Jolinaiko Eco Tours - Experience West Africa!

Previously organised trips

Below just a few accounts of previously organised trips, to give you an impression of possible tours and itineraries. Please also check our guestbook for trip descriptions, and our photo albums for photos and descriptions of different regions and interesting destinations.

== These examples are not recent anymore. This section will be updated shortly ==

Four day Ghana tour with Ans and Rinus

I guided Ans and Rinus through the country for four days from 26 to 30 December 2004. They arrived at the Kotoka International Airport where I picked them up and brought them to a hotel which had been booked for them. The next day, I took them around Accra city and Aburi. We went to the Central Region the following day where we visited Cape Coast, elmina Elmina Castle and Kakum National Park. We then proceeded to Kumasi where I showed them around the Asante Hene Palace. Finally, I helped them safely board an STC bus to Tamale where their daughter, who is a volunteering mid-wife, received them.

Volta Region with Jorien and Julia

In October 2004, I made the necessary arrangements and toured with Jorien and Julia through Ghana for five days. dancing We travelled to the Volta Region by local transport (trotro), I showed them around at Liate-Wote-Togho waterfalls, Tafi-Atome, Kpando and later, proceeded to Akosombo in the Eastern Region where the dam generating hydro-electric power for the nation is located.

Elmina, Cape Coast and Kakum with Sigrid and parents

I took Sigrid and her parents around the country. We toured to Boti falls, the arts and crafts centre at Aburi all in the Easten Region and then cut accross to Cape-Coast, Elmina Castle, Kakum National Park and also visited small scale industries in the process in the Central Region.

Benin with Carlijn

With Carlijn, I travelled to Benin for three days. The journey started on Friday evening from Accra and we spent the night at Aflao. ouidah The next day, we crossed the borders of Ghana/Togo and Togo/Benin to Ouidah and Cotonou in Benin where we visited friends and relatives/family.

Introduction and tour to Wa with Marleen

Marleen was met and picked up from the airport as arranged. She was shown around Accra city and later we travelled to Kumasi, the second largest city of Ghana, in the Ashanti Region. We proceeded to Wa, the capital of the Upper West Region, a desert area, where she was assisted with starting in a volunteering project.

KLM crew to Aburi

I took a KLM crew on a biking and hiking tour from Accra to Aburi. We visited the Aburi Botanical Gardens where we saw many youngmother wonderful and beautiful trees in different shapes. We then moved on to the remote area of Aburi with beautiful villages and farms. After socializing with the local people, the KLM crew decided to help some of the local children to go to school, by paying their school fees.

Akosombo, Kibi and Kumasi with Eric

I took Eric Overmeer, a KLM pilot, for a hiking trip in the Kibi township and forest. Kibi is the capital of Akyem-Abuakwa, located at the southern part of the forest belt of the country. This hilly landscahpe has some beautiful scenery, where we enjoyed walking in the forest trails and roasted some cassave tubers for dinner.

Mole National Parc with the Rotterdam Girls

The Rotterdam Girls were in the country and I took them around Accra city, Kokrobite (a white sandy beach), and went on to Cape Coast, Elmina Castle and Kakum National Park in the Central Region, where we enjoyed watching elephants. We then proceeded to the Ashanti Region where we visited the natural Lake Bosomtwe and Obuasi (Ghana's largest gold mines). We went on to Kimtampo falls and the Buabin-Fiema monkey santuary and then to Mole National Park where we saw lots of animals like elphants, antelopes and monkeys.

Burkina Faso with Cindy

With Cindy I travelled through Burkina Faso for a week on a motorbike. We travelled through the most fertile parts of Burkina Faso. motortour One night we spent in a mud-stick house in a village near Nandom. One night in a local village on the way, two nights in a guesthouse in Bobo-Diaulasso, two nights in local guesthouse near Banfora, and two nights in Goua. We travelled over dusty country roads and slept in very basic accomodation in local villages. We socialized and made friends with the local people and learned a lot about the local customs and culture of the country.

“ Since it is way too much to describe all details of our journey, we will give a short list of highlights which will be in our minds forever: - the meeting with the Voodoo priest in Ouidah - the meeting with the King of Abomey - the visit to the Tamberma people in the north of Togo - the impressive walk to and view of the Akloa falls - the stay at the stilt village Ganvié - the lunch with Boris and his family - Cotonou's night life with Salsa bars - and much more!

We can advise anyone to visit West-Africa, especially Benin. The culture is magnificent, the culture and history is everywhere, and people are very very friendly and social. ”

Harm and Cindy,
Eindhoven, The Netherlands. sankofa

“ Through a friend, I got in touch with Apollo Panou. From the time he welcomed me at the airport untill one month later when I left him to travel by my self, he helped me with everything.

He showed me many pretty places. Places you cannot find with a guidebook. He took me to drink pito (a special brewed local drink) with old men in traditional villages. He showed me the Rastafarians because I was interested.

He teached me how to wear my money, how to discuss with the ‘sellers’ and he cooked me the best traditional Ghanaien dishes. ”

Marleen van der Werff,
The Netherlands. sankofa

“ Although I was already for a long time in the country and used to travelling on my own, travelling with Apollo gave something extra to the trip.

His attitude and the way of interaction takes away the gap between foreigners and the local people.

For sure, travelling with Apollo is making new friends from different levels of the society and learning a lot about local life and culture of the country. ”

Cindy Noordermeer,
Accra, Ghana. sankofa

“ Small as his agency is, Apollo did a marvellous job organizing our trip and we appreciated especially that we could influence everything according to our ideas. The mix of an organized tour and independent travel, we are no longer very young (72 and 70), and the well balanced ratio of cost and what we got for it was perfect. We would like to thank him and his guides and drivers who were extremely nice and helpful. ”

Renate and Dieter Finsterer,
Nuremberg, Germany.