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Burkina Faso
This itinerary is addressed to the people who wan to discover the Africa of the
past. In this region the African religion is the most important in the mentality
of its citizens and the foreign religions has not made any change. It is a
journey to live the Africa of the past.
DAY 1: Ouaga
Arrival and transfer from the airport to the hotel.
Overnight staying at the
hotel Palm Beach***.
DAY 2: Ouaga
In the morning transfer to Laongo, visit to the modern sculptures engraved in
the rock. Several artist from different countries came there to express their
talent engraving in the nature. Return to Ouaga and visit to the district of
bronze craftsmen. In the afternoon visit of the handicraft centre, to the great
market and to the handicraft market.
Overnight staying at the hotel Palm Beach***.
DAY 3: Ouaga - Kompienga
After the breakfast visit to the east region of Burkina, where the tourist will
find along the way Mossi villages and the peculiar architecture of their houses.
The tourists will continue the trip to the village of Gurmantches who were great
agriculturists and very clever about the future. Visit of this village.
After the lunch in Fada, the trip will continue to Kompienga close to the lake
who is called like the city and close to the borderline with Benin.
Dinner and overnight staying at the hotel in Kompienga**.
DAY 4: Kompienga - Natitingou
Visit to the most interesting ethnic group of the North area of Benin, “Sombas”
group. They live in the mountain chains and this let them protect themselves
from the close enemies and also from the French colony. They have always been
considered warriors but their real purpose was to defend themselves from the
attacks and not the opposite case. The most concrete example of their defence is
the special architecture of their houses. In case of any attack, in the house
the family could live safely for a long time while the village could organise
the defence. Sombas and Tenekas populations were practising their very strict
initiation rites with the purpose to shape men able to mange the responsibility
and the defence of the entire group.
Overnight staying at the Hotle Tata Somba ****
DAY 5: Natitingou - Bohicon
Excursion to South along a road where you can find cows liek Zebus, Peul nomads
and other types of cattle. An itinerary out of the official route will lead us
to a fascinating unknown village, Teneka. The highest part of the village is
populated by the old wizards and by the young initiates that, naked or covered
just by a goat leather, are smoking a pipe. This village is located in the
middle of an archaeological site with strange stones left by the ancient people.
Dinner and overnight staying at the hotel Dako***.
DAY 6: Bohicon - Porto Novo
Visit to the royal palace of Abomey, ancient capital of the kingdom of Dahomey,
visit of the museum in the ancient palace and meeting , if available, with King
Ketou and his imperial court.Overnight staying at the hotel Beaurivage ***.
DAY 7: Porto Novo – Gran Popo
Visit to the market of the grass, of the ethnographic museum, of the mosque.
Transfer to Ouidah where the tourists will visit the museum, the temple of
Pytones, and the port of the slaves. In the afternoon after the arrival in Porto
Novo there will be an excursion on pirogue through the lagoons of Carino river
with the possibility to see a woo doo celebration, by an ipnothic rhythm of the
"tam-tam" drums and of the songs some dancers will fall into a deep alienated
state: vivid eyes, movements, muscle tension, resistance to the pain and to the
fire. This is a typical example of an African deep religious community called "Owner
of the spirit" in a little village of fishermen are Zangbeto celebration and the
Fon masks of Benin. The use of the masks is connected to ancient Greece and
maybe even to an older time. The supernatural power of the mask to change the
identity of anybody who wears it, is part of the spiritual culture of many
African populations. The festival with the mask is still today an emotional
moment for Fon people: Zangbeto is a mask covered with red straw. Zangbeto
represents non human spirits, the power of the nature and the night who had
lived on the earth before the human beings. Those who were this mask are part of
a secret society and their identity is unknown: the mask gives an independent
identity from the real one. The exhibition of the mask is the representation of
a psychological tragedy where the characters are the material forms of the
archetypes left in the human unconsciousness.
Overnight staying at the hotel L’Auberge **** (see sight).
DAY 8: Gran Popo
Excursion on the motor pirogue on the Nokwe lake to go to Ganviè the biggest
lacustral city of the whole Africa. The word "Ganviè" means "the community of
the people who found peace". The citizens of Ganviè live in houses built on
piles. These people decided to live on the lake to go away from the slavery of
the armies of Dahomey and New Port kings.
Ganviè citizens, Tofinou peole (watermen, in the local language) are living a
life quite similar to the ancestors. The floating market, where people buy thing
pirogue by pirogue, is particularly colourful. Visit to the royal palace with
its multicoloured walls and to the history museum where you can find objects,
jewels and weapons of the old monarchies. It is very interesting to admire the
walls since they were built using mud, gold and human blood. The power of the
ancient empire was based on an army composed by women, the famous Amazons, whom
all the villages were afraid of.
Dinner and overnight staying at the hotel L’Auberge****.
DAY 9: Gran Popo - Cotonou
Relax time to enjoy the beautiful beach with coconut palms and white sand. In
the afternoon transfer to Cotonou capital of Benin to the last shopping in the
big market.
City sight and visit of the market.
Dinner and overnight staying at the hotel Benin Sheraton*****.
DAY 10: Cotonou - Lome
City sight of Lome, the smiling capital of Togo. Visit to the central market
with the famous Nana-Benz, visit to the administrative district with the
colonial buildings, visit to the market of the "fetish", where you can buy
ingredients for strange love and magic potions.
Dinner and overnight staying at the hotel*****.
DAY 11: Lome - Accra In the morning direction to Ghana, after the custom controls arrival in Ghana.
Then direction to Accra. City sight, visit of the National Museum of African Art,
visit of the calorific market and in the afternoon excursion to the handicraft
market.
DAY 12: Accra-Kumasi After the breakfast, departure to Kumasi, city of the gardens and chief town of
Achanti, that is the richest and very important ethnic group of Ghana.
Dinner and overnight staying at the hotel Rest House***.
DAY 13: Kumasi
City sight, visit to the ethnographic museum and to the market, which is one of
the most important markets in West Africa thanks to the trading of Kente fabric.
Dinner and overnight staying at the hotel Rest House ***.
DAY 14: Kumasi – Cape Cost - Elmina
In the morning excursion to the heavenly places of Cape Coast, the most
beautiful city of the coast, and visit of the market. Visit of the castles and
of the fortresses along the coast.
Then direction to Elmina, visit to the castles and to the fortresses built
during the XIV century that will offer us an image of the trading of gold and
slaves at that time.
Dinner and lodging at the hotel Elmina***.
DAY 15: Elmina - Accra
Visit to Accra, city sight, visit of the National Museum of African Art, visit
of the colourful market and last shopping. Transfer to the airport.
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