Ghana
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
A tour offering abundant wildlife, superb birdwatching and extremely friendly people, with a special excursion for the cave-dwelling Yellow-headed Picathartes. Strike wildlife gold, and join our exciting trip to Ghana!With more than 750 species of birds, Ghana is the 'rising star' among West African wildlife destinations. Our 2011 group enjoyed fantastic views of the stunning Yellow-headed Picathartes (or White-necked Rockfowl), the bird which has latterly helped to place this friendly, stable English-speaking country firmly on the birdwatching map. The birding in Ghana is outstanding, with fabulous Black and Rosy Bee-eaters, White-crested and Black Dwarf Hornbills, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and the shimmering Johanna's Sunbird among a host of specialities that await. And we are privileged that our 2012 tour will be co-led by the Ghana's foremost bird guide, Robert Ntakor. Our holiday begins with Akwaaba ('welcome') and some fine coastal and grassland birding near Accra, on West Africa's Gold Coast. Here the likes of White-crowned Cliff Chat, Violet and Guinea Turacos, Black-bellied Bustard, Double-toothed Barbet, Siffling and Croaking Cisticolas, Flappet Lark and Black-winged Bishop should ensure an exciting start before we head to our comfortable lodgings close to Kakum's wonderful rainforest. Kakum National Park is famous for its superb rainforest canopy walkway - Africa's longest. Its treetop platforms afford an unique opportunity to get to grips with a wealth of canopy dwellers, including many Upper Guinea Forest endemics. Congo Serpent Eagle, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Blue-throated Roller, Blue Cuckooshrike, Kemp's Longbill and the lovely Violet-backed Hyliota are among a long list of possibilities in the park. |
© John Farnham
Picathartes
Price: £ 2,945
The price is per person and includes return flights London-Accra, all accommodation, meals, surface transport and excursions as described above, entry fees to the parks, tips to local drivers/guides, airport taxes, map, bird checklist and services of the leader/s. A donation of £60 per participant will go to PECK (as described below).
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
One of the undoubted highlights of our tour will be to visit a breeding site of the rare Yellow-headed Picathartes. We shall again have special permission to look for this highly secretive bird - and getting just a glimpse of one is an amazing feeling, never to be forgotten! A donation from the tour will again be given to PECK (Picathartes Education and Conservation for Knowledge Fund), a body set up by our ground agents to protect the site and to help children in the surrounding communities with their education.
From Kakum, we continue our Upper Guinea adventure with a visit to the Bobiri Rainforest. Birds to watch for include Narina Trogon, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, African Piculet and the beautiful Many-coloured Bush Shrike, before concluding at the little known Kalakpa Reserve in eastern Ghana, a bush savanna reserve that holds Yellow-throated Green Cuckoo (Africa's rarest cuckoo), Capuchin Babbler and Leaflove. Callan will be joined by Robert Ntakor. Robert was born and raised in a village surrounded by Upper Guinea Tropical Rainforest, and his skill at recognising bird calls and songs, combined with an innate ability to find and identify birds in the field, is unrivalled within Ghana. Accommodation Comfortable or best available hotels and lodges throughout, all rooms with private facilities and air-conditioning. In Tema, we stay at a good 3-star hotel. For our five nights at Kakum National Park accommodation is at the comfortable, modern and purpose-built Rainforest Lodge, which is situated just 10km from the national park. Our two nights at Kumasi are in a good hotel, and for our visit to Kalakpa Reserve we enjoy the surrounds of a high standard hotel in the regional capital, Ho. Each of the hotels has a swimming pool. Meals All included in the price. Food is good, with a choice of Western or local dishes. We will take early breakfasts prior to birding, and a packed lunch on the day we visit the Picathartes breeding site. Walking The walking effort is mostly easy (typically short walks of up to about 3 miles). Access to the canopy walkway, 40m above the forest floor, is via a series of steps. The final walk to the Picathartes site is up a steep forested hill, but the pace will be slow and set to ensure everyone's comfort - and the prospect of seeing this fantastic bird will make the effort seem all the more worthwhile! Comfy walking shoes with sturdy corrugated soles for grip advised. Insects Mosquitoes are generally only a local nuisance on this tour but you should be aware of their presence and take the usual precautions. See also Health section. Leaders: Callan Cohen & Robert Ntakor Numbers: Max. 10 clients
Click here for a full, printable itinerary |
||||||||||||||||||||||
