Granaries of tribal Benin

Our West African odyssey reveals a panoply of traditional cultures, including the Gourounsi tribe, whose thatched village granaries store the season’s crop. The Gourounsi are known for their unique architecture of round adobe dwellings painted in spectacular geometric patterns.

Photo by Michel Renaudeau / age fotostock

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Tribal Ghana, Togo and Benin

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

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 in Kumasi (March 2010 departure), to the Egun mask dances of the Yoruba villages of southern Benin (December 2010 departure). 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 Egun mask dances
  • Thriving tribal cultures in a little-visited world
  • Elmina Castle, fetish priests of Taneka, voodoo practicioners of Lomé

Details

  • 15-day trip begins and ends in Accra, Ghana
  • 14 nights in hotels & guesthouses
  • All meals included
  • Rugged road travel, cultural exploration, easy walks

Tour Costs

$5595 (11-15 members)
$5795 (7-10 members)
$5995 (4-6 members)

Single supplement: $950

Prices are for 2010 dates

Departures & Leaders

Mar 17-31, 2010  Noah Katcha
Dec 1-15, 2010

Suggested Reading

Reading list, click here.

Itinerary at a Glance

Days 1-3
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. We also visit Kakum National Park, which protects a fragment of Ghana’s former rainforest.

Days 4-5
Kumasi / Akwasidae Festival

The Ashanti Kingdom was once one of the most powerful nations in Africa. In Kumasi, the Ashanti “capital,” our explorations include the market as well as the fascinating Ashanti Cultural Center. Our March departure witnesses the festive Akwasidae, an homage to the Ashanti king held outside the Royal Palace, with songs, dances, and royal procession of Ashanti chiefs adorned in golden ornaments.

Days 6-9
Traditional Tribes of the Savanna / Castles of Clay

Traversing a baobab-dotted landscape that was once a caravan route between Ghana’s Gold Coast and the vast Sahara, we visit the tiny villages of the Gondja tribe. Entering northern Benin, we meet the Dagomba people, with their round clay huts with thatched roofs, and the isolated Tamberma and Somba, famous for their spectacular defensive architecture of fortified adobe castles complete with turrets. We also visit an ancient Taneka village inhabited by fetish priests and the encampments of Fulani herders.

Days 10-14 Mask Dances / The Voodoo World of the Coast

As we head south through Benin toward the coast, we visit Abomey, with its eerie Royal Palace of the Dahomey king. Our December departure witnesses an Egun mask dance among the Yoruba and Tom tribes. Near Lomé, Togo’s capital, 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 15
Accra, Ghana / Depart

The Krobo region near Accra is world famous for its glass beads, long used as trade goods. This morning we visit a bead company to see how these complex multi-colored glass beads are made. Evening departure on homeward-bound flights.

This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure