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| Ann | ann~DOT~vanmeerbeeck~AT~telenet~DOT~be |
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We just returned from a 3 week roundtrip through Ghana, and we felt at home as from the moment we arrived. Isaac and Ben gave us a warm welcome and we immediately felt good in our “extended” family. We were always treated with consideration, thoughtfulness, helpfulness, patience, and kindness. Isaac has valuable insight and knowledge of the culture and history of Ghana. Every time he said “ago” we were eager to listen to a new story, some new facts, or one of his jokes. Due to his knowledge about African traditions and believes, his passion for people, his flexibility and ability to understand perfectly what people expect, he is the perfect guide. Ben is an excellent, reliable and careful driver. We felt very safe at all times, even if the road conditions were not optimal, or when traffic was hectic. It is really amazing seeing someone enjoying his job that much ! Ben, Isaac , we will never forget this wonderful experience with our extended family in Ghana ! We hope we’ll meet again one day ! Jo - Roel - Julienne - Ludo – Ann 24 october – 14 november 2015 - Belgium Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 07:39 hrs - Belgium |
| Carla Hijzen | carla~DOT~hijzen~AT~gmail~DOT~com |
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Wij, een gezin met 3 jongens van 7,9 en 12 jaar oud, hebben in juli 2015 een geweldige rondreis door Ghana gemaakt. Prachtige natuur, zeer vriendelijke mensen en veel nieuwe dingen gezien. Organisatie van de reis zat goed in elkaar, reistijden goed ingeschat, hotels geboekt zoals afgesproken en James de chauffeur en gids was zeer kundig! Kortom deze organisatie kan ik iedereen aanraden!
Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 14:35 hrs - Netherlands |
| Margy LaFreniere |
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Jolinaiko!! Thanks!! From the time I arrived at the airport, I felt at home. Ghanaian culture is so warm, and you helped me feel that to the greatest extent. Petra, thank you for matching me with Wisdom. His thoughtful demeanor and happiness to answer all my questions made him a perfect guide for my tour of Ghana. Being a teacher and a constant learner, I asked him so many questions. He did not only answer them, but expanded upon ideas that I was just beginning to understand-ideas about culture, economy, geography, and religion. I can’t say enough thanks. The array of different experiences was also amazing. The Green House at Karimenga was so great for me and listening to Ibrahim about the village and the sustainable improvements he is guiding was truly inspiring. Westerners can learn so much from him. The Black Star Square, Kente weaving in Adawomase, the Kejetia market, Mole NP and the Cape Coast Castle are all can’t-miss opportunities. What an amazing journey. I wouldn’t change anything! Friday, August 14, 2015 at 15:33 hrs - United States |
| Giselinde en Elisabeth | Notaris~AT~notaris-vanduffel~DOT~be |
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Nadat mijn dochter twee maanden vrijwilligerswerk had gedaan in Mamfe, ben ik haar gaan opzoeken en hebben we samen 10 dagen rondgereisd in Ghana. Na heel wat gesurf op het internet naar een organisatie die voor ons de trip kon organiseren ter plaatse, kwam ik toevallig op de website terecht van Jolinaiko die me onmiddellijk aansprak. Op heel korte termijn en via heel vlot mailverkeer, die ik in het Nederlands kon voeren, werd er een heel mooie reisroute uitgewerkt. Onze chauffeur Fofo kwam mij samen met mijn dochter ophalen aan de luchthaven in Accra. Het was een blij weerzien. De eerste twee nachten verbleven we in de Sunbird Lodge bij Apollo en Cindy wat heel gemoedelijk was. Samen met Fofo als chauffeur vertrokken we nadien op avontuur. We hebben alles zeer intens en van heel nabij kunnen beleven: de rechtstreekse contacten met de vriendelijke bevolking en de kinderen in de kleine dorpjes, de prachtige natuur, de fauna en flora, de typische ghaneese gerechten en specialiteiten, de heerlijke mango’s, ananas en bananen, het proces van het maken van palmwijn en –olie, het bezoek aan een cacaoplantage, het traditionele Kente-weven en maken van beads, het bezoek aan een pottebakkerscoöperatieve, de vissersdorpjes aan de kust, de typische afrikaanse markten, de geschiedenis van de slavenhandel aan de kust en het niet te missen Cape Coast Castle en Elmina Castle en nog zoveel meer. Fofo was een uitstekende chauffeur en een zeer toegewijde gids. Dankzij hem en de perfecte organisatie van Jolinaiko hebben mijn dochter en ik een fantastische tijd gehad in Ghana. Giselinde en Elisabeth, België, juni 2015. Tuesday, July 6, 2015 at 12:37 hrs - Belgium |
| Matthias Jenning |
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You have two possibilities, what you can do with your time: you can listen to all bad news about western africa or you can order a trip by Cindy through Ghana, Togo and Benin. We went there in November 2014 and had a great time. Our driver Agoro was also our guide and last not least our friend. It seems, he know every second Togolese, so we often got a warm welcome. The hotels and the restaurants were a good choise and we also recommend the pineapple lodge. After this we had a better understanding for the local people. We did all the „forbidden“ things like eating and drinking with the local or walking alone through the villages with my camera. And what happened? We meet only very friendly people. Often we were alone in a hotel or restaurant, they all were missing the tourists. Even in Mole NP we could use our normal jeep and another tourist jeep were only half for the evening tour. The rangers told us, that they in normal times need five or six jeeps, so you can imagine, how empty it was everywhere. And a special hint against expensive malaria pills – the togolese people know a tree, which leaves are a perfect medicine against malaria. You need only a cup of tea a week and nothing could happen. The tree has a helpful antiplasmodial substance. Another hint for travellers through more than one country: order all visas in advance in your home country. You can save a lot of time on the borders. We had a save journey and saw a lot and learned a lot and sometimes we spontaous cancelled a visit to have more spare time. During your planning never forget, it is vacation in a tropical country and the locals make also a long break at high noon – you need it, too. Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 09:35 hrs - Germany |
| Regina and Christine |
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We spent two and a half weeks touring Ghana/Togo/Benin with Jolinaiko Ecotours and we were so happy to find them. The custom itinerary was well organized and planned by Cindy. Overall, we had a wonderful trip thanks to Isaac and Ben. Ben is a very careful, safe and reliable driver in less than ideal road conditions. Isaac is an excellent, responsible and professional guide. From the beginning, he treated us like family and always looked after our best interests and comfort. We were always treated with consideration, thoughtfulness, helpfulness, patience, and kindness and he went above and beyond duty in one particular situation. We are glad we had the opportunity to visit Benin's sites of interest - especially Ouidah and Ganvier which were terrific. Our stays at the villages were a very fascinating learning experience. Friendliness abounded there. Isaac has valuable insight and knowledge of the culture and did a great job educating us. I felt like I learned so much about West African culture! They were always friendly, prompt, careful and flexible in plans. Isaac communicated clearly and honestly and we trusted him. They both worked hard to make sure we got the most from our trip. We graciously appreciate all their efforts and will cherish these once in a lifetime memories. Highly recommended!
Monday, July 7, 2014 at 04:58 hrs - Davis, California |
| Dale Lightfoot |
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I am very happy that I found Jolinaiko Eco Tours when searching for travel opportunities in Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Your focus on responsible eco-tourism fit my travel style perfectly and provided many opportunities to learn about traditional life through village visits and city excursions alike. Thank you, Cindy, for helping to put this together, and to Apollo for spending the day with me in Accra when I first passed through. You created an itinerary that perfectly fit my requests for real-deal, up-close-and-personal experiences, and hit all of the highlights I wanted to see in Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Sammy was the perfect guide and companion for this journey. He was a real friend to my son and I as we shared this experience. His knowledge of the area was valuable and he not only answered our many questions but pointed out many things along the way that we might not have noticed on our own. It was clear that he wanted us to experience and learn as much as possible. Sharing the trip with Sammy was a real bonus on this trip. All accommodations were fine. You aimed for the level of comfort I requested (basic, not expensive, clean, with A/C for sleeping) and all were as expected. Thank you so much for a well-organized and perfectly guided experience.
Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 21:15 hrs - USA |
| Monique, Floor & Edwin | edwin~DOT~woltering~AT~casema~DOT~nl |
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Wow, what a great time we had in Ghana! We had a tour that started in the Volta area, stayed in Atsiekpoe and did one week volunteering in the children's home Hardthaven at Kpando. After more nice places we drove to Kumasi and further for a few days at sea near to Elmina. Our driver and guide James was really perfect, many thanks to him for his everlasting enthusiasm, patience and fine driving. Our 13 years old daughter is still dreaming of her stay in Ghana and likes to go back when she's older. Cindy, Apollo, James and Jolinaiko crew, thanks for this wonderful experience!
Thursday, May 29, 2014 at 14:15 hrs - Netherlands |
| Bob Schwartz |
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We just returned from a 5-days tour of Ghana and we loved the tour Jolinaiko Eco Tours had organized. My favorite stop for our overnight accommodations was the Hand in Hand with the mentally and physically handicapped young people, at first I was a little leery of this but the Cabana was lovely and the children were a delight. I enjoyed all of stops especially the Water Falls, very refreshing! The only thing that I was hoping for was a bigger variety of wild life in Mole National Park but I realize that's beyond your control. All of the guides we had were very nice and knowledgeable. KaWaWa was also the most professional guide and driver I have ever experienced. Always in good spirits with a smile on his face and had answers for all of our questions. A TOTAL gentleman to ALL of us! We also became fast friends. He also made us feel extremely safe while he was transporting us for all of those kilometers. If the occasion ever arises again I would be more than happy to use your tour company again. Two thumbs up from me. Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 16:35 hrs - USA |
| John |
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My 13 yr old twins and I spent 10 days touring Ghana with our driver Fofo. It was a terrific trip, with a great itinerary. Fofo doubled as a guide and was a great companion. We'd recommend Jolinaiko highly to others.
Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 04:18 hrs - US |
| Erik | egoo1~AT~telenet~DOT~be |
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We made a roundtrip through Togo and Benin in Feb/Mar of 2014 with a group of 12 people. Boris, our guide, was very professional, helpful and very patient, if necessary. He introduced us to the principles of voodoo religion, which was really interesting. Let's not forget André, the driver. Considering the state of the roads, he proved to be a very skilled and careful driver. Both of them made this an unforgettable experience for us. Thanks a lot.
Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 11:50 hrs - Belgium |
| erna schroyens | erna~DOT~schroyens~AT~telenet~DOT~be |
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Ik heb met een groepje van 10 personen een rondreis gemaakt in Togo en Benin. Het was een onvergetelijke ervaring. Onder de professionele begeleiding van onze gids Boris hebben we genoten van alle dagen van ons verblijf. Boris is een warm persoon met veel humor en positief ingesteld. Bedankt voor deze mooie beleving in Togo en Benin. Nog heel veel succes in de toekomst.
Monday, March 24, 2014 at 11:14 hrs - Belgium |
| JP galle | jean~DOT~pierre~DOT~galle~AT~telenet~DOT~be |
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We made a tour trough Benin and Togo for 14 days from 26/01 until 09/02. We were with a group of 9 people and we had a perfect guide Boris. He make a tour with us inside Benin and Togo, it was amazing!! He had always solutions on our wishes. We could not have a better guide. If we come back, i will still have the same guide!!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 14:56 hrs - Belgium |
| JP Galle | jean~DOT~pierre~DOT~galle~AT~telenet~DOT~be |
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Wij zijn met een groepje van 9 personen door Benin en Togo getrokken onder de voortreffelijke begeleiding van Boris. Een fantastische gids die ons het binnenland van beide landen heeft doen kennen en die klaar stond voor al onze wensen. Wij zijn er geweest van 26/01 tem 09/02.Een reis die zeker zal bijblijven.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 14:50 hrs - Belgium |
| David Wessel | davidwessel3~AT~gmail~DOT~com |
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Jolinaiko Eco Tours (JET for short) gets the highest marks from me. On fairly short notice Cindy arranged for a three week tour of Ghana for us with Wisdom Akpabli, who is a terrific guide and driver. Wisdom is very knowledgeable and capable. He gave us spontaneous, fascinating lectures on subjects ranging from the intricacies of the Ghana political system, its legal system, the tribes, the histories of the areas through which we traveled, to the agriculture of those areas. He quickly tuned into our individual interests and came up with great suggestions for changes to our tour. We saw many parts of the real Ghana, ranging from a criminal trial to the tapping of palm trees in the bush to the making of palm butter soup. We also saw waterfalls, wild elephants, baboons, antelopes, and crocodiles. Wisdom was able to deal with every issue and any problem that arose with grace, dignity, and competence. He carefully watched out for our interests with great diplomacy. We felt quite safe with him as our guide. And he had good stories, too. Cindy was very patient with us and very flexible. I'd love to go on another tour with JET and Wisdom. Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 19:36 hrs - Sunnyvale, California |
| Andrew Dawe | andrewmdawe~AT~me~DOT~com |
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I ended up coming last minute for work to Nigeria and decided to take some time in Ghana afterwards. So glad I decided to go on a tour of the coast. James was my driver and was very knowledgeable about Ghana and was great company throughout the trip. Thank you very much James! :)
Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 12:31 hrs - Canada but living in London |
| Sandra Rafaela |
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Thanks for the great vacation in Ghana, it was a great experience traveling to the different beautiful sites in Ghana. The guide was very professional and has shown us a lot and told us a lot about the Ghanian customs etc. Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 12:57 hrs - The Netherlands |
| Laurens & Betty van Rooij |
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Onze zoon heeft drie maanden vrijwilligerswerk in Ghana gedaan. Wij zijn twee weken ( van 17-11-13 t/m 01-12-13 ) tijdens zijn verblijf daar op vakantie geweest We hebben Cindy en Apollo van Jolinaiko gevraagd om een tour van 9 dgn , naar onze specifieke wensen , samen te stellen. Dit is in zowel voorbereiding als uitvoering uitstekend gelukt. Onze speciale dank aan James, onze chauffeur en gids op deze tocht door het prachtige Ghana. Hij heeft werkelijk alles uit de kast gehaald om het ons naar de zin te maken.We voelden ons veilig in zijn handen en dat heeft zeker bijgedragen aan het succes van onze reis !! Monday, December 9, 2013 at 12:30 hrs - Nederland |
| Radek | dlouhrad~AT~yahoo~DOT~com |
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I would like to highly recommend all services of Jolinaiko Ecotours!!! We had lovely travel over the Ghana for over two weeks. It is must see experience and our drive Sami was highly knowledgeable and supportive. We spent a great time with him. Try Karimenga experience in the north it is must! Hope to come back soon!
Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 16:39 hrs - Poland, Warsaw |
| Pascale Adekpui | pasadekpui~AT~gmail~DOT~com |
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I feel honoured that I was one of the first guests in your new B&B Sunbird Lodge, a really cosy place! I enjoyed my stay with your family. Many more times to come!!! Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 19:16 hrs - My family is friends with Panou Family |
| Albert, Ine en Chloë Gallé | al~DOT~galle~AT~planet~DOT~nl |
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We will advise everyone to book with you. We had a fabulous trip with Ben. And...I like Mole park the most. I also liked I could call Cindy on our trip when we had questions and we can speak then our own language dutch. Thank you for this unforgettable journey. I shall dream a lot of this trip, I liked it very much. And lot of hugs for Ben our driver. He is a very good one. He can drive very well, and is constant looking to the other drivers. I felt really save in his can. And that is not with all the drivers in Ghana. The taxidriver we had.....I was really scared in the car. So go on and good luck!! Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 21:22 hrs - Tilburg, The Netherlands |
| Ella | backstreets~AT~web~DOT~de |
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Thank you Cindy for arranging such a wonderful 10 day trip for me and my husband! An especially warm thank you to Fofo, our guide and driver - he made the trip a wonderful experience! His explanations, stories and choice of places were just perfect! We highly recommend both Jolinaiko Ecotours and Fofo - many thanks from Berlin!
Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 15:55 hrs - Berlin, Germany |
| Carla F Wallace |
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My sister and I and a longtime friend recently completed a Jolinaiko Tour through Ghana, Togo and Benin. Learning more about the slave trade, colonialism and the strong cultural traditions of today's West Africa is a transformative experience. Our guide Boris is well informed, thoughtful and helped us learn so much more than we could have anticipated. Despite bumpy roads, our driver Ben navigated with certainty and good humor. I would highly recommend Jolinaiko Eco Tours to anyone traveling to West Africa.
Monday, March 25, 2013 at 16:33 hrs - Louisville, Kentucky USA |
| Naomi Wallace |
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We had two weeks in Ghana, Togo and Benin. Extraordinary, beautiful, amazing trip! And our tour guide, Boris, was wonderful, so well informed, and took great care of us. Our driver, Ben, was also excellent and navigated the sometimes bumpy roads with ease. If you are thinking of going to Ghana, go with Jolinaiko Tours! Highly recommended.
Friday, March 22, 2013 at 21:05 hrs - England |
| Birgit Pichat | birgit~DOT~pichat~AT~voresmarked~DOT~dk |
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Just returned after 10 wonderful days with my daughter in Ghana organised by Jolinaiko Eco Tours. Very much thanks to our fantastic guide Wisdom, I really feel that we learned a lot about Africa and ofcourse Ghana - the culture, the history, the people. We both fell in love with this amazing country, its proud and very kind people, its beautiful nature and fascinating culture. I will definitely recommend to others to do a similar trip with Jolinaiko Eco Tours.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 16:07 hrs - Danmark |
| Caroline Polak | cepolak~AT~gmail~DOT~com |
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We just finished a trip with Francis through Ghana. It was a great experience! He was such a nice man, a driver,a guide , a compagnio, all in one person united. Besides he has a lot of knowlegde about all aspects of Ghanian life! He understood our wishes and needs very well: we were very glad we traveled with him and hope to meet him again! Jitske and Caroline
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 15:23 hrs - Netherlands |
| Effy Perry | perry~AT~shib~DOT~co~DOT~il |
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Dear Cindy & TT I would like to thank you for the beautiful trip you have arranged for us in your amazing country. Special thanks to TT who was not only a very good driver but also a great person with a lot of knowledge, patient and made our trip so wonderful. We hope to visit Ghana again in the future, Effy Perry Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 22:39 hrs - Tel Aviv Israel |
| Martina & Peter Finck | martina~AT~finckfamily~DOT~de |
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We were planning to visit Ghana and were fortunate enough to come across the Jolinaiko Ecotours Internet page. We appreciated the 'area of interest' section of the contact form very much. Thus and with the always friendly and competent help of Cindy we were able to put together a trip that suited our interests best. Isaac, our guide, was very competent, always friendly and eager to give us all the information to better understand his country and its open and welcoming people. We also were very lucky to have Kauwawa as our driver. He was the first person we met in Ghana and we appreciated his friendly way as well as his calm and responsible way to drive very much. So we had a wonderful two weeks trip in Ghana that we shall never forget. Thousand thanks to the stuff of Jolinaiko Ecotours! May 6th, 2012 Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 14:11 hrs - Wachtberg near Bonn, Germany |
| Ralph Wolf | wolfdwi~AT~aol~DOT~com |
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Trying to arrange transportation in Ghana over the internet can be very daunting! However, Jolinaiko made it very easy and they sure delivered! Our driver Wisdom was the best! You really need a savvy driver to find your way thru the horrible tieups even on the main roads. Due to Wisdom's efforts, we were able to maintain our ambtious schedule which included a visit to our son's Peace Corp site in one of the most remote regions of Ghana. Thank you Jolinaiko (especially Wisdom) for making this happen! Sincerely, Ralph & Sandra Wolf Monday, April 16, 2012 at 14:45 hrs - Melbourne Florida |
| Carolien en Martine | martinegrootendorst~AT~online~DOT~nl |
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Na eerst enkele dagen op eigen gelegenheid in Beyin en Elmina hebben gebivakkeerd, hebben we ons heel luxe 7 dagen door een deel van Ghana laten rijden. Evans was ons uitstekende "driver" De Defender voldeed ook, al is die misschien niet zo eco ;-)! We hebben veel gezien, moeilijk te beschrijven. Ghana je moet het ruiken, proeven en ondergaan. De mensen zijn over het algemeen open voor een praatje, wat wij heel leuk vonden. Onze lodges Stumble Inn, Lake Point, Bobiri, Mountain Lodge en Aylos waren prima. Wij hebben genoten en kunnen Ghana en Jolinaiko zeker aanbevelen. Wij hopen nog eens terug te kunnen komen, want er valt nog zoveel te zien en beleven.
Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 14:31 hrs - Nederland |
