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Explore Ghana
In 20 Days
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A 20 day tour of Ghana's attractions in the South and the North
Day 1: Arrive in Ghana and check into your hotel in Accra. Give
yourself a chance to orientate to Africa.
Day 2: Enjoy a morning tour of Accra, Ghana's capital city and commercial
heart and discover the attractions of this bustling city including
Independence Square, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, The National Museum,
the Du Bois Centre and Makola Market. In the afternoon drive to
Aburi Botanical gardens and relax amongst the shaded paths and walks.
Day 3: Depart Accra for Cape Coast, visiting several interesting
coastal towns and villages along the way. At Cape Coast visit Cape
Coast Castle, one of the best-preserved castles in Ghana and a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Also explore the 15th century Elmina Castle
and Fort St. Jago.
Day 4: Elmina is an excellent town to explore on foot and you should
not miss the fishing harbour and the Dutch Cemetery. A short distance
away is Kakum National Park, with a canopy walkway through tropical
rain forest and home to rare indigenous animals and birds. Spend
the afternoon on an interesting forest walk.
Day 5: Today, as you depart from the coast for the Kingdom of the
Ashanti, take the opportunity to visit Obuasi, one of the largest
gold mines in the world. A surface visit to the mine is a popular
highlight, before moving on to Kumasi.
Day 6: Kumasi is the centre of the Ashanti Region and a town with
so much to explore. The Manhyia Palace, Kumasi Fort and Kejetia
Market (the largest in West Africa) are all highlights. You may
also want to spend some time in the Kumasi Cultural Centre with
its wide range of displays of local arts and crafts. Try to coincide
your visit with the spectacular Akwasidae Festival
Day 7: Depart Kumasi for the North, passing through Brong Ahafo,
which is famous as the agricultural heartland of Ghana. Make sure
you stop at Kintampo with its waterfalls hidden nearby in the forest.
Late in the afternoon you will reach Mole National Park.
Day 8: Mole National Park is the largest in Ghana, and home to herds
of buck, elephant and monkeys. Around the waterholes the bird life
is prolific. Early mornings and late afternoon are the best times
to view the game.
Day 9: Leaving Mole, make a visit to Larabanga where the mosque
is the oldest in the country. Make a courtesy call on the Paramount
Chief of Gonja. The road Northwest now takes us to Wa, regional
capital of the Upper West Region.
Day 10: After a courtesy call on the Wa Naa, Paramount Chief of
the Wala traditional area, at his palace, the town and market are
well worth exploring. Or you could make an excursion to some of
the typical villages and the hippo sanctuary.
Day 11: Departing from Wa the road loops through Tumu and onto Paga,
famous for its crocodile pond. Also worth a visit is the historic
mud-built church at Navrongo. In the afternoon arrive in Bolgatanga,
regional capital of Upper East Region know to its people as 'Bolga'.
Day 12: Bolga is one of the main gateway towns to Burkina Faso and
the Sahel. The market is always full of people representing many
different cultures. The market is a great place to buy baskets and
straw hats. An exciting excursion is to the Whispering Rocks of
Tongo, and the fetish shrine for traditional healing. A visit can
also be made to the traditional walled villages of Tonga.
Day 13: Moving south out of Bolga towards Tamale you will pass through
some of the towns and villages with their uniquely styled houses
with round mud walls joined together to form large compounds, well
adapted to the demanding climate of the region of Northern Ghana.
Tamale is an important commercial hub for this part of the country.
Day 14: South of Tamale the road crosses many small rivers running
into Lake Volta. Several of these become dry river beds in the dry
season. The changing landscape and style of the villages and towns
passed reflect the transition from Northern to Central Ghana. After
Salaga and Zongo - Markyeri we cross an arm of Lake Volta by pontoon
ferry into the Volta Region. Good places to stay are Hohoe and Ho.
Day 15: Hohoe is famous for its traditional medicine centre, where
natural herbs are used for treatments. Between Hohoe and Ho are
interesting excursions worth undertaking. Amongst the rolling hills
and forests there are several spectacular waterfalls. The falls
of Wli, the sanctuary, and the Tsatsadu falls and cascades are a
photographer's paradise.
Day 16: The scenery of the Volta Region is some of the most attractive
in Ghana. The forested mountains and hills are abound with birds
and butterflies and just after the rains every area is covered in
blooms. South of Ho the road takes us to Akosombo and the great
Akosombo Dam, which created Lake Volta, comes into view. At weekends
you can take a cruise on the lake to the Dodi Islands.
Day 17: The Volta estuary has some pleasant resorts and good beaches
and water sports are available. This is a pleasant area to relax
in after a lengthy tour.
Day 18: If game fishing is your sport then this coastline is for
you. The waters off the coast are full of barracuda, tuna and major
game fish. Your hotel can arrange a boat and equipment for you.
Day 19: Returning to Accra reminds us how varied Ghana is. The country
can provide stunning scenery in the rural areas, great festivals
in all regions and modern facilities. On our return to Accra we
pass by the modern port of Tema, which is at the heart of Ghana's
economic strength.
Day 20: All tours have to end, and in Accra you will have time to
do some last minute shopping or visit other parts of the city before
returning to the airport and a flight home.
This circuit can also be started in Bolgatanga, Day 12 if entering
from Burkina Faso
Aflao, Day 9 if arriving from Togo or Cape Coast, Day 3 if arriving
from Côte d'Ivoire.
A part of this tour in the Northern region requires a 4x4 vehicle
and is not always possible in the rainy season.
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