Upon your arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. This afternoon, tour Accra, Ghana's political and administrative capital, a vibrant and typical African city with a blend of colonial and modern images. Visit the W.E.B. Dubois Centre for Pan African Culture, the Gallery, and Museum. Continue to the 31st December Makola Market. Visit the Centre for National Culture and Art and Craft Bazaar. Drive to the University of Ghana in Legon. Visit commonwealth Hall and Mensah Sarbah Hall. Return to your hotel.
DAY 03:
CAPE COAST/ELMINA
Elmina Castle, Port View
Depart Accra this morning on a memorable historical tour to the famous and infamous old forts and castles of the Central Region of Ghana. History will unfold whose impact has been and is still felt beyond the shores of Ghana. Visit Fort St. Jaco for a panoramic view of the historic township of Elmina. Continue to Elmina Castle also known as a St. George's Castle. Proceed to Cape Coast University for a tour of the campus. Visit Cape Coast Castle and the West African Historical Museum. Return to Accra.
DAY 04:
ACCRA/KUMASI
Explore the legends of the famous Ashanti whose legacies are still evident today. Drive past the home of Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother who led the Ashant's to war against the British, to hear a recount of her true life story. Arrive in Kumasi. Enjoy a city tour of Kumasi, drive past the statue of Prempeh, Cenotaph, Kumasi Fort, the City Centre, the Statue of Okomfo Anokye and the Royal Mausoleum. Continue to visit the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum, the Cultural Centre and proceed to your hotel for overnight.
DAY 05:
KUMASI
Making Adinka Cloth
Morning visit the craft village of Bonwire, home of the world famous Kente cloth, a sample of which decorates the foyer of the United Nations Building in New York. Witness the actual weaving process on a traditional loom. Continue to Ntonso, the centre of the Kuntunkuni (traditional mourning cloth) and Adinkra cloth, observing the dying process. Journey to Ahwia, the centre of the carving industry. See an assortment of Akuba dolls and other wooden items like stools and figurines. Return to your hotel in Kumasi.
DAY 06:
KUMASI/ACCRA
After breakfast, begin your return journey to Accra. The balance of the afternoon is at leisure.
DAY 07:
ACCRA/DAKAR, SENEGAL
Morning at leisure in Accra for last minute shopping or relaxation. Evening transfer to Accra International Airport in time for your flight to Dakar, Senegal. Upon arrival in Dakar, you will be met and transfered to your hotel. Senegal, the gateway to Black Africa, was part of the great medieval Empire of Mali and one of the major trading ports of slaves bound for the American continent.
DAY 08:
DAKAR
Presidential Palace, Dakar
This morning, visit Sandanga Market, Kermel Market, the Grand Mosque, Saumbedioune, Artisinal Village, Dakar University, National Assembly, the Palace of the President with its colorful guards and the Colon of Independence and the residential areas. Return to your hotel for the balance of the day at leisure.
DAY 09:
GOREEISLAND
Goree Island
This morning, take a short boat trip on the Atlantic Ocean to the Island of Goree. Forty million enslaved Africans are said to have passed through the hands of the traders located on this tiny island. Visit the original slave house. See the dungeon and the prisons used up until the time of the French abolition of slavery. This island is covered in relics of the famous past. Old cannons still lie half-buried in the sand, attesting to the savage battle fought for the possession of this strategic outpost. Return to your hotel for the balance of the day at leisure.
DAY 10:
PINKLAKE
Pink Lake
Depart Dakar for a visit to the "Pink Lake". The lake has its own peculiar movement in the form of thousands of birds which throng to its opaque pink mineral waters. Flamingo, spoonbill, pelican, heron, tern, and all kinds of waders as well as a great variety of sea birds congregate on the placid waters. It is a spectacle not to be missed. Return to Dakar.
DAY 11:
DAKAR/BANJUL, THE GAMBIA
Arch at Banjul
Morning departure from Dakar enroute to Banjul, the Gambia. The Gambia is the small but significant West African country where the Black American writer, Alex Haley, in his best selling book and movie, "Roots", traced his ancestry to a village on the Gambia River.
DAY 12:
JUFFURE
Gambia River
A full day tour along the bank of the River Gambia to the fishing village of Albreda. Albreda was formerly a post for trading and controlling the hinterland used by both the French and the British. In 1857, under British control, it became a haven where any slave could claim freedom. A short walk will take you to the historic and "national landmark" village of Juffure, destined to become immortalized by Alex Haley in his famous documentary based on his ancestral search. Juffure is the native home of Kunta Kinte of "Roots", whose decendants still live in the village. Return to the hotel.
DAY 13:
BRIKAMA
Abuko Nature Preserve, Brikama
Today drive to the Gambia's only Nature Reserve where you can observe monkeys, antelope, hyenas, and crocodile. You may even see one of the lions descended from the lions donated by the British Government. You will also have the opportunty to view the rich birdlife for which the Gambia is famous. Continue to the Craft Market in Brikama to witness the wood carvers at work with their simple hand tools. Return to Banjul.
DAY 14:
BANJUL / DAKAR / NEW YORK
Morning at leisure. Afternoon transfer to the airport for your flight to Dakar. Upon your arrival you will be met and transfered for a Farewell Dinner. Late evening return to the airport to check in for your return flight to New York.
