Year of Return

Year of Return

August 2019, is exactly 400 years after the arrival of the first recorded landing of a slave ship in Virginia, which saw the acceleration of the horrendous Middle Passage, hundreds of descendants of former enslaved Africans will make a triumphant return to the land of our ancestry. The trip will take us to Ghana: the land of Kwame Nkrumah-the father of Ghana’s independence and a co-founder of the Organization of African Unity; the country where the great pan-Africanist Dr W. E. B. DuBois spent his final years; the land where Ashanti Kings still hold court and mediate disputes in time-honoured traditions passed down through generations; the land that has preserved more slave dungeons used in the transatlantic slave trade than any other country on the continent. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain its independence from Europeans and is today a thriving democracy, yet its traditions, customs and culture are almost undiluted.

Itinerary

Day 1: ACCRA CITY TOUR

Stop At: W.E.B. DuBois Center, 1 Circular Road, Cantonments just few meters from the US Embassy and close to Ghana International School, Accra Ghana
Visit the W.E.B. DuBois former home, now a museum and Center for the study of Pan Africanism
Duration: 40 minutes

Pass By: Independence Square, Accra Ghana
We will drive past the Independence Square and you will see the liberation centre

Stop At: Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, High St., Accra Ghana
You will learn history of Ghana and also see his final resting place with his wife
Duration: 45 minutes

Pass By: Makola Market, Kojo Thompson Rd, Accra Ghana
You will see our way of life

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a mid-range hotel at Osu: Okera Inn

Day 2: JAMESTOWN WALKING TOUR

Stop At: James Town Lighthouse, Cleland Road, Accra Ghana
One of Accra’s most historic neighborhoods, where history resides on every corner. Best known for its lighthouses (the first of which was constructed in 1875 by the British) as a navigational aid for trading vessels sailing through the Gulf of Guinea. The original structure was ruined; however, a larger and more improved lighthouse completed in 1921 is still functioning today. James Town is also known as Ghana’s boxing incubator, the home of Africa’s most accomplished boxer, Azumah Nelson. You will also visit “Brazil House” and learn about the seven Afro-Brazilians families who returned to settle in James Town in 1836 after slavery was abolished in Brazil.
Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Centre for National Culture, Accra, 28th February Road, High Street, Accra Ghana
Experience some of Accra’s mostauthentic shopping opportunities including Crafts,Carvings, Authentic African Art, exquisite fabrics and custom made clothing.
Duration: 30 minutes

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a mid-range hotel at Osu: Okera Inn

Day 3: A TRIP TO THE ASHANTI KINGDOM

Stop At: Ntonso Adinkra Craftsmen, Ntonso Road Ntonso, Kumasi Ghana
. Visits will include: þ The woodcarving village Of Ahwiaa, known for the talented craftsmen who fashion royal stools, fertility dolls and other crafts from wood. þ The village of Ntonso, where artisan’s hand-stamp patterns on cotton cloth to make Adinkra textiles. Adinkra textiles are worn for funerals and other solemn occasions. Learn how the black dye is made from the bark of trees, and create your own Adinkra sash to take home. þ The village of Bonwire, where the famous Kente cloth is handmade on looms in a time-honoured tradition passed down through generations. See the Kente weavers in the process of creating Kente cloth in various intricate styles
Duration: 4 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a mid-range hotel at Kumasi: Hote De semanhyia

Day 4: MANHYIA PALACE

Stop At: Manhyia Palace Museum, Ahanti New Town Road off Antoa Road, Kumasi Ghana
We will visit the National Cultural Center which features the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum and various studios of brass-makers, potters and batik makers. Exhibits in this museum include a replica of the famed Golden Stool, which is believed to have descended from the sky and is the spiritual symbol of unity for the Ashanti people. Next stop will be Manhyia Palace Museum to obtain firsthand information on the legacies of the Ashanti kingdom, a regal history that dates back to 1700 and is told with relics and artefacts
Duration: 4 minutes

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a mid-range hotel at Kumasi: Hotel De semanhyia

Day 5: FORMAL SLAVE MARKET

Stop At: Ancestral Slave River Park, Assin Manso Ghana
After breakfast, depart to Cape Coast in Ghana’s Central Region. This region has had the most significant effect on the lives of Africans in the diaspora. We will pass through small villages and arrive at Assin Manso, the burial site of two former slaves from Jamaica and the US whose remains were reinterred here in August 1998 during Ghana’s first Emancipation Day Celebration. You will see the “Slave River:” where our ancestors were washed before confinement in the slave dungeons to await shipment to the Duration: 10 hours No meals included on this day.
Duration: 8 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a mid-range hotel at Elmina: African Village

Day 6: CAPE COAST CASTLE

Stop At: Cape Coast Castle, Cape Coast Ghana
We will travel the short distance to Cape Coast dungeon, where we will experience the emotional journey of going in the opposite direction of our ancestors, through the infamous “door of no return”. RETURNING through the “door of no return” be prepared to console your travelling companions as this is always an emotional experience. After Cape Coast dungeon.
Duration: 4 minutes

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a mid-range hotel at Elmina: African Village

Day 7: KAKUM NATIONAL PARK

Stop At: Kakum National Park, Cape Coast Ghana
Kakum National Park, which has one of Africa’s famous rainforest canopy walkways.This tropical rainforest and the canopy walkway are sure to be one of the highlights of your time in Ghana. The walkway consists of a series of 7 bridges, attached to 7 emerging trees, 40 meters above the rainforest floor. Prepare to take a deep breath as you walk the suspended bridges. You will marvel at the breathtaking views that stretch for miles across the rainforest as you rest on the tree platforms. We are sure you will agree that this is an exciting excursion never to be forgotten
Duration: 2 minutes

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Drop-off at any location of your choice