The Akan Kingdoms
Twelve days from court to court through the Akan kingdoms, from Indénié and Sanwi in Côte d’Ivoire to the great Ashanti kingdom of Kumasi.
Overview
The Akan are one great people divided between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Their kingdoms share the language of the talking drums, the gold of the regalia, the stools and the tales of the ancestors, yet every court keeps its own character.
This journey visits them one after another, like the pages of a single book: the Indénié kingdom in Abengourou, the Baoulé court of Kondeyaokro with its Goli mask, the N’zima of Grand-Bassam, the Sanwi kingdom in Krindjabo, the Fante coast of the castles and, to finish, Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti kingdom. Between the courts, mask dances, fishing villages and the memory of the slave trade at Cape Coast and Elmina.
Twelve days on the ground: you fly into Abidjan and home from Accra.
Highlights
- Six royal courtsAniassué, Abengourou, Kondeyaokro, Grand-Bassam, Krindjabo and Kumasi, each visited with the protocol of its house.
- The Komian of AniassuéThe school of the priestesses and their possession dance.
- The Akoukoubè danceIn an Akan village between Abengourou and Yamoussoukro, before its king.
- The Goli at the Baoulé courtThe great Baoulé mask, danced in the royal courtyard of Kondeyaokro.
- Cape Coast and ElminaThe two slave-trade castles, both UNESCO World Heritage sites.
- KumasiManhyia Palace, the kente of Bonwire and the adinkra of Ntonso.
Itinerary
The Komian of Aniassué and the Indénié kingdom
Arrival in Abidjan, meet and greet at the airport and departure east through forest and plantations. In Aniassué the village king receives us, then we visit the school of the Komian, the traditional priestesses, who perform their dance for us.
On to Abengourou, capital of the Indénié kingdom and a great cocoa centre. A visit to the royal court, where the history of the kingdom and its regalia is presented to us.
Night in Abengourou, Hôtel Le Royaume or similar · Breakfast and dinner
An Akan king and the Akoukoubè dance
Departure for the centre of the country. On the way, a stop in an Akan village where we call on its king and watch the Akoukoubè, one of the liveliest expressions of the region’s culture.
Arrival in Yamoussoukro in the afternoon and check-in.
Night in Yamoussoukro, Hôtel des Parlementaires or similar · Breakfast and dinner
The Baoulé court of Kondeyaokro
In the morning, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, one of the largest churches in the world, consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1990.
Then Kondeyaokro, a Baoulé village. The Baoulé are Akan: tradition says they came from the old Ashanti kingdom, led by Queen Abla Pokou. In the courtyard of the royal court we watch the Goli, the great Baoulé mask dance, and meet the village weavers. At sunset, back in Yamoussoukro to see the sacred crocodiles of the presidential lake.
Night in Yamoussoukro, Hôtel des Parlementaires or similar · Breakfast and dinner
To the ocean
South to the coast on the northern motorway. Arrival in Grand-Bassam, the country’s first colonial capital, and check-in by the sea. Free afternoon on the beach.
Night in Grand-Bassam, La Madrague or similar · Breakfast and dinner
Grand-Bassam, the N’zima and Azuretti
A walk through the colonial quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its merchants’ houses and the old governor’s palace. A visit to the National Costume Museum and to the N’zima royal court, keeper of the town’s traditions.
In the afternoon, Azuretti, a fishing village between the lagoon and the sea, where the canoes come back from the catch.
If your trip coincides with the Abissa, the great annual festival of the N’zima, between October and November, we attend it: the king appears on his golden throne and the whole town dances before his court.
Night in Grand-Bassam, La Madrague or similar · Breakfast and dinner
The Sanwi kingdom
South-east through oil palm, rubber and cocoa plantations. In Krindjabo, capital of the Sanwi kingdom, a visit to the royal court, one of the oldest in the country, with its gold regalia.
Check-in in Aboisso, on the banks of the Bia river.
Night in Aboisso, Hôtel Le Rocher or similar · Breakfast and dinner
Ghana and the Fante coast
An early start for the border. After the formalities, along the Ghanaian coast to Fante country. In the afternoon, Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site: its dungeons and its Door of No Return tell the story of the slave trade as few places can.
Night in Elmina, Coconut Grove Beach Resort or similar · Breakfast and dinner
Elmina and the Kakum forest
A visit to St George’s Castle at Elmina, built by the Portuguese in 1482, and to its harbour, where hundreds of painted canoes fill the bay.
Then Kakum National Park and its canopy walkway, some 40 metres above the forest.
Night in Elmina, Coconut Grove Beach Resort or similar · Breakfast and dinner
To the Ashanti capital
Inland, with stops at villages and markets along the way. Arrival in Kumasi, the old capital of the Ashanti kingdom, known as the Garden City.
Night in Kumasi, True Vine Hotel or similar · Breakfast and dinner
The Ashanti kingdom
A visit to Manhyia Palace, residence of the Asantehene, king of the Ashanti, and its museum. In the afternoon, Bonwire, birthplace of kente, the woven cloth of kings, and Ntonso, where adinkra symbols are stamped by hand. To finish, Kejetia market, one of the largest in West Africa.
If the dates allow, we attend the Akwasidae festival, when the king receives his chiefs in public audience.
Night in Kumasi, True Vine Hotel or similar · Breakfast and dinner
To Accra
South to Ghana’s capital. Arrival in the afternoon and check-in.
Night in Accra, SSNIT Guest House or similar · Breakfast and dinner
Accra and departure
A city tour: the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial, honouring the father of independence, the old quarter of Jamestown and its lighthouse, Makola market and the arts centre. Transfer to the airport at the agreed time.
Breakfast · End of our services
The Abissa festival of Grand-Bassam
Once a year, the N’zima of Grand-Bassam celebrate the Abissa. The king appears on his golden throne, surrounded by his court; the women dance in their finest pagnes and bead necklaces, and the elder initiates, covered in white kaolin, open the dance.
What’s included
- English-speaking guide from start to finish
- Air-conditioned vehicle with driver, and all road transfers
- 11 hotel nights in a double room
- Half board: breakfasts and dinners
- Visits to the royal courts with their traditional protocol
- Komian, Akoukoubè and Goli dances
- Visits and entrance fees as listed, mineral water in the vehicle
Not included
- International flights
- Visas for Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and yellow fever vaccination, which is compulsory
- Travel and repatriation insurance
- Lunches and meals not listed, drinks
- Tips and personal expenses
Accommodation
| Stop | Hotel, or similar | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Abengourou | Hôtel Le Royaume | 1 |
| Yamoussoukro | Hôtel des Parlementaires | 2 |
| Grand-Bassam | La Madrague | 2 |
| Aboisso | Hôtel Le Rocher | 1 |
| Elmina | Coconut Grove Beach Resort | 2 |
| Kumasi | True Vine Hotel | 2 |
| Accra | SSNIT Guest House | 1 |
Good to know
Visiting the kings. Each court has its own protocol: a greeting, a customary gift and sometimes a libation. Your guide prepares it and explains how to behave. If a king is away on the day of the visit, one of his dignitaries receives us.
The Akwasidae festival. It is held every six weeks according to the Akan calendar. We give you the dates when we plan your trip.
Photography. At the royal courts and during the dances, ask before taking photos. Your guide will tell you when it is possible.
Two countries, two visas. Crossing the border at Noé and Elubo takes time. We help you with the formalities for both visas.
Request a quote
Tell us your dates and the number of travellers. We reply by email or WhatsApp, in English, with a detailed quote.