A very underwhelming experience
If you’ve watched the 2022 film, The Woman King, starring Viola Davis, you’ll know the Agojie were the all-woman fighting force of Abomey, the capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey between the 17th and 19th centuries. The 6,000-strong force, raided villages under the cover of darkness, took captives and slashed off resisters’ heads to present […]…
Underwhelming holes and trees
When travelling, I’ve often been advised to cover legs, shoulders or head, but never to avoid wearing red. However, on a visit to the underground village of Souterrain Agongointo-Zoungoudo in Benin, our guidebook suggested avoiding the colour for ritual reasons. The village was discovered as recently as February 1998, during the construction of a ring […]…
The mysterious Zangbeto
After two underwhelming experiences whilst sightseeing near the Benin city of Abomey, we hoped our guide’s surprise, a Zangbeto show, wouldn’t disappoint. We’d learned that Zangbeto are traditional voodoo guardians of the night who act as informal police, and we’d seen their costumes whilst visiting the capital Porto Novo. However, nothing prepared us for what […]…
Is 60 too old to go on an adventurous safari?
Find out why age is just a number when it comes to adventurous safari. Discover destinations for safari holidays for solo travellers over 60….
One of Ghana’s largest slave forts
Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO site, is one of around forty slave castles, or large commercial forts, built on the Gold Coast, now Ghana, by European traders. From here slaves remained before being shipped, with this castle holding more enslaved Africans than any other in West Africa. We were warned not to give our names […]…
A tour aimed at Afro-Americans
After a non-stop, three-hour journey we arrived at Assin Manso Ancestral Slave River Park, one of Ghana’s largest markets during the infamous trans-Atlantic slave trade. A panel of murals greeted us at the entrance, depicting various aspects from slave raiding to transportation and despite stiff limbs, we were immediately tagged on to a group of […]…
Not quite the luxury we hoped for
The Ridge Royal Hotel on Ghana’s Cape Coast was the final stop on our three-week tour of West Africa, and having looked at the website, we anticipated a little luxury before moving on to the beach. This was a huge, two-storey hotel set around a central area and due to its design, our standard room, […]…
A bustling fishing market and slave castle
Elmina fishing market Elmina, a fishing port on Ghana’s southern coast, is known for its role in the former transatlantic slave trade. A bridge overlooking the harbour area provided a bird’s-eye view of the seething mass of pirogues and people. The market looked impenetrable, but our guide skillfully steered us through the crowds where all […]…
Creating a beautiful batik tablecloth
Although I had a vague notion of what batik was, a workshop in Ghana’s fishing port Elmina, not only allowed us to understand the process, but create a piece of cloth. The event was run by the Global Mamas Community, founded in 2003. Their mission is to create not just financial prosperity for African women […]…
Surviving the Kakum Canopy Walk
Kakum National Park is one of Ghana’s most visited attractions, due to its canopy walkway which towers over a tropical rainforest of virgin hardwood trees, including ebony and mahogany. The 350m long walkway is made up of seven suspension bridges, and at a height of up to 40m, they provide a unique vantage point. On […]…
A memorable stay, but not necessarily for the right reasons
We stayed for three nights at the Noda Hotel whilst sightseeing around Kumasi in Central Ghana. Fortunately the hotel was located on the outskirts of Kumasi, and set back off a busy main road: Bradt refers to it as ‘one of the most hectic cities we’ve encountered anywhere in Africa, with surging throngs of humanity […]…
The most bizzare beach resort I’ve ever stayed in
After a full-on, three-week tour of Ghana, Togo and Benin, we looked forward to sun, sand, sea and relaxation at Brenu Beach Lodge, around a three-hour drive from Accra with the final 30 minutes being down a rutted track. On arrival there was a distinct lack of formalities: our vehicle was met, and our bags […]…
