Border information: if you are joining in Accra, then you will most likely enter Ghana at Accra Kotoka International Airport (IATA code: ACC).
There will be an important group meeting at 10:00am at the joining hotel - please look out at the hotel reception for a note from your leader with more details about this important meeting. Your leader will collect your kitty and check your passport, visas, and insurance details at this meeting.
The afternoon will be free to explore the city of Accra.
Please note that many of the options listed below will only be possible for those with extra time in Accra before the start of your trip with us - please contact the Sales team if you would like to book pre-tour accommodation with us to have extra time exploring Accra.
Leaving Accra behind us, we journey north through Ghana's interior to the historic town of Kumasi.
Today, we will have lots of time for free exploration of the fascinating town and its museums. Kumasi is the home of West Africa's largest market and was the centre of the Ashanti Kingdom.
Today we will drive south to the rainforests of Kakum NP. On arrival we will head out on an included evening walk through the forests in search of wildlife, bugs and snakes! We may also have the chance to visit a small animal sancutary en route.
Today we have an early start with an included morning visit to the Kakum NP canopy walkways. These are a long series of hanging bridges at the forest canopy level that gives us a unique perspective of the rainforest - and at that time of the morning we will have the place to ourselves!
We will then head back south to the Atlantic coast and into Cape Coast for a fascinating and moving tour of the old slave fort there.
We will then move to our stunning beach resort in Brenu Akynin near the town of Elmina.
Today, we will get involved with community projects currently being run in the Elmina area by the SABRE Charitable Trust. The Trust does very valuable work in developing educational projects across Ghana, with a focus on providing early-years education - we have been visiting their projects and providing a day of help and a donation for many years, allowing us to give a little back and to experience a wonderful bit of community interaction. The exact experience will depend on what the Trust has a need for at the time, but we could be asked to help to paint a classroom, do a bit of gardening in one of the schools, or simply come and play some games with the children!
We will also have time for an optional visit to Elmina Castle and to relax on the beautiful beaches on Ghana's Atlantic Coast.
Border information: Exit Ghana at Elubo, enter Côte d'Ivoire at Elubo.
Today we will follow the Atlantic coast and cross into Côte d'Ivoire, arriving at the old French colonial capital of Grand Bassam situated east of Abidjan.
Today we will have free time to explore the old colonial town.
Our final day in Grand Bassam is the perfect day to relax on the beautiful beaches around our hotel.
Today we will drive to Yamoussoukro, the tiny and bizarre capital of Côte d'Ivoire. Yamoussoukro was the birthplace of Felix Houphouët-Boigny, the first president of independent Côte d'Ivoire, and is also the unusual location of the colossal and breathtaking Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, the largest Christian church in the world.
In the afternoon we will have an included visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, and then have free time to further explore the small city.
Today we will drive through the lush countryside to the northern Ivorian town of Korhogo, famed for the multitude of crafts that are made there.
Today, we will head out on an included tour around many of the handicraft workshops in the area, visiting painters, bead makers, wood carvers and cloth weavers. We will also have time to freely explore the town and its surroundings.
Over the next 2 days, we will drive through central Cote d'Ivoire and then cross its western border into Guinea. This journey will take us through some very remote areas and some very poor-quality dirt roads, so a great deal of flexibility is needed as our progress will largely be determined by the state of the roads.
Today we continue our journey through the wilds of Cote d'Ivoire. It is on days like this when you get to see just how untamed this area is and appreiciate how lucky you are to get a taste of life here.
Border information: Exit Côte d'Ivoire at Gbapleu, enter Guinea at Gbakoré.
Today we will cross the border into Guinea arriving in the small far-eastern town of Nzerekoré in the heart of Guinea's Forest Region.
Today, we will have free time to relax after our journey and explore the town, the nearby villages, and the surrounding forests.
Over the next 2 days we will travel through the central region of Guinea, stopping for a night in one of the towns en route (depending on how the drive goes, this may be Macenta or Guéckédou), and then arriving at Faranah near the Sierra Leonean border. En route we will stop to visit one of the region's famous vine bridges (Pont de Liana).
We will arrive at the small Guinean town of Faranah today.
The road conditions in this area can be pretty tough going and unpredictable, and progress can be greatly affected by the weather conditions, so flexibility is very important over these days.
Border information: Exit Guinea and enter Sierra Leone at Gberia-Fotombu.
The next 2 days are spent travelling from Guinea over to Sierra Leone through the remote border near Kabala, driving through scenic areas very rarely visited by tourists.
The road conditions in this area can be pretty tough going and unpredictable, and progress can be greatly affected by the weather conditions, so flexibility is very important over these days.
Kabala is famous for a being an oasis of cool air in the hills of northern Sierra Leone, and for its traditional Ronko-dyed clothes - shirts or gowns made of strips of cloth, typically dyed a rusty reddish-brown using local pigments. We will have free time to explore the area on arrival.
Today we will reach Kabala and should have the afternoon free to wander the twon or climb the famous Gbawuria Hill.
Today we start our journey south through Sierra Leone towards the Tiwai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Today we will arrive at the Tiwai Island Sanctuary, one of Sierra Leone's largest inland islands.
Today, we will enjoy various nature walks through the web of trails that weave through the Tiwai forest. We'll be in search of the rare and colourful primates that inhabit the sanctuary, and if we're very lucky we may spot a very rare pygmy hippo!
Today we have a full day drive across Sierra Leone to the stunning beaches of the Freetown Peninsular, where we will spend 3 nights.
There are a few different options for which beaches we could choose to visit, our favourites being Bureh Beach at the south of the peninsular and River Number 2 Beach in the western part.
On the beaches there will the be chance to go fishing, take a boat to explore the Banana Islands, get to know the local communities, and of course relax on the beautiful beaches!
We will have 2 full days for optional activities on the wonderful beaches - we could go fishing, take a boat to explore the Banana Islands, get to know the local communities, and of course relax on the beautiful beaches!
Our final day on this beautiful beach we make the most of this time to relax before the journey continues.
Today we will have a short drive up the western side of the Freetown Peninsular to arrive in the Aberdeen district of the city of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.
We will have plenty of time to head out and explore the sites in and around Freetown, before heading out for a final group meal together!
Border information: if you are joining in Freetown, you will most likely enter Sierra Leone at Freetown Lungi International Airport (IATA code: FNA).There will be an important group meeting at 10:00am at the joining hotel - please look out at the hotel reception for a note from your leader with more details about this important meeting. Your leader will collect your kitty and check your passport, visas, and insurance details at this meeting.The afternoon will be free to explore Freetown and it's surroundings.Please note that many of the options listed below will only be possible for those with extra time in Freetown before the start of your trip with us - please contact the Sales team if you would like to book pre-tour accommodation with us to have extra time exploring Freetown.The fastest and most reliable way to Freetown from the airport is by water-taxi, as Lungi is across a bay from the city. The departure times for the water-taxis are linked to each flight in and out of the airport, so there will be transport available for you when you land. Exit the airport and walk to the right, and you'll see the water-taxi office at the end - you'll have to buy your ticket there for USD40 or EUR35, and check in your large bags. You'll take a minibus for 15 minutes, then the water-taxi for 30 minutes. The boat lands at the jetty, where you hand in your luggage ticket to get your large bags back.The jetty is in the Aberdeen district of Freetown, only a 200m walk from our hotel. Just walk up the hill to the main road - the Raza Guesthouse is slightly further down and on the other side of the road.
Today we leave Freetown for the stunning beaches of Freetown Peninsular, where we will spend 2 nights.
There are a few different options for which beaches we could choose to visit, our favourites being Bureh Beach at the south of the peninsular and River Number 2 Beach in the western part.
We will have a full day for optional activities on the wonderful beaches - we could go fishing, take a boat to explore the Banana Islands, get to know the local communities, and of course relax on the beautiful beaches!
Border information: Exit Sierra Leone at Kindia, enter Guinea at Pamalap.
Today we will head north from Freetown Peninsular and cross into Guinea. Our co-driver will leave the truck this evening and take local transport to Conakry in order to obtain Guinea-Bissau visas for the group at the consulate there.
The rest of us will continue a short way past the town of Coyah and wild camp en route.
Over the next 2 days we will continue our journey north through central Guinea to reach the town of Labé, the gateway to the Fouta Djallon highland region. Our co-driver will catch up with us in Labé, with everybody's Guinea-Bissau visa obtained.
Today we continue our drive and find ourselves another stunning wild camp ready to reach Labe tomorrow.
From Labé we will set off for an included 2-day excursion to the heart of the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea.
On the first day we will travel in 4x4 jeeps through very remote country roads to the small rural community of Aïnguel (approximately a 4 hour drive). After lunch there will be a short 3-hour trek to a waterfall viewpoint and to the nearby 'Pont de Pierre' rock bridge where we have the change to swim in a beautiful natural lagoon.
On this night we will stay in a very small and basic community-run guesthouse - please note that if the group is large, some people may need to sleep in tents just outside.
On the second day there is a long 8-hour trek through the surrounding hills and villages taking in the incredible scenery. We will stop for a picnic lunch next to a stunning waterfall, where we have the opportunity to swim in the lagoon beneath. In the latter stages of the trek, we hope to be able to get to the base of a much larger and incredibly powerful waterfall, although this is dependent on the ground waters having receded enough after the rainy season to make this route passable.
Upon returning after this walk, we will immediately drive back in the 4x4s to Labé to spend the night in our guesthouse there.
From Labé we journey up through the remote hilly areas of northern Guinea on our way towards Guinea-Bissau. The roads on this section are very challenging dirt roads which take us through some incredibly remote areas, and our speed will largely be determined by the state of these roads - although getting to these areas is very special and a great adventure, even more flexibility will be required on these days!
We will stop for 2 wild camps en route - the first is likely to be in the highlands before the village of Seriba, the second is likely to be near the border with Guinea-Bissau at Kandika.
Our journey towards Guinea-Bissau continues today. Enjoy driving through small towns and villages where you can see life happening all around you as you head through the country.
Border information: Exit Guinea at Kandika, enter Guinea-Bissau at Kandika.
Today we will drive across the border into the very rarely-visited country of Guinea-Bissau, and drive to its capital of Bissau.
Today, we will have time to freely explore the city and the old Portuguese centre of Bissau Velho.
Border information: Exit Guinea-Bissau at Sao Domingos, enter Senegal at Mpack.
Today we will journey through western Guinea-Bissau and cross the border into the southern Casamance region of Senegal, arriving at the beautiful beaches of Cap Skirring.
We will have 2 full days in Cap Skirring, where there will be good opportunities for optional activities such as swimming, biking, fishing, quad-biking and sun-bathing!
On our final day here we can continue to enjoy the activities on offer, relax and recharge ready for the journey ahead.
Border information: Exit Senegal at Senoba, enter The Gambia at Soma.
Today we will head across the border from Senegal into the small country of The Gambia, and head to the famous Tendaba Camp on the southern shore of the Gambia River. Tendaba Camp was the first inland hotel in The Gambia, and is one of the most popular spots in the country for birdwatchers.
Tendaba is located opposite the Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve, one of the premier birdwatching sites in Africa. On our full day here we will have an included morning boat trip into the wetlands to spot some of the stunning area's wildlife and natural scenery. We will also have an opportunity to take an optional safari drive around the nearby forests of Kiang West NP.
Border information: Exit The Gambia at Fass, enter Senegal at Karang.Today we cross the Gambia River on a local transport barge and cross the border into the main part of Senegal, heading to the small town of Toubakouta, situated close to the stunning wetlands of the Sine-Saloum Delta. The ferry can be quite a chaotic local experience!
On our full day in Toubakouta we will have an optional morning pirogue trip to a nearby village to see a slice of rural Senegalese life and to meet their charismatic female chief. In the afternoon we have an included pirogue trip to the mangroves, the 'Shellfish Island' and the 'Island of Birds' - if the weather is good, there are often some stunning sunsets across the delta.
Today we head north through Senegal to the old colonial city of St. Louis, formerly the capital of French West Africa. On the way we will see the landscape change as we enter the drier Sahel region, and we will stop to see the Grand Mosque of Touba, one of the best known mosques in Senegal and most holy site in the Mouride branch of Islam.
Today we will have a free day to explore the streets of the old city and take an optional trip to the Langue de Barbarie NP or the nearby Djoudj Birdlife Reserve.
Today our overland journey takes us south to Dakar, the bustling capital of Senegal and the most western point in Africa.
Border information: if you are leaving at Dakar, you will most likely exit Senegal at Dakar Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport (IATA code: DKR). Today is the end day for passengers finishing their trip in Dakar, and is a free day to explore the cosmopolitan city and perhaps take an optional trip to the famous Île de Goree.Today is the end day for passengers finishing their trip in Dakar. Please note there is no accommodation included on the trip tonight - please contact the Sales Team if you are interested in booking extra nights of accommodation in order to fully explore and take part in some of the optional activities listed below.
