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GRAND TOUR OF GHANA- A GOLDEN
EXPERIENCE
By Jerry W.
Bird
What was my impression of
Ghana on our first visit since 1999? Upon landing at Accra's
Kotoka International Airport my eyes were fixed like lasers
on a banner newspaper headline that shouted its bold,
positive message across the arrivals area - "Ghana is Safe."
What a confidence builder -- and nothing in two exciting
weeks of ATA 31st Congress activities, colorful galas and an
educational, fun-packed, cross country tour gave us any
reason to doubt the authenticity of that challenging
statement.
Our 2006 Grand Tour can
easily be described as a "Photo Safari," and over 10 new
gallery pages are available for online viewing from hundreds
of images captured by Muguette Goufrani, featuring Cape
Castles, Kente Weavers, Slave River, Bead Making Art,
Ceremonies and Festivities, Roadside Commerce, Tour Sites,
Ghana Fashions, Gala Events and the ATA Trade Show. Combined
with superb photography by Robert Eilets and selections from
Sandy Dhuyvetter of TravelTalk Radio, we are able to
showcase Ghana like never before. Being non profit, we seek
no financial benefit from sharing the sights and sounds of
Ghana with a worldwide audience - and with other approved
media upon request.
Roadside
Commerce
This tour, with
its focus on roadside commerce, creative crafts and cottage
industries, was an eye opener to the amazing entrepreneurial
spirit that is so dominant in Ghana. It is reflected in the
latest book by Dave Fick entitled ""Africa:
Continent of Economic
Opportunities."
The experiences enroute during this week long, dawn to dusk
tour left a profound impression Starting with the Lake Volta
Region near the Togo border, our journey took us to the
provincial capital of Ho; then to the Kumasi area, home of
the Ashanti Empire. Our agenda included Senchi Riverside
Resort, Liate Wote, Afadjato Mountain, Wli Waterfalls, Tafi
Monkey Sanctuary, Abenyinase Kente Weavers, Cedi Beads,
Oumasi, Shai Hills Game Reserve, Bunsu Arboretum, the Bobiri
Butterfly Sanctuary, Ejisu Bease, Bonwire Village, home of
the Kente Weavers, Ntoso, the Adinkra Printing Village, plus
Ahwiaa, the Carving Village. We visited the the Ghana
Tourism Board's Kumasi office and Crafts Center, plus a new
luxury resort at Lake Bosomtwe. One of the most meaningful
sites was NNonkonsuo, the Slave River Memorial Center.
Enroute to Kakum National Forest, with its famous rope
bridges, we stopped to watch a family operation producing
palm oil. The final leg of our journey involved Elmina and
Cape Coast Castles.
The Volta
Region
Our first night
of the tour was spent at the Freedom Hotel , a bright,
attractive courtyard facility in the city of Ho. Capital
city of the Volta Region, Ho has a population of over
million and consists of 17 town and villages in the Ho
District. We passed through several of these communities in
our tour. Ho has three hospitals, including the Volta
Regional Hospital and numerous small clinics. There are two
internet cafes, a museum and many churches, including a
Catholic cathedral in the city center. Ho has many
restaurants, including a popular dining establishment they
call the White House. The main language spoken in this area
of Ghana is Ewe.
African Americans
Invest in Ghana
While
on our media tour, following the ATA World Congress in
Accra, Africa Travel Magazine's editors saw some shining
examples of African Investment in Ghana. One was a new
lakeside resort south of Kumase that was ready for opening.
Now here's an exciting new story devoted to that new trend.
Time Magazine's feature article "Ghana's New Money" includes
a section on ATA member Mona Boyd of Land Tours, Accra.
Details
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Hon. Jake Obetsebi-
Lamptey presides at the ATA 31st World Congress
On
the right is a photo animation of the Tourism
Minister and delegates at this popular annual
event, hosted in 2006 by the Republic of Ghana.
Official Media Tour
Our tour itinerary courtesy of the Chief Director,
Ministry of Tourism, Ghana was issued by the Tour
Operators Union of Ghana. The agenda was as
follows, and thanks to our experienced and
knowledgeable guide Mr. Yao Dzide, we were able to
visit almost all of the sites outlined in this
ambitious four day tour schedule.
Day One. Our journey began when we departed
from the Palm Hotel in Accra, driving along the
Coastal Highways to Wli Waterfalls, with further
stops at the Senchi Riverside Resort on the Volta
River, and at Liate Wote, where we viewed Afadjato
and the highest mountain in Ghana. Next on the tour
agenda was the Fafi Atome monkey sanctuary. Our
final stop for the day was in the city of Ho,
capital of Volta Province. Our overnight stay was
at the Freedom Hotel.
Day Two: After visiting the Regional Museum,
we departed Ho for Abenyinase to visit and interact
with the Kente weavers, with further stops at Cedi
Bead making facilities and shop, plus the Shia
Hills Game Reserve. Overnight was in Accra.
Day
Three: An early departure from Accra for
Kumasi, with stops at the Bunsu Arboretum, the
Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary, Ejisu Besease and
Bonwire village, a kente weaving center near
Kumasi. Other highlights were Nitonso, the Adinkra
printing village and Ahiwaiaas, the carving
village. Overnight was at the Royal Basin Hotel in
Kumasi.
Day Four. Driving through Kumasi, after an
enjoyable stop at the Cultural Center and regional
office of the Ghana Tourist Board, we toured
Ghana's second largest city and traditional home of
the Ashanti Empire. The huge, sprawling city market
and the furniture making operation on both sides of
the main street were very impressive.
Leaving
Kuumasi, we stopped at several new resorts on Lake
Bosomtwe, then continued to the Memorial Gardens at
Slave River (Monkonsuo) . Further points of
interest were Kakum National Forest, a palm oil
making operation nearby, plus Elmina and Cape Coast
castles. We arrived for a late dinner at the Golden
Tulip Hotel in Accra.
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Kumasi
Having spent some
valuable time in and around Kumasi on this and a previous
trip, it was grand e experience six weeks after our return
from Ghana to meet it's charming and highly capable le
mayor, Patricia
Applagyei and
her colleague David at the UN
World Urban Forum in
Vancouver.
Our ATA Canada Chapter
had the privilege of touring them around our own community.
The professional, award winning tour guide selected by Ghana
Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Affairs was a fountain of
information. We jokingly referred to him as yao.com, which
in today's lingo is an apt description of his ability to
answer questions on many topics, including those of a
financial and business nature.
yaodzide@yahoo.com
By the way, if you've
never heard of the "Joseph
Project,"
initiated by Ghana Tourism, with a major focus by ATA on the
African Diaspora, then be prepared. There's an exciting new
initiative on the way, starting immediately.
Much more to come-,
including comments on the various sites and attractions we
visited.
Flashback
The ATA-WTO World
Congress in Accra, Ghana was our last opportunity to spend
some quality time in the company of ATA's dear friend Fred
Fuller who passed away in June,1999. For a capsule profile
of Ghana, we have included the following section which
arrived courtesy of Joe Nyarko of Sagrenti Tours. A darker
era saw many of our people, and those of other African
lands, leave our shores for the plantations of America and
the Caribbean, creating the biggest Diaspora the world has
ever seen. Today, citizens of many states around the world
still acknowledge and treasure their family links with
Ghana, returning to explore those links and to experience
the soul of their motherland. Today, come home to Ghana, the
gateway to that African Heritage. Our celebrations , with
great durbars of chiefs in full regalia, full of dancing and
drumming, reverberate with images of our rich cultural
traditions and reflect the passage of nature's calendar, so
important in the preservation of our culture. Throughout the
year and throughout the Country, our people love to
celebrate, and the great sights and scenes reflected in
these festivals create for every visitor, a memory to be
cherished. If you're surprised by all this, you're beginning
to get the feel of Ghana. One delightful surprise after
another.
Natural beauty of
Ghana
Nature has been generous
to Ghana. Few natural attractions can compare with the land
of Ghana. National Parks, such as the rain forest of Kakum,
or the broad Savannah of Mole, are havens for indigenous
flora and fauna, safe from predatory man. Ghana is a bird
watcher's paradise and nature lover's delight. Forest walks
captivate the senses, as butterflies flit from flower to
flower, and shafts of sunlight illuminate tiny orchids and
other native flowers. Products of our indigenous trees and
plants have always enriched medical knowledge throughout the
world. The variety of landscape is matched by striking
seasonal and regional contrast. The greens of the hillsides
just after the rains, and the golds and ochres of the
Savannah in the dry season.
Panafest
As part of the ongoing
commitment to enhance the historical, cultural and spiritual
focus of PANAFEST, the schedule includes a Pre-Panafest
Pilgrimage called "On The Slave Route To PANAFEST," -
Part I of the PANAFEST program and allows the participants
to experience the courses of the Slave Trade route of the
old Gold Coast. For details visit
http://www.panafest.org/
Ghana
Joseph Project
The Ghana Government intends
to use the year 2007, 50th Anniversary of the country's
independence, to celebrate African excellence and to
inaugurate the Joseph Project. Ghana will use the year to
bring together, more closely. People in Ghana and brothers
and sister in the Diaspora and establish herself as the true
"Homeland for Africans" in the Diaspora.
Commentary
"I tell
tourists about our heroes and heroines, politics and most
importantly to me, investment opportunities in Ghana. I have
done tour guiding for Ghanaians living within and without
Ghana and people from all continents across the
world.
When tourists buy
air tickets, the airlines pay taxes to the government. When
tourists pay airport tax, government receives some of the
the money at the end of the day. When tourists arrive and
take taxi, sleep in hotels or guesthouses, eat in
restaurants, buy souvenirs, and other gifts, all the service
providers receive payments and pay tax to governments. The
more tourists we receive, the bigger the monies. When
tourists travel to our various attractions located in the
villages, they go with their money and spend there thus
pumping money into local economies". For full test e-mail
traveljournal@
gmail.com
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