Ghana- Togo- Benin- Nigeria Tour

Welcome to Ghana! Upon arrival Our Representatives will meet with you on your arrival at
the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Make yourself known to your guide as you leave the
customs and arrival hall. Community elders will join us to pour libation to welcome you to Ghana.

We will enjoy welcome drinks, discuss the trip, we will also have tailors and dress makers taking
your measurement to make an outfit for you, and the remainder of the evening will be spent at
leisure and relaxation whilst acclimatizing yourself to the motherland.
(Meals: D)

Having enjoyed your first night in Accra, today is dedicated to an Accra city tour, first visit is W. E. B. DuBois and Pan African Center is a memorial place and a research center, dedicated into a great Pan Africanist who lived and died as a Ghanaian, he came to Ghana at the Age of 95 with 1,000 books to work on African Encyclopedia on invitation of Ghana’s first president.

At the center we will visit African American Association of Ghana office and join other returnees to participate in some of the yearlong activities earmarked for the “Beyond the Return”. Ghana seeks to continue to invite home all and sundry kith and kin of African descendants on a pilgrimage journey to the motherland to reconnect with their ancestral roots, whilst commemorating 400 years since the first enslaved Africans landed in America. We also honor our heroes and heroines for fighting for our emancipation and liberty.

We continue to visit the garden adjoining the National Museum, which has sculptures and other artifacts which tell more about our customs and traditions which gives us excellent overview of Ghana and West African culture. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant serving a selection of West African and continental dishes. In the afternoon we pass by Independence Square and view the enclosed flame of African liberation, which was lit by Kwame Nkrumah himself in 1961.

We continue the short distance to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, final resting place of Ghana’s founder.
Set in attractive gardens, there is an adjoining museum, which contains photos, artefacts and an insight into this incredible man’s life. Adjoining the park is the National Cultural Center, which is actually Ghana’s largest outdoor arts and crafts market selling traditional crafts from all over West Africa.

After testing your bargaining skills, we will return to our hotel for our evening meal. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.
(Meals: B, D)

After breakfast, we leave Accra and travel to Lomé, the capital and largest city in Togo.
We will stop for border check. We will take a detour to the Ada Village to visit Kwame
Akoto-Bamfo, a Ghanaian Sculptor who is passionate about the history of the Slave
Trade. His outdoor sculpture dedicated to the memory of the victims of the transatlantic
slave trade is on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery,
Alabama.

Once we arrive in Lomé, we will check into our hotel and enjoy lunch, then proceed
with the Lomé City Tour. The first stop is the Grand Marché or big market, which is one
of the highlights in the City of Lomé. Initially, it may seem chaotic, but you will be
surprised at the orderliness of the hectic pace of this incredibly vibrant and beautiful
example of an authentic African market. The three-story building and all the surrounding streets overflow with vendors selling
everything imaginable. This market will not be forgotten quickly. The Sacred Heart or German Cathedral is next on our agenda after
the exhilarating experience of the big market. Built in 1905, this imposing Gothic piece of architecture is one of the most beautiful
legacies of the Germans.
(Meals: B, L)

We will visit Lomé National Museum, which houses mostly costumes, musical instruments and historical artifacts including pottery. To be in Lomé and not visit the Akodessewa Fetish Market and the Artisanal Village will not make your trip complete. The Akodessewa Fetish Market is recognized as the largest fetish market in the world, a place where Voodoo practitioners can find anything they need for their rituals. It is a maze of animal bones, parts and herbs used by Voodoo priests to invoke spirits. Whether you are into Voodoo or not, this market is sure to surprise you and leave a lasting impression.
Last, but not least, on today’s itinerary is the Artisanal Village where we will see artisans weaving cloth, carving statues, making baskets and lampshades, sewing leather shoes, and more.
It is fascinating to watch the artisans doing their own thing with such skill and dexterity, and always with a smile. It’s considered a low-pressure market in which you can find many souvenirs for a fair price.
We return to the hotel, refresh and have dinner whilst we recap the day’s activities and continue to overnight in Ouidah Benin.
(Meals: B, L)

After breakfast, start the tour of Benin, originally known as Dahomey which literally means Dan’s stomach in the local dialect. The Kingdom of Dahomey was an African empire that existed from about 1600 until 1894, when the last king, Béhanzin, was defeated by the French, and the country was annexed by the French colonizers. Ouidah is regarded as the Voodoo center of West Africa. From 1800 to 1900 enslaved Africans from Benin and Togo were shipped from Ouidah which has the only port in the country until 1908. Most of the enslaved Africans were shipped to Brazil, Haiti and the Caribbean islands, thus the strong Voodoo presence in these parts of the world. After lunch, we will tour the Ouidah Museum of History and the sacred forest which consists of figurines representing deities of kings and founders of Ouidah.
The Sacred Pythons Temple is where will end our tour of Ouidah. This temple houses pythons which are revered by the locals, and no one is permitted to harm, capture or keep any of the pythons which leave the temple. These pythons are supposed to be returned to the temple when found outside, we will see the stages of the slave route in Ouidah.

lastly One of the main attractions near Cotonou is the stilts village of Ganvie, with population of more than 30,000. Ganvie is the
largest habitation on water in West Africa, it is known as the Venice of Africa. This is our main item on today’s agenda after breakfast.
Because we will be travelling by pirogue (a long, narrow canoe made from a single tree trunk) on open water, we will leave early in
order to arrive at Ganvie before the sun gets uncomfortable. We may try our hands at fishing under the tutelage of a local fisherman.
If we are lucky and get a sizeable catch, then our lunch will be fresh fish grilled in a local way. The remainder of the day will be
at leisure. Overnight at the Casa de Papa Hotel or similar.
(Meals: B, L)

Today is a full pack day, we check out of our hotel after early
breakfast we travel on 2 and half hours journey to enter Nigeria via
Badagry and our major highlights is to have the feel of Nigeria and
visit Badagry slave museum which offers a comprehensive
exhibitions on Transatlantic Slave Trade in West Africa, we will
enjoy our lunch along the coast, buy some souvenirs and continue
to overnight in Lagos.
(Meals: B, L)

Most part of the day will be spent at leisure, but we will take the opportunity to embark on a historical exploration of Lagos,
beginning with the architectural gem Onikan House enchaining Nigeria’s colonial past and continue the narrative at the John Randle
Center, where Yoruba resilience and history unfold.
(Meals: B, L)

Today, we leave Lagos for Lome Togo. After the border checks, we will drive to Aného, east of Lomé. Aného was the colonial capital
of Togo until 1920. Upon arrival we will take a pirogue to Togoville which is on northeastern side of Lake Togo. Togoville is
historically known as the center of Voodoo in Togo. Many Voodoo practitioners from here were captured, enslaved and sent to Haiti.
The chief’s house known as Maison Royal has a room that houses the old King’s thrown which dates back to 1884. In 1884 in this
room, Chief/King Mlapa III signed a peace treaty giving all of what was then known as Togoland to Germany. There is also a shrine
that commemorates the appearance of Virgin Mary in the late 1970s. We will enjoy our lunch at a river front restaurant; afterwards,
we continue to overnight in Lome Togo.
(Meals: B, L)

After leisure morning and breakfast, we will depart for Accra Ghana after border checks, we check into our hotel upon arrival, the remainder of the day is at leisure.
(Meals: B, L)

We check out from our hotel after breakfast and depart for Elmina, stopping at Assin Manso, a town in the Central Region of Ghana well known for the role it played as a slave market. We will visit Donkor Nsuo, the Enslaved African River. This river is where enslaved Africans were checked for fitness and bathed before being transported to Cape Coast for shipping to the Americas and Caribbean.
Cape Coast Castle is next, designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Built by the British in 1665 at the height of slavery and played a major role in holding enslaved Africans for slave ships to transport them away from their Motherland. We will walk through the male and female dungeons and the infamous Door of No Return. There is a historical museum inside, which explains the whole history of the castle and Cape Coast itself, as well as a shop which sells literature on Ghana’s forts, castles, and history and traditions. Lastly, we will join Cooking Lessons and explore the fragrant and exotic flavors of Ghana and West Africa’s finest cuisine and take the recipe back home. The rest of the day is spent at leisure. Overnight at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort or similar in Cape Coast.
(Meals: B, L)

One of the highlights of the trip is a visit to Kakum tropical rainforest to experience the much talked about Canopy walkway, the uniqueness of the park lies in the fact that it was established at the initiative of the local people, it is one of the only 3 locations in Africa with a canopy walkway, which is 350 meters (1,150 FT) long and connects seven tree tops, the park is also notable for a lot of endangered species of fauna in the park.

We stop for lunch at Han’s Cottage Botel near Kakum, Han’s is built over a lake containing Nile crocodiles and set in a beautiful location surrounded by tropical guinea rainforest. It is an original and comfortable establishment, which is teeming with bird life and an excellent place to enjoy lunch.

Before heading to Elmina. Upon arrival in Elmina our first stop will be Elmina fishing market to
visit the boat builders, building colourful fishing boats using traditional tools and methods spanning centuries. We will also visit the
Elmina castle built by the Portuguese in 1482 which is the oldest European building in Sub Saharan Africa. This castle is steeped in
history and played a prominent part during the tragic transatlantic enslaved African trade era. There is an informative museum inside
which concentrates on local history, and it is designated a world heritage site by UNESCO, we should the reminder of the day for
shopping.
(Meals: B, L)

After a leisurely breakfast we will participate in traditional naming ceremony and “The Right to Return Atonement and Rituals Ceremony” to formally welcome you back home, you will be welcome by Elders of the community, pour libation to call on our ancestors and welcome you back. There will be drumming, dance and other rituals performed.

Lastly, we will participate in traditional Cooking Lessons, explore the fragrant and exotic flavours of Ghana and West Africa finest cuisine and take the recipe back home.
(Meals: B, L)

The entire day is dedicated into leisure and relaxation, enjoying your beach front
accommodation.
(Meals: B, L)

After a leisurely breakfast, we check out of our hotel, we will drive through scenic coastal
villages, having a glimpse looks at several historical and heritage sites on our way.
We will stop at Abandze to visit Fort Amsterdam, which was the first British fort built
between 1631 and 1638. The original fort was destroyed by the people of Anomabo who
are their neighbors in 1811.
We check into our hotel upon arrival, in the evening we will enjoy some nightlife of Accra.
(Meals: B, L)