Day 1 - Lome
Arrive in Lome and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Hotel Sarakawa or similar.
Day 2 - Lome – Ouidah
Explore the city including its central markets and the fascinating – if rather gruesome – fetish market, where animal parts are sold for use in traditional medicines. We also meet a traditional healer who can cast more light on the traditional customs found here. Later, we cross into Benin and head to Ouidah for the night. Overnight Hotel Casa del Papa or similar. (BLD)
Day 3 - Ouidah Voodoo Festival
On the 10th January each year Benin holds a national celebration day in honour of its traditional religion and of the cults associated with it. Ouidah, in particular, is a focus for these ceremonies, and thousands of adepts, traditional chiefs and fetish priests gather here to perform fascinating rites and rituals. This is an amazing opportunity to witness the traditional culture of the region, where devotees assume the identity of gods and spirits and the realm of the magical is close at hand.Time permitting, we will visit the python temple, where snakes are venerated as representations of gods, the old Portuguese fort and finally head to the beach and the sombre ‘Gate of No Return’, the point from which slaves left Africa for the New World. Overnight Hotel Casa del Papa or similar. (BLD)
Day 4 - Ganvie – Abomey
Today we head out onto Lake Nokwe to visit Ganvie, the largest stilt village in Africa situated in the middle of the water. The ‘village’ is home to around 25,000 people, most of whom go about their daily lives without setting foot on dry land. From here we continue to Abomey, once the centre of the powerful kingdom of Dahomey, and home to an impressive Royal Palace. The palace is now a museum displaying various artefacts from that time. Overnight Hotel Jeko or similar. (BLD)
Day 5 - Savalou – Naititingou
Stop at the Dankoli fetish, the most important voodoo shrine in Benin, where we may be able to witness rituals taking place. From here head north to visit the villages of the Taneka people, a small but very traditional ethnic group, and meet their ‘feticheurs’ (traditional priests). Overnight Hotel Tata Somba or similar. (BLD)
Day 6 - Tamberma Villages - Defale
Drive into the lands of the Tamberma, one of the region’s most traditional groups who live in fortified houses known as ‘tatas’ – quite a spectacular sight. We spend time learning about their culture and customs, crossing into Togo and heading to the town of Defale for the night. Overnight Hotel Defale or similar. (BLD)
Day 7 - Defale - Sokode
Spend the morning exploring the villages of the Kabye and Moba people, in the Defale Mountains. We then head to the town of Sokode. This evening we witness a fire dance, where the participants use burning coals in their performance – another fascinating demonstration of local beliefs and customs. Overnight Hotel Central or similar. (BLD)
Day 8 - Tamale
Cross the border back into Ghana and continue to a little visited region inhabited by the Dagomba people, who we stop to visit. In one settlement lives a population of ‘witches’, exiled from their own villages for fear of bad luck or harm. This offers us another opportunity to understand the complex belief systems that hold sway here. Continue to Tamale for the night. Overnight Modern City or similar. (BLD)
Day 9 - Boabeng-Fiema – Techiman
We start our journey south, stopping first at the impressive Kintampo waterfalls. From here we head to Boabeng-Fiema – in the forest here lives a population of mona and colobus monkeys that the local people consider to be sacred. As a result of this they are not harmed, and therefore not afraid of people, so your chances for seeing them are excellent. We explore the forest on foot, then drive to nearby Techiman for the night. Overnight Encom Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 10 - Kumasi
Continue to Kumasi, Ghana’s second city and home of the old Ashanti Kingdom. Explore the city including the Ashanti Cultural Centre, which gives a great insight into what once was one of the most powerful kingdoms in the region. If possible, we will be able to see a traditional Ashanti funeral, quite a spectacle at which visitors are welcome. Overnight Miklin Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 11 - Kumasi
Continue exploring Kumasi, visiting the Royal Palace Museum. In the afternoon visit some of the nearby villages which specialize in producing traditional crafts such as cloth and carvings. Overnight Miklin Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 12 - Cape Coast
Head south to the coast, and the town of Cape Coast, home to an impressive castle originally built by the Swedish in the 17th century – one of the first European buildings in Africa. Overnight Anomabu Beach Resort or similar. (BLD)
Day 13 - Kakum Forest - Elmina
This morning we visit Kakum Forest National Park, exploring the forest on its canopy walkway – the longest and highest rope bridge in the world. We then visit the fishing town of Elmina, best known for St George’s Castle, the oldest European building in Africa and once used as holding centre for slaves. In the town itself we explore the old quarter with its unique Posuban shrines, made by the traditional ‘asafo’ societies which were once responsible for local defence. Overnight Anomabu Beach Resort or similar. (BLD)
Day 14 - Accra
Drive back to Accra, visiting the National Museum (if open) and the old quarter of Jamestown, as well as the quarter where craftsmen design flamboyant coffins for the deceased – a uniquely Ghanaian experience. Later transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (BL)
Please note that we sell this trip in conjunction with our local partner and therefore you should expect people of different nationalities and a maximum group size of 16 on this tour.
Included in price:
- Airport transfers
- Accommodation – as listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we’ll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you’re used to elsewhere.
- Guides – In most cases you will be accompanied by one guide from start to finish. However there may be occasions when this is not practical, for example if your trip covers a number of different countries. In these cases it often makes more sense to include different guides for each place, to take advantage of their specific knowledge of the destination.
- Meals – As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner).
Entrance fees – Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you’d like to see, these would be at your own expense.
Not included:
- Visas
- Airport taxes
- International flights
- Travel Insurance
