TOUR OVERVIEW
Our special 9 day tour of the delightful birding hotspot of Ghana is designed to give us the opportunity to see many of the Upper Guinea Forest specialities, as well as a huge variety of other West African birds. With a species list of 755+ species, Ghana is an ideal birdwatching destination being a reasonable flight time from the UK/Europe, having great weather, decent accommodation and food, plus many great birds. We begin at the Shai Hills Reserve where the savanna and woodland will provide us with a great introduction, followed by a spot of coastal wader watching. We then visit Kakum National Park, whose canopy walkway is rather unique in Africa and provides us with chances of seeing some startling and very special birds such as Congo Serpent-eagle,Yellow-casqued and Black-casqued Hornbills, Sharpe's Apalis, Blue Cuckoo-shrike and Tit-Hylia. We will also explore the numerous trails and other areas of this fabulous area before spending two days amidst the unspoilt evergreen forest of Ankasa, which is close to the border with the Ivory Coast. This is a beautiful area protecting some wonderful quality species and is the only rainforest in Ghana where White-breasted Guineafowl is known to occur. More special birds await us here, from Hartlaub's Duck and Dwarf Bittern to Green-tailed Bristlebill and Rufous-winged Illadopsis. Moving on via the coast to the northern areas of Kakum National Park in search of African Piculet, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, West African Batis and Red-vented Malimbe, we shall then head towards what should be the undoubted highlight of the tour. It is here that we will search for the 'ultimate' prize of any Ghana tour, when we visit a very special site for the truly amazing Yellow-headed Picathartes. Waiting quietly in the late afternoon we have an outstanding chance to see these strange magical forest birds returning to roost at their rocky caves and can hopefully enjoy close views. We end our unique short tour at Bobiri Forest Reserve before sharing a final evening meal together and reflecting on a very exciting week's tour in this beautiful West African country.
Sunday 20th - Monday 28th October
KEY SPECIES
Here are just a few of the key species we will be targetting on this tour:
Leaders: Zoothera Leader and local guide.
Ground Price: £1895.00 - Accra/Accra
Airfare: £530 - £650.00 (Approx) - UK/UK
Single supplement: £150.00
Deposit: £400.00
Group size: Minimum for tour to go ahead 5 and maximum 9 with 2 leaders.
Included in cost: Accommodation in twin rooms en-suite, all meals, bottled water, all entrance fees, ground transport throughout in a/c coach and 4x4 (at Atewa), and services of leaders.
Not included: International airfare, insurance, drinks, tips, visa fee, and items of a personal nature.
Accommodation: Our accommodations range from good to basic and are all in close proximity of birding areas to be visited. All room are en-suite and generally 2 twin beds with air conditioning. Whilst camping at Ankasa for 2 nights we will stay at a tented camp where we have comfortable mattresses, pillows and clean bed sheets. There are separate flushing toilets, cold private shower facilities, and an excellent cook and camp crew to ensure our stay is as comfortable as possible. We can even enjoy cold beers and non-alcoholic beverages, 3 meals a day, and there is even electricity so we can charge our camera batteries.
Tour Code: This is a standard birding tour with early mornings and evening birding essential to make the best of our birding opportunities. This does make for long days in the field and if the weather is hot we will try to rest during the middle of the day. The weather can be unsettled at this time of year, so be prepared for the occasional shower. The camping at Ankasa will be as comfortable as possible with pillows and clean bed sheets in the large, African-style safari Tents. There are flushing toilets, cold private shower facilities, and an excellent cook and camp crew to ensure our stay is as comfortable as possible. We can enjoy cold beers and non-alcoholic beverages, 3 meals a day, and there is even electricity so we can charge our camera batteries. However, we are hoping the new lodge being built at the entrance to the forest will be ready in time for our visit.
