Silversea to Visit Ghana's Festival of Akwasidae

ashanti adinkraSilversea is offering a new land adventure spotlighting the Festival of Akwasidae in Ghana as part of Silver Cloud's March 16, 2016, West Africa cruise. 

The 16-daily sailing from Tema (Accra) to Barcelona will have an optional, six-day pre-cruise "Accra & the Ashanti Kingdom" program that offers guests the opportunity to participate in the Festival of Akwasidae. Set within the walls of the royal palace in Kumasi, this ceremony honors the community's ancestors and is presided over by the king of the Ashanti. 

One of the most powerful nations in Africa until the British annexation at the end of the 19th century, travelers can still experience the traditions of the Ashanti empire in the city of Kumasi, which has one of the largest central markets in Africa. Beginning in Accra, Silversea guests will have the opportunity to tour Kumasi as part of a three-night stay in the city, attending the festival as part of their stay. 

Program participants will also be able to learn how the traditional adinkra textile, developed by the Ashanti people, is made. A traditional hand-painted fabric used by royalty in religious ceremonies, the people of Ghana decorate this cloth with Ashanti symbols by using a black dye made of bark called adinkra aduru.

Guests on the "Accra & the Ashanti Kingdom" land adventure will enjoy two nights' accommodation at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, along with a three-night stay at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi. Daily breakfast is included, along with five lunches, four dinners, and all ground transportation. The price for this six-day pre-cruise excursion starts at $3,979 per person.

In addition to West Africa, Silver Cloud's March 16 sailing will call in Las Palmas, Arrecife, Agadir, Casablanca, Gibraltar, Cartagena, and Valencia.