West African Kingdoms

Highlights

• All transport
• Peregrine local tour leader
• 13 nights hotel accommodation
• 13 breakfasts, 13 lunches, 11 dinners
• Selected sightseeing

Itinerary

Day 1: Ouagadougou
On arrival at Ouagadougou International Airport you are met and transferred to the hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure. Ouagadougou (pronounced waga-doo-goo) is one of the cultural centres of west Africa. It has a population of approximately 1.5 million and is the capital of Burkina Faso. The name Ouagadougou purportedly goes back to the 15th century where it was originally known as 'Sogomogobogoyogowogodogo', meaning 'Palace of the worshipful camel-faced bushboy, where people get honour and respect''. It was later changes to 'Wogodogo', meaning simply 'where people get honour and respect'. We also get together sometime this evening for a group meeting, where you meet your Peregrine tour leader and your other fellow travelling companions.

Day 2: Tiebele Village - Ouagadougou
(Driving time: approx 6 hours return) Today we take a full day excursion to unique village of Tiebele – located just a few kilometres from the Ghanaian border and known for its unusual architecture. Here in the village, the dwellings are either square or round and are all elaborately decorated with black diamond patterns, illustrations of snakes, crocodiles and other sacred animals. Our guide will help unlock the secrets and the stories of these fascinating frescoes. You have to stoop low to enter the windowless houses, where it is dark and cool in stark contrast with the brightness and heat outside. In times past, this afforded the inhabitants of the village some form of protection againsts enemies or wild animals as it took a few seconds for them to adjust to the darkness. We spend several hours exploring Tiebele compound and its surrounds before returning to Ouagadougou for the night. 
Meals included: 1 breakfast 1 lunch 

Day 3: Natitingou, Benin
(Driving time: approx 9 hours including border crossing) Heading east we travel to the third country on our expedition - Benin. This relatively small, club-shaped country was once home to one of the most powerful empires in west Africa - the Dahomey Kingdom It is also considered the traditional home of the voodoo religion. Musically, Benin's most famous export is the fabulous Angelique Kidjo who helped west Africa stamp its authority on the world music scene in the early 1990s. Our destination is Natitingou - located at 440 metres above sea level and enjoying the pleasant climate that is found amidst the Atakora Mountains of northern Benin. Here we visit the remote Betamaribé people, who still hunt with bows and arrows and live in the middle of their cultivated fields rather than in a village environment. Their small, fortress-like houses consist of three levels - ground floor for the animals, first floor for the kitchen and top floor for living space and sleeping. This visit is a heart-warming experience and you’re sure to leave with a smile on your face! 
Meals included: 1 breakfast 1 lunch 1 dinner 

Day 4-5: Abomey
(Driving time: approx 8½ hours) We continue south for 520 kilometres to Abomey, the ancient capital of the Dahomey Kingdom - previously one of the greatest empires in west Africa. Here we visit the must-see restored Royal Palace and learn about the incredible history of the Fon kings. The gory history of Dahomey is illustrated by exhibits that include graphic tapestries of war scenes and Ghezo’s throne, which is mounted on the skulls of four of his enemies. In the evening we experience a performance of the unique Geleden Masked Dance (Dance Geleden des Fons) which is put on by the local Yoroba and Fon people. These people practise both the Voodoo religion and Christianity and they also worship Idols, which are represented on some of the masks use for the dance. They believe that wearing certain masks enables one to communicate directly with the spirits. They dance on special occasions such as at funerals and during harvest time, but they also to entertain foreigners who bring income to their village!
Meals included: 2 breakfast 2 lunch 2 dinner 

Day 6-7: Grand Popo Beach
(Driving time: approx 2 hours; optional excursion to Ouidah: approx 2 hours) A short two-hour drive takes us to the lake village of Ganvié, where we take a 'pirogue' (dugout canoe) which is the traditional boat used by west African fishermen and go for a paddle out on to the lake. The afternoon is then spent driving the coastal highway and passing through small villages dotted with white flags that identify Voodoo practitioners. Our destination is Grand Popo Beach, which is both beautiful and clean and a great place to rejuvenate. We spend two nights here, so there is plenty of time to relax in the shade of the coconut groves after our recent long days of travel and watch the waves come in. This is the Gulf of Guinea which is part of the Atlantic Ocean, so swimming is limited due to the strong currents, but this won't lessen sleepy charm and tranquility of this place. On our free day we have the opportunity to partake in an optional excursion to Ouidah (a 70-kilometre round journey) to learn about the origins of the often misunderstood Voodoo religion and meet some of the local practitioners. Ouidah is the historic centre of Voodooism, with thousands of believers often flocking there to rejoice in their faith.
Meals included: 2 breakfast 2 lunch 2 dinner 

Day 8: Lomé
(Driving time: approx 2 hours including time at border) Today we cross the border into Togo. It is approximately a two-hour drive from Grand Popo Beach to Togo's capital, Lomé. Our city tour includes the National Museum, which houses historical artefacts, potteries, costumes, traditional musical instruments, wood carvings and traditional medicinal remedies. There's also the opportunity (optional) to visit the various markets such as the central market, arts market and the fetish market at Akedessewa, located four kilometres from the centre of town. Here we see remarkable supplies of traditional medicines used by sorcerers including skulls of monkeys, snake skins, warthog teeth, lion skin, leopard skin and dried birds. Some of us may find some of this gruesome!
Meals included: 1 breakfast 1 lunch 1 dinner 

Day 9: Ada
(Driving time: approx 3½ hours) This morning we drive approximately 45 minutes to Lake Togo before continuing by boat to visit Togoville - a historical town which is interesting because of its royal palace and colonial church. It was from here that Voodoo practitioners were taken to before they were transported to Haiti as slaves. The town still shows a strong influence of Voodoo today, with plenty of fetish stalls in the streets. From Togoville we cross the border into Ghana and drive for 110 kilometres directly to Ada. This is where the Volta River meets the Atlantic Ocean.
Meals included: 1 breakfast 1 lunch 1 dinner 

Day 10-11: Kumasi
(Driving time: approx 4 hours) Today we have an approximate four-hour drive to Kumasi, the one-time capital of the powerful Ashanti kingdom. This hilly city is today home to over one million people and has quite a cosmopolitan feel about it. We enjoy a tour of Kumasi that includes the Manhyia Palace Museum, which was built in 1925 by the British and was home to the Ashanti kings until 1974. The Armed Forces Museum is another interesting place visited and the collection here tells the story of the many conflicts that had taken place particularly in the 20th century. We end our day by visiting Kejetia Market - one of west Africa’s biggest markets.
Meals included: 2 breakfast 2 lunch 2 dinner 

Day 12: Axim
(Driving time: approx 7 hours) We travel south to Axim and stay a night at Ghana’s most isolated and luxurious beach resorts. Two kilometres from the hotel is Axim town, a historical place with a population of about 20,000. The main occupation here is fishing. There are several historical places not far from the hotel such as Fort St Anthony, which was built by the Portuguese in 1515 at a time when they were setting this up as an old trading port. Perched on top of a hill in nearby Princess Town is Fort Princess Town, which was originally built by the Prussians in 1683 and called Gross Friedrichsburg. Nearby are Akatekyi Crocodile Village, Ankasa Forest Resource and Nzulezu village, where the houses are built on stilts. There are also opportunities to go trekking in a forest or go whale watching (seasonal).
Meals included: 1 breakfast 1 lunch 1 dinner 

Day 13: Elmina
(Driving time: approx 3 hours) We have the morning free to relax on the beach in Axim and then it is approximately a one-hour drive to Elmina, where we visit St George's Castle. Known previously as one of the 'slave castles', it is one of over 20 such castles built along the shoreline of the Gold Coast - the old name for what is now Ghana. The Gold Coast was one of the richest markets for slave traders during the peak of the slave trade and we learn about this tragic history through visiting some of the key historical sites of the region. We also visit a fishing village and the Pursubans animist shrines, then take a short 10-kilometre drive to Cape Coast which was the centre of the British administration and capital of the Gold Coast between 1700 until 1877, as well as being renowned for its own notorious 'slave castle'. We return back to Elmina at end of the day for the final night of our journey.
Meals included: 1 breakfast 1 lunch 1 dinner 

Day 14: Accra
(Driving time: approx 4 hours) This morning we visit Kakum National Park, where we have the opportunity to experience the amazing canopy walkway that meanders through the park. After our visit we drive for three hours to Accra, the capital of Ghana. An afternoon exploration of the city includes the National Museum and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, dedicated to the founder of modern Ghana. The remainder of the day is at leisure. For those of us who are flying out this evening, a day room or two have been booked for our collective use at our Accra hotel. This will enable us to freshen up prior to our flight home. An evening transfer is included to Accra's Kotoka International Airport, where our adventure comes to an end.
Meals included: 1 breakfast 1 lunch

Destination Information

Formerly a British colony known as the Gold Coast, Ghana was the first black African nation to achieve independence in 1957. It is a relatively small country on the West coast of Africa situated between Togo and Côte d'Ivoire and remains a somewhat unexplored tropical gem, an untapped destination that abounds in history, culture, wildlife and scenery with a wide variety of tourist attractions. And throughout its 10 regions visitors will be greeted with the warm-hearted smiles of its welcoming people. Nature has been extremely generous to Ghana with its national parks and reserves providing a sanctuary for the native flora and fauna; the grasslands of Mole National Park in the north are home to a variety of large animals, while birds and butterflies are particularly numerous in Ghana's forests. Rainforests such as that of Kakum National Park in the southern central region, with its canopy walkway and nature trails, provide a haven for eco-tourists. Miles of unspoilt beaches, waterfalls, rolling forested hills, rivers and lakes complete the portrait of a country that is a nature lover's delight.

-Wordtravels

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• Availability: 10 Jan 11 - 24 Jan 11 Adult Price from £2539