11 days Best of Ghana Experience

Coconut Grove Regency Meals: d

Our Representatives will meet with you on your arrival at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Make yourself known to your guide as you leave the customs and arrival hall. We will enjoy welcome drinks, discuss the trip, we will also have tailors and dress makers taking your measurement to make an outfit for you, and the remainder of the evening will be spent at leisure and relaxation whilst acclimatizing yourself to the motherland. 

Having enjoyed your first night in Accra, today is dedicated to an Accra city tour, first visit is W. E. B. DuBois and Pan African Center is a memorial place and a research center, dedicated into a great Pan Africanist who lived and died as a Ghanaian, he came to Ghana at the Age of 93 with 1,000 books to work on African Encyclopedia on invitation of Ghana’s first president. 

At the center we will have the opportunity to learn more about “Beyond the Return”. Ghana seeks to continue to invite home all and sundry kith and kin of African descendants on a pilgrimage journey to the motherland to reconnect with their ancestral roots, whilst commemorating 400 years of when the first enslaved Africans landed in America. We also honor our heroes and heroines for fighting for our emancipation and liberty. 

We continue to visit National Museum, which has sculptures and other artifacts which tells more about our customs and traditions which gives us excellent overview of Ghana and West African culture. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant serving a selection of West African and continental dishes. In the afternoon we pass by Independence Square and view the enclosed flame of African liberation, which was lit by Kwame Nkrumah himself in 1961. We continue the short distance to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, final resting place of Ghana’s founder. Set in attractive gardens, there is an adjoining museum, which contains photos, artefacts and an insight into this incredible man’s life. Adjoining the park is the National Cultural Center, which is actually Ghana’s largest outdoor arts and crafts market selling traditional crafts from all over West Africa. After testing your bargaining skills we return to our hotel for our evening meal, the remainder of the evening is for leisure.

After breakfast we depart for Kumasi capital of the Ashanti region on internal flight to learn about the powerful Ashanti Empire and its people.  We start the day visiting some traditional villages but first we take a visit to the traditional home of Nana Yaa Asantewaa a great female warrior who led the Ashantes in the 1901 war against the British, she was also the Queen Mother of Ejisu Besease, we shall visit her Spiritual Shrine where she fortified herself during the war. Kumasi is regarded as cultural center of Ghana, with its many ancient craft villages within touching distance of the city.  Remainder of the day is dedicated to visiting these traditional villages; our next stop is Adanwomasie famous as the birth place of Kente. Adanwomasie produces some of Ghana’s finest Kente cloths, many designs of cloth are woven here and some are exclusive only to this region.  We will interact with the community, learning about the history behind the many designs.  As we walk through the village, we see highly skilled locals weaving outside their homes.  The machines that the weavers use have not changed in design for centuries.  During our time at Adanwomasie, we have the opportunity to buy excellent quality cloth at very reasonable prices before setting off for the village of Ntunso.

The ancient village of Ntunso, is where Adinkra originates.  Adinkra are traditional symbols with meanings, carved from calabash shells, and printed onto traditional cloth using natural dyes made from the bark of certain local trees.  Adinkra cloth has been adorned by the Ashanti’s for more than 4 centuries and pre dates Kente cloth.  Even today most Ashanti’s will wear Adinkra cloth for funerals, festivals and other important occasions.  During our time here we have the opportunity to make our own strip of Adinkra cloth using symbols with personal significance.

Finally we will enjoy our lunch and continue to check into our hotel.

We will embark on city tour of Kumasi, with a visit to Manhyia Palace museum, which houses regalia, paraphernalia and real good ornaments which tells the history, tradition, continuality and customs of Ashantes. We continue to visit National Cultural Centre.  The cultural center is found in one of the oldest suburbs of Kumasi.  There is a wonderful craft market here and during our leisurely tour we have the opportunity to visit the Prempeh II Jubilee museum which offers an excellent overview of Ashanti history. 

A short distance from the palace is Kejetia market which is the largest outdoor market in the whole of Western Africa.  Visiting here gives us a wonderful opportunity to experience everyday life for the people in this great city and pick up a few bargain souvenirs. The market is a labyrinth of stalls nestled closely together, and a hive of activity.  Some stall holders sleep here in the evenings as trade rarely stops. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant which sells an excellent selection of local and continental dishes.

Okomfo Anokye sword which has defied all human strength to pull it out, the sword was planted there by famous priest Okomfo Anokye who believed to have conjure the golden stool from the heaves. The last place to go to today is the campuses of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology which was established by our first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1952 to be the leading University in the sub region to research into science and technology.  After visiting these wonderful places we return to our hotel for our evening meal and relaxations.

Entire day is dedicated into service and volunteering

We checked out of our hotel, our final destination today is Elmina, we will first stop at Assin Manso, which was one of the major slave market during the slave trade, Ndonkor Nsuo (Enslaved African River). This river is where enslaved Africans were checked for fitness and bathed before being transported to Cape Coast for shipment to the Americas and Caribbean. At the Slave River, we will participate in “First Bath Of Return” ceremony. 

After our tour we continue to Cape Coast, we enjoy lunch upon arrival at a local restaurant overlooking the ocean before we continue to visit Cape Coast Castle also designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Built by the British in 1665 at the height of slavery and played a major role in holding enslaved Africans in awaiting of slave ships to ship them to the New World. We will walk through the Male and Female dungeons and the infamous “Door of No Return”. There is a historical museum inside, which explains the whole history of the castle and Cape Coast itself, as well as a souvenir shop which sells literature on all of Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as the cultural history and traditions of Ghana. 

One of the highlights of the trip is a visit to Kakum tropical rainforest to experience the much talked about Canopy walkway, the uniqueness of the park lies in the fact that it was established at the initiative of the local people, it is one of the only 3 locations in Africa with a canopy walkway, which is 350 meters (1,150 FT) long and connects seven tree tops, the park is also notable for a lot of endangered species of fauna in the park. 

We stop for lunch at Han’s Cottage Botel near Kakum, Han’s is built over a lake containing Nile crocodiles and set in a beautiful location surrounded by tropical guinea rainforest. It is an original and comfortable establishment, which is teeming with bird life and an excellent place to enjoy lunch. 

Before heading to Elmina. Upon arrival in Elmina our first stop will be Elmina fishing market to visit the boat builders, building colourful fishing boats using traditional tools and methods spanning centuries. We will also visit the Elmina castle built by the Portuguese in 1482 which is the oldest European building in Sub Saharan Africa. This castle is steeped in history and played a prominent part during the tragic transatlantic enslaved African trade era. There is an informative museum inside which concentrates on local history and it is designated a world heritage site by UNESCO, we should the reminder of the day for shopping.

We check out of our hotel after leisurely breakfast and participate in traditional naming ceremony and “The Right to Return Atonement and Rituals Ceremony” to formally welcome you back home, the program will be held at Simiw village, you will be welcome by Elders of the community, pour libation to call on our ancestors and welcome you back home. There will be drumming, dance and other rituals performed.

We will drive through scenic coastal villages, having a glimpse looks at several historical and heritage sites on our way. We will stop at Abandze to visit Fort Amsterdam, which was the first British fort built between 1631 and 1638. The original fort was destroyed by the people of Anomabo who are their neighbors in 1811. We check into our hotel upon arrival, in the evening we will enjoy some nightlife of Accra.

We will visit Nkyinkyim outdoor slavery museum, which tells about our history, customs, traditions and giving veneration to our ancestors through middle passage via sculptures display, after we will continue on a short distance to Aqua Safari beautiful river front restaurant for lunch and cruise on Volta River.

Sadly, your final day with us in Ghana, after a leisurely breakfast and morning of relaxation we check-out of our hotel and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.  If time permits, we may have the opportunity to pick up any last-minute souvenirs as we visit Ghana’s largest arts and crafts market. We then enjoy an early evening farewell dinner before your transfer to the airport and departure after an unforgettable 11-day tour with Torch Light Tours.