Africa and More

The Emorata This rite of passage is one of the most important Masai festivals - it marks the coming of age of Masai boys who are 12-25 years old. The planning for this ceremony itself takes two months. First, the boys must give away everything that they own. Then, on the day of the ceremony, the boys shave their heads and paint their faces with white chalk. They put on black cloaks and ostrich feather headdresses. Then, the village elders perform the initiation rights on each boy inside a small tent, where they are circumcised.The circumcision is done without anesthetic , which makes it quite painful. The boy must endure this pain in silence, and expressions of pain bring dishonor. The healing process takes about 3-4 months, and the boys much remain in black clothes for a period of 4-8 months. After this ritual is performed, the boys are now considered to be warriors. These warriors are in charge of the society's security, and during the drought season, both warriors and boys ar

Brief Story Of Dipo Passage Rite: Descriptions * The Krobo mark the passage of girls into womanhood by performing a series of rituals known as Dipo. * Dipo rites have been practiced since the eleventh century, and their popularity has not waned despite modern intrusions into traditional Ghanaian culture. * At the beginning of the Dipo ceremony, each initiate enters a ritual house, sheds her clothing, symbolic of childhood, and is dressed anew by her ritual mother. * The morning after shaving their heads, the initiates carry their calabashes to the river to bathe. The washing ceremony is a purification rite to cleanse the body and spirit. * After their ritual bathing, the girls are fed a special meal of water-yam porridge and palm-oil sauce prepared by their mothers. * The initiates are helped by priestesses. * The girls undergo inner and outer transformation with the help of specially appointed Dipo guardians. * The climax of the Dipo initiation ceremony is called the blessing

Main Tourist Sites of Elmina Elmina Town Many tourist visit the UNESCO world-heritage list protected St. George's Castle and the Fort Coenraadsburg, the main cultural heritage attractions in the area. These historical buildings have played significant roles in the interaction of Elmina and Ghana with European countries. Other historic tourist attractions in the town such as St. Joseph's Catholic Church building, St. Anne's Convent, the Methodist Chapel, Asafo Posts, and numerous historic merchant houses, rarely feature on the tourist's itinerary but are also worth visiting. Castle St George d'Elmina On 19th January 1482, 600 men lead by Don Diego d'Azambuja arrived in Elmina in twelve ships from Portugal to build the George's Castle. The site was strategically chosen at the rough cliffs at the tip of a peninsula bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Benya lagoon, creating natural protection while providing sheltered anchorage. In its earliest fo

Kibale Forest National Park Chimpanzee Trekking 77,600 ha  Kibale Forest National Park  connects to Queen Elizabeth National Park to form 180km of continuous protected lands, while Rwenzori Mountains and Semuliki National Parks and Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve are within an hour's drive from the park. Gazetted for protection in 1932 as a logged Forest Reserve, it was formally established as national park in 1993 . Lo cated on a plateau between 1,100m and 1,600masl the park is covered with some of the last pre-montain - mostly evergreen - tropical forests, interspersed with with patches of grassland and swamp. Since the park was created logging has ended and many non-native trees - like eucalyptus - have been removed, allowing the native forest to gradually grow back to a natural semi-primary status. spite of previous logging, the park still is incredibly rich in both flora and fauna. At least 250 species of trees are know int the park and as many as 70 mammal species call t

Get off the beaten track and into the hills, forests and villages that make up the 'Voodoo Trail' of West Africa for an immersive experience that few travellers get to have. Meet African royalty and witness tribal dancers fall into trance-like states as you enjoy an authentic cultural experience like no other. An expert CEO will guide you through the stunning landscape, helping with the cultural and lingual hurdles, ensuring you come away with deep insight into the origins of Africa’s mystical animist religions. This is a truly mind-blowing experience. Interested? Itinerary Day 1 Lomé There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting. Included Activities: Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting Transport: Private Vehicle Day 2 Lomé/Kpalimé (1B) Enjoy a city tour including visit to the central market, colonial buildings, and the fetish market. The central market is home to the 'Nana Benz', selling the colourful fabric synonymous wit

Mount Afadjato is the highest mountain in Ghana, at an altitude of 885m(2,905ft). The mountain is located in the Agmatsa Range and runs along the Ghana-Togo border near the village of Liati Wote and Gbledi. Mount Afadjato on a clear day offers views of the neighboring villages , the Tagbo waterfalls and the Volta Lake. From the peak , visitors can enjoy fantastic panoramic views of surrounding villages , forests , mountains , valleys and Volta Lake which are all visible from the summit. Afadjato is covered with tropical forests , and has a varied range of flora and fauna. Over 300 species of butterflies and 33 species of mammals have been recorded. Mona and spot-nosed monkeys are also seen regularly. Also in Gbledi is mount Aduadu , the peak is not considered to be the highest mountain because it is located on top of another mountain. Apart from the mountain range , there are chalk caves at Hekpome on the Gbledi-Chebi side of the Agumatsa Range.