Ghana: home to the Black Stars, but also much more than that!

After dispatching the USA in their last game of the World Cup, Ghana made history as being the fourth African team to reach the quarter final when they faced Uruguay tonight. Ghana has already done better than four years ago when they were knocked out in the last 16. It seemed that all of Africa celebrated Ghana's qualification for the quarter finals of the World Cup. And many hoped the Black Stars would beat Uruguay to become the first African team to qualify for a World Cup semi-final. Unfortunately, after an intense game and many heart stopping moments, Ghana lost on penalty shoot-outs but went home heroes to their own country who welcomed them with all the Ghanaian pride you could imagine.

Not only does Ghana have a world class team who represent a whole continent, but closer to home they also are one of the friendliest, most stable countries in West Africa with rich local heritage.

From the pristine sandy beaches in the south to the hilly and rainforest covered north, bordered by Togo to the east, Côte d’Ivoire to the West and Burkina Faso to the North, Ghana is truly a gateway to West Africa. And what a gateway it is! For the beginner to Africa, the traveller who wants to experience the ‘dark continent’ first-hand, the cautious tourist wanting to learn more about West Africa’s culture, this country is a great choice. Here are a few examples of the unique things you can do and see in the Black Stars home country.

For the avid historian

Ghana, unfortunately, is infamously known for being one of the main departure countries from which the slave traders filled their ships with ‘cargo’ to take them to the ‘New World’, and the remnants of this barbaric trade are still present. On cape coast near Accra, the capital, Elmina castle is the oldest European building in sub-Sahara Africa. According to records, thousands of captives passed through the dungeons of both castles to be shipped as commodities.

Museums are also numerous, and you will not be disappointed with the amount of choice. From the ‘National Museum of Ghana’, home to a varied collection of objects relating to the ethnography and culture of Ghana, to the ‘Dubois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture’, a national historic monument in its own right documenting the life of the influential Du Bois family, passing by ‘Museum of Science and Technology’ displaying and preserving natural history specimens found in Ghana, you will need an entire lifetime to satisfy your curiosity.

Recently vestiges from an ancient civilisation were found in a remote part of the country which has questioned many theories that were put forward about the history of the regions people. To read the BBC article on the find, click here.

Or to learn about the possibilities to visit the country to learn about the history of slavery, click here.

For the budding naturalist

The vegetation of Ghana ranges from Evergreen forests and Savannah grasslands, to the lowlands to the highlands which boasts the highest point in the country, Mount Afadjato which is 885 metres high and found in the Volta region. The landscape is very suitable for both hiking and trekking which will allow you to get up-close to the wide variety of flora and fauna species.

For example, Tafi-Atome in the Volta region, is home to 300 endangered Mona and Pata Monkeys and is a traditional conservation area backed by statutory enforcement in co-operation with local communities. These monkeys are found in a remnant patch of forests, which has survived fire and human disturbance around the village.

Agumatsa wildlife sanctuary is another place of interest for those interested in wildlife. The area boasts Ghana’s highest waterfalls. The beauty of the falls is enhanced not only by the towering face of the gorge but most impressively by the several thousands of fruit bats clinging to its sides. At the base of the falls, in the surrounding forest, butterflies of various colours and other wild animals make the area significant for conservation. The falls also plays an important part in the cultural life of the communities around it. The people regard it as a fetish protecting them in all walks of life.

For a holiday idea that will take you to the sites mentioned above, click here.

For the culture enthusiast

Like the rest of West Africa, Ghana has a rich cultural heritage

which has been passed down from generation to generation for millennia, and its origins have been lost in the midst of time. However, being ever present gives the open-minded traveller a glimpse into the various rites, rituals, ceremonies and belief systems which make this country and its people ‘oh so special’.

One of the most important cultural remnants from a bygone era is the Ashanti stemming from a once prosperous Kingdom that ruled the region. There are certain days each year on the Ashanti calendar that are set aside for a celebration at the Royal Palace. This ceremony is called Akwasidae.

During the celebration, the King is seated under a spectacular umbrella of colourful, draped cloth and is adorned in vivid cloth and massive gold jewellery which is centuries old (the Ashanti gold jewellery and masks are considered masterpieces of African art). This traditional ceremony takes place in one of the last African Kingdoms to have kept its ancient rituals alive.

But Ghana is also known for its overwhelming hospitality, and there will be no lack of people who will offer to show you their home, offer you meals or just to have a friendly chat. In the remote villages of the Volta region, you can experience the culture first hand by learning how to cook the various traditional meals, discovering the history of weaving in this area and trying your hands on the weaving process, or visiting some farms in the local communities to learn how to use local farming tools.

There is no lack of educational opportunities in Ghana, and you will surely learn a thing or two from this holiday idea.

For the adventure fiend

For the adrenaline junkie, the exercise addict or for the simple traveller looking for a bit of fun, Ghana offers the possibility to partake in an array of activities including hiking, mountain biking, surfing, canoeing, canopy walking, fishing, and many more.

Let’s take example on the possibilities of surfing. Ghana’s south coast is perfect for those wanting to learn how to ride waves. Constant warm water, no crowds and perfect waves (that’s right, no fighting for waves and no wetsuits) make Ghana’s coasts a great location for beginners and intermediate surfers. To learn more about the surfing possibilities, click here.

Sticking to the water theme, the marshes created by the Volta River, create a rarely visited environment which allows for excellent canoeing where you can observe an exotic collection of birds and a baobab grove.

Or if you fancy something different, in Kakum National Park you can find the only rainforest canopy walk experience in the whole of Africa. Suspended 100 feet above the ground, this offers you what is truly a bird's eye view of the rainforest. At this height, you don't have to be an expert to identify the colourful patterns of tropical birds as they glide through the forest below you.

Unfortunately I could not include all the amazing things available to do and see in Ghana, but I am sure that through the above description you have become curious to know more. So do not hesitate to get in touch with us at info@westafricadiscovery.co.uk with any queries about this beautiful country or any of the other 15 West African countries. Or you can visit our website here to discover all the other unique and awe-inspiring holiday ideas available in one of the most undiscovered parts of the World.

West Africa festivals: move aside Glastonbury!

Music has always been part of the commonly shared culture found in the geographical region of west Africa, and the region has produced, in my view, some of the most talented and influential artists of music history. For millennia, the likes of the Jembe, Kora and Balafon musical instruments have influenced much of the music that we hear today on our radios.

For example, blues music has always been linked to the deep south of the United States, but have you ever wondered where the origins of blues lie? Look no further than West Africa. During the 400 plus years of slavery, the populations who were forcefully kidnapped from their homelands strived to hold on to their cultural roots, and through that, traditional music lived on. Various research projects into the musical origins of blues trace the chords back to traditional instruments such as the ‘Kora’, played by a professional caste of praise singers, called griots or jails, for the rich and aristocracy, and the ‘Akonting’, a folk lute of the Jola tribe of Senegambia, a clear predecessor to the American banjo in its playing style.

As a result of findings in musical research and a renewed interest in the rich local heritage found in West Africa, this style of music has become more and more popular in the West and the names of Amadou & Mariam, Tinariwen, Toumani Diabaté and Vieux Farka Touré are rivalling the most famous of musicians to have set foot on the stages of the big festivals in the UK. Classed as ‘World Music’, a term which I personally find derogative because I feel that it detracts from the real origins of the music and throws all music which is not 'Western' into one basket, this West African genre has found its way in to the line-ups for Glastonbury, WOMAD, the Big Chill and the Isle of Wight festival to mention but a few. This, in turn, has increased media attention and provided marketing opportunities for lesser known festivals in these musicians own countries.

Move over Glastonbury! Make way for the likes of ‘Festival in the desert’ near Essakane and the fabled city of Timbuktu, or ‘Ségou festival’ celebrated on the banks of the Niger River, probably the longest river in the whole of Africa. What better way to experience the ancient melodies of West African blues than to be in the Sahara desert listening to Tinariwen, sipping traditional tea with a group of Tuareg herders who have travelled over the Sahara desert to perform their music with others.

Roberto, a regular to the ‘Festival au Desert’ (the French term is commonly used as Mali is partly French speaking) or ‘Essakane music festival’, recounts some of the unforgettable moments from his last trip: “I remember Amadou & Mariam, who are now world-renowned, sitting at 3 am beside the stage with their sun glasses on waiting for their turn to play. They were like two kids waiting for their exam.”

The atmosphere of conviviality also marked him, as he recounts: “Beside our tent, Swedish girls were singing Swedish songs accompanied by local Tuareg drummers. That set the scene for the theme of this festival: playing together, no matter what nationality, to produce quality music.”

But these festivals, even though the most well know, are not the only ones in the whole of West Africa. In nearly every country, for nearly every season, festivals exist to celebrate a multitude of events. From the St. Louis Jazz Festival in Senegal to the Voodoo rites festivals in Togo and Benin, from the Ashanti Royal Ekisadiwae festival in Ghana to the Dogons Sirius Star celebration in Southern Mali, your thirst for new and unique experiences could never be quenched, and you would need a life-time to discover all of them.

However, every life-changing journey starts with the first step, and there are a variety of tour operators who do offer travel options to experience these exotic and awe-inspiring events. You can find a few examples of tours on the West Africa Discovery web portal. Not only do these give you the opportunity to experience the festivals first hand and in the most genuine way possible, but they also work towards providing economic benefits to local communities in the destinations whilst advocating the use of ‘Responsible Tourism Practices’ to minimise the negative effects of tourism on the local cultural, historical and natural heritage.

If you would like more information on specific festivals in the west African geographical region, or other information concerning local cultural, historical or natural heritage and holiday ideas which can give you the opportunity to experience these first hand, email mail us at info@westafricadiscovery.co.uk.

You can also keep up to date with news touching on West Africa by joining us on twitter or Facebook. We look forward to welcoming you!

Until then, enjoy this great video showing behind-the-scenes at the ‘Festival du Desert’.

The increasing popularity of West Africa

Four years ago I embarked on a life-changing journey to Senegal, to live and study there. I remember before leaving that none of my friends or family in the UK could tell me the location of one of West Africa’s 16 countries, let alone tell me the name of one of its hundreds of tribes, or tell me about the climate in a particular region. Nor had they ever heard of Amadou & Mariam, Tinariwen or Ali Farka Toure, now big names in most of the major European summer music festivals.

Thanks to increased media coverage such as articles in the Guardian and the Independant, covering a range of topics from politics to travel and music coming out of West Africa reaching out to the millions at big UK festivals. Documentaries on the National Geographic and Discovery channels introducing us to different tribal systems and natural wonders and various exhibitions displaying the region’s rich cultural heritage. West Africa is coming out of the ‘black hole’ – as someone described the region to me at last year’s WTM Trade Show - to become a region of the world that inspires, intrigues, mystifies and excites the Western cultural scene.

Why is it only now that we are really discovering a region of the world which is only five hours away by plane? What has made the eyes of the West’s popular culture scene turn towards the likes of Senegal and Sierra Leone, Mali and Cameroon?

West Africa has been off the media map in terms of positive stories for a long time - the only stories that had come out of the region were tales of bloody civil wars, gold and diamond mining, corrupt leaders, disease and famine - but now that is changing; and we are learning a lot more about the deeper aspects of the rich heritage of West Africa.

Musically, West Africa produces some of the most talented acts in/on the so-called ‘World Music’ scene and has included some of the most famous musicians to come out of Africa. Festival organisers such as Glastonbury Festival and WOMAD are now queuing up to get the likes of Tinariwen (Mali), Ismael Lo (Senegal), Baka Beyond (Cameroon) and the Sierra Leone Refugee all stars, booked for the main stages. But also small events such as the Fringe festival in Brighton display musical and dancing acts from West Africa in their Africa Unite II event this year.

Culturally, there are many documentaries being shown on TV which have introduced us to the different tribes of West Africa. The Ashanti from Ghana, the Igbo from Nigeria and the Dogon from Mali are the most well known of them, and have sparked curiosity and stimulated the hearts and minds of those who have watched these programs. Maybe this is because we lack the social values that they have, we are seeking to re-learn something lost or because we find that our lives of too much work and no play need some sort of escape route.

Proof of the ever increasing popularity of West Africa’s traditional cultures is demonstrated by the 'Kingdom of Ife' exhibition (which we will cover in next week’s blog) now showing at the British museum and is already being hailed as ‘Potentially the exhibition of the year’ by the Telegraph newspaper.

Sport is also a big influence on popular interests. Football, for example, has a lot of role models within the most supported teams in the UK who come from West Africa or have an affiliation with the region. Didier Drogba who hails from Côte d’Ivoire and plays for Chelsea is an example and is well known for his skills on the pitch; however it has also come to light that he is a big charity supporter having donated millions to build and sustain hospitals in his home country.

Another player who has created a media buzz about West Africa is Craig Bellamy (Man City) whose foundation has contributed towards setting up sports academies in Sierra Leone.

West Africa’s natural heritage has also come to our TV sets through programmes such as the BBC’s Autumn Watch which has covered Senegal, showing that West Africa has been on the migration path of many species of birds for millennia.

In terms of Tourism, the Guardian and Times travel sections have regularly published articles describing West Africa as an alternate, exciting and new destination for travellers seeking new experiences full of educational opportunities, coupled with sea, sun and beaches (see our previous blog on the potential for West Africa as a Responsible Tourism destination). It also seems as though tourism to the geographical region of West Africa is set to increase. The latest Brussels Airlines' news stating that the airline is now flying directly to Ghana, Benin, Togo and Burkina-Faso from European destinations can only be a sign that the shores of West Africa are worthwhile touristic destinations to fly to.

All the above factors have contributed to the UK’s increasing interest in West Africa and that interest is only set to grow even stronger because of the sheer diversity of cultural, natural and historical heritage still to be discovered.

But instead of waiting for more news, start your own discovery by visiting our web portal (www.westafricadiscovery.co.uk) , joining us on Facebook or following us on Twitter. We look forward to welcoming you!

Deforestation in West Africa will affect rural communities

Deforestation is the result of an economy which thinks of the short term solution. The search for fossil fuels, more productive grazing lands for livestock, and land to grow crops in order to serve the needs of the money makers are a few of the reasons why forests are destroyed.

With the increasing debate on climate change and global warming, and the ever growing emphasis on the need for change, schemes are being put forward in order conserve these natural environments in order to curb the negative effects of the ruling societies’ short term goals. However it is impossible to do this on a global scale and there are stories popping up all over the place on how, unfortunately, deforestation is continuing to thrive.

West Africa is an example of this. Little news comes out of this region of Africa to the ears of the Western masses and therefore less attention is paid to the events taking place.

According to the Ghana News Agency, “the continuing erosion of forests in West Africa has been identified as putting pressure on the region's biodiversity, which is home to more than a quarter of Africa's mammals and 1,800 endemic species of plants “.

M. Michael Jenkins, President of the The Katoomba Group, an international forestry conservation oriented non-governmental organisation, called for the development of the needed technical expertise in the region to combat the problem;
“It is pathetic to also note that only 17 per cent of the region's forests are technically under some form of protection, while only three per cent of is conserved for biodiversity purposes"

We hear about the effect that deforestation has on the biodiversity of a region almost on a weekly basis in the news. However we must also realise that the communities living in these regions are also affected. Rural communities live on the resources that their surrounding environment provides , and a lack of these resources will push them either to search for these further afield, or, in extreme cases will prompt these communities to migrate to towns where they can make the money to be able to buy the items they need to survive This can split communities and threaten their cultural and social heritage.

Responsible Tourism can be used as a tool to combat this situation by suggesting a form of rural community economy boosting and at the same time put an emphasis on the Natural, Cultural and Social (NCS) heritages of the destination. Furthermore, Responsible Tourism works hand in hand with sustainable development and suggests ways in which sustainable living practices can be implemented into day to day community life.

I am not saying that Responsible Tourism can solely help to stop deforestation; however it can help increase awareness towards these kinds of issues to tourists who can raise these concerns in their own societies. It can also be a tool to boost community projects and provide a sustainable economy to these communities affected by deforestation.

To view the article which prompted me to write this, click here.

To visit the West Africa Discovery website, click here.

Email me at Thomas@westafricadiscovery.co.uk