Benin
Ghana
Togo
Dates:
8 - 20 January 2025
Duration:
13
days
Group:
12
ppl
Lome → Ouidah → Ganvie → Abomey → Savalou → Naititingou → Tamberma Villages → Defale → Defale → Sokode → Kloto → Koforidua → Kumasi → Anomabu → Elmina → Accra
Day 1: Lome
Arrive in Lome and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Hotel Ibis or similar.
Day 2: Lome – Ouidah
Explore the city including its central markets and the fascinating – if rather gruesome – fetish market, where animal parts are sold for use in traditional medicines. We also meet a traditional healer who can cast more light on the traditional customs found here. Later, we cross into Benin and head to Ouidah for the night. Overnight Hotel Casa del Papa or similar.
Day 3: Ouidah Voodoo Festival
On the 10th January each year Benin holds a national celebration day in honour of its traditional religion and of the cults associated with it. Ouidah in particular is a focus for these ceremonies, and thousands of adepts, traditional chiefs and fetish priests gather here to perform fascinating rites and rituals. This isan amazing opportunity to witness the traditional culture of the region, where devotees assume the identity of gods and spirits and the realm of the magical is close at hand. Time permitting, we will visit the python temple, where snakes are venerated as representations of gods, the old Portuguese fort and finally head to the beach and the sombre ‘Gate of No Return’, the point from which slaves left Africa for the New World. Overnight Hotel Casa del Papa or similar.
Day 4: Ganvie – Abomey
Today we head out onto Lake Nokwe to visit Ganvie, the largest stilt village in Africa situated in the middle of the water. The ‘village’ is home to around 25,000 people, most of whom go about their daily lives without setting foot on dry land. From here we continue to Abomey, once the centre of the powerful kingdom of Dahomey, and home to an impressive Royal Palace. The palace is now a museum displaying various artefacts from that time. Overnight Hotel Jeko or similar.
Day 5: Savalou – Naititingou
Stop at the Dankoli fetish, the most important voodoo shrine in Benin, where we may be able to witness rituals taking place. From here head north to visit the villages of the Taneka people, a small but very traditional ethnic group, and meet their ‘feticheurs’ (traditional priests). Overnight Hotel Tata Somba or similar.
Day 6: Tamberma Villages - Defale
Drive into the lands of the Tamberma, one of the region’s most traditional groups who live in fortified houses known as ‘tatas’ – quite a spectacular sight. We spend time learning about their culture and customs, crossing into Togo and heading to the town of Defale for the night. Overnight Hotel Defale or similar.
Day 7: Defale – Sokode
Spend the morning exploring the villages of the Kabye and Moba people, in the Defale Mountains. We then head to the town of Sokode. This evening we witness a fire dance, where the participants use burning coals in their performance – another fascinating demonstration of local beliefs and customs. Overnight Hotel Central or similar.
Day 8: Kloto
Drive south to the tropical forests, stopping first in Atakpame to see traditional crafts and then continuing to Kpalime. Explore its markets and continue to nearby Kloto, where we take a walk in the forest. Accompanied by a local entomologist we learn about the butterflies and other insects that live here. Overnight Hotel Gess or similar.
Day 9: Koforidua
We cross into Ghana and drive to the Volta region. This is a centre for the Krobo people, and we see how they create exquisite beads using traditional methods. Overnight Hotel New Capital View or similar.
Day 10: Kumasi
Continue to Kumasi, Ghana’s second city and home of the old Ashanti Kingdom. Explore the city including the Ashanti Cultural Centre, which gives a great insight into what once was one of the most powerful kingdoms in the region. If possible, we will be able to see a traditional Ashanti funeral, quite a spectacle at which visitors are welcome. Overnight Miklin Hotel or similar.
Day 11: Kumasi – Anomabu
Continue our exploration of Kumasi by visiting the Royal Palace Museum, with its unique collection of golden jewellery. From here we drive to Anomabu on the coast. Overnight Anomabu Beach Resort or similar.
Day 12: Elmina – Accra
We visit the fishing town of Elmina, best known for St George’s Castle, the oldest European building in Africa and once used as holding centre for slaves. In the town itself, we explore the old quarter with its unique Posuban shrines, made by the traditional ‘asafo’ societies which were once responsible for local defence. From here we drive back to Accra. Overnight Hotel Villa Boutique or similar.
Day 13: Accra
Spend the morning exploring Accra, visiting the National Museum and the old quarter of Jamestown, as well as the quarter where craftsmen design flamboyant coffins for the deceased – a uniquely Ghanaian experience. Later transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Acomodation
12 nights at the hotels
Meals
Day 2-12: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Breakfast and Lunch
Guided tours
Guided tours as per itinerary (only local guides)
Transport
Transfers as per itinerary
Support
24/7 phone/WhatsApp support line
English-speaking guide
ABTA and ATOL bonded
Not Included
International flights
Meals not mentioned
Optional tours and activities
Personal expenses
Spend time in Ouidah, exploring the city
Experience the colourful annual voodoo festival
Visit Ganvie, the largest stilt village in Africa
Take a tour to Abomey, once the centre of the kingdom of Abomey
Witness a fire dance in Atakpame and Kpalime
Learn about Tamberma, one of the region’s most traditional groups
Jose Leonardo Ramos Mateos
Great experience in Qatar World Cup!!! Great service and support during our trip to Dubai and Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup!!! Helena for the first contact and reservations coordination was just perfect! Michael, Varya, Irena, Anastasia and all the support staff made a great Job and made us feel safe, happy and satisfied with the service and the tours we got. The full tour included welcome party, Desert dinner and show, tour in Dubai and a perfect logistics for travel between Dubai and Qatar. We had no problem with the FIFA hospitality tickets… Simply a perfect and unforgetable trip!!! We will for sure hire World of Discoveries services again soon!!
Zain Ali
USA
GREATEST TRIP EVER We had the most incredible experience. World of Discoveries made our trip to Qatar for the World Cup so easy and enjoyable. Mike helped us with any questions we had before the trip and anything we needed during the trip. The rest of the staff was so helpful and nice during the trip that it removed any worry we had during the trip so all we had to do was sit back and enjoy the wonders of the trip. I would highly recommend them for use in any trip. By far, this was the best trip I have ever been on and they played a HUGE role in making that the case. GREATEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!
Terry O'Connell
France
Great trip all round I booked not knowing what I was going to getting, a little sceptical and apprehensive due to never using these guys before. I could not have been more wrong, the service has been great and the tour has also been great. Mike the tour guide and the girls in the office are 5 star. Even had a disaster and left my passports in the hotel safe of one city and Mike and the team could not do enough to help me get these back. Really appreciate your professionalism and kindness. Will see you at the World Cup ?
Allison
USA
First time with the World of Discoveries tour but my fifth time overall with tour guided trips. They did an amazing job finding the best hotel places especially the Museum Hotel that was connected to the QT. Loved that we could do laundry since we were traveling for 2 weeks. The selection of itinerary was spot on and had so many wide arrangement for all to participate. The Hobbiton was surprisingly my favorite and definitely need to go. Our tour guide Micheal was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful through your our trip. Communication was very good having the WhatsApp helped with knowing when and where we needed to meet at all times. Plus the other travels on the tour guide was a bonus since we all loved soccer and got along extremely well. OVERALL the trip was a big success and I would ? book another trip with them.
Arturo Chaltelt
USA
WOD is a company you can trust and feel comfortable asking for anything to make your experience better. I just traveled to the 2022 World Cup with them and it was a blast. Everything nicely coordinated and great constant service and communication.
Susan & James, USA
USA
As avid sports enthusiasts, particularly in tennis, my husband and I have eagerly awaited the opportunity to venture out again after years of staying home due to the COVID situation. We decided it was time to break free and fulfill our dream of visiting France to witness the thrilling Roland Garros tournament. While we typically prefer organizing our own travels, we recognized that exploring a vast country like France warranted the expertise of a travel agency. Our aim was to take a tour that encompassed attending the male semifinal and final matches, as well as visiting Normandy's Landing Beaches, the renowned wine regions of Champagne and Bordeaux, and ending up with a few relaxing days at the beach. After some initial hesitation, we entrusted World of Discoveries (Wofdi) with our travel plans, and it turned out to be a remarkable decision. Wofdi meticulously designed a comprehensive itinerary that not only fulfilled our desires but surpassed our expectations. The knowledgeable guides who accompanied us throughout the journey, the seamless transport arrangements, and the exceptional attention to detail demonstrated by the Wofdi team left us in awe. Looking back on our trip as we now bask in the delightful sunshine of Nice, we can confidently say that every aspect was flawlessly planned and executed. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire team for making our European summer vacation truly unforgettable.
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