Description

We’re delighted to be offering this new tour to West Africa in 2024! It is sure to be popular, read on to find out why…

Ghana is a superb, easy and safe destination, only 6 hours away from Heathrow, with direct flights available daily with British Airways (BA).

On this trip we visit 2 of the best butterfly sites in the whole of West Africa. Ghana has well over 900 butterfly species, of which it is possible to find about 800 in the reserves we visit. Realistically we would probably see about 200 species on this tour, but most of them are as dramatic and colourful on the underside as they are on the upperside, and the majority are sexually dimorphic, so the opportunities for butterfly photography are enormous and highly rewarding. Most are large showy butterflies, and easily approached for photography. Expect to see many fabulous Foresters, Gliders, Pansies, Soldiers, Charaxes, Fairy Hairstreaks, Swallowtails, Kites, Sailors, Beaks and much more.

All the sites have long wide trails on mostly level ground. It’s virtually impossible to get lost, so you are very much encouraged to wander and explore at your own pace.

The main butterfly season in Ghana’s rainforests is from April to October, during which time butterflies are typically very abundant and varied. It’s increasingly difficult to predict weather due to climate change, but at the time of our tour we expect mornings to be hot and sunny, with cloud building in the afternoon and leading to rainfall in late afternoon and evening. Temperatures should be in the 25-30C range in the daytime, and remaining warm throughout the night.

Accommodation at Bobiri is a delightful small guesthouse right in the middle of one of the best butterfly forests in the whole of Africa. At New Edubiase we’ll stay at a newly constructed eco-lodge that’s less than 10 minutes drive from another superb stretch of rainforest. On the optional extension to Ankasa we stay at a small ecolodge right on the edge of the national park.

You’ll need visas – the application form is a bit complex but Adrian will provide personal assistance to anyone requiring help.

For identifications the best resource is Larsen’s “Butterflies of West Africa” which has 2 volumes – one with full colour plates and the other with detailed text. It is out of print but fairly easy to obtain secondhand. A copy of the plates volume will be available during the tour for guests to use.

Your tour leader will be Adrian Hoskins, author of “Butterflies of the World”, “1000 Butterflies” and several scientific papers. Adrian has vast experience of tropical butterflies, having travelled very extensively worldwide, including 6 previous trips to Ghana. Additionally we will have a Ghanaian butterfly guide who will procure and lay fruit bait along the trails to attract butterflies. Please note that we don’t shepherd you around in a group pointing out and identifying butterflies in the field, but we’ll both assist with identifications in the evenings from your cameras or laptops.