WT18 catalog single pgs

33 / 148

Traditional cultures, renowned art forms,
flamboyant festivals, mask dances, and a
dazzling ethnic mosaic are the golden gems
of West Africa. Our cultural odyssey brings us
across Ghana, Togo, and Benin to discover lost
tribal worlds guided by ancient spirits. Along the
way, we meet unforgettable tribes including
the Tamberma, whose fairytale clay castles
are spectacular examples of uniquely African
architecture. We finish on the coast, the heart
of voodoo country, visiting practitioners,
watching trance-dances, and learning about
the awesome power the voodoo spirits still
hold over people. Our journeys witness the
Akwasidae Festival in Kumasi, honoring the
Ashanti king, and the exuberant mask dances
of an Egun Mask Festival in Benin.
Days 1-3 Accra, Ghana / Elmina Castle After a
visit to Ghana’s National Museum, with its striking
ethnographic collection, we head along the palm-
fringed coast to the 15th century Portuguese
fortress of Elmina, entering its eerie slave dungeons
and peeking through the “Door of No Return,”
where captives were taken to awaiting ships.
Days 4-5 Kumasi / the Ashanti The Ashanti
Kingdom was once one of the most powerful
nations in Africa. In Kumasi, the Ashanti
“capital,” we explore the lively market
and enjoy the pageantry of the traditional
Akwasidae Festival.
Days 6-9 Traditional Tribes of the Savanna /
Castles of Clay In a baobab-dotted landscape
that was once a caravan route between
Ghana’s Gold Coast and the Sahara, we call at
traditional villages that rarely see outsiders.
We meet northern Benin’s Dagomba people,
with their round clay huts, and the isolated
Tamberma and Somba, famous for their
defensive architecture of fortified adobe castles,
complete with turrets. We also visit a very
remote Taneka village of fetish priests and the
encampments of Fulani herders.
Days 10-15 Voodoo Priests and Fetish
Markets of the Coast On Benin’s coast, we
explore Abomey and its eerie Royal Palace of
the Dahomey king. Near Lomé, Togo’s capital,
we meet traditional healers at a “voodoo hospital,”
visit a fetish market, and head out to a village
to witness a real voodoo ceremony accompanied
by the hypnotic rhythm of chanting and drums.
Depart on Day 15 via Accra.
ROYAL FESTIVALS, MASK DANCES, VOODOO SPIRITS,
CASTLES OF CLAY
HIGHLIGHTS
• Traditional Ashanti culture, with its kente
cloth, bead-makers, and elaborate
funerary rites
• The surreal voodoo world of the Togo
and Benin coasts
• Elmina Castle, fetish priests of Taneka,
the Tamberma people and their castles
of clay
• Vibrant Akwasidae and Egun Mask
festivals on every departure
DETAILS
• 15-day trip begins and ends in
Accra, Ghana
• 14 nights hotels and guesthouses
• All meals included
DATES
Feb 21-Mar 7, 2018
Sep 19-Oct 3
Mar 6-20, 2019
TRIP COST
$6195 (6-12 members)
$6395 (3-5 members)
Single supplement: $995
TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Rugged road travel, cultural exploration,
easy walks
FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR AFRICA TRIPS, VISIT 33
Exuberant festivals, unique architecture, voodoo ceremonies—we explore a kaleidoscope of cultural wonders in West Africa.
FRANS LANTING
SHANNON HASTINGS ERIC LAFFORGUE
CHRISTOPHE COURTEAU
EDDIE GERALD