Gambian Women -photo courtesy of The Gambia Tourism Authority
Thinking of Traveling to West Africa?
West Africa is a diverse land full of beautiful people and marvelous culture. Travel to West African Nations like Senegal, Ghana and parts of Benin is still not as popular as travel to South America. If you are thinking about traveling to West Africa, here are a few things you should keep in mind.
A common language spoken in many African countries is French
French arrived in Africa with colonization from France and Belgium. African French is the generic name of the varieties of French spoken by an estimated 115 million (2007) African people spread across 31 French-speaking African countries. Africa is thus the continent with the most French speakers in the world so if you dont have time to learn all of the 3,000 (or more) languages natively spoken in Africa- your best bet is to bone up on your French. Bonne chance et bon voyage!
Traveling in West Africa
The public transportation systems are continually improving, however if you want to venture to more remote places, it can be difficult and time-consuming to get there. Your safety should be your number one priority. Avoid small buses if at all possible. It is always best to secure transportation from reliable tour operators in advance. If you are traveling by bus it is also a great idea to pack breakfast and lunch to take with you because many buses leave very early and don't stop until they arrive at the final destination. If you need transportation around town make sure you only travel in taxis that have a working meter and proper seatbelts. You will find that most taxis will not have a meter and you will have to negotiate your fare before getting into the cab. Bartering is common practice and cab drivers are used to it. Check with a local or with your hotel to see what a fair fare should be. Avoid motorcycle travel if at all possible. If it is not possible, make sure you wear protective clothing and a helmet at all times. Many injuries abroad are the result of transportation accidents, so always choose the safest option even if it is not the most convenient. Comfort and time are small sacrifices in comparison to the beauty you will experience in West Africa.
Filtering/purifying your own water will save you money and keep you healthy
Bottled water can cost you between €20 and €30 Euros a month (thats $30-$45) so bringing your own filter or purifier is the best. Many filtration systems will pay for themselves within the first couple of weeks and even sooner if you are traveling with family. In many places in West Africa, especially Senegal, fragrant teas and coffees are sold on the street. As delicious as they may smell, you don't always know that the water was heated to the proper temperature to kill harmful bacteria, so you should avoid any hot drink you didnt boil and prepare yourself and on the other side of the thermometer, avoid ice that wasnt made from boiled water as well. Brush your teeth with bottled water and keep your mouth closed when taking a shower. Say no to fresh vegetables and fruits unless you can peel them yourself (lettuce for your salad is washed in local water, so it too is unsafe).Taking the advice of a Passport Health Travel Medicine Specialist before your trip is the best way to ensure you stay healthy while visiting West Africa.
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Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in West Africa. What's worse is that Malaria is preventable with the proper resources. Annicka Webster, a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, shares her experiences with how Malaria touched her life and how everyone can help fight its spread.
“There is no better time for tourism to and within Africa than now,” said Edward Bergman, Executive Director of the Africa Travel Association. Take a look at some highlights of the ATA's 36th World Congress and the beautiful Dakar, Senegal.
Ghana- A country full of nature, history, culture, life and opportunity. The Africa Travel Association has a fantastic inside scoop of the country's best and most beautiful things to see, places to go and opportunities to explore. See what Ghana has to offer you.
On February 8th, the IRS announced a second amnesty program relating to undisclosed foreign accounts. The Wolf Group has shared with us an in-depth description of some new changes involving The 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative. This is a must-read if you live in the U.S. and have an account abroad.
Like many others, before finding myself living in a malaria-endemic area, I never gave the disease a second thought. When I became a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, part of my training was to understand the severity of malaria and the importance of taking prophylactic measures. In addition to being put on medication designed to keep the blood-parasites under control, I was issued a mosquito net and drilled on recognizing the symptoms and immediate action to take should I suspect that I was sick with malaria.
Once I was settled in my new community, I began to hear about how malaria was affecting the lives of my new friends and host-family.
Just a few months after my arrival, in the height of the rainy season (when the malaria-transmitting mosquitoes are at their height as well), I woke up one morning to the sad news that Seydou, a 10-year-old boy from my village, had died in the night from malaria. He was healthy and in class on Wednesday morning and dead on Saturday. It was one of the hardest truths I had to face while living among impoverished subsistence farmers: preventable diseases can quickly and unnecessarily kill those who lack the means to prevent them.
Annicka Webster, sorting mosquito nets for distribution
Besides being a deadly disease, especially to pregnant women, the elderly, and children under five-years old, non-critical cases of malaria can destroy the productivity and livelihood of a subsistence farmer by preventing him from working during the season when he most needs to be in the fields. While resources are being made available that allow more accurate diagnosis and access to anti-malarial drugs on a local level, supplies are often unreliable, especially in remote areas. Because of this, prevention—avoiding mosquito bites—is a critical aspect to combating the spread of the disease. To this end, in the part of Senegal where I was living, houses were sprayed with insecticides annually to lower mosquito populations and people learned through local health services, schools and other public-education campaigns how to eliminate mosquito-breeding areas near their homes. Peace Corps volunteers trained women’s groups and health workers how to make a cheap insect repellant from local ingredients. However, the best defense against malaria-carrying mosquitoes is a physical barrier, especially during the night, when the transmitting mosquitoes are most active—in other words, mosquito nets.
Peace Corps Senegal promotes a universal coverage model: everyone, not only the most vulnerable populations, should sleep under a net because if mosquitoes cannot pick-up the malaria parasite from even an asymptomatic carrier, they cannot transmit the disease to others. Additionally, if the female mosquito does not get a blood meal it will more than likely be unable to lay eggs. Eventually, without the nourishment of a blood meal, it will die. If everyone in a geographic area is protected from mosquitoes by nets, the mosquito population and, more importantly, transmission of malaria decline.
Much of my work in Senegal was related to community education about malaria and the distribution of mosquito nets. It was my great honor to be a part of providing enough nets to cover every bed in my village and in the surrounding area. I know that no effort can bring Seydou or the countless other victims of malaria back, but it can prevent the deaths of many more in the future. As other programs continue to extend universal coverage to much of West Africa, I hope that we soon see the end of malaria as the menace that it is now.
To find out more about the Peace Corps or donate to the Peace Corps Malaria Initiative Africa and Peace Corps projects, log on to www.peacecorps.gov
About the Author
Annicka Webster was a Health and Environmental Education Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal from 2008 to 2010. She is very happy to be home in the U.S. and working in refugee employment assistance with Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, however, she misses her friends and family in Senegal and hopes to go back to visit.
“There is no better time for tourism to and within Africa than now,” said Edward Bergman, Executive Director of the Africa Travel Association (ATA), a world leader in promoting tourism to Africa, at ATA’s 36th annual congress in Senegal from May 25-29, 2011. ATA’s hallmark event brought together over 200 tourism leaders from around the world to shape the agenda of Africa’s growing travel industry.
For Bergman, the five-day event in Dakar – with tourism ministries, tourism bureaus, airlines, hotels, front-line travel sellers, tour operators, travel agents, businesses and non-governmental organizations, students, and travel trade media from more than 30 countries – was a huge success. It also gained a stamp of approval from the Prime Minister of Senegal, six Africa tourism ministers (Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone), and the African Union Commission.
The Senegal event showed the impressive growth of Africa’s tourism industry. In 2009, Africa was the only region with increasing tourism arrivals; a year later, arrivals to Africa continued to grow at a higher rate than arrivals in other regions around the world.
African Renaissance Monument
Among the congress participants was Jorge Eduardo Castillo, Passport Health’s Corporate Director of Business Development. Passport Health and ATA signed a partnership agreement in May dedicated to working together to ensure safe travel to Africa’s 54 countries. Passport Health will also take the lead in preparing ATA’s e-newsletter and consumer website.
Senegalese Wrestling, Demba Diop Stadium
Senegalese Wrestling Fans
Spotlight on Dakar
Senegal, the land of teranga, which is translated to mean hospitality in Wolof, hosted the 2011 event in the capital Dakar.
Only seven hours by plane from New York to Dakar -- Delta Airlines and South African Airways offer direct round-trip flights from the USA – Dakar represents the best of urban destinations.
With its rich culture and heritage attractions, including the new Africa Renaissance monument, a giant bronze statue of a family looking across the glittering Atlantic (pictured above), and Goree Island, the nearest point on the African continent to the Americas, memorializing the trans-Atlantic slave trade, alongside a lively and diverse music and art scene and authentic cuisine based on local and seasonal food, Dakar is also one of the most vibrant, and undiscovered, cities in the world.
At the end of the congress, delegates, alongside tens of thousands of fans, attended a traditional Senegalese wrestling match at Demba Diop Stadium. A contemporary sports phenomenon, folk wrestling is a multi-million dollar game that attracts more fans than any other sport, including football, in Senegal. While the actual wrestling match was brief, the pageantry of the match, with drumming, dancing and chanting, as well as security personnel at every corner of the field, seemed just as important to the fans as the fight itself.
Ghana has earned visits from US presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and, most recently, Barack Obama. In choosing this West African country, these bi-partisan administrations have rewarded Ghana for its stability, democracy and civil society. They have also helped propel Ghana into the limelight as a tourist destination.
Ghana, known as the Gold Coast prior to its 1957 independence, is an ideal country for first-time travelers from the USA, not only for those wanting to explore the country’s history as a shipping site for slaves, but also for travelers in search of a memorable African experience. The laidback and peaceful attitude of the people and their warm and upbeat disposition makes tourism in this English-speaking country a growing industry with more and more American tour operators organizing trips there.
Nature's Gifts While Ghana is not home to one of Africa’s many natural wonders, like the Nile River, Mount Kilimanjaro, Sahara Desert or Victoria Falls, it is abundant with natural gifts. There are hundreds of miles of coastal beaches (Kokrobite, Nyanyano-Langma Beaches, La Pleasure Beach, Paradise Beach Ada, White Sands, and Gomoa Fetteh), waterfalls (Wli, Tagbo in the Volta region, Kintampo in Brong Ahafo, Boti in the Eastern region) and lakes (Bosumtwi and Volta Lake), as well as over a dozen national parks and reserves including monkey sanctuaries (e.g. Tafi Atome and Buabeng-Fiema) and hippo sanctuaries. There is also a crocodile pond (Paga).
Historical Journeys Ghana’s history traces back to the transatlantic slave trade. Cape Coast Castle, a stone fortress of ramps, stairs and holding rooms, along with the infamous “door of no return,” was the final stop on the continent for countless slaves heading to the Americas. The castle draws a steady stream of visitors, including African American tour groups learning about their history. Elmina Castle is another slave fort along the Atlantic coast. Founded in 1471 as a Portuguese gold trading port, it is home to St. George’s Castle, one of the oldest standing colonial sites in Africa.
Culture and Life Ghana’s population of 24.3 million is made up mainly of Christians, Muslims and traditionalists. Religious tolerance in the country is very high as major Christian and Muslim holidays are observed openly. Important traditional occasions are also celebrated by the different ethnic groups.
Handcrafted Masks and Beaded Jewelry
In fact, Ghana is a country rich with durbars (formal receptions) and festivals filled with pomp and pageantry. Popular festivals include the Homowo Harvest Festival by the Ga people in Accra in August- September, the Oguaa Fetu Afehye Festival in the Cape Coast in September, the Hogbetsotso for the Ewes people in the Volta Region in September-November, and the Kundum Festival for the Nzimas in Western Region in September.
Around the corner is the Pan Africa Festival of Arts & Culture (PANAFEST) Emancipation Day 2011 Celebrations from July 22 - August 1, 2011. This festival brings Africans from the continent and the Diaspora, including the Americas and the Caribbean, together to participate in a grand durbar, slave march reenactments and vigils.
Areas for Investment
The tourism sector is currently one of the fastest growing sectors in Ghana. In 2010, it generated 1.8 billion, created jobs for 291,000 people and stimulated growth in other sectors such as agriculture, transport and service provision.
With English as the country’s official language, well-administered regions and two decades of peace and stability, Ghana is also one of the best places to do business on the continent.
Right now, Ghana is looking to expand its range of accommodations, from upscale resorts and five-star hotels to economy accommodations and bed and breakfasts. Ghana is also growing rapidly as a destination for international conferences and conventions as well as a destination for business travelers.
Ghana is also planning to develop its coastline beaches, with beach resorts, restaurant, shopping and entertainment centers of all sizes and national parks and reserves. Tourism growth also requires investment in internal transportation infrastructure, including car rentals, luxury coaches, domestic flights, cable cars and telecommunications.
New Products
Beyond its natural and historical sites and festivals, Ghana is creating a new future with initiatives in eco-tourism, including tours to remote villages and rain forests. Ghana also offers a wide range of volunteer and service opportunities for travelers, and has a thriving and lively sports scene with a paragliding festival, golf courses and highly competitive football league.
Getting There
Kotaka International Airport in the capital Accra is almost an eleven-hour flight from New York. Delta Airlines and United operate flights from across the USA and transfers can also be made with British Airways, Emirates and KLM.
On February 8th, the IRS announced a second amnesty
program relating to undisclosed foreign accounts.
The special voluntary disclosure initiative is designed to bring hidden
offshore financial accounts and assets back into the U.S. tax system and to
help those taxpayers with undisclosed foreign accounts get compliant with
their U.S. tax obligations. The 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative
(2011 OVDI) is available only until August 31, 2011.
This voluntary disclosure initiative follows the 2009 Voluntary Disclosure
Program (2009 OVDP), during which 15,000 taxpayers disclosed foreign
accounts in more than 60 countries. An additional 3,000 taxpayers have
made voluntary disclosures following the end of the 2009 OVDP on October
15, 2009.
The IRS is using the substantial information gathered during the 2009 OVDP and
subsequent investigations to pursue taxpayers who continue to hide assets
overseas. Holders of undisclosed accounts should not assume that they are not at
risk because their financial institution has not been publicly identified as a target.
The 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative
The 2011 OVDI is similar in structure to the 2009 OVDP, but with slightly higher penalties. Here are the main
provisions of the new program:
Disclosures must be made before the IRS is aware of any wrongdoing
The 2011 OVDI covers tax years 2003‐2010
Taxpayers must file all amended tax returns and informational returns by August 31, 2011
Taxpayers must pay all back taxes, plus penalties and interest, including a one‐time Offshore Penalty of 25% of the highest aggregate account balance during 2003‐2010 (some taxpayers will be eligible for a
12.5% or 5% penalty)
The IRS indicated that this program will be the last, best chance for individuals to substantially reduce their
exposure to significant civil penalties and, in many cases, to eliminate the risk of criminal prosecution. Given the
aggressive August 31st deadline, taxpayers looking to take advantage of this opportunity must act quickly.
The Wolf Group served many clients participating under the first amnesty program, and will serve many others
under this second program. If you think you have (or had) undisclosed foreign financial accounts or assets,
contact Dale Mason at (703) 502‐9500 x120 or dmason@thewolfgroup.com as soon as possible to discuss the
matter.
The Wolf Group
4401 Fair Lakes Court, Suite 310, Fairfax, VA 22033
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