Ghana: Volta Village

Meet your group at your home airport. Fly together as a group to Ghana. Total travel time will depend on your departure location and flight schedule. Be sure to get some rest so you arrive ready for adventure!

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways will be happy to book your flight as an add-on service.

Arrive at Kotoka International Airport Airport in Accra and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to a nearby guesthouse and settle in, relaxing after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways will be happy to book your flights as an optional add-on service.

Overnight: Guesthouse, Accra

This morning you will depart Accra and head to the Tafi Atome village where your program will take place for the next few days. Today you will have the opportunity to meet with the eco-tourism committee to discuss their environmental conservation efforts and how it promotes the sustainable wellbeing of both local people and the tourist sites. After this educational meeting, explore the village to understand their way of life and means of livelihood. 

Overnight: Guesthouse, Tafi Atome

Spend your day doing community service in Tafi Atome. Learn more about the daily routines of families in this village, and support your hosts to accomplish the self-identified needs of the community. This will vary depending on current status at the time of your visit, but may include tree planting, village clean up, teaching, and various other activities. 

This evening, enjoy a traditional cultural performance. This performance includes a wide range of Ghanaian and West African traditional dance, and will take you deep into the culture and music of the local people. 

Close your day gathered around a firepit to reflect and share various tales and knowledge acquired from your program so far! 

Overnight: Guesthouse, Tafi Atome

Continue your service work in the village. In addition to supporting the community, today will also bring an opportunity to learn about the local mona monkey population, their role in traditional society and lore, and how village members co-exist with them on a daily basis. 

After a rest this afternoon, split into small groups to enjoy a homestay-style dinner with a local family for an authentic look into Ghanaian customs, traditions, cooking, and family life. 

Overnight: Guesthouse, Tafi Atome

Depart Tafi Atome for Amedzofe, the highest settlement in Ghana. From here, it’s just a short hike to the top of Mount Gemi for panoramic views of the Volta Region. Continuing on, take a short drive down the hill to Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary. Founded as part of a Peace Corps project, Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary is home to mona monkeys that are believed by the local population to be sacred. Upon leaving the sanctuary, you will continue your journey north to Wli, where you will settle into your lodge for the evening. 

Overnight: Guesthouse, Wli

This morning you will take a drive to Mount Afadja, known in the Ewe language as Afadjato, the highest peak in Ghana. A hike to the summit of this mountain gives you a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of the Volta Region, and even some parts of Togo. 

After descending Afadjato, you will make your way to the entrance of Wli Falls, the tallest waterfall in West Africa. A short hike over several bridges will bring you to the lower falls, at which point you can decide whether or not to brave the 90-minute hike to the upper falls. For those feeling up to the hike, the upper falls has a beautiful swimming hole perfect for swimming, splashing, and photos. 

Overnight: Guesthouse, Wli

After one more relaxing night in the peaceful Volta region, it’s time to return to Accra. On your way, you will make a stop at the Shai Hills Resource Reserve, where you will have the chance to see monkeys, antelope, and various species of savanna and forest birds on a walking and driving safari. A short hike will take you to an excellent view of the Shai Hills area and the city of Accra. After your mini safari experience, you will head back to Accra. 

This evening, join together as a group for a final culminating celebration. At the end of each Rustic Pathways program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

Overnight: Guesthouse, Accra

Wake up this morning, and get packed for your journey home. Your activities today will remain flexible to accommodate your flight schedule. If you have the time, spend the day exploring Accra, the bustling capital of Ghana. Tour Makola Market, Accra’s biggest market., for a glimpse into the daily lives of Ghanaians as they hustle from stall to stall, bargaining for every product you can imagine. Next, you will visit the James Town Fort and the James Town fishing village.

James Town is famous for being the first European settlement in the Accra area, and is home to the Jamestown Lighthouse and Ussher Fort. Later today, you will visit the Ghana National Museum. This newly renovated museum is home to many interesting historic exhibits from Ghana’s pre-colonial times to the present. Here you will have a more comprehensive outlook on the rich culture and history of Ghana. Finally, you will visit the Accra Arts Center for an opportunity to bargain for paintings, masks, and other crafts from around Ghana. 

When it’s time, your program leaders will take you to the airport and help you get checked in for your flight home. Thank you for joining us on this Ghanaian adventure! 

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways will be happy to book your flights as an optional add-on service.