New Years trip to Nigeria and Ghana, including Afrochella!!** Package includes****OPTIONAL TRAVEL PROTECTION WITH CANCEL ANYTIME INSURANCE** *Room Accommodations *Breakfast and Dinner*All entry fees for all activities in itinerary *All transportation within itinerary including airport transfers *Tour guide and Driver*Airfare and Visa fees not included12/22 – Arrival in Lagos12-23 – Lekki Conservation Center and Lagos Tour12/24 – Badagry Slave Heritage Museum Tour12/25 – Christmas in Lagos – Depart for Calabar12/26 – Calabar Carnival12/27 – Depart for Accra, Visit Kwame Nkrumah Museum, Accra City Tour12/28 – Afrochella event12/29 – Aburi Gardens – Salsa in Accra – Bar/Club Hopping for rest of the night12/30 – Elmina Slave Castle Tour – Night out at one of Accra’s Elite Night Clubs12/31 – Akosombo Boat Ride & New Years Eve Celebration1/1/20 – W.E.B DuBoise Museum & Labadi Beach (New Years)1/2/20 – Boti Water Falls, Umbrella Rock, Sacred Palm Tree1/3/20 – Departure***Optional return to Lagos will be provided for return (if that’s your itinerary). But you can buy your return out of Accra.*Afrochella, a music festival designed to highlight young talents in Africa. Highlights:Ghana — the original Gold Coast, the land of Coca, the Black Stars, Kwame Nkumah, Kofi Anan, and the first sub-Saharan African country to gain its independence– is rich with history, culture, and natural resources! Ask a Ghanaian about Jollof rice, and watch as they proudly proclaim that their country makes the best Jollof Rice in all of the world! Join us on this Voyageback to Ghana, come discover this country’s history, experience its culture, and enjoy the “world’s best” Jollof Rice. We beg you not to mention this fact around any Nigerians. Itinerary:Accra Tour The capital city of Ghana, a country with one of the highest per capita GDP in West Africa, and one of the world’s fastest growing economies, Accra is a lively and unique place to be. During this tour, Voyageback will help you experience all that this animated and historical city has to offer. Highlights: Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park: This beautiful park was created to honor the great Kwame Nkrumah, the man who led Ghana to independence from British Colonialism and first president of the Republic of Ghana.Osu (formerly Christianborg) Castle: Located in Jamestown, the oldest area in Accra, discover the interesting history of this castle from it being under Danish ownership, being used to store slaves before they were transported to the Americas, to becoming the former seat of the Ghanaian Presidency. Makola Market: Experience the famous Makola market, where you will see the Ghanaian entrepreneurial spirit on full display. You can try your hand at haggling, sample authentic Ghanaian dishes (keep in mind that Ghanaians love their food spicy)! Other Sites include: National Museum, the W.E.B. Dubois Center for Pan African Culture, Flagstaff House (official seat of the president), Independence/Black Star Square, Kane Kwesi Carpentry workshop. Akosombo Dam Tour:This experience is a voyage to south east Ghana to view the dam whose construction flooded the Volta River basin, eventually resulting in the creation of the Volta Lake (the world’s largest man-made lake!). The Akosombo Dam, a hydroelectric dam, is also one of the country’s main source of electricity supply. Enhance your tour by participating in an optional boat cruise on the Volta II Jubliee Museum: Remember that Ghana is the original Gold Coast! Now, you are in Kumasi, the land of Kings and Queens! Witness first-hand the immense wealth of the Ashanti as you view the King’s war attire, ceremonial clothing, jewelry, furniture, and much more. The Green Ranch: This is a wonderful time for horseback riding on the majestic animals this location has to Villages: This is another opportunity to purchase unique handmade crafts. We will visit the Ashanti Craft Village, Bonwire (see how the famous Kente cloth is made), Ntonso (home of Adinkra), Ahwiaa (the wood carver’s village). Cape Coast and Elmina Castle:Take an unforgettable Voyageback through history as you stroll through the corridors and cells within Cape Coast and Elmina castles. Learn about the historical significance of both locations, as they played a pivotal role in storing captured Africans and “preparing” them for voyage during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Discover how these Africans were dehumanized, treated, and how they ultimately fared. When many hear Nigeria mentioned anywhere, they associate it with Nollywood movies, Afrobeat music, and world famous writers. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation is a land rich in history and culture. Let us guide you on an incredible eight day tour of Nigeria. Explore monuments, landmarks, and villages of three states. Your arrival will be in Lagos, the largest city in Africa and the cultural and economic center of Nigeria. Come experience the history, the cultural, and the allure of Africa’s city that never sleeps. After a few exciting days in Lagos, become more immersed in Nigerian culture as we move on to the historic Ogun and Osun states. Lagos City Tour: Visit historic and symbolic monuments in Lagos, beginning with: National Museum: This museum has one of the most significant collections of West African antiquities in the world. Learn about Nigerian history as you view archaeological, ethnographic, and traditional Arts Theater: Built in 1977, this edifice is one of Nigeria’s most culturally significant entertainment spots. Serving as a multi-purpose national monument for the preservation, presentation, and promotion of Nigerian arts and culture, this is a MUST visit Conservation Center:Run by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, this center has a huge tract of wetlands set aside for wildlife viewing. Forget that you are in a busy city as you walk atop the trees on Africa’s longest canopy walkway, as monkeys, crocodiles, and birds roam in their natural habitat. Nike Art Gallery: Run by Nike Davies-Okundaye, one of Nigeria’s most important artist, this gallery is full of contemporary and traditional Nigerian Urban Forest and Animal Sanctuary Initiative (LUFASI) Nature Park Lekki: Sitting on about 20 acres of land, this park is filled with beautiful attractions and animals. Observe birds, including bald eagles, monkeys, chimps, and baboons. Watch as alligators frolic in Lake Nora, the huge man-made lake that is located in the middle of the park. See various floral species as you explore Fern Garden and Lekki Forest. Shopping in Lagos Lekki Arts & Crafts: Test your haggling skills as you move from stall to stall finding unique African crafts representing all of Nigerian culture. Lekki Beach Resort:Add a touch of luxury to your already amazing adventure by relaxing on a beautiful and exotic beach. If you get tired of relaxing, participate in some fun activities including volleyball, basketball, kayaking, jet skiing and more. Badagry City Tour: Badagry Heritage Museum: Built in 1863 by the British Government, it was converted to a Museum in 2002 which preserves hundreds of artifacts, historical relics, and records from the slave route that ran through Badagry. Visiting the museum allows you to see the bleak past and learn more about Badagry. The First Nigerian Story Building:Built in 1845 by Anglican missionaries, this is where Reverend Samuel Ajayi Crowther (a liberated African slave) translated the Holy Bible from English to Yoruba. The Agai Tree Monument:Why build a monument for a fallen tree? Well, Christianity was first preached by Reverend Thomas Freeman under this tree before it fell in 1959. The first Christmas service in Nigeria was also held under the tree on December 25th 1942. Seriki Abass Slave Baracoon: Built by Brazilian slave merchants in 1840, then handed over to their black collaborator and former slave boy Seriki Ifaremilekun Williams Abass, this site is now a museum. It houses relics, artifacts, and European products exchanged for slaves during the slave trade. Mobee Family Slave Relics Museum:Learn about the major role the royal Mobee family played during the slave trade era. At this mini museum, you will see relics from the slave trade including chains and shackles used to imprison African slaves before they were transported west. Vlekete Slave Market: Learn about the makeup of slave markets in Africa. Badagry Slave Port & Gberefu Peninsula (Point of No Return): Experience what it felt like to walk through the point of no return. This slave port and route was established for the shipment of slaves across the Atlantic. Your tour starts at the slave port, followed by a short boat ride to Gberefu Island, walk the same path as the slaves did as you step through the life changing door of no return, only in this case, you will return.