Ashanti
African Tours is a UK registered, Ghana
based, British run company offering tours
of Ghana and Burkina Faso. We firmly
believe that Ghana and Burkina Faso have
everything you are looking for on an
African adventure. Firstly, let us erase
any fears you may have about travelling to
Africa. Ghana is a politically stable,
wonderfully welcoming, safe country of
travel within Africa. The renowned travel
publishers, Bradt describes Accra, Ghana's
capital as one of the safest large cities
of travel in the World. This means that
you can interact with the friendly locals
with a peace of mind you may not get with
other African countries.
Ashanti
African Tours
Specializing in Ghana and Burkina
Faso
Mark Williams
Tel: +44 (0)870 7662 283
E-mail: mark@ashantiafricantours.com
www.ashantiafricantours.com
Duration
17 Days/16
Nights
Accommodation
6 nights in a luxury
hotel with Air Conditioning and En Suite
facilities
4 nights in a
comfortable hotel with ceiling fans 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: mark@ashantiafricantours.com
www.ashantiafricantours.com
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