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| A Bit of Travel
869 Grand Ave
Carlsbad Ca 92008
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The West Africa Explorer 33-Days
IncludedRound trip airport to hotel transfers, Accommodations in the properties listed, Tours in private vehicle, Trained English/French-speaking guides, Admissions to all listed sites and activities, Luggage transfer, Domestic airfare within Africa, Meals indicated by B, L, D Not includedInternational airfare to Africa, travel insurance, meals not listed, personal items such as telephone, laundry and visa fees, gratuity to drivers and guides |
| Call (800) 747-8728 for more information or to book today! Mention code 8383903 | | Palace Travel Inc | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Bamako | International flight arrives in Bamako, Mali. You will be met, assisted and transferred to your hotel. Meal(s) Included: No Overnight at Laico Hotel El Farouk or Similar | | Day 2 | Bamako | Bamako city tour: Start at Point G to get a panoramic overview of the city. This afternoon visit the National Museum and the artisans' village where you will observe craftsmen at work: silversmiths, woodcarvers, weavers, and leatherworkers. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Laico Hotel El Farouk or Similar | | Day 3 | Timbuktu | Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Timbuktu. On arrival in Timbuktu you will be transferred to your hotel then visit this legendary city with a name synonymous with "the end of the Earth." See the ancient mosques (built in the XIVth century) and former universities, the museum, the explorers' houses, the city market which received the Azalai salt caravans from the desert. This evening there is an excursion into the Sahara Desert by camel caravan to visit a Tuareg camp. Enjoy tea on the dunes with your Tuareg hosts, the Princes of the Desert. Return to and overnight in Timbuktu. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at La Maison or Similar | | Day 4 | Mopti | Early morning transfer to the airport for flight to Mopti, the Venice of Mali. Nestled between the Niger and the Bani rivers, Mopti is always filled with activities. Late morning, visit the fishing port, the bustling market where many of Mali's ethnic groups can be seen: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay. This evening enjoy a sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional pirogue. Overnight in Mopti. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Hotel Kanaga or Similar | | Day 5 | Mopti | This morning travel from Mopti to Mali's architectural jewel, Djenne. Founded in the fourth century, Djenne has scarcely changed since the Middle Ages. The atmosphere in the streets transports you back to Medieval times. Visit Djenne's colorful and bustling market on its legendary weekly Market Day. This evening return to Mopti for dinner and overnight. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Hotel Kanaga or Similar | | Day 6 | Dogon | After breakfast, you will travel to Mali's fascinating Dogon country. Here you will visit the village of Songo, renowned for its rock paintings and circumcision grotto; continue to Sangha, which is comprised of 10 distinct Dogon villages - some are traditional animist and others have converted to Islam. Descend the Bandiagara escarpment and visit the village of Banani where you will see ancient Tellem cave dwellings in the cliff face. Continue to the villages of Ireli and Amani, site of a sanctuary for crocodiles, which are sacred to the Dogon people. You may bear witness to the spectacle of traditional Dogon Mask Dance (minimum 6 travelers needed). Return to and overnight on the edge of the Bandiagara escarpment. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight at Hotel Cheval Blanc or Similar | | Day 7 | Dogon | Today, continue the tour of Dogon Country with visits to the villages of Ogols and Bongo, where you will see the women's house and the shrine of the Hogon (the Dogon people's spiritual leader). In Bongo, visit Dogon elders and the natural tunnel. Return to and overnight in Sangha. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight at Hotel La Falaise or Similar | | Day 8 | Bobo Dioulasso | Complete the tour of Dogon Country then depart to Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Visit Bobo Dioulasso, ("house of the Bobo merchants"), Burkina Faso's second largest city. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Hotel Auberge or Similar | | Day 9 | Ouagadougou | After breakfast, visit the old mosque and the Kibidwe artisans' district to see blacksmiths, potters, dyers and other artisans at work. Late morning travel to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital city. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Sofitel Ouaga 2000 or Similar | | Day 10 | Ouagadougou | Explore Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital city. Visit the Grand Market and the National Museum, with its interesting collection of regional clothing, masks, household utensils and ancestral statues. Visit the crafts market at the Artisans' Center, where you will find basketry, batik fabrics, wooden statues and masks, jewelry, leatherwork and bronze castings. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Sofitel Ouaga 2000 or Similar | | Day 11 | Natitingou | Depart Ouagadougou and drive to Fada N'Gourma, cross the Burkina Faso-Benin border to Natitingou, in Somba country. Overnight in Natitingou. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Hotel Tata Somba or Similar | | Day 12 | Abomey | Visit the Natitingou Museum for an interesting overview of the Somba culture, and then drive to Abomey, the birthplace of voodoo. In Abomey you will visit the historical Daho-Donou Museum. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Hotel Tata Somba or Similar | | Day 13 | Cotonou | This morning visit the Royal Palace Museum, site of the ancient palaces of the twelve kings of Abomey, who reigned from 1620 through 1900, you may get to see the current King of Abomey, whose ancestors reigned from 1620 through 1900. Visit the artisans' center then depart for Cotonou. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Benin Marina Hotel or Similar | | Day 14 | Cotonou | Travel to and tour Ouidah, an important traditional religious center and ancient slave depot. Visit the museum in the old Portuguese fort, the Voodoo Museum, the temple of pythons, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Kpasse sacred forest. Here you may witness a traditional voodoo ceremony featuring the spirits of departed ancestors. Early evening return to Cotonou. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Benin Marina Hotel or Similar | | Day 15 | Cotonou | This morning you will continue the tour of Cotonou including the international Dantokpa market, with its fetish stalls and craft center. Early afternoon travel to Ganvie, the stilt village on the water-the Venice of West Africa. You may take a pirogue excursion on the lagoon. Early evening return to Cotonou. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Hotel Du Lac or Similar | | Day 16 | Lome | Depart on a 2-hour drive to Lome, Togo, stopping at points of interest. Afternoon tour of Lome. Overnight in Lome. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Mercure Lome Sarakawa Hotel Lome or Similar | | Day 17 | Lome | After breakfast, depart for a tour of the Fetish Village and Fishing harbor. After lunch, visit the Lome Central Market (one of the largest open air markets in West Africa) Overnight in Lome. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Mercure Lome Sarakawa Hotel Lome or Similar | | Day 18 | Ho | Depart to Ho, the capital of Ghana's Volta Region. Visit Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary where sacred monkeys have live in harmony with the locals for centuries. Continue to Wli Waterfalls the highest in West Africa. Visit the Ho Museum and Kpetoe Kente Village. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Chances Hotel or Similar | | Day 19 | Accra | Depart to Accra where you will visit the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial, Independence Arch, and the W.E.B. Dubois Pan African Center. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at La-Palm Royal Beach Hotel or Similar | | Day 20 | Kumasi | Depart to Kumasi, the realm of the Ashanti Kingdom. You will stop at Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, which is the first commercial cocoa farm in Ghana. You will touch the actual Cocoa pods. Cocoa is Ghana's largest export and is used to blend some of the world's finest chocolates. Continue to Kumasi arriving early afternoon. Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom and has an intriguing history. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Four Villages Inn or Similar | | Day 21 | Kumasi | After breakfast, visit the Kumasi Central Market, the largest open-air market in West Africa, where more than 10,000 traders ply their wares. Continue with visits to the Ashanti craft villages starting with the Woodcarving Village of Ahwiaa, known for the talented craftsmen who fashion royal stools, walking sticks and fertility dolls. Our second stop is the village of Ntonso where Artisans hand-stamp patterns on cotton cloth to make Adinkra textiles that are worn for funerals and other solemn occasions. Our third village is Bonwire where the famous Kente cloth is handmade on looms, in a time-honored tradition passed down through generations. This afternoon, visit Manhiyia Palace, official residence of the Asantehene (Ashanti King) chief of the Ashanti people. Overnight in Kumasi. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Four Villages Inn or Similar | | Day 22 | Busua | This morning visit the home of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, the legendary female general who led Ashanti Armies against British Forces in 1900. Later, visit the Prempreh II Jubilee Museum, named for the former Asantehene (ruler of the Ashanti people), Nana Osei Agyeman Prempreh II. Exhibits include a replica of the famed Golden Stool, which is believed to have descended from the sky and is the spiritual symbol of the Ashanti people. This afternoon travel to Busua in Takoradi, the capital of Ghana's Western Region. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Busua Beach Resort or Similar | | Day 23 | Busua | A day of adventure is ahead. In the village of Beyin walk through reeds to a dug-out canoe where you will sail along the Amansuri Lagoon through lush vegetation to the village on stilts, Nzulezu. Interact with the villagers whose neighborhood is built on stilts over Lake Tandane. Return to the mainland and continue your journey at the Ankasa Forest Reserve for a walking tour of the pristine tropical rainforest. Learn about the many uses of the plants and discover a plant that is found only in Ghana. The secret of this unique plant will be revealed to you. Visit the Bamboo Cathedral and relax at the serene bamboo groove. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Busua Beach Resort or Similar | | Day 24 | Cape Coast | After breakfast, depart Busua Beach to Cape Coast. Tour Elmina Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site built in 1482. This castle was the first European structure in sub-Saharan Africa. After your visit to the castle, take a guided tour through the ancient town of Elmina. Observe the preparations for overnight fishing as the colorful fishing canoes are made ready to go out to sea. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at The Coconut Grove Beach Resort or Similar | | Day 25 | Cape Coast | Early morning drive to Kakum National Park, one of West Africa's surviving tropical rain forests. Extending over 360sq km, Kakum is the home to over 40 large mammals and 400 bird species as well as many species of butterflies, flora and fauna. The most popular attraction is the Canopy walkway, which is made up of seven bridges extending 330m, hanging 30m (100 feet) above the forest floor. Choose between a 2 km nature walk through this forest to discover the wide variety of exotic floral species and the medicinal values they offer, or take a walk on the canopy walkway. After lunch, the next leg of your journey is Cape Coast Castle and the Castle Museum. Cape Coast Castle is a restored UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was one of the departure points for Africans being sent to slavery in the Americas. The castle is home to the infamous Door of No Return. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at The Coconut Grove Beach Resort or Similar | | Day 26 | Acca | Today you will return to Accra. En-route, visit Fort Amsterdam at (Cormantin) and the village of Abandze, the ancestral home of Louis Armstrong, the famous American Jazz Musician. In Accra you will visit the National Cultural Center which features a variety of Ghanaian art forms. Time permitting you may visit the Arts & Crafts Market where you may test your bargaining and trading skills against the vendors. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at La-Palm Royal Beach Hotel or Similar | | Day 27 | Dakar | Today you will fly to Dakar, Senegal. This evening, with the assistance of your driver and guide decide on your activities. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Sofitel Teranga Dakar or Similar | | Day 28 | Dakar | Today take a short ferry cruise to visit the World Heritage Site of Goree Island. Stand in "The Door of No Return". The tour includes a visit to the ethnographic museum where the curator will narrate the past about the famous/infamous Goree Island. In the afternoon, go on a city tour of Metropolitan Dakar. Visit the colorful markets including Kermel Market, famous for a variety of medicinal herbs and traditional healers. Visit the National Art Gallery and the picturesque residential district of Medina. You will pass the colorful markets of Sandaga, Tiline and Kermel, famous for a variety of medicinal herbs and traditional healers, pass the Great Mosque, Independence Square and the shopping centers on Pompidou Avenue, the Presidential Palace, and the IFAN Museum, where a fine collection of West African masks is housed. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Sofitel Teranga Dakar or Similar | | Day 29 | Saint Louis | This morning travel to Pink Lake, a rare natural phenomena caused by a unique combination of micro-organism and high concentration of salts which gives the lake its unique pink colour. This is the locale where the yearly Paris to Dakar Motor Rally ends. Interact with the women harvesting salt and visit the nearby Fulani Village where you will be welcomed by the Chief and his wives. You may explore the dunes in 4x4 Vehicle. Continue to St. Louis, Senegal's former French Colonial capital. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at La Residence or Similar | | Day 30 | Saint Louis | This morning visit the Djoudj National Bird Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site which is considered one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the world. Situated on a major palearctic migratory route, this park is a paradise for bird enthusiasts. Some of the world's greatest concentrations of white pelicans and flamingos can be seen here: up to 10, 000 of each species. Enjoy a pirogue ride to better view the numerous bird species including cormorants, pelicans, ducks, flamingos, various songbirds among others. You may also see crocodiles, boas and wild boars. In the afternoon visit old colonial Saint Louis, which still has the appearance of an old provincial town - circa 1800's. Note the narrow streets flanked by houses with carved wooden balconies and verandas. This evening you Early evening you may visit the fishing village of Guet Ndar. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at La Residence or Similar | | Day 31 | Saly | With the assistance of your driver and guide, you will decide on today's activities. You may relax on the beach, or enjoy one of the many water sport activities available at the resort, visit the nearby Bandia Safari Park or visit a nearby village. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Bougainvilleas or Similar | | Day 32 | Dakar | With the assistance of your driver and guide, you will decide on today's activities. You may relax on the beach, or enjoy one of the many water sport activities available at the resort, visit the nearby Bandia Safari Park or visit a nearby village. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Dinner Overnight at Bougainvilleas or Similar | | Day 33 | Departure | Drive to Dakar, where you are transferred to the airport for your onward flight. Meal(s) Included: Breakfast |
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