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"The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa, for he has so much to look forward to." -- Richard Mullin
Travel that focuses on the many cultures of Africa can clear away those clouds and bring the lands of our forefathers into true focus. Experienced local guides will proudly share their homelands with you -- their history and heritage, food, dress, art, music and more. You only have to enjoy your journey, and start planning your next one. Because once Africa gets into your soul, she will call you back.
+ Flights and land tours or land only + Travel insurance available
+ Reserve with deposit + Monthly payment plans
+ Fixed dates or set to your schedule + Major credit & debit cards accepted
"Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same...Could it be because Africa is the place of all our beginnings...?"
--Brian Jackman
EXPERIENCE MATTERS...YOURS MOST OF ALL
What do you have in mind? Want to sightsee? Want to shop? Are you a foodie, a beach person? Want to hike, bike, surf, climb mountains? Looking to travel in comfort and style, or rough and rugged? All of that is possible in Africa's capitals and countrysides, and we can set that up for you according to your budget.
Are you looking for total cultural immersion? We can arrange classes in African languages, cooking, art, music, dance. Want to skip the hotels and do a homestay? We can do that, too. Want to not just see traditional chiefs and kings, but actually meet and talk with them? Done.
Like to stay on the go from morning til night, or prefer a more relaxed pace? Want to go with a big group, a small number of friends and family, or would you rather go solo?
You tell us what you're looking for. Together with our African tour partners, we'll do our best to make it happen...just for you.
"We are all children of Africa, and none of us is better or more important than the other. This is what Africa could say to the world: it could remind it what it is to be human.” -- Alexander McCall Smith
"The worst thing that colonialism did was to cloud our view of our past.”
--Barack Obama
WEST AFRICA
FALL 2018: Amsterdam & Accra — The opposite ends of African slavery
30 oct - 10 nov
The marks left by the trans-Atlantic slave trade line the coast of Ghana — Elmina and Cape Coast castles, Slave River in Assin Manso, Fort Amsterdam in Abandze. Together, they form a clear picture of the cruelty of this inhuman trade on which both Europe and the Americas were built. But that's only half the story.
Our next West African tour will begin with a look at the other half — in Amsterdam. Why there? Because slavery binds Ghana and the Netherlands like an unbreakable chain. For 177 years, the Dutch bought and sold Ghanaians and other West Africans — so much so that a part of the West African coastline was known as the Dutch Slave Coast. All those captive Africans generated untold wealth for the Dutch. In Amsterdam, you'll tour the city on a canal boat while an expert guide tells you — and shows you — where a lot of that money went. You’ll also learn about Amsterdam’s Black community, which has endured from that time until this.
From there, it’s on to Ghana, where we close the circle of history with visits to Elmina and Cape Coast castles, and to Slave River.
That would be plenty for one tour. But we’re just getting started:
- See how traditional wood carving is done.
- See kente cloth and adinkra prints being made, and maybe try it yourself.
- Buy traditional African fabrics and have them tailored into custom outfits just for you.
- Check out traditional Ghanaian music, dance, even cooking — and complete with lessons.
- Get your own private audience with a traditional Ghanaian king, who will give you your own Ghanaian name chosen just for you. Learn first-hand about the role these traditional leaders play in modern Ghanaian life. And then, see that for yourself as you witness a public appearance by the king of the entire Ashanti nation.
- Need a workout? Hike a mountain in Kakum National Park and cross 100 feet over the jungle canopy on seven suspension bridges.
- Lodging, ground transportation, Engish-speaking guides and most meals included.
Tour price is as low as $1,500 land only or $2,700 land + international air. (Final cost depends on group size and/or airfare at time of booking). A $350 deposit saves your spot on the tour, and you can pay off the balance gradually until Sept. 30. Make your deposit early and get a $100 rebate. (Deposit must be received by Trips by Greg before June 1.) Air booking assistance and travel insurance also available.
On this tour, the learning doesn’t stop. The fun doesn’t stop. All that’s needed is for you to get started. You know you want to.
You know it's time.
COME JOIN US!
TRAVEL WITH US, HELP BUILD GHANA’S FUTURE
"We face neither East nor West. We face forward." -- Kwame Nkrumah, founding president of Ghana
Remember your school days? Did you have a nice campus -- clean, well-lit? Comfortable desks? Textbooks for everyone? Computers on which to learn digital technology? For thousands of students in Ghana, these are all distant dreams.
At Trips by Greg, we’re changing that. We’ve adopted the Presbyterian Junior High School in the village of Aduamoah (ah-DO-am-WAH). Ten percent of proceeds from our tours will go toward things like fresh paint. Better floors and desks. School supplies. A non-leaking roof. Eventually, computers. And when were done there, we'll find another school to help.
When friends ask what you did in Africa, you could say "I saw lions and elephants and giraffes." Or you could say, "I helped a generation of West African school children."
Tough call? We don't think so.
Africa's turntable
French-speaking Cote d'Ivoire is world-famous as Africa's Atlantic Coast nightspot. Restaurants, bars, music joints abound in its largest city, Abidjan. Outside the big city, look for a good demonstration of Zaouli dance. It's harder than it looks!
PARLEZ-VOUS SENEGAL?
Beaches and cliff walks. A great cathedral and a grand mosque. The chilling history of Goree Island.Terrific seafood and fantastic nightlife. Colonial architecture and a pink lake. And all less than nine hours on a on-stop flight from the US East Coast. LEARN MORE
"The continent is too large to describe. It is a veritable ocean, a separate planet, a varied, immensely rich cosmos. Only with the greatest simplification, for the sake of convenience, can we say 'Africa'..."
--Ryszard Kapuscinski
Why we (mostly) don't do safaris
A good safari show you flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth. If you hurry, you can even see something in Africa you probably never knew was there -- a glacier. But to us, Africa is about people -- 3000-plus ethnic groups, each with its own story. People who have endured through time and colonization to remain true to their their identities and their faiths. People whose creativity and perseverance never waver. That's the Africa we want to show you.
Still....if you really, really, REALLY want a safari, we know some of the best safari operators in Africa, so we can make that happen for you.
EAST AFRICA
ETHIOPIA
Land of kings and miracles. The only African nation never colonized. Africa's pre-eminent Christian nation. More UNESCO World Heritage Sites than anywhere else in Africa, including the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. Resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie, who inspired Jamaica's Rastafari religion.
UGANDA
Home of Africa's world-famous mountain gorillas, Murchison Falls and the birthplace of the Nile River, Diverse cultures speaking 50 different languages, a nation of friendly people welcoming visitors to the land Winston Churchill called "the pearl of Africa." Cultural and religious tours coming soon!
LEARN MORE
RWANDA
The "Land of A Thousand Hills." Come see how this landlocked nation has rebounded in one generation from one of modern history's greatest genocides and moving head-long into the future. See why its capital, Kigali, is considered among the cleanest cities in the world.
LEARN MORE
“To the same degree that your understanding of and attitude towards Afrika becomes more positive, your understanding of and attitude towards yourself will also become more positive...”
--Malcolm X
SOUTHERN AFRICA
WANT TO GET WILD?
11 | 19 Aug 2018
Drive through world-famous Kruger National Park for a look at Africa's "Big Five" – elephant, water buffalo, lion, rhinoceros, and leopard. Travel through the spectacular waterfalls and rainforest of the Blyde River Canyon. Top off your journey with a visit to Lesedi Cultural Village, the home of five African tribes – Basotho, Zulu, Pedi, Xhosa and Ndebele.
The Legacy of Nelson Mandela
13 | 25 Oct 2018
Follow Madiba's Long Walk To Freedom -- from his Soweto home to 27 years of exile on Robben Island and finally to South Africa's capital, Pretoria, as the first democratically elected President of South Africa. Add the splendor of Kruger National Park and Blyde River Canyon. Explore the rich culture of Johannesburg and the stunning vistas of Cape Town.
THREE NATIONS -- ONE TRIP
13 | 25 Oct 2018
Discover the best of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana in one unforgettable tour. Enjoy the splendor of Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world, and a wild game safari at the Chobe River Lodge. Trace the legacy of Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg and Robben Island prison. Cap things off with stunning Cape Town, Table Mountain and the Western Cape.