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Price Excludes:
Extra:
– Plane ticket reservation: €30
** pricing advised is an estimate value based on survey performed in Jun22.
Register here: https://forms.gle/3AkTSZBDDWe2gFhd8
Email us at: travel@hodophileexperience.com
Meet your arriving flight at Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
If arriving on TAP Air Portugal, arrival time is 15:20LT.
Safe transport to your hotel in an air-conditioned Coaster.
Refresh and relax.
Spend the rest of the day on the beach, Titanic Beach or Bojo Beach.
Overnight at a mid-range hotel, Ibis Hotel or similar
Meals: Dinner
Breakfast.
Today we spend the day in Accra, a city neighbourhoods tour.
Your heritage adventure begins with an introduction to the history of Ghana’s independence with a visit to Kwame Nkrumah Monument and Independence Square.
Continue with stops at Jamestown & Ussherfort the oldest districts in Accra, Makola Market in central Accra for a wide array of products sold, shopping and drumming lessons at Arts Center, Pan African Culture at W.E.B Du Bois Center.
End your tour at Teshie coffin workshop to witness this amazing craft of coffins being moulded into the professions of the deceased.
Continue to enjoy the rest of the day on the sandy and vibrant Labadi Beach.
Overnight at a mid-range hotel, Ibis Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Following breakfast we depart Elmina: The largest slave castle on the African coast.
Along the Ghanian coast, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions there are Forts and Castles (UNESCO World Heritage Sites) – The remains of fortified trading-posts, erected between 1482 and 1786, can still be seen along the coast of Ghana between Keta and Beyin. They were links in the trade routes established by the Portuguese in many areas of the world during their era of great maritime exploration.
Following Elmina, we will visit the fish auction market.
Continue to Kakum, where we will have our picnic lunch.
Kakum is a national park that resembles a botanical garden with West Africa’s highest rain forest canopy walkway. It is very beautiful, and there we can see the trees used in traditional medicine, as well as the diseases for which they are indicated.
Canopies are aerial bridges (there are seven) made of rope, which allow an aerial view of the area and the animals that live there. It is one of the most important rainforest parks in the region and is home to around 200 forest elephants. Crocodile ponds and weaver bird community at Hans Botei.
After the visit, we will stay at Mama Lees Lodge in Cape Coast and enjoy lunch and dinner.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Early breakfast and departure to visit this ancient kingdom.
Asante empire, West African state that occupied what is now southern Ghana in the 18th and 19th centuries. Extending from the Comoé River in the west to the Togo Mountains in the east, the Asante empire was active in the slave trade in the 18th century and unsuccessfully resisted British penetration in the 19th.
Asante Traditional Buildings (UNESCO World Heritage Sites) – To the north-east of Kumasi, these are the last material remains of the great Asante civilization, which reached its high point in the 18th century. Since the dwellings are made of earth, wood and straw, they are vulnerable to the onslaught of time and weather.
Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe and is located about 200 kilometres (120 mi) from Accra. The city experiences a tropical savanna climate, with two rainy seasons which range from minor to major. Major ethnic groups who live in Kumasi are the Asante, Mole-Dagbon and Ewe.
We will visit the Kente artisans (cloth worn only by Ashanti nobles) in the village of Bonwiré. See the adinngra (Ashanti paintings on cloth), the Ashanti Museum, and the sword of Komfoanochi (the all-powerful fetishist who founded the city of Kumasi).
Short break for lunch at noon.
In the afternoon, visit the longest street market in West Africa.
Overnight at the Georgia Hotel. Lunch, dinner, and breakfast included.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Breakfast and early departure to the Ghana and Togo borders.
At the border, we will process the visas. We will continue to Lomé, the capital of Togo, approximately five and a half hours away and we should arrive by lunch time.
After lunch, a city tour of Lomé, including lndependence Square, the Grand Marché, Palais de Lomé, formerly a presidential palace, now a contemporary art centre.
Continue to your hotel to refresh and relax.
Accommodation at the Aurore Lome Hotel.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Breakfast and depart for Palime.
We will travel along a mountain road, the Fetish Mountains, near the highest mountain in the area, Mount Agu, crossing the tropical forests, with its cocoa, coffee and banana plantations, its small villages with thatched roofs, and its views that will remind us that water and land mix to make the thousands of shades of vegetation and mountains.
On the way, we can visit some markets.
We will park in a small village Akposso, to begin a hike, approximately 50 minutes, through a gallery forest, bordering a river of clear waters and savouring the silence of the jungle until we reach one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country.
Arrival in Badu.
Accommodation at the Abuta Hotel.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Breakfast and departure for Kara, in the Fetish Mountains, crossing the Kutocoli region, where traders and charcoal makers gather thanks to the forests that cover the entire route. Until recently, Kara was a provincial town; today, it is a modern and pretentious city, famous for its lively market. It is the residence of the president.
After a late arrival in the Tatasomba village, explore the indigenous population: the Tamberman or Tata Somba, from the other side of the Atakora (mountain range separating Togo and Benin).
Their architecturally rich houses are protected by large fetishes representing the spirits of ancestors and animals sacrificed during ceremonies. It is one of the best-preserved sites in West Africa.
We will take a 2-km hike to learn about their culture and admire their people and architecture.
Overnight at Tata Somba Camp.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Breakfast in the morning. We will then head to the nomadic village of Boukoumbe, located at the Togo and Benin borders, where we will process visas.
This day we will undertake a long hike. We will start from Tata Sumba, Asta Ouidah, we can see more of the Tata’s small villages and some markets we find along the way. It’s a long day, almost 10 hours.
Arrival in Ouidah.
Overnight at the hotel to start taking part in the voodoo festival which begins the same night. Many surprises await you.
Accommodation: Residence 2 M.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast,iIn the morning, relax at your hotel, preparing for your Voodoo Festival experience.
We will spend a very special day experiencing the most impressive Voodoo festival. Voodoo, from the French Creole word “voudou,” in turn from the Ewe Vodu spirit, is a religion originating in West Africa, where it is still practiced today by members of the Ewe, Kabye, Mina, and Fonde ethnic groups in Togo and Benin.
This annual festival is the most vibrant and colorful event in West Africa, featuring Voodoo dolls and devotees dressed in animal skins singing and dancing to the beat of drums, as well as horse racing on the beach and food and drink.
Mid-morning, followers of various Voodoo cults will gather at the “Port of No Return,” a monument dedicated to those who left the shores of Benin through slavery, to celebrate the Voodoo Festival. In 1996, the Benin government declared Voodoo, practiced by 60% of the population, the official religion, and every January 10, a grand festival is held to celebrate.
Voodoo is among the oldest religions in the world.
The slave trade to the Americas produced a strong phenomenon of syncretism between this complex and well-defined Yoruba mythology, along with those of other African cultures and Christian beliefs, as well as with the native religions of the places where the slaves were transported. From here, Haitian Voodoo and a large number of derivatives emerged: the Regla de Ocha or Santeria in Cuba, Santeria in the Dominican Republic, Candomblé, Macumba, Umbanda, Tambor de Mina, and Quimbanda in Brazil, as well as other Africanist manifestations in Colombia, Puerto Rico, and other countries in the Caribbean and South America. What we will experience is beyond description. At the end, we will spend the night at the Ile Ife Guest House.
Experience the mysteries of Voodoo as followers of various temples perform their own rites and rituals. In this ceremony, we will witness the dancers enter a deep trance as they are possessed by ancestral spirits. At sunset, we will attend a ceremony of Egungun dancers (masked dancers said to represent the dead in society) in the village square.
Return to your hotel to refresh and relax before enjoying Ouidah’s nightlife.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Breakfast and visit to Abomey, the former capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey.
The former kingdom of Danxome. The name of the country during the French colonial period (until its independence on August 1, 1960, when it adopted its current name, “Benin”) was Dahomey. This name comes from one of its former kingdoms, that of Danxome, a powerful empire that dominated the Gulf of Guinea, destroyed numerous enemy tribes, and even sold many prisoners into slavery.
In fact, not only the Portuguese and the French captured Black people for enslavement: some Beninese kingdoms did so as well.
Our destination is the fishing village of Bopa, where an elder specialized in traditional medicine lives and is the guardian of the god Shango (god of thunder).
After the visit, we will head towards Abomey.
Arrival, transfer to the hotel at the Abomey Hostel.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Early breakfast.
We will visit the Royal Palaces of Abomey (UNESCO World Heritage Site) – From 1625 to 1900, 12 kings succeeded one another at the head of the powerful Kingdom of Abomey. With the exception of King Akaba, who had his own separate enclosure, they all had their palaces built within the same cob-wall area, in keeping with previous palaces as regards the use of space and materials.
The royal palaces of Abomey are a unique reminder of this vanished kingdom.
Departure for Ganvie, on the coast of Benin, one of the most impressive places in West Africa, its own Venice.
Ganvié (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a lakeside town of 60,000 inhabitants, founded in the 16th century as a refuge for the Tofi ethnic group, who avoided being enslaved. It’s fascinating to stroll along the canals and see the daily life of its inhabitants.
We travel by canoe among its bamboo houses and visit the floating market.
Return to Cotonou and overnight stay.
Overnight at Hotel Du Lac
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We will have breakfast and Visit Dantokpa, Cotonou’s central market, considered the largest in West Africa. This market brings together all the country’s ethnic groups, and is a place where you can find absolutely everything. One of the highlights is the fetish district, one of the most impressive parts of the market.
Return at the Hotel Du Lac, we will rest by the hotel pool until departure time for the airport to take our return flight.
Safe delivery to airport 2 hours before your evening flight.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
END
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Group minimum 06
Rates:
Solo Traveller – on request
02 pax EUR2800 per person
03-04 pax EUR2100 per person
05-06 pax EUR2225 per person
07-10 pax EUR1700 per person
11-15 pax EUR1400 per person
Accommodation shared Double/Twin rooms
Single supplement: EUR150
30% payment required on booking
Remaining payments can be done in 2 instalments with the final payment, 2 weeks before departure.
Cancellation fees apply – for further details see:
https://hodophileexperience.com/index.php/about-our-trips/
Will be sent with full itinerary when confirmed
Will be sent with full itinerary when confirmed
Click here to check the visa requirements
BENIN
Benin has a tropical or equatorial climate, and is hot and humid year-round, with temperatures and humidity particularly high along the coast. In Cotonou, the average maximum temperature is 31C and the average minimum temperature is 24C. Rainfall varies in Benin. There are two rainy seasons in the south, from April to mid-July, and from mid-September to late October; and a rainy season in the north from June to early October.
The Harmattan wind blows in from the Sahara Desert between December and March, during the dry season, bringing heat and dust; but the hottest time of year is between February and April. The best time to visit Benin is between November and February, when travellers may have to contend with the hot Harmattan winds, but miss the rain and the worst of the heat.
TOGO
The climate in Togo is diverse, ranging from tropical to savannah. The south of the country is humid and temperatures can range from 23°C to 32°C, while the north, described as semi-arid, experiences greater extremes, with temperatures ranging from 18°C to 38°C. The south experiences two rainy seasons, from March to early July and September to October, while April to August is the wettest time north of the Togo Mountains. Evenings can be cool in all regions, and dust storms are not uncommon. The best time to travel to Togo is in August, early September and from November to April, as these are the driest periods.
GHANA
Ghana has a tropical climate, with a dry season in winter and a rainy season in summer. The rainy season runs from May to September in the north, from April to October in the centre and from April to November in the south. The driest areas are the north and the eastern coast, which includes the capital, Accra.
Temperatures are constantly high throughout the country and range from a low of 21C in the coolest month of August to a high of 38C or more in March. Humidity adds to the discomfort during the rainy season. Travel to Ghana is best during the dry season, when there is slightly less heat and humidity, driving conditions are better and there are fewer mosquitoes.
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BENIN
The West African CFA franc (XOF) is the official currency of Benin and it’s divided into 100 centimes. Benin is largely a cash economy and credit cards are not widely accepted; ATMs are rare outside major centres. Credit and debit card fraud is common.
Tipping is appreciated all over Benin. Restaurants don’t generally add service charges to bills and a 10 percent tip is appropriate for waitrons. Fares are usually rounded up for taxi drivers, and small tips for hotel staff are appreciated.
TOGO
The unit of currency is the CFA Franc (XOF), which is pegged to the Euro and divided into 100 centimes. Only currency issued by the Bank of West African States (Banque des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest) is considered valid. Lomé and other major cities have bureaux de change, and banks will also exchange currency. Credit cards are accepted by high-end hotels and restaurants in Lomé and other major cities, but cash is usually king.
A 10 percent tip is customary in the more upmarket eateries and hotels. Guides may expect a gratuity of around five to 10 percent.
GHANA
The official currency is the cedi (GHS), which is divided into 100 pesewas. Foreign currency can be exchanged at any bureau de change as well as at some commercial banks; banks and foreign exchange facilities are available at the airport and in all major towns. Visitors can easily exchange US dollars and euros. ATMs are common in larger towns and credit cards are accepted at many hotels, guesthouses and some shops. Banks and businesses may not accept credit cards other than Visa; credit card fraud is common. Visitors should take care when using their cards and contact their card issuer to make sure their cards will work.
A service charge is rarely added to restaurant bills and tipping for quality service is only expected in restaurants (usually about 10 percent). Tipping for other services is discretionary, though travellers should note that if someone offers to help them, whether it is with directions or to carry a bag, they usually expect some kind of payment.
Carrying ₵50 notes or larger is convenient for large purchases, but many places where you spend money will not be able to make change for these bills – or even a 20 cedi note! It is always a good idea to keep a lot of small cedi notes in your pockets. Easier said than done!
Covid Benin
Following the new measures taken by the Beninese government, the PCR tests will no longer be done upon arrival in Cotonou. You are required to present a negative PCR test no more than 5 days old or a negative antigen test no more than 72 hours old.
For more information consult https://surveillancesanitaire.bj/
Covid Togo
Please visit https://voyage.gouv.tg/?language=en to create an account on the “Togo Voyage” platform. Once this account is created, you can log in to fill in the immigration form, apply for a Visa (if you are eligible for a Visa), and fill in the form for the health check.
You must pay for the COVID-19 PCR test, which remains mandatory on departure and arrival in Togo for those who do not have complete and verifiable proof of vaccination.
Covid Ghana
All arriving passengers 18 and older must show proof of a full vaccine dosage.
You will not be required to undergo temperature checks or additional testing while on tour. However, some visited destinations may do a quick temperature scan before entry is permitted.
Masks are no longer required at any venue.
All visited tourist destinations, restaurants, shops and hotels will have hand sanitization stations at their entrance. These must be used.
Hotels and restaurants are required to be operating with enhanced hygiene protocols as defined by the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture.
Please Note:
Establishments that fully enforce this level of hygiene will generally be higher-end (more expensive).
Small establishments, budget guesthouses, rural lodgings and local restaurants may not strictly enforce all requirements.
Health in all 3 countries
Malaria and Avoiding Mosquitoes
The mosquito is the most dangerous animal in Africa by far! It is essential that casual visitors to Ghana take proper precautions against mosquitoes and the malaria that some may be carrying. Taking a prophylaxis is no guarantee that you will not get malaria if bitten, but do not over-react and think that every mosquito bite is deadly.
While you may have heard that malaria-carrying mosquitos come at dusk and dawn, there are many types of mosquitos traveling at all hours of day and night. These beasts can also transmit a number of other maladies, so it is best to avoid mosquitoes as best as possible.
For protection, stay in open, sunny, breezy areas and wear light coloured, loose fitting long pants and long-sleeve shirts, shoes and socks. Mosquitoes can bite through T-shirts and other lightweight, tight-fitting clothing. Mosquitoes are attracted by motion, heat, the trail of carbon-dioxide (CO2) in your exhaled breath, the smell of Lactic Acid, found on your skin when exercising, and other elements of your skin biotics. Scientists estimate that genetics account for 85% of your appeal to mosquitos.
Mosquitoes do tend to prefer men over women, adults more than children, and larger people. Larger bodies produce more heat, more carbon dioxide and have more body mass to bite. Sleeping with a strong fan makes it difficult for mosquitoes to find you and also helps prevent the ability of these insects to fly. They also can love the bacteria that grows at your ankles, so keep your feet washed well.
Be sure you bring a DEET-based mosquito repellent, as these are difficult to find in Ghana. After extensive testing, the US military has determined that a 35% time-release (micro-encapsulated) formulation offers best coverage with the least side effects. Anything in the range 20%-35% will be effective in most situations.
Use of DEET with sun-block lowers the efficacy of the sun-block. So, more frequent applications of sunscreen will be needed for adequate solar protection. Apply the sunscreen first, let it dry, then spray the DEET over the top of the sunscreen. DEET works by inhibiting signals from the mosquitoes’ antennae and making it difficult for them to find you. It does not stun or kill mosquitos.
Treat your clothing before you arrive with a Permethrin spray. This is very effective as it does kill or stun insects that come in contact with the treated fabric. Permethrin will remain in fabric for 6 or more washings. Both DEET and Permethrin sprays may found at any camping goods dealer. There are three choices for an anti-malarial prophylactic drug:
Mefloquine (Larium)
This is a once-a-week tablet that is the least expensive malaria prophylaxis. As with any medication that staying in your body for a week, the potential for side effects is higher.
Malarone (proguanil and atovaquone)
This is a daily tablet that is much more expensive than Larium. It is not associated with the side effects that some people experience on Larium. Doxycycline
This common antibiotic may also be used when taken daily at 100mg.
While locals you talk to in Ghana may seem very casual about malaria, it is no joke to you and your virgin immune system. The first symptoms feel like the flu, with a general malaise. Quickly developing, it will give you a rapid fever and chills, make your head pound like a sledgehammer, make you vomit and give you diarrhoea. If you do not get immediate treatment, you could die. Even with treatment, it is not a fun way to spend a week of your holiday recovering.
Without a test kit, malaria is not easy to diagnose, as there are many illnesses that have these same symptoms, including typhoid, meningitis and various viral fevers – some of which are also transmitted by mosquito bites. So you should always seek treatment when experiencing a rapid rise in temperature. When in remote areas, you may wish to carry a test kit and a course of treatment. The best course is a short term (about 3 days) malarial treatment such as artesunate, available over the counter here. It wouldn’t hurt for you to purchase these inexpensive treatments before you leave to bring back with you in the event you begin to display malarial symptoms, your treatment is at hand.
Vaccinations
Only a Yellow Fever vaccination is required for entry into Ghana. You will be asked to show proof of immunization at the border.
Other vaccinations are at your discretion. There is at this time no commercially-available malaria vaccination.
Give yourself plenty of time, as not all vaccinations can be given at the same time and some are given in multiple doses. If you are going to be taking many vaccinations, it will require different appointments over a period of several weeks.
Recommended
Diphtheria, Polio and Tetanus
A current DPT vaccination is a good idea. This is a common vaccination given to children, but you need a booster shot if it has been more than 10 years since your last DPT vaccination.
Note that Ghana has been declared polio-free.
Influenza
A current flu vaccination is also a good idea. There will undoubtedly be people on your plane carrying this virus and you never know when a major flu season will occur. Hepatitis A
This vaccine is strongly recommended. It is given in multiple doses to protect against this illness which is spread orally in conditions of poor sanitation.
