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Victor is an outstanding field guide with extraordinary patience and tenacity in finding birds and determination to make sure everyone in the group had seen the bird. He also displayed excellent leadership and communication skills, dealing with any problems that arose in a calm and assertive manner. He has a good sense of humour. I could not recommend him more highly. Osei was an excellent assistant to Victor and they worked well together as a team. Our driver, Eric was also superb. I enjoyed the forest environment and time to watch birds in a relaxed manner. Some of the rarer birds Victor found for us were a total joy to behold and I feel very privileged to have seen them. I appreciated the thought and planning which went into the itinerary and felt that the best use was made of a short time in Ghana.
C.B. Gwent, February 2024
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Ghana - Picathartes & Pangolins
Tour Code: GHA03A unique 10-day exploration of Ghana's rainforests, in search of pangolins, the rare Yellow-headed Picathartes, and a variety of other exciting birds.
£2,995 (Inc flights)
£2,395
Highlights
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Summary
Home to over 750 species of birds, and some of the region’s healthiest populations of mammals, Ghana is rapidly becoming West Africa's premier wildlife destination. This small tropical country is blessed with a diverse range of exciting habitats, including the rich Upper Guinea rainforests of the south. This 10-day tour, focusing on birds primarily as well as mammals, will take you to two of the best protected forests left in Ghana, both of which are home to a remarkable variety of exotic creatures. In particular, we'll be searching for pangolins and the rare Yellow-headed Picathartes, both of which are easier to see in Ghana than anywhere else.
- Search for Long-tailed & Tree Pangolins in remote forest.
- Visit a Yellow-headed Picathartes breeding colony.
- Africa's highest canopy walkway in Kakum NP.
- West Africa's best forest birding.
- Rufous-sided Broadbill, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, White-crested Hornbill & Akun Eagle-Owl possible.
- Chance of elusive forest mammals including Potto & Pel's Anomalure.
- Stay in a remote village in the heart of the rainforest.
- Led by local expert guides.
Grading
Grade B. Easy to moderate day walks in humid conditions. Optional early morning and evening walks mean potentially long days, so a good level of fitness is required.
Home to over 750 species of birds, and some of the region’s healthiest populations of mammals, Ghana is rapidly becoming West Africa’s premier wildlife destination. This small tropical country — known in the past as the ‘Gold Coast’ — is now widely recognised as a friendly and safe destination to visit and is blessed with a diverse range of exciting habitats, including the rich Upper Guinea rainforests of the south. This tour focuses on the birds and to a lesser extent, the mammals of two of the best protected forests left in southern Ghana, both of which are home to a remarkable variety of exotic creatures, from the bizarre Yellow-headed Picathartes to the equally curious Long-tailed and Tree Pangolins. To maximise our chances of finding these key species we will need to start early and finish late, using the quieter hours during the heat of the afternoon to relax back at base! Our efforts are likely to be rewarded, however, for, in addition to numerous diurnal species, there are plenty of other exciting nocturnal mammals and birds to look out for too, including Pottos, Pel’s Anomalure and the little-known Brown Nightjar.
We begin our tour with a direct flight to Ghana’s capital, Accra, and an overnight stay. The next morning we commence our explorations at the Shai Hills reserve, an interesting expanse of savannah, grassland and woodland which offers excellent birding. Amongst our target species here will be African Grey Hornbill, African Hobby, Violet and Guinea Turacos, Senegal Parrot and many more. The reserve also includes a cave system which we will visit to view its roosting Egyptian Tomb Bats.
Next, we drive north towards Kakum National Park for a 4-night stay within the endangered Upper Guinea tropical rainforest, home to a wonderful variety of exciting forest species. Amongst a tantalising array of birdlife, we will be looking for Rosy Bee-eater, Congo Serpent Eagle and Black Dwarf Hornbill. A highlight of our stay here will be our early morning visit to Kakum’s world-famous canopy walkway, which hangs 40 metres above the forest floor. The birding from this 350 metre-long walkway is simply superb!
Alongside the diverse and fascinating avifauna, Ghana is also a stronghold for a variety of threatened mammals. Most excitingly, the country is perhaps the best place in Africa (and indeed the world) to search for pangolins. Whilst the plight of these unusual creatures is well known — they are the most trafficked animal in the world — they are still seen relatively frequently in Ghana. A particular target from the canopy walkway will be Long-tailed Pangolin, which often likes to sun itself on high branches during the early morning hours. A return visit to the canopy walkway in the late afternoon will offer our best opportunity to look for the endangered Olive and Geoffroy’s Pied Colobuses, and Lowe’s and Lesser Spot-nosed Monkeys. Subject to local conditions, we will also head out into the forest before dawn and after dusk to spotlight for Tree Pangolins, West African Potto, Demidoff’s Galago, Common Cusimanse (a rainforest mongoose), Pel’s and Lord Derby’s Anomalures and Maxwell’s Duiker.
Leaving Kakum behind, we next travel northwards for a visit to the Yellow-headed Picathartes nesting site, and what should be a highlight of our visit to Ghana. This remarkable bird — one of the world’s most sought-after species — was only discovered breeding in Ghana in 2005, but the country is now the best place in the world to see it. We will spend the next three nights in specially-constructed tourist accommodation in the nearby village of Bonkro, which sits in the shadow of some imposing rainforest-clad hills. We will then have two full days (and nights) to search this exciting forest, to continue our quest for pangolins and hopefully other rare mammals, and to enjoy further fantastic birding with such gems as Afep Pigeon, Blue Cuckooshrike, Chestnut-winged Starling, Ussher’s Flycatcher, Buff-throated Sunbird, Tit-Hylia, Shrike Flycatcher, Superb Sunbird, Sabine’s Puffback and Lemon-bellied Crombec all possible.
Finally, we must tear ourselves away from these rich forests to return to Accra, where we will have time to freshen up and enjoy an evening meal before transferring to
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
All accommodation is included in the cost of the holiday. Accommodation is in comfortable, but simple, guesthouses, hotels and community lodging in the Picathartes Forest. Single rooms are available for a supplement. All rooms have private facilities.
- Food:
All food is included in the cost. Ghanaian cuisine consists largely of delicious traditional food, with more Western fare typically available in larger towns and hotels.
Reviews
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Both leaders and our driver were exceptional, Victor's Identification skills were second to none. Nothing was too much trouble for our leaders/driver to do for us. I enjoyed all of the holiday, some of my highlights were Kakum forest walkway both day and night walks. White-necked Rockfowl at Bonkro and walking in the bush at Mole especially being near to Elephants.
D.B. Norfolk, Feb 2024 -
The whole experience of being in Ghana and in the tropical rainforest was a dream. The guides Victor, worked very hard to find us wildlife, Johnson always keeping an eye on our safety and Eric, a very patient driver. We felt the Bonkro community benefited from our visit and ecotourism.
J.C. Caerdydd, Nov 2023 -
The Yellow Pithacartes was definitely the highlight of my trip and the most memorable of experiences, with the canopy walkway at Kakum in second place. Guides Victor and Osei were excellent. very knowledgeable and their timing/programme worked smoothly. The bus driver Eric was very safe and instilled confidence.
P.J. Hertfordshire, Nov 2023 -
The leaders did a great job of making sure everyone was comfortable and helps is see both White-bellied Pangolin and Picathartes. The Ghanaian food was lovely and I became addicted to Jollof, Red Red and fried Plantain.
N.J. Durham, Nov 23
Dates & Prices
2024
2025
2026
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
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The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
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- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
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Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
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Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Mammal Watching Holidays
Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.
Naturetrek Mammal Watching Tours
Many of our tours have a primary focus on mammals and we offer the widest choices of mammal-watching holidays across the globe, from the poles to the tropics. Our holidays are guided by at least one professional naturalist tour leader and usually benefit from additional guiding by expert local naturalist guides. We have holidays to see an incredible range of the world’s most sought-after mammals, such as orangutans, lemurs, bats, polar mammals, big cats, and mammals of the African savannah. A significant number of tours also targets some of the planet’s more unusual and elusive species, from pottos and pangolins to slender lorises and obscure cetaceans.
Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:
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Bargain mammal selection
We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.
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Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
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At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
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In November 2019, Operations Manager, Ben Chapple, travelled to Ghana, where he encountered an astonishing variety of West African wildlife. Here he describes his experiences, and explains why now could be the perfect time to travel to this remarkable country.
