After breakfast, we will embark on an event-filled day, touring the capital city of Accra.  Destinations of note will include a walking tour of Jamestown and Ussher Fort; the famed Independence Square; the exterior of the Presidential Palace (no pictures allowed!); a stop by the perennially-chaotic Makola Market; and a capstone visit to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum.

You will be tired.  But please try to save energy to partake in one of the many forms of New Years Eve celebrations taking place all over the city!

With much too much to see in one day, our Accra City Tour will continue to include a visit to the W .E. B. DuBois Centre for Pan African Culture.  The Centre is a very modest structure, which served as the home where the legendary namesake African-American civil rights activist lived upon moving to Ghana in 1961, until his death - in 1963 - at the age of 95.   Du Bois believed in the importance of Unity among people of African descent worldwide.  He argued that the struggles of the Black peoples in Africa, and those of the Black peoples in America and elsewhere in the diaspora, were interconnected and that Solidarity was essential for achieving social, political, and economic justice.  The Centre was created in his memory and honor, and to provide a home for the scholarship and advancement of his ideals. https://visitghana.com/attractions/w-e-b-dubois-centre/

Beyond the Du Bois Centre, we will also visit the Centre for National Culture (i.e., the "Arts Centre").  A bustling tourist-focused market, it has everything from woven Kente cloth, wooden sculptures, bead works, leather bags, earrings and other fashion accessories, the latest in African artisanship and fashion from all over Ghana.  Expect elevated prices (still open for aggressive negotiation) over what you will find at the Makola Market.  We will also visit the recently-dedicated Accra Leisure and Recreational Park (Geese Park); and finish the day with the peaceful serenity of the Aburi Gardens.

After breakfast, we will begin our long journey to the Ashanti Region in Ghana.  The Ashanti tribe is one of the largest, most significant tribal groups in the country and perhaps the most dominant in terms of the tapestry of Ghanaian cultures.  As part of our venture into this region, we will visit The Bonwire (pronounced "bone-ray") Kente Center.  Bonwire is one of the most famous centers for Kente weaving in Ghana.  The town of Bonwire has a long-standing tradition of weaving Kente cloth, which is characterized by its vibrant colors and intricate patterns.  Kente is often associated with the Ashanti people and is used in various cultural ceremonies, including weddings, festivals, and other significant events.  While there, we will learn about the history of Kente weaving and have the opportunity to experience the weaving process first-hand.

After our tour of Bonwire, we will continue onward to a village outside of Kumasi, the nation's second-largest city, were each of us will have the opportunity to participate in an African naming ceremony, where a true tribal chief will determine an appropriate African name to assign to you, formal inviting you into the Ashanti tribal family.  Wow!!  What a day!  Let's get some rest!

Today we will round out our Kumasi excursion with a visit to the Kejetia Market and the must-see Manhyia Palace.  Where as Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti Region of Ghana, the Manhyia Palace is the actual residence of the Asantehene, the king of the Ashanti people. It is both the "residence" and a museum of the history and culture of the Ashanti tribe.  Once inside, you will learn of the history and traditions of this legendary African community, and will have the opportunity to view many of the photographs, stools, documents, and other artifacts that help tell the illustrious story behind this seat of power.

Finally, we will round this day out with a visit to a local village outside of the city, where you will have an opportunity to interact with the locals and see, up-close, how they live, before retiring for the night.

We will get an early start, leaving Kumasi for the Assin Manso River.  This is a major site in the Central Region, where captured and shackled Africans were assembled and forced into the river for their last bath before the long arduous journey to the Cape Coast Castle, where they would ultimately be stored, under the most inhumane of circumstance, until they were loaded onto ships bound for the Americas.  We will retrace just a few of their steps to an observation point there, where we will hold a solemn ceremony of remembrance.

YOU ARE ASKED TO WEAR AN "ALL-WHITE" ENSEMBLE AND YOU MAY GET WET.

Afterwards, we will continue on to the Cape Coast Castle in Elmina, where we will see the spaces of the Castle; learn its history; and learn of the horrid conditions, in which the ancestors were stored until they were rip away from their homes, never to return.

. . .  or perhaps this day they might?

This day will present yet another early start, as we will head out for a brief visit to meet with representatives from the University of Cape Coast, the topmost ranked University in Ghana and West Africa, according to the 2022 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.  Here, we will learn a little about the University and have the opportunity to perhaps make a new friend or two, or make inroads towards a future academic or professional engagement.

After departing the University, we will continue on to visit the Kakum National Park.  A popular spot with ecotourists, this protected reserve is the home to scores of birds  and and other fauna, in addition to the wide variety of wildlife which can be observed there.  There an extensive network of seven (7) suspension bridges for you to walk through, as you traverse a broadly-biodiverse rainforest.  Actually "spotting" any animals walking on the ground will prove to be a challenge, due simply to the lush vegetation found below.

We will head out to either Bojo or Labadi Beach to enjoy some time relaxing on the shores of the Atlantic (on OUR terms, this time!).  Bring along your favorite book, beach ball, or boogie board, and get a lot of nothing done.  Alternatively, some may opt to use the day to visit the spa, go shopping, or catch up on some rest in their rooms.

Those Adventurers who purchased custom-made outfits will be able to receive them today.

Today we will check-out from our hotel in order to make a visit to the largest outdoor museum in Ghana, and arguably one of the most important in all of West Africa - the Nkyinkyim Museum.  Emotionally impactful, the museum is continually evolving, continually adding new exhibits.  Its mainstay stone statues tell stories of West African heritage, and the disruptive impact the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade caused to it.  It pays a haunting homage to those who were whisked away in chains and other tools of freedom restriction, and presents inspirational messages, as interpreted by various artisans, in their mediums of choice.  You will not soon forget this experience.

After our museum visit, we will continue onward on the long journey into the Volta Region of the country, and check-in to our hotel there, in preparation for tomorrow's activity.

We will spend a good part of the day visiting the friendly social primates found at the Tafi Atome Sanctuary, and learn about how they have come to enjoy a co-dependent existence with the local villagers.  You will learn the story of how these playful (and greedy) creatures became so revered and sacred by the locals and, who knows, you may want to bring one of these fellows (or at least some pictures!) back home with you.

Our last full day in Ghana will be spent back in Accra.  We will spend a few hours learning how to cook an authentic Ghanaian meal (chicken with rice and groundnut soup anyone?); and you will have the opportunity to take a recipe back with you to try at home.

Beyond the class, some free hours will be left for us all do some last-minute shopping; run final errands; say our farewells to new friends acquired during our adventure; and to pack for tomorrow's early morning departure.  It's our last night in Africa y'all!!!

Enjoy the day and wrap it up in style!

Back to life.  Back to reality.

But this time, you are equipped with an experience like no other.  You may have met a new friend or two, and collected a phone number to stay in touch over WhatsApp; learned how to cook something different; or found that one special piece that you feel will perfectly accent your home decor.

Whatever your personal experience, it's time to head back home.  We at Sankofa Cultural Adventures hope you will travel with us again to another exciting African destination, or maybe even return to this one with us or on your own.  We hope the Adventure has been for you, all that that we had hoped it would be.

Thank you, and Nya Akwantuo Pa! (that's Twi for "Have a good trip")