Trip Details at-a-Glance
| Cost From: | $5995 |
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| Length: | 15 days |
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| Activity: | Walking, Archaeology, Cultural Adventures |
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| Difficulty: |
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Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin
Royal Festivals, Mask Dances, Voodoo Spirits, Castles of Clay
A Significant Discount on 2009 Departures is Available, Due to the Rebound in the Dollar. See Details Below Tour Costs.*
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.
Highlights
- Pageantry of the Akwasidae Festival and Gelede mask dances
- Thriving tribal cultures in a little-visited world
- Fetish priests of Yom village, traditional Lobi musicians
Details
- 16-day trip begins and ends in Accra, Ghana (2010 departures are 15 days)
- 15 nights in hotels & guesthouses
- All meals included
- Rugged road travel, cultural exploration, easy walks
Tour Costs
$5995 (10-14 guests)
$6495 (8-9 guests)
$6695 (6-7 guests)
Single supplement: $800
Prices are for 2009 dates
Departures & Leaders
Oct 1-16, 2009
Mar 17-31, 2010
Dec 1-15, 2010
*2010 departures are 15 days
*Significant Savings Available on 2009 Departures!
The US Dollar has strengthened against the Euro, and Wilderness Travel would like to pass the savings along to you! Here's how it works: we will purchase the Euros for your trip when you sign up, which lets us lock in the current exchange rate, and guarantee your savings. To receive the discount, the first deposit on the trip ($500 per person) is non-refundable. If you prefer to have your deposit be fully refundable up to 90 days before departure, you can sign up at the regular published rate for the trip.
To find out the current discount available at today’s rate, please call us at 1-800-368-2794 or send us an email.
Suggested Reading
Reading list, click here.
Itinerary at a Glance
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.