Day 1: We will pick you up from your hotel in the Cape Coast area between 7 and 9 a.m. (distances over 10 km will be charged at 3 GHS/km) and drive for about 4 hours to Kumasi, the ancient capital of the Ashanti Kingdom. With a population of 2.5 million, it is the second-largest city in Ghana. Here, we will visit the Manhyia Palace, the traditional residence and ceremonial seat of the Ashanti. Nestled in a park, a villa was built by the British in 1925 after they destroyed the old palace during the Golden Stool War. This was where the Ashanti kings lived until 1999. The house then became a museum.
We then continue for another 180 km to Kintampo, a town with over 100,000 inhabitants in the Bono East Region. We will stay here overnight at a basic hotel. You will have the option of having dinner.
Day 2: We will set off for the Kintampo Waterfalls at around 9:00 AM. Here you can enjoy the natural beauty and take a dip. Then we will continue for about 5 hours to Larabanga. Larabanga is a Muslim town with a population of around 5,000 and the oldest mosque in the country. Built in 1421 in the South Saharan style, it is a well-maintained building shrouded in legend, but non-Muslims are only allowed to view it from the outside. We will stay overnight at the Saliah family's Savannah Lodge. Here, you will have the opportunity to have dinner.
Day 3: We set off at 6:00 AM for Mole National Park. Here, you will have the opportunity to observe elephants, warthogs, antelopes, monkeys and other animals in their natural environment during a safari. Around noon, we will then drive to the eco-village of Magnori and explore Mole National Park from a different location by boat. In the afternoon, you will head back to the Savannah Lodge, where you will have the opportunity to visit the Bambenninye Primary School and the orphanage and learn about the extensive work that goes into this project, which is supported by Austrian and German donors.
Day 4: Today, we will set off at around 8:00 a.m. to head back towards Kumasi. We will pass through Damongo, the capital of the Savannah Region, and, after about 6 hours of driving, head to the Kente Visitor Centre in Bonwire. Kente weaving is a local invention from the 17th century. The colourful fabrics and patterns all have a long tradition and a deeper meaning. You will have the opportunity to observe the production of the 10–12 cm-wide strips, which are later sewn together to form fabrics. The history of these royal fabrics and their uses can be explored in an impressive way here. You will spend the night in a hotel in Kumasi.
Day 5: Today, we will set off between 8 and 9 a.m. and visit the National Cultural Centre and, if you wish, the Kejetia Market, one of the largest markets in West Africa, located in a newly built building.
In the early afternoon, we will set off on the approximately 4-hour return journey to Cape Coast, where we aim to arrive at your hotel before sunset.
