Ashanti Kingdom and Castles on the Coast (8 days)

Arrive in Accra and transfer to your hotel

The Krobo region is famous around the world for the beads it produces. Here they are produced and used for cults and aesthetic purpose. We see a factory specialized in this production and will follow the process of making up a bead!

We reach Akossombo, where we find the largest man-made lake in the world, with a shoreline measuring almost 5,000 km, we will visit the dam and cruise on the river. There will be free time for a walk along the bank of Lake Volta. You’ll enjoy the views.

Accra, the capital of Ghana, has maintained its unique identity despite the fast paced development currently underway in this intriguing African city.

Our first visit of the day is to people specialized in building fantasy coffins. These handcraft-coffins are in shape of: fruits, animals, fish, cars, airplanes…. and only limit is the intended occupant’s imagination. Started in Africa, these flamboyant coffin designs are collected and exposed in museums. On the agenda is also a visit to the National Museum, one of the first works of independent Ghana. The idea inspiring the Museum is to relate Ghana art to the rest of the continent and to prove the existence of an African history as part of general history of the humanity.

We end our day exploring the old quarter of James Town, inhabited by the population known as the Ga.
 

Elmina Castle, the oldest permanent building in Africa. The Portuguese built the castle in the 15th century. At different times in the castle’s checkered past it has been used to trade gold, ivory, and slaves. 

Outside the castle, there is a wonderful fishing village complete with a harbour full of large colorful fishing canoes. Every day these canoes are piloted by the skilled fisherman who confronts the strong ocean for their livelihood. The alleys in the old town have a lively atmosphere, harkening back to a time when Elmina was a wild colonial town.

In the old town we turn out attention to the Posuban. The Posuban are the shrines of the ‘Asafo companies’. It is at these shrines the warriors used to place their offerings on the large colorful statues.

Some miles north of the coast, in the middle of a rainforest, we find Kakum National Park. At the park we have a wonderful opportunity to discover the forest from above because Kakum has a canopy walk suspended high into the trees. The Kakum ropewalk is the longest and highest suspended rope bridge in the world. Walking between one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty feet in the air, we have an incredible view of the rain forest. At this height, instead of revealing their trunks, the trees offer us a breathtaking view of the canopy. From this height the trees look as if they are trying to grasp the sun and sky above.
 

Welcome to Ashanti land: the golden Kingdom.  Since a longtime ago West Africa has shipped gold all around the world.  Now, Obuasi has become the most important site for mining gold in West Africa.

We offer the opportunity to go straight down into a deep mine to discover the process of extracting the valuable metal which makes this piece of land one of the richest in the continent!
 

Kumasi is the historical and spiritual capital of the old Ashanti Kingdom. The Ashanti people were one of the most powerful nations in Africa until the end of the 19th century, when the British annexed the Ashanti country to their Gold Coast colony.  The honor offered today to the Asantehene (King) is the best evidence of the past splendor and strength of Ashanti.

Today with nearly one million inhabitants, Kumasi is a sprawling city with a fantastic central market, one of the biggest in Africa. Every kind of Ashanti craft (leather goods, pottery, kente cloth) is found here, along with just about every kind of tropical fruit and vegetable.  On the agenda is a visit to the Ashanti Cultural Center, which has a rich collection of Ashanti artifacts housed in a wonderful reproduction of an Ashanti house.

In the afternoon it may be possible to attend a traditional Ashanti funeral attended by mourners wearing beautifully red or black togas. We say “funerals” but in fact we mean a “festive” celebration: the deceased is considered being still present in his family. The relatives and friends gather, socialize and celebrate his memory. The chief arrives surrounded by the court in the shade cast by large umbrellas as the drums cue the dancers, who’s intricate moves are rich in erotic symbols and gestures.

Sunday morning Kumasi wakes up slowly. It’s noticeable with less traffic, which allows us to have a good look at the specialties of this town: the colonial buildings around the market, the hand painted signs – painted in a real ‘urban art’ style, the train which passes through the market and sometimes stops right in the middle, the devoted churchgoer on the way to church dressed up in their best Sunday dress.

The visit of Kumasi comes to an end with all these last ‘looks of the town’, and the visit at the Royal Palace Museum, which opens the gate to a unique collection of gold jewels worn by the Ashanti court. 

In the afternoon – after the Akwasidae Festival - we visit traditional Ashanti houses, recently renovated. These houses play an import role in the history and culture of the Ashanti people. Make attention to the unique decoration.

The botanical garden of Aburi, which was founded by the British during their colonial rule. Strolling the pavilions, exploring the colonial style buildings, walking among the gigantic trees and winding paths lost in the mist of the forest, one gets a feeling of being in a lost world.

The afternoon is free for any last minute shopping, and day rooms will be available in the hotel. 

Transfer to airport for return flight.