• Arrival at Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
• Greeted by guide and driver from Ashanti African Tours.
• Swift transfer to hotel for check-in and relaxation.
• Akwaaba welcome dinner with delicious African cuisine.
• Relax and enjoy an evening meal.

Accommodation – In Accra

• The first morning in Ghana and the bustling city of Accra.
• Plastic globally is a huge issue and especially in Africa. Due to the need of clean drinking water many African countries use plastic water sachets. Trashy Bags Africa are fighting this plastic menace head on.  An informative tour of their facility, seeing their team in action, including the entire process from collection, cleaning to product manufacturing whilst learning the positive impact they are having.
• From here, pass through Black Star Gate that serves as a monument honoring Ghana’s 1957 independence from British colonial rule.
• Close by, visit Independence Square, before heading towards Elmina, stopping for lunch on route.
• The journey continues heading to meet the Kayaks
• Head down the coastal road, come to a lagoon where the students will split into 4 teams for some fun and team building.
• The last 5km of the ourney will be on water and the teams battle to make it to the beach first. The lagoon is beautiful, and the water is only an average of 3 to 4 feet deep.
• A short walk through the fishing community of Brenu Akyinim, meeting local fishermen and families bringing in their daily catch.
• On arrival at thebeach front accommodation, reshen up and welcome a local traditional drumming and dance troupe who will be teaching us the basics of Djembe drumming and dance.
• Dinner is taken on the beach overlooking the beautiful Gold Coast of Western Africa.
• A wonderful evening is spent on the beach around a bonfire discussing the adventures and listening to Ghanaian music.

Accommodation – Brenu Beach Resort in Brenu Akyinim

• Time to head to the jungle! This morning, head West almost touching the border of Ivory Coast setting off to Ghana’s best, pristine and only wet evergreen rainforest at Ankasa Reserve.
• Approaching the village on the main road branching to the forest the bikes will be waiting.
• The final part of the journey will be by bike,
• The bike ride should take just over an hour, approaching the entrance to the forest, find the accommodation set in a stunning location along the Ankasa River that acts as the boundary of the reserve.
• Time to set tents up that will be the accommodation for the next few days relaxing and acclimatise ourselves.
• An early night in preparation of the project work starting tomorrow.

Accommodation – Camping in Ankasa Reserve Lodge

• Over the next 3 full days, students will be involved in their schools chosen projects, supported and guided by the local team.
• Alternatively, there are many needs of the local community and schools and the exact project the students will be involved in will be determined prior to arriving in Ghana and based on the current needs of the projects.

Accommodation – Camping in Ankasa Reserve Lodge

• A relaxed breakfast at the lodge after the previous day’s exertions during the project service work.
• Prior to leaving this beautiful location, head to the village and meet one of the local families that have been farming cocoa for generations.
• This is where the chocolate process starts.
• A visit to one of the local cocoa farms is a must setting off with one of the families.
• During time at the farm, see the entire harvesting process, hear how the children use the unripe cocoa as their local sweets (not tasting one would be rude) and also learn how locals use the cocoa pods to make black soap amongst other uses.
• Walking back through the community, visit the local gari processors and get to try making this local delicacy.
• Time to say goodbye to Ankasa and the lodge team, and head back to the Central Region of Ghana stopping on route for lunch in Takoradi.
• The aim is to arrive in Brenu Akyinim in the early afternoon for a full afternoon of beach relaxation, games like beach volleyball, football, rugby, badminton and more.
• Dinner will be taken on the stunning beach overlooking the gold coast of West Africa.

Accommodation – Brenu Beach Resort in Brenu Akyinim

• A great way to leave a positive impact before heading home would be a pre breakfast beach clean.
• An early start as dedicating 2 hours walking this stunning beach front, picking any plastics or waste found washed up on shore.
• Plastics collected will be donated to Trashy bags and put to good use.
• After a well-deserved relaxed breakfast, head to Cape Coast Castle, which has been designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
• Quality time will be spent in the late morning on an emotional journey touring this castle which held more enslaved Africans captive than any other in West Africa, viewing the dungeons and the infamous “Door of no return”.
• There is a historical museum inside, which explains the entire history of the castle and Cape Coast itself, as well as a souvenir shop selling literature on all of Ghana’s forts and castles, as well as the cultural history and traditions of Ghana.
• A short walk to lunch at the Baobab Children Foundation.
• This wonderful NGO are focused on helping children who have not attended school, have left school early and children with disabilities help themselves to a better life.
• The afternoon is spent immersing into true African art during a traditional batik making workshop with Global Mamas.
• Joining a local artisan in his/her workshop to learn the traditional techniques of batik making and production from the wax heating, stamping, and drying makes for an interesting afternoon.
• Get given a piece of cloth to produce a personalised garment.
• We arrange tailors and seamstresses from Ashanti African Tours foundation, to take your measurements and sew a shirt, skirt or dress to take home as a wonderful souvenir of the time in Ghana and one that will hold fond memories every time you wear it.
• Return to the beach front guesthouse to enjoy a final evening here in Ghana.
• Tonight, have a local DJ from Brenu Akyinim spinning some Ghanaian tunes at the final evening beach party.

Accommodation – Brenu Beach Resort in Brenu Akyinim

• Before breakfast, head to an area of degraded habitat for an important part of the trip and aim to offset the carbon footprint of the travel to Ghana.
• Each student will select 3 native tree species from our project’s nursery to plant in the degraded close to Brenu Akyinim village.
• Time to enjoy breakfast before visiting Africa’s world-famous rainforest canopy walkway setting off to Kakum National Park which is a semi-deciduous upper guinea rainforest.
• Return to the park headquarters and find an excellent information centre that offers a very informative overview of the park’s flora and fauna.
• After a fun filled morning of adventure, return to the beach location for a free afternoon to relax and recharge our batteries.
• This evening, have a beach bonfire and BBQ.

Accommodation – Brenu Beach Resort in Brenu Akyinim

• A relaxed final morning in Ghana, enjoying breakfast on the beachfront.
• Time to freshen up, rearrange and pack bags for your international departure later this evening.
• A few hours free time to explore Elmina fishing town before leaving makes for an enjoyable morning.
• During our time in Elmina, visit the local fishing market, fish mongers and walk the short distance to visit the boat builders in this community.
• Also enjoy the sights of the many colourful fishing boats bringing their daily catch into the harbour and take this opportunity to mix with the locals enjoying the atmosphere of a West African fishing community.
• A must visit before heading off is the Castle of St. George, the oldest extant colonial building in sub-Saharan Africa, dating from 1482.
• There is an informative museum inside which concentrates on local history and this now silent monument to the pain and suffering Africans endured has been formally designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
• After an informative tour, set off to Accra stopping for lunch during the journey.
• On arrival back in the capital, head to “Fantasy Coffins” of La. Funeral and burial ceremonies in Ghana are very solemn occasions, but after the burial a celebration follows.
• An early evening meal will be taken at a locally owned restaurant serving an excellent selection of local and international dishes which gives an ideal opportunity to say goodbyes and reflect on a wonderful time together.
• After the meal the team will transfer you to the airport for your departure.

International departure