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Duration - 17
Days/16 Nights
(4 nights
in comfortable hotel with ceiling
fans and en suite facilities)
Accommodation-
6 nights in a luxury hotel with Air
Conditioning and En Suite
facilities
3 nights
in a Comfortable, basic guesthouses
3 nights
in a Traditional homesteads
1 night
Hippo hide (optional)
Transport
Air-conditioned
4x4 vehicle. The best transportation
anywhere in Africa
Activities
Experiencing
History
Culture,
Traditions
River
Safari
Foot
Safari
Wildlife
Viewing
Group
Size
Minimum 2,
Maximum 8
Guides
1 Western
and 3 local guides with a wealth of
knowledge and experience
Dates
January to
December
Grading
Easy-Medium
Included:-
Collection,
transportation in and around
Ghana
Accommodation
Breakfast
Evening
Meals
Cultural
Activities
Park
Entrance Fees
All Guide
Fees
Excursion
Costs
Excluded:-
Flights
Travel
Insurance
Ghana
Entry Visa
Drinks/snacks
and items of personal nature
Price:-
£1395
$2340
¤1970
Single
Supplement:-
£100
$170
¤140
Deposit:-
£150
$250
¤200
Eco
Tours of Ghana
Summary:-
Ghana is a
friendly and politically stable English
speaking country with possibly the best
infrastructure and most developed eco
tourism facilities in West Africa. The
network of community based projects
protecting wildlife, culture, historical
traditions and monuments is growing all
the time. These projects are being
established by various traditional
councils and district assemblies, with
each project offering something
special.
Imagine
staying in a traditional Lobi village
learning about their unique traditions, or
witnessing cultural displays whilst
contributing to protecting Ghana's
endangered Hippopotami population at
Wechiau, voted third best conservation
holiday in the World by the Independent
newspaper in the UK. Alternatively, visit
the villages of Tafi Atome and Tafi Abuife
both nestled close to each other in the
Volta Region. Here you can learn how to
make traditional Kente cloth using
centuries old methods, participate in
traditional drumming and dancing cultural
displays. In the evenings, sit around the
fire listening to ancient tales from
village elders, all this in the knowledge
that your presence is helping in the
protection of large numbers of monkeys
that you will view in the surrounding
forests.
We at
Ashanti African Tours are passionate about
protecting everything that Ghana has to
offer, hence why we are helping with
developments through our community
projects.
Please
read through our tour itinerary below, and
remember we can increase or decrease tour
duration and personalise the trip to your
specifications. Please be aware that we
offer other activities that are not listed
in the itinerary.
Standard
Itinerary:-
Day
1
Depart for
Kotoka International Airport in Accra,
Ghana's capital. You will be greeted by
Mark Williams and the Ashanti African
Tours team, transferred to your luxury
hotel in our air-conditioned 4x4, which
will be your mode of transport for the
duration of your stay.
During
your complementary Akwaaba (Welcome)
drink, we will discuss all aspects of your
trip and allow you to acclimatise yourself
to Africa.
Day
2
We will
set off for Tafi Atome in the Volta
Region, stopping off en route at the Wli
Falls, West Africa's highest waterfall for
some lunch. We will then make our way to
the wonderful village of Tafi Atome where
we will stay for the next two evenings. On
our arrival, we shall tour the village and
view the endangered True Mona monkeys that
live in the surrounding forests. The
people of Tafi Atome believe these monkeys
to be messengers from God and have been
protecting them for over 200
years.
After our
evening meal, we will walk trails into the
forests viewing monkeys and medicinal
plants that grow here. Upon our return, we
shall witness traditional drumming and
dancing, joining in with the whole
village. This is truly an amazing
experience and an opportunity to sample
local beers, minerals and the local hot
stuff known as Kill Me Quick or Aketeshie.
After the cultural display, we will wind
down the evening listening to old fables
from village elders around a bonfire under
moonlight, before retiring for the
evening.
Day
3
After
breakfast, we shall visit the nearby
village of Tafi Abuife where for centuries
they have been producing the finest Kente
cloths in Ghana using traditional methods.
We will spend the day touring the village,
learning how to make Kente cloths and the
meanings behind the vast array of designs
available. This would be an excellent
opportunity to buy the best quality Kente
cloth in Ghana at the cheapest
price.
We will
return to Tafi Atome for traditional
drumming and dancing lessons and spend the
evening interacting with the locals at
various spots (bars) in the
village
Day
4
After
breakfast and a final morning monkey
viewing, we will head west along the Gold
Coast towards Cape Coast stopping at the
beautiful Aburi Botanical gardens for
refreshments. Upon our arrival, we shall
visit Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, which
are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage
sites. These two Slave Fortifications,
which are in excellent condition offer a
fascinating and thought provoking journey
through Ghana's recent tragic history.
After our tours, we will check into our
comfortable hotel built over a lake
containing Nile crocodiles for the
evening.
Day
5
A visit to
the World famous Kakum Canopy walkway, a
series of 7 bridges attached to 7 emergent
trees 40 meters above the rainforest floor
offering outstanding views stretching for
miles over this beautiful, tropical Guinea
rainforest. After this wonderful
excursion, we will set off for Mosomagar
and the unique Mosomagar Bamboo Orchestra.
On arrival, we will tour this remote
village and experience this truly
breathtaking Bamboo Orchestra and
traditional cultural dancing that
accompanies it. All the traditional dances
have meanings behind them and are a view
to behold. In the evening, we have a
choice of staying in the village or at a
nearby tree platform within the tropical
Guinea rainforest that is Kakum National
Park.
Day
6
After
breakfast, we will set off for Kumasi,
home of the Asantehene, King of the
Ashanti's. On arrival, we will check into
our hotel for the first of a 2 nights stay
before setting off for the Cultural
Centre, which has an excellent craft
market and is where we will find the
Premprah II Jubilee Museum that offers an
excellent overview of Ashanti history. In
the evening, we shall relax in our luxury
hotel.
Day
7
We will
pay a visit to Kejetia Market, the largest
market in West Africa. Kejetia is a
labyrinth of stalls and also an excellent
place to find souvenirs. In the afternoon
we will tour the Manhiya Palace, home of
the Asantehene, King of the Ashanti's. A
fascinating excursion through the history
of this powerful tribe. After
refreshments, we will visit a nearby craft
village to witness skilled craftsmen
making wooden carvings using centuries old
methods and tools whilst learning about
the different meanings behind these
magnificent sculptures.
In the
early evening, you will be guests at Mark
Williams, Director of Ashanti African
Tours house for complementary drinks and
barbecue before retiring to your luxury
hotel.
Day
8
After
breakfast, we head for Boebeng Fiema
Monkey Sanctuary where monkeys live
happily with locals. On arrival, we shall
tour the villages of Boebeng and Fiema
experiencing their traditional way of
life. In the late afternoon, we shall walk
in the surrounding forests viewing Mona
monkeys and the now vulnerable Geoffrey's
pied Colobus monkey before retiring to our
guesthouse for the evening.
Day
9
We will
set off in the morning for Wechiau
Community Hippo Sanctuary, voted the third
best conservation holiday in the World by
the Independent Newspaper in the UK. On
arrival at this wonderful eco tourism
project, we shall visit a traditional Lobi
village and compound to learn about their
traditional practices and ways of
life.
We will
take an afternoon river safari to see the
endangered local population of
Hippopotami, on the Black Volta River,
which the locals are now protecting
through a community based project. A truly
beautiful and wonderful experience. Our
accommodation shall be at the Talawona
Lodge, a traditional Lobi homestead. We
can sit outside in the evening, listening
to local traditional xylophone music and
this is an ideal opportunity to experience
the local brew before retiring for the
evening.
Day
10
After
breakfast we will have another opportunity
to go on a river safari to see these
magnificent mammals in their natural
environment and to view local traditional
fishing practices of the Lobi people. In
the afternoon we shall partake in a
walking safari and tour the local village
of Wechiau. After an evening meal and
refreshments we will have a choice of
staying in the Talawona Lodges or
overnight at a Hippo hide, which would
give us a unique opportunity to see the
Hippos at close range feeding in the
vegetation surrounding the
river
Day
11
After
breakfast, we will leave for Mole National
Park, Ghana's largest, oldest and best
game viewing park for the first of a two
night stay. On arrival, we shall check
into our hotel, which is situated on a 250
meter high escarpment overlooking two
watering holes. We shall relax in the
hotel enjoying the pool and viewing
savannah Elephants bathing in the
Crocodile infested waters from the hotels
terrace.
Day
12
An early
morning foot safari around the watering
holes with armed guides would be a unique
opportunity to get extremely close to the
savannah Elephants, a truly memorable
experience and a chance to walk off the
morning breakfast. There are over 93
mammals recorded at Mole including Lions,
Hyenas, Leopards, Baboons and many more
species worthy of keeping an eye out for.
Our
afternoon will be spent visiting the
nearby village of Larabanga to view the
oldest Sudanese style mud and stick mosque
in Ghana, dating back to 1421. This would
give us a chance to visit a spiritual
stone in the area whilst we're there.
After our evening meal, we sit back and
enjoy the atmosphere of being so close to
nature.
Day
13
An early
start after breakfast. We will set off for
the Tono Dam in the Northern Region,
stopping at Tamale for refreshments en
route. On our arrival, we will check into
our guesthouse for the evening.
Day
14
After
breakfast, we will set off for Paga and
the Sacred Crocodile ponds. Here we will
have an opportunity to feed these
Crocodiles and interact with the local
community, listening to the history behind
their tradition. From Paga, we will travel
to Sirigu known throughout Ghanaian
history for its pottery, basket weaving
and colourful symbolic wall decorations of
its homesteads. After an afternoon of
interaction with the locals and witnessing
traditional ways of life, we will set off
for Widnaba.
Widnaba,
where Kusaasi traditions live on, we shall
witness traditional pito brewing, tour an
old Slave market and join traditional
cultural displays during the evening
before retiring in our accommodation, a
traditional homestead.\
Day
15
An early
start after breakfast we head back to
Kumasi, stopping en route at Tamale for
refreshments and to view the beautiful
Kintampo Waterfalls before arriving in
Kumasi and checking into our luxury hotel
for the evening.
Day
16
After
breakfast, we will leave for Accra,
stopping for refreshments. On our arrival,
we will visit the National Museum, almost
all the displays here are ethnographic in
nature and there are some wonderful
examples of traditional crafts. On our way
to our hotel, we will visit Independence
Square to see the enclosed flame of
African liberation lit by Kwame Nkrumah in
1961.\
Day
17
Our final
day in Ghana, after breakfast we shall
visit the National Cultural Centre, which
has an excellent craft market and is the
perfect place to pick up any last minute
souvenirs. After the National Cultural
Centre, we shall visit Nkrumah Mausoleum
set in attractive gardens and also has an
interesting museum attached. In the
afternoon, we shall visit a nearby beach
hotel to relax and enjoy an early evening
meal before your sad departure and flight
home after an unforgettable 17 days
experience.
Ashanti
African Tours
Specializing
in Ghana and Burkina Faso
Mark Williams, Tel: +44 (0)870 7662
283
E-mail:marksparkle@gmail.com
www.ashantiafricantours.com
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