Royal Festivals, Mask Dances, Voodoo Spirits, Castles of Clay

Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin

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Thriving traditional cultures, renowned art forms, flamboyantly colorful festivals, mask dances, and a dazzling ethnic mosaic are the golden gems of tribal West Africa. Our fantastic cultural odyssey brings us across remote reaches of Ghana, Togo, and Benin to discover lost tribal worlds guided by ancient spirits. All of our journeys witness special festivals—from the Akwasidae, a spectacular homage to the Ashanti king, to joyful Gelede mask dances in small villages. Along the way, we meet unforgettable people including the Taberma, whose fairytale clay castles are spectacular examples of uniquely African architecture. We finish on the coast, the heart of voodoo country, visiting practitioners, watching trance-dances, and learning about the awesome power the voodoo spirits still hold over people.

Below is an Itinerary-in-Brief. To view a complete Detailed Itinerary, Download Full Itinerary or Email our Area Specialist

Itinerary-in-Brief

Days 1-2
Accra, Ghana / El Mina Castle

We visit Ghana's National Museum, with its striking ethnographic collection, then head along the palm-fringed coast to the 15th century Portuguese fortress of St. George de la Mina, entering its evocative slave dungeons and peaking through the "Door of No Return," where captives were taken to awaiting ships.

Days 3-4
Kumasi / Akwasidae Festival

The Ashanti Kingdom was once one of the most powerful nations in Africa. Outside the Royal Palace, we watch the festive Akwasidae, an homage to the Ashanti king, with songs, dances, and royal procession of Ashanti chiefs adorned in golden ornaments.

Days 5-11
Traditional Tribes of the Savanna / Castles of Clay

Traversing a baobab-dotted landscape, we visit the adobe fortresses of the Lobi and Gourounsi clans and make our pilgrimage to the powerful Oracle of Tongo, accompanied by Talensi holy men. In northern Benin, we meet the isolated Tamberma and Somba, famous for their spectacular defensive architecture—fortified adobe castles complete with turrets.

Days 12-15
Mask Dances / The Voodoo World of the Coast

We visit villages of the Yom, with their fetish priests dressed in goatskin, and witness a Gelede mask dance with the Yoruba. On the coast, we meet traditional healers at a "voodoo hospital," visit a fetish market, and watch a real voodoo ceremony accompanied by hypnotic rhythm of chanting and drums.

Days 16
Accra, Ghana / Depart

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Tour Costs $5095 (11-14 members) $5395 (4-10 members) Single supplement: $695 *Prices are for 2008 dates only **Airfare is not included in Tour Cost unless indicated

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