West Africa holiday, Ghana, Mali & Burkina Faso tour
| country: | Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso |
| departures: | 2010: 30 Jan, 27 Feb, 27 Mar, 22 May, 19 Jun |
| price: | From £840 (26 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Welcome to golden West Africa. Over 26 sun-drenched days, explore English-speaking Ghana, French-speaking Mali and tiny Burkina Faso. Uncover a wealth of traditional cultures who once traded in the region's gold, spices and ivory. Experience today's lively, music-filled market cities as well as natural beauty and game viewing as spectacular as anything in East Africa. This overland journey will open your eyes to a wonderfully different side of this magical continent.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Accra. Laze on golden sands and enjoy hot, music-filled nights in local bars. |
| Days 2-3: | Lake Bosumtwe/Kumasi. Head into a meteor crater to explore the vast Lake Bosumtwe. Visit Kejetia Market to bargain for kente cloth and visit traditional drum-making workshops. |
| Days 4-5: | Kintampo Falls. Admire the majestic Kintampo Falls before diving beneath their cool waters. |
| Days 6-7: | Ouagadougou. Ethnic groups, religions and languages mingle in Burkina Faso's upbeat capital. |
| Days 8-9: | Djenne. Some big drives heading into Mali before arriving in Djenne. |
| Day 10: | Bandiagara. Head deep into Mali's Dogon Country. |
| Days 11-13: | Dogon Trek. Spend days trekking through Dogon villages, meeting the locals and learning about their culture. |
| Days 14-15: | Segou. Relax by the Niger River in relaxed Segou or travel along the river to visit local potters. |
| Days 16-19: | Bobo-Dioulasso. Head into tiny Burkina Faso to discover lively Bobo-Dioulasso. Visit the sacred fishpond of Dafra, where fat fish dine on chickens sacrificed by locals. |
| Days 20-21: | Mole National Park. Perhaps enjoy a close encounter with an enormous elephant and watch out for lions. |
| Day 22: | Kumasi. Explore this lush crater lake during a hike around its perimeter. |
| Days 23-25: | Brenu Beach. Lend a hand at a local school then hit the beach |
| Day 26: | Accra. Swing by the slave fort of Elmina before finishing in Accra. |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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We believe strongly in low impact tourism and so during this trip we use existing locally owned facilities. By using locally owned and run facilities we are helping the local communities that we visit. We reduce deforestation by avoiding unnecessary use of scarce firewood and using gas for cooking. In Djenne travellers have a chance to interact with the locals in the busy market and can contribute to the local community.
You will have an opportunity to shop for local sculptures and the unique masks that are made in this areas surrounding the bustling market in Bodo Dioulasso and enjoy an optional camel trip to a Tuareg encampment close to Timbuktu. The time we spend these regions will directly benefit the local community. In Elmina we head to a local school where we spend half a day working on a hands on project. Depending on the skills of the group our work could range from small building/renovation projects to educational workshops. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |