Spirit Trails
Eleven days from the Akan kingdoms of the east to Senoufo and Dan country, with nine ceremonies held in their own villages.
Overview
This is our most complete journey through Côte d’Ivoire: from the Akan kingdoms of the east to Senoufo country in the north and Dan country in the west. Nine ceremonies are arranged for your group: the Komian, the Akoukoubè, the Goli, the Boloye, the Wambelé masks, the fire-eaters of the Djinagoro, the Ngoron, the Guegbin stilt dancers and the Zaouli. And a meeting with the Dozo, the brotherhood of traditional hunters of the north.
None of this is staged for tourists. These are living ceremonies, held in their own villages, which we arrange in advance with chiefs, priests and families of initiates we know personally. Our guide takes care of the protocol, the greetings and the customary offerings.
Eleven days from landing in Abidjan to your flight home, with three nights in Korhogo to take Senoufo country at an unhurried pace.
Highlights
- The Komian of AniassuéThe school where the priestesses are trained, and an audience at the royal court of Aniassué.
- The sacred lake of SôkôtêAn Agni place of worship near Bongouanou, where tradition is still very much alive.
- Three days in Senoufo countryThe Boloye, the Wambelé masks, the weavers of Waraniéné and the fire dance of the Djinagoro.
- The Dozo of BoundialiThe hunters’ brotherhood, keepers of the knowledge of the savannah.
- The GuegbinThe Dan mask that dances on stilts, several metres above the ground.
- The ZaouliThe Gouro dance inscribed by UNESCO, in Bouaflé.
Itinerary
The itinerary describes the Comfort option. Differences for the Essential option are shown on days 3, 6, 7 and 8.
Arrival in Abidjan
Meet and greet outside the terminal, assistance with formalities and private transfer to your hotel. Briefing with your guide: the pace of the days, protocol in the villages, photography rules during ceremonies and practical advice.
Night in Abidjan, Azalaï Hotel or similar · Dinner
The Komian and the royal court of Aniassué
East to the Indénié kingdom. In Aniassué, a visit to the school where Komian priestesses are trained. The shrine is visited with the community’s permission, and the ritual Komian dance is held for your group. Audience at the royal court of Aniassué.
In the afternoon, in Abengourou, the museum of royal regalia, which keeps the insignia of power and the treasure of the Indénié dynasty.
Night in Abengourou, Hôtel Le Royaume or similar · Full board
The Akoukoubè and the sacred lake of Sôkôtê
Towards the political capital. In the village of Bocassi, a traditional welcome ritual and the Akoukoubè, the dance of this region. In Bongouanou, in Agni country, a visit to the sacred lake of Sôkôtê, then lunch. Arrival in Yamoussoukro in mid-afternoon, with time to rest.
Essential option: no ceremony in Bocassi. The sacred lake of Sôkôtê is kept.
Night in Yamoussoukro, Hôtel Président or similar · Full board
The Goli and the potters of Mangoro
An early start north. In the weaving village of Kondeyaokro, the dance of the Goli masks and a visit to the sacred grove. A stop in Mangoro with the traditional potters, who shape their pots without a wheel, by a skill passed from mother to daughter.
Arrival in Korhogo, capital of Senoufo country, in the late afternoon.
Night in Korhogo, Iris Mont Korhogo or similar · Full board
Shea butter, weavers and the Boloye
In the morning, a women’s cooperative that makes shea butter, from gathering the nuts to pressing. Then the village of Waraniéné and its weavers, who work the painted cloths of Korhogo on the traditional loom.
In the afternoon, the panther dance, the Boloye, performed by the young initiates of the Poro, the Senoufo initiation society.
Night in Korhogo, Iris Mont Korhogo or similar · Full board
The Wambelé and the fire dance
In the morning, the sacred rock of Shienlow, an animist shrine where offerings are made. In the afternoon, the mystical dance of the Wambelé masks.
At nightfall, in the village of Nawalakaha, the dance of the fire-eaters, the Djinagoro.
Essential option: no Wambelé mask dance. The Shienlow rock and the Djinagoro are kept.
Night in Korhogo, Iris Mont Korhogo or similar · Full board
Niofoin, the Dozo and the Ngoron
An early start north-west. In Niofoin, the village and its fetish house with its tiered thatched roofs. In Boundiali, a meeting with the Dozo, the brotherhood of traditional hunters, keepers of the knowledge of the savannah.
In the village of Ndara, the Ngoron, the initiation dance of young girls, with a display of mastery over fire. On to Odienné, capital of Malinké country, at the gateway to the western mountains.
Essential option: no meeting with the Dozo and no stop in Ndara. Niofoin is kept.
Night in Odienné, Hôtel Les Frontières or similar · Full board
Gboni and the stilt mask
To Man, capital of Yacouba (Dan) country, among mountains and forest. In the Zaala area, the village of Gboni and its mud and thatch huts. If the elders give their permission, you enter the sacred forest for an ancestral ritual.
The Guegbin, in which the masked dancer moves several metres above the ground, and a dance of Dan masks. Back in Man, weather permitting, the waterfalls at the foot of Mount Tonkoui.
Essential option: no sacred forest ritual and no Dan mask dance. The village of Gboni and the Guegbin are kept.
Night in Man, Hôtel Beau Séjour or similar · Full board
The Zaouli of Bouaflé
East to Bouaflé, in Gouro country, for the Zaouli, inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The mask is carved for a single dancer, the steps take years to learn, and the feet move faster than the eye can follow. Arrival in Yamoussoukro at sunset.
Night in Yamoussoukro, Hôtel Président or similar · Full board
The basilica and the sacred crocodiles
The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, one of the largest churches in the world, and the lake of the sacred crocodiles beside the presidential palace. A tour of the city, planned as a capital in the home village of the country’s first president. Lunch and return to Abidjan on the motorway.
Night in Abidjan, Azalaï Hotel or similar · Breakfast and lunch
Abidjan and departure
A drive through Cocody and its views over the Ébrié lagoon, the Plateau and St Paul’s Cathedral. A visit to the Abidjan craft centre (CAVA), where carvers, weavers and goldsmiths from all over the country work; your guide will advise you on quality and prices. Lunch and transfer to the airport in time for your flight.
Breakfast and lunch · End of our services
What’s included
- Osmosis Akan guide from start to finish
- Air-conditioned vehicle sized to the group (minibus or Coaster), driver, fuel and tolls
- 10 hotel nights
- Comfort: full board from dinner on day 1 to lunch on day 11, except dinner on day 10. Essential: breakfasts and lunches
- The ceremonies in the programme, nine in Comfort and six in Essential, with the protocol and offerings to the villages
- Visits and entrance fees as listed
- Accommodation and meals for the guide and the driver
Not included
- International flights
- Visa and yellow fever vaccination, which is compulsory
- Travel and repatriation insurance
- Drinks, dinner on day 10 and, in Essential, dinners
- Tips and personal expenses
Accommodation
| Stop | Hotel, or similar | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Abidjan | Azalaï Hotel | 2 |
| Abengourou | Hôtel Le Royaume | 1 |
| Yamoussoukro | Hôtel Président | 2 |
| Korhogo | Iris Mont Korhogo | 3 |
| Odienné | Hôtel Les Frontières | 1 |
| Man | Hôtel Beau Séjour | 1 |
Hotels for the Comfort option. Essential: Hôtel Détente in Abidjan and Royal Hotel in Yamoussoukro; all others unchanged.
Good to know
Ceremonies, not shows. A death, a funeral or an initiation period takes precedence over visitors and can prevent a ceremony on the day. When that happens we replace it with another of equal standing, at no extra cost. The royal audience in Aniassué depends on the king being present; if it is not possible, a reception by the court takes its place.
Photography. Some rites may not be photographed. Your guide will tell you at every moment when it is allowed and when it is not.
Sacred places. The shrine of Aniassué, the lake of Sôkôtê and the sacred forest of Gboni are visited only with the permission of the community and the elders.
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