to drink, being cautious of the crocodiles lurking in the muddy waters. Deeper in the park, lion, leopard, hyena 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. 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 8
The day starts with a buzz as we load up the vehicle with our camping equipment and meet our armed guide as we prepare to drive deep into the 4840 km² Mole National park. National parks like Mole are rare in Western Africa, and very few people ever venture deep into Mole due to the terrain. After a hearty breakfast, we set off; during our drive we keep an eye out for hartebeest, bushbuck, kob, baboon and herds of elephants. As we progress deeper into the park lion, hyena and buffalo are known to roam. We set up camp and with our armed guide bush walk into some of the most remote areas within the park searching for the elusive lion, hyena and leopard. We return to camp and our guides cook our evening meal. In the evening, we sit around our camp fire enjoying a beer and relaxing under the beautiful West African moonlight sky. We settle down for the night under the stars to the sound of hyena and lion enjoying the atmosphere of being so close to nature.
Day 9
We awake to the sound of Nature and take a leisurely breakfast around our camp. After a morning trek in the park, we return to camp, load up our vehicle and head back to Mole hotel keeping our eyes open on our journey for any passing wildlife. On our arrival at the hotel, we relax around the pool watching the wildlife at the watering holes and enjoy the atmosphere of our final evening at Mole.
Day 10
After breakfast we leave Mole National park after 3 wonderful days, our destination is Kumasi. En route, we take 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 as the history behind it is fascinating. We continue our journey, stopping at the beautiful 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. After our refreshing stop, 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 11
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, which has 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 12
Sadly our final day with you in Ghana. We set off early and visit the Shai Hills reserve. Located close to Accra, Shai is an expanse of Savannah grassland and woodland with large numbers of olive baboons, antelopes, green and spot nosed monkeys. After an enjoyable morning walking and driving through the reserve we head back to Accra. Depending on your flight departure, you can visit the National cultural centre, an excellent place to pick up any last minute souvenirs before an early evening meal at a beach front restaurant. We will transfer you to the airport before your sad departure after an unforgettable 12 days experience.
Price does not include
International Flights
Visa
Items of a personal nature or not mentioned in the itinerary above
===========================
Please complete the enquiry form below to request more information and check availability
|
|
|
|
|
|
