HiQPdf Evaluation 06/19/2017
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Ghana, Togo, Benin: Ashanti and Voodoo Kingdoms
Turkode
Destinasjoner
Turen starter
AQV
Benin - Ghana - Togo
Accra
Turen destinasjon
Reisen er levert av
16 dager Accra
Fra : NOK
0
Oversikt
Masked dancers, spirited drummers, adobe villages, dark history and fetish worshiping in Ghana, Togo and Benin
Reiserute
Day 1
Start Accra.
The tour starts this evening in Accra.
Day 2
Full day city tour.
A full day exploring Ghana's vibrant capital city. The National Museum was opened just before independence in 1957 and houses a number of exhibits from Ghanaian history and
culture. Jamestown is the oldest district in Accra and one of its liveliest. Taking a walking tour through this working class neighbourhood gives us a glimpse into the life of many
Ghanaians today as well as into the city's colonial past. Finally we head to Accra�s outskirts to an area where carpenters make the most unusual coffins in the world.
Traditionally the Ga people who inhabit the coast have buried their dead in coffins made to represent the deceased life. These extraordinary colourful coffins are shaped as fish,
shoes, cars, planes, fruit and various other objects making for a very unusual site.
HiQPdf Evaluation 06/19/2017
Day 3
Visit Kakum N.P.; continue to Elmina.
Leaving the city behind we head along the coast, driving around 3hrs, to Kakum National Park. This 375 square km park is comprised of the best preserved primary forest in
Ghana and is home to a variety of animals including a number of globally endangered species. We will spend some time exploring the rainforest at canopy level along 300m of
canopy-walkways. We then continue to Elmina, a picturesque fishing village and the site of St. George Castle, the oldest European structure still standing in sub-Saharan Africa.
Built by the Portuguese this castle became one of the most important stops on the Slave Route between Africa and the Americas. This dark history is epitomised by the Door of
No Return which slaves would walk through on their way to board ships heading across the Atlantic. Depending on what time we arrive in Elmina we will either visit the slave castle
today or tomorrow morning.
Day 4
Drive to Kumasi; visit Kejeta market.
Heading inland we drive to Kumasi in the heart of the Ashanti region. The Ashanti (or Asante) people make up about a quarter of the Ghanaian population and once controlled a
strong empire which stood up to European colonisation right up to the dying years of the 19th Century. They still have a strong cultural tradition and are ruled by a king. The
current king, who rules from Kumasi, is Otumfour Osei Tutu II. This afternoon we will visit Kejeta Market, the largest open-air market in West Africa, selling all kinds of goods from
jewellery to food. Time allowing we will visit a couple nearby crafts villages famous for their Kente cloths: kanga or sarong-type cloths worn on special occasions by various Akan
people (which includes the Ashanti). Ahwiaa produces stools which are a symbol of power and chieftainship amongst the Ashanti (if we don�t have time we will visit these
tomorrow)
Day 5
Akwasidae Kwasiada Festival.
Every 42 days (one month in the Ashanti calendar) the Ashanti celebrate the Akwasidae Festival. This is a time for the chiefs to pay respect to their ancestors and for the current
king to take stock. The first part of the festival is a private affair where the king and high dignitaries make offerings to their ancestors. Though the first part of the festival is not
open to the public the second part, which is the festival's culmination, is. It is an event full of pageantry with ritual sword bearers and guards bearing muskets as dignitaries pay
their respect to the Asantehene (king).We join local Ghanaians wearing their best Kente at the king's court in the Manhyia Palace for this colourful ceremony involving dancing
and drumming and even a court jester.
Day 6
Drive to Mole N.P.
Today is a driving day as we travel further north to Mole National Park. The drive will take approximately six or seven hours. Along the way we stop at the Kintampo Falls for a
refreshing dip and to stretch our legs. The drive is along paved roads until we reach Fufulso at which point we turn off the main highway and embark on a dirt road for the last
75kms to the park.
Day 7
Game walks.
Mole National Park is one of the best game reserves in West Africa. Renowned for its elephant population the park is also home to baboons, monkeys and various antelopes.
Predators such as lions and leopards are also amongst the 90 mammal species found here though they are much less frequently seen. In addition there are over 340 species of
birds, some resident and some migratory. We will have two walking safaris inside the park in search of the local wildlife. In order to have the best chances of good wildlife sightings
timing is important and we will have one outing early morning and the second in the late afternoon when animals are more active and easier to spot. Time between these two
safaris can be sent relaxing and trying to spot more wildlife at the watering hole near the hotel or by the pool.
Day 8
Drive to Tamale; visit traditional village.
We start heading east and drive to the capital of the Northern Region, Tamale. In the afternoon we visit the village of Sognaayilli. Here we can learn about life in a typical
Ghanaian village. We will meet the village chief; learn how to prepare Kulikuli (a pea nut snack, spin cotton and what a traditional baby bath is. We also have the opportunity to
visit the local soothsayer who can, if you wish, read your future.
Day 9
Drive onto Kara, Togo.
We continue towards the Togolese border and cross into our second country of the trip and eventually reach Kara. Part of this journey is on unpaved roads and depending on
the state of the road the drive could take 5 or 6hrs including border crossing formalities.
Day 10
Morning drive to Koutammakou; continue to Natitingu, Benin.
This morning we drive approximately 70kms (50 on paved road and 20 on very rough road) to Koutammakou to visit the original home of the Betamaribe people visiting the Mt.
Kaybe region on the way. The Koutammakou region which straddles the border of Togo and Benin across the Atakora Mountains was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
2004 in recognition of the cultural importance of the Betamaribe people and the distinct architecture of their houses. The Betamaribe tribe still live a traditional existence in
harmony with the nature that surrounds them. Their dwellings, known as takienta or tata somba, distinguish themselves by their aesthetic towers which, unlike many other adobe
abodes in Africa are normally two-stories high. These villages are widely recognised as some of the most impressive traditional adobe houses on the continent. We later cross
into Benin and drive a little further to the town of Natitingou.
Day 11
Visit Betamaribe Tata Somba houses; onto Abomey.
This morning we either visit another Betamaribe village or nearby Kota Falls before our drive South to Abomey (approximately 7hrs) in Fon country. Abomey is the ancient capital
of the Dahomey Kingdom. The Dahomey kings were a blood-thirsty lot feared throughout the region for their slave-trading, human sacrifices and vicious warmongering. The
Dahomey kings ruled from the 17th Century to up to 1894 when the kingdom became part of French West Africa. Dahomey, in fact, was the name of Benin during colonial times.
HiQPdf Evaluation 06/19/2017
Day 12
Abomey Palace followed by Geleden des Fons in Cove
We visit the Abomey's Royal Palace and Museum famous for the gory depictions of the Dahomey history and traditions on banners and bas relief as well as housing traditional
objects including the throne of King Giele which includes the skulls of four enemies. This afternoon we visit nearby Cove to see the spectacular masked dance of the Gelede. This
dance is practiced by the Yoruba-nago people of Benin, Togo and Nigeria and is a celebration of the ancestral mother Iya Nia and of the important role of women in society.
Though there are both male and female masks all dancers are men part of a secret society. The dance lasts about 3hrs after which we return to Abomey.
Day 13
Visit Ganvie; continue to Ouidah.
Driving about 2hrs we reach Lake Nokoue where we board a pirogue (traditional canoe) to visit the village of Ganvie where some 30,000 Tofinu people live in Bamboo huts on
stilts in the middle of the lake. The Tofinu fled to this swampy region in the 17th Century to escape the slave-hunting Dahomey who, by religious custom, were banned from
venturing into the water. Returning to shore we drive a further 1.5hrs to Ouidah, Benin's voodoo centre. Voodoo, or vodun as it is known locally, spread from this part of Africa to
the new world, in particular parts of Brazil, Haiti and New Orleans, and is still widely practiced in the region. The government of Benin officially declared voodoo to be a religion in
1997. Ouidah�s other historical export were the slaves who brought the voodoo religion with them.
Day 14
City tour followed by Voodoo dance.
A full day exploring Ouidah including the Ouidah Historical Museum set in the compound of the Portuguese fort. The museum houses a number of exhibits about Benin's links to
the new world, voodoo, the Dahomey kingdom and the slave trade amongst others. We also visit the Temple of the Python dedicated to the voodoo serpent deity Dangbe. Those
who have a phobia of snakes can opt to wait outside the temple. Later we trace the infamous Route des Esclaves (Slave Route). This 4km trail joins the old Portuguese fort with
the beach from where countless slaves were shipped out to Brazil and the Caribbean. This is the route that slaves would have taken and along the way are a number of symbols
and notable stops of this final walk on African soil. Finally we round up our day with a voodoo dance ceremony.
Day 15
To Togoville, Togo; continue to Lome.
We start the day with a short drive back to the border with Togo before continuing to Lake Togo (approx. 3hrs including border formalities). We continue by boat to Togoville.
This historic town was another slave-trade centre and the main departure point for slaves destined to Haiti. The strong voodoo culture remains and fetishes can be seen in the
street alongside the German Cathedral built in 1910. Continuing on our journey we reach Lome after a short drive. This afternoon we visit the National Museum and the fetish
market where supplies of traditional medicines used by local sorcerers are found including monkey skulls, snake skins, warthog teeth, lion skin, leopard skin and birds.
Day 16
Return to Accra, Ghana; end Accra.
This morning we drive about 3.5 to 5hrs back to Accra in Ghana (depending on traffic). We have use of dayrooms and the afternoon is free for some last minute shopping. Those
on the group flights will transfer to the airport in the evening for the return flight to London. The tour ends in Accra.
Viktig Informasjon
The trip destination
16 nights in standard hotels en suite
Most hotels have pools
Travel by minibus
Some long drives
Food
All breakfasts and 13 dinners are included. The price of non-included meals vary from place to place but you can budget around 8-10
Euros. Local food in Ghana, Togo and Benin is generally organised around starchy dishes such as rice, yams, plantains or cassava
accompanied with soups and stews (often referred to as sauces). These stews can contain various meat, fish or, sometimes, vegetarian
ingredients. Vegetarians can be catered for but you may find your diet to be a little repetitive.
Priser / Datoer
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HiQPdf Evaluation 06/19/2017