Year of Return Tour (2019)

Itinerary

Day 1: ACCRA AND VICINITY

Stop At: The Accra Arts Center, Accra Ghana
Breakfast at your hotel (Enjoy a full set-up
breakfast buffet with lots of fresh fruit, a variety of bread and pastries, cheeses, cold cuts plus a variety of Ghanaian specialities you will enjoy. Included will be fresh coffee, tea and fresh juices of every kind). After breakfast and a brief
orientation by your tour manager, each group will visit the following sites:
þ Short visit to Ghana’s parliament house to witness proceedings in parliament. þ We will drive past the Independence Square on our way to visit the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
þ Visit the W.E.B. DuBois former home, now a museum and Center for the study of Pan Africanism
þ Drive through Flagstaff House, the official residence and administrative offices of the president (Ghana’s Whitehouse).
Late afternoon we will be transferred to the National Theater for a cultural performance by the GhanaDanceEnsemble, Ghana’smostaccomplisheddancetroupe. You will have the opportunity to display your skills while the group performs, and you may even be selected to join them impromptu.
This evening’s buffet dinner will be at your hotel
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Park View Hotel

Day 2: OFFICIAL WELCOME HOME BY THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF GHANA

Stop At: Accra International Conference Centre, Castle Rd, Accra Ghana
Buffet breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, we will be transferred to the National Theatre where we will be welcomed by the government and people of Ghana. Messages will be delivered by the president of Ghana, selected members of the Diplomatic Corps, and Government Ministers representing Diasporan Affairs, Investments and Trade.
Each returnee will be presented with an official proclamation welcoming you as a Ghanaian in
the Diaspora.
After the welcome activities you will have the option to choose from the following activities:
1. Visit designated booths to get expert advice and information from government and approved private sector experts on Investment Opportunities including Real Estate Development, Retirement Housing, and “Right of Abode/Dual Citizenship” which grants residency and visa-free travel to Ghana.
2. TourofHistoricJamesTown—oneofAccra’smosthistoricneighborhoods, 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.
3.ExperiencesomeofAccra’smostauthenticshoppingopportunitiesincludingCrafts, Carvings, Authentic African Art, exquisite fabrics and custom made clothing.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Park View Hotel

Day 3: TRAVEL TO THE ASHANTI KINGDOM

Stop At: Manhyia Palace Museum, Off Antoa Rd, Kumasi Ghana
After breakfast, we will depart to Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom. On arrival in Kumasi, you will check into your hotel and have lunch on our own. After lunch, we will begin to explore this historic city.
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: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel de Se Manhyia

Day 4: EXPLORING THE RICH ASHANTI CULTURE

Stop At: Kumasi Fort - Ghana Armed Forces Museum, Cnr Stewart & Government Roads, Kumasi Ghana
fter breakfast we will visit 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 Ashantipeople.
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 artifacts.
After the visit to Manhyia Palace Museum, we will be officially welcomed to the Ashanti Kingdom by the Ashanti King, Asantehene Otumfuo Nana Ossie Tutu II. The reception will include a colorful Grand Durbar where the King and his Paramount Chiefs will welcome us.
The durbar will be followed by a welcome address and cultural performances by the most accomplished cultural groups in the Ashanti region including KONTOKYI Cultural group.
You will have the opportunity to join in and display your artistic skills.

Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel de Se Manhyia

Day 5: DEPART TO ELMINA AND CAPE COAST

Stop At: Cape Coast Castle, Cape Coast Ghana
Following breakfast, we 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
Americas. We arrive in Cape Coast and check into our hotel.
This evening you will be the guest at the performance of the local bamboo orchestra, Mesomagor. The group consists of young villagers who have revived a traditional art by performing with bamboo percussion instruments to music and dance. This is contagious music and dance performance you will not find anywhere else.

Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Coconut Groove Hotel (African Village)

Day 6: THE EMOTIONAL CAPE COAST EXPERIENCE

Stop At: Elmina Castle, Elmina Ghana
After breakfast, 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, we will be the guest of the Paramount Chief of Elmina, Nana Kojo Conduah IV, who will welcome you with a Grand Durbar attended by him and his sub-chiefs.
There will be speeches of atonement followed by traditional performances in which you will be encouraged to join and show your artistic skills, still intact, but hopefully enhanced after over 400 years in exile.
This evening you will experience the traditional Fihankra Ceremony– “Restore to Diasporans the Cultural and Spiritual connections that were denied them for centuries”. The Fihankra Ceremony will include a traditional Naming Ceremony where you will receive your certificate of authentication.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Coconut Groove (African Village)

Day 7: RETURN TO ACCRA

Stop At: Accra International Conference Centre, Castle Rd, Accra Ghana
After breakfast and before you return to Accra you may select any of the following activities:
1. VisitKakumNationalPark,whichhasoneofAfrica’sfamousrainforestcanopywalkways.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.
OR
2. VisitElminaCastle/SlaveDungeon-originallycalledFortSaoJorgedeElmina–UNESCO World Heritage Site, completed in 1486 and was the first European made structures built in sub- Saharan Africa.
OR
3. Visit a thriving pineapple plantation, for those who are considering investments in agriculture or if you’re just interested in observing large scale pineapple farming.
Arrive in Accra early enough to visit the markets, craft centres and custom clothing designers for fittings and last minute adjustments.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Ritzz Exclusive Guest House