Tapestry Experience

Arrive in Accra, Ghana where you will be met at the airport by your guide and chauffeur and transferred to your hotel for check in. Overnight at a hotel in Accra. Meals Included: Dinner.

This day is dedicated to visiting the Coffin Makers Shop at Teshie (a suburb of Accra) where you will experience how wood coffins are carved by hand into exquisite designs, representative of the occupation, interest or hobby of the deceased. You will also explore the Omanye art gallery, one of the most renowned art venues in Accra. There are three expansive floors of art displayed in cool marble galleries established by artists such as Owusu Ankomah and George Hughes, whose paintings are reminiscent of Jean Michel Basquiat and Willem De Kooning. Visit Gallery 1957, named after the year Ghana gained independence, the gallery offers contemporary art with a focus on West Africa.

Enjoy your morning meal and visit the Kokrobitey Institute which supports development in Ghana by facilitating projects and programs that demonstrate the intersections between art, culture, design, health, sustainability, literacy, and development through education. Kokrobitey Institute creates opportunities for international groups to live and learn, experiencing the challenges and excitement of navigating between the worlds of the traditional cultures and that of the emerging market economy. Participants explore ways in which art, design and the environment support development through product, performance, and discourse. Renee, the organization’s founder, will tell the group about the impressive work they do and participants will get hands-on experience with some of their initiatives – learning step-by-step how to make one of the following; recycled glass items using innovative techniques, batik, tie & dye, basket weaving, drum & dance, plastic & wooden art and jewelry. Overnight at Kokrobite Institute. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

SLAVE DUNGEONS (CAPE COAST CASTLE – ELMINA CASTLE) Depart Kokrobite early in the morning to Cape Coast, a port town that was a center for Asante traders and the British commercial and administrative capital for more than 200 years. Embark on a tour of the infamous Forts, Castles and Slave Dungeons of Ghana. History will unfold the story of the slave trade which the impact is still felt beyond the shores of Africa today. Visit the Cape Coast Castle built by the Swedes in 1653 and was later taken over by the British. This castle also houses the West African Historical Museum established by the Smithsonian Institute in collaboration with the Ghanaian Government in 1994. Visit the Elmina Castle built by the Portuguese in 1482 and also known as St. George’s Castle afterwards. This castle was the first European structure built in Sub – Saharan Africa. The colorful harbor nestled below the Elmina Castle, full of pirogues preparing to go to sea offers one of West Africa’s greatest photo opportunities. Overnight at a hotel in Cape Coast / Elmina. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner. Join the group for “kasa” (talk time). Kasa provides an opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share impressions of the tour experience. Kasa discussions are led by your tour leader or tour guide. (This activity is optional).

This day will be spent at the Global Mamas Cultural Workshop to explore the fragrant and exotic flavors of West African cuisine in Auntie Esi’s kitchen where you will be introduced to an array of new tastes and flavours as you learn how to create authentic Ghanaian dishes. Using African cooking techniques, you will create traditional dishes like jollof, fufu, groundnut soup, fried plantain, palava sauce and red red. After learning the recipes, you will enjoy eating the feast you’ve helped to prepare. Afterwards, discover the art and beauty of African batik and get a glimpse into the life of a local artisan as you work side-by-side during this four-hour class. You’ll join a Global Mamas’ batiker in her workshop to learn the traditional techniques of batik production using wax and dye to create colorful patterns – to make your own one-of-a-kind fabric. Afterwards, take your two yards of handiwork home to sew into a finished product that will always have a special place in your home or wardrobe. Overnight at a hotel in Cape Coast / Elmina. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

Take a drive through the southern forest zone to Kumasi, the seat of the Ashanti Empire. En route, stop at Assin Manso to visit the site of “DonkorNsuo”, the former Slave River and market, the final transit point for a large number of enslaved Africans. This is the final resting place for two ancestors whose mortal remains were returned from the USA and Jamaica and re-interred there. Continue your drive to Kumasi. Overnight at a hotel in Kumasi. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

This day is devoted to visiting the three famous Ashanti craft villages namely; Ahwiaa, the woodcarvers’ village, Ntonso, the home of Adinkra cloth, and Bonwire, the Kente weaving village. You will have an opportunity to see how African crafts are made and to buy directly from the artisans who make them. Overnight at a hotel in Kumasi. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner. Join the group for “kasa” (talk time). Kasa provides an opportunity to learn more about Ghanaian culture or simply talk to each other and share impressions of the tour experience. Kasa discussions are led by your tour leader or tour guide. (This activity is optional).

Depart to Accra after the morning meal and visit the Arts Centre where you will have an opportunity to use your bargaining skills to shop from an open-air market for artifacts from Ghana and West Africa. Overnight at a hotel in Accra. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.

Spend the morning at leisure soaking up some rays by the pool or cool down in the outdoor swimming pool. Later in the day, take a drive through the city to the Afrochella Festival. Afrochella is a festival designed to highlight & elevate thrilling and thriving millennial talent from and within Africa. The festival is an interactive event that encourages collaboration, explains and explores culture with a pioneering approach. This day features a festive celebration of our culture in the form of: Art & Fashion Installations, Live painting, The Best of African Cuisine and Live performances. The festival’s purpose is to tell the New Africa story from a native’s perspective. All aspects of the festival from the theme to the production are an ode to the ingenuity and available services in Africa. Overnight at a hotel in Accra. Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner.