CALENDAR of all TransAfrica programs: Great Expeditions and Special Trips
| Single departure travels | Departure | Arrival |
Beyond the azalai
The ultimated Sahara experience: almost three weeks in one of the still unexplored regions of the Sahara between Mali and Mauritania, from Timbuktu till Taudenni, Chinguetti and Nouakchott. Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Bamako from 5/11/2004 |
Nouakchott till 23/11/2004 |
Tenere South
An wonderful Sahara experience: nearly three weeks in one of the most beautil area of Sahara, in the quite unknown region of Tenere, through Termit-Dibella-Bilma,m to encounter the Azalai salt caravan.
Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Bamako from 3/12/2004 |
Nouakchott till 21/12/2004 |
Beyond the azalai 2
An extraordinary Saharian experience to taste the flavour of staying for a while in the middle of the desert, following the azalai from Timbuctu to Taoudenni, and then from Taoudenni to Ouadane, and back to Mali till Bamako. Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Bamako from 28/10/2005 |
Bamako till 23/11/2005 |
Transaharian Expedition South-North
Nearly three weeks from the Gulf of Guinea to the Mediterranean Sea. A journey through different ecosystems, an exciting experience which will allow to discover the lifestyles and customs of the many different peoples along the way. Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Lome from 22/12/2005 |
Tunis till 8/1/2006 |
Transaharian Expedition North-South
A 28 day expedition from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean: a passage among different ecosystems, a full experience that brings to discover the different habits of their inhabitants. Starting from Tunisia and Libya passing though a lot of Roman remains, Sabrata, the Dwanda region and the capital of the Garamantes. Djado, a world apart, the fortified abandoned citadels, the Tenere, “the desert of the deserts”. After Agadez begins the anonymous Sahel, and after the Niger River, the soil becomes quite fertile. The Somba and their fortified dwellings, The Taneka hidden on their hill. The forest and then the coastline: in the land of voodoo, the religion of the ancestors.
Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Tunis from 22/1/2006 |
Lome till 19/2/2006 |
Tenere & Air
A great adventure in the silent virginal land of sands, to discover intact fossilized dinosaur bones left from huge predators that roamed the Earth 100 million years ago… After the Tenere tree, the Erg Tenere, ocean of sand, then theFachi salt mines where people manufacture huge pillars of salt that are sold to the camel caravans, and Djado, a region of stone mountains of an esoteric dream...
Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Agadez from 13/1/2006 |
Agadez till 28/1/2006 |
Total solar eclipse
Unique event taking place among traditional cultures: the 29th of March there will be the solar eclipse. Among some of the western African countries it will be possible to experience it for some three minutes. Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Cotonou from 26/3/2006 |
Ouagadougou till 2/4/2006 |
From Timbuctu to the ocean Mali - Mauritania • 18 days A great expedition from Sahara to the Atlantic, along the ancient traks of the traditional caravanes transporting salt. For an unforgettable experience in thel desert.
|
Bamako from 16/2/2007 |
Nouakchott till 5/3/2007 |
Guinea, wild nature
An absolute "première" in a country never touched by tourism, very rich in wild nature with his savannas and forests, and with interesting populations which still have their traditions dating from centuries.
Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Dakar from 11/3/2007 |
Bamako till 26/3/2008 |
From Mediterranean to Niger
Algeria - Niger • 20 days A new, wonderful adventure! Drive yourself a 4X4 in the desert! An extraordinary experience of 20 days in the heart of North Africa, from Algeria to Niger, among the most beautiful and interesting places and landscapes, to feel the very atmosphere of Sahara Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Tunis from 2/8/2007 |
Niamey till 21/8/2007 |
September Festivals
For the populations living in the south of Togo, Benin and Ghana, September is time to celebrate the first and main harvest of the year. Three festivals in one trip: This trip is an occasion to attend these great cultural events, with plenty of time available to truly soak up the atmosphere and watch the festivities.
|
Accra
from
30/8/2007
|
Accra
till
10/9/2007
|
Essakane Music Festival
From savanna to desert, two weeks which highlight is Essakane Festival, this year from 10 to 12 January: an extraordinary experience full of life, color, emotions.
|
Ouagadougou
from
3/1/2008
|
Ouagadougou
till
16/1/2008
|
Festival Gaani
A trip in the two countries on the Guinea Gulf, very interesting from an anthropological point of view. Gaani is a religious festival in the honor of Prophet Mohamed, which is cebrated at Nikki, where the festival has also an important social dimension. It is an occasion by which princes and elders honor the two symbols of local power: the king and the sacred drums (barabakarou).
|
Lome
from
13/3/2008
|
Lome
till
26/3/2008
|
Masks Festival
Two weeks with the opportunity to explore one of the most interesting country of West Africa, and to focus on masks, as they are an occasion to celebrate and to communicate, in different regions, for all the traditional ethnic people who live there.
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Ouagadougou
from
20/3/2008
|
Ouagadougou
till
3/4/2008
|
Only Ghana
One week dedicated to Ghana in all his aspects - the Ashanti of Kumasi, the populations in the north, Gurunsi and Lobi, the coast with the portogues castles, the town of Accra, the Krobo. With the possibility of going through Burkina Faso and Togo, where the trip begins and finishes.
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Ouagadougou
from
1/4/2008
|
Lome
till
9/4/2008
|
Dipo Initiation
A wonderful occasion to participate to one of the most beautiful initiation ceremony in Africa, celebrated in the Krobo region, famous for its beads, some of which are often seen in the best African Art Galleries. Here beads are used for religious and esthetic purposes and have the magic power "to turn a child into a woman”!
|
Accra
from
19/4/2008
|
Accra
till
29/4/2008
|
Transahara - From Morocco to Mali
Morocco - Mauritania - Mali • 22 days
A new, great adventure! An expedition for true travellers! A journey of three weeks from Mediterranean to the very heart of West Africa, from the sea to the desert, from Morocco to Mali through Mauritania, to discover Aoudaghost, a ghost town of the V century b. C. An unforgettable experience! Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
|
Fez from 21/9/2008 |
Bamako till 12/10/2008 |
Gerewol
Niger • 11 days A trip dedicated to one of the most exciting festival in Africa, organized by Peul Bororo between September and October, at the end of the rain season, to celebrate beauty and love.
|
Niamey from 23/9/2007 |
Niamey till 4/10/2007 |
Essakane Music Festival
Burkina Faso - Mali • 14 days From savanna to desert, two weeks which highlight is Essakane Festival,
this year from 10 to 12 January: an extraordinary experience full of life,
color, emotions.
|
Ouagadougou
from
3/1/2009
|
Ouagadougou
till
17/1/2009
|
Journey into the magic - Special Ouidah
A week dedicated to the fascinating little countries on Guinea Gulf, to merge into teh magic atmosphere of voodoo and feticheurs, to admire ancient castles, colorful markets, pbig palaces, vvillages on the water, and to relax along a wonderful seaside. Speciale departure dedicated to voodoo festival in Ouidah.
|
Lome
from
3/1/2009
|
Lome
till
10/1/2009
|
|
Segou Festival, music along Niger
Burkina Faso - Mali • 15 days
|
Ouagadougou
from
23/1/2009
|
Ouagadougou
till
6/2/2009
|
|
Only Mali and Segou Festival
Mali • 8 days
|
Bamako
from
25/1/2009
|
Bamako
till
|
| Several departures travels | Departure | Arrival |
| The country of Ashanti
Ghana • 8 days
A week in a country which is full of interesting evidences of the portoguese colonization and offers extraordinary occasions to plunge in the folklore of his populations.
Departure granted for minimum 2 participants, organized to participate at the Akwasidae Festival of Ashanti in Kumasi.
|
Accra from
23/6/2008 4/8/2008 15/9/2008 27/10/2008 8/12/2008 19/1/2009 2/3/2009 13/4/2009 25/5/2009 6/7/2009 17/8/2009 28/9/2009 9/11/2009 21/12/2009 |
Accra till
30/6/2008 11/8/2008 22/9/2008 3/11/2008 15/12/2008 26/1/2009 9/3/2009 20/4/2009 1/6/2009 13/7/2009 24/8/2009 5/10/2009 16/11/2009 28/12/2009
|
Journey through the magic
Togo - Benin • 8 days One week in two countries on the Guinea Gulf, both little but full of interest and very rich from a cultural point of view, particolarly for those who want to have a first contact with Western Africa. On this trip we will meet fetish priests, healers and oracles; we will attend fire dances, initiation rites, ancient ceremonies and witness participants in trances. Voodoo has its origins in these countries and in this part of the world the people’s practices are still authentic. Departure granted for minimum 2 participants.
|
Lome
from
2° and 4° Saturday of each month
|
Lome
till
next Saturday
|
In the middle of Sahel
Burkina Faso - Mali • 15 days
Two weeks in Burkina Faso and Mali: two countries of Sahel in the center of West Africa, visited with a particolar look to the cultures and local traditions, in order to have a rich experience, full of emotions, with people living in the region. Departure granted for minimum 2 participants.
|
Ouagadougou
from
1/8/2008 17/10/2008 7/11/2008 26/12/2008 |
Ouagadougou
till
15/8/2008 31/10/2008 21/11/2008 9/1/2009
|
Only Mali
Mali • 9 days
A wonderful trip in a wonderful country, one of the most interesting of West Africa, very rich from an anthropological point of view, with colourful markets. Mali, with his river Niger and his deserts, is also famous for Timbuctu, the legendary Saharian town, and for Dogon people, who have been living for centuries beside Bandiagara.
Departure granted for minimum 2 participants.
|
Bamako
from
1° and 3° Friday of each month
|
Bamako
till
next Saturday
|
Between savanna and forest
Guinea Conakry - Guinea Bissau - Mali • 15 days
A real african experience in a country never touched by tourism, very rich in wild nature with his savannas and forests, and with interesting populations which still have their traditions dating from centuries. For African lovers, for those who know Africa pretty well and want to discover a new aspect, for those who wish to plunge in a magic athmosphere of warmth, colour, life.
Tour leader: Alberto Nicheli
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Bissau from January 2009 dates to be defined |
Bamako till January 2009 date to be defined |