Jolinaiko Eco Tours - Experience West Africa!
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Together with the villagers of Davedi, we have created various 'community experiences' for our travellers. You can combine these activities and workshops with a stay in our Pineapple Village Lodge.

The community experiences you can choose from, are:

Community Experience 'Basic'

Palm oil production in DavediPalm oil production in DavediA local guide will take you on a tour through the village. Prominent in Davedi is the oil palm tree and its multiple purposes. You will discover all aspects of the palm oil industry and learn about the importance of it to the community. You will see women processing palm nuts into oil and learn some techniques yourself.

You will visit Mr. Kadevi and his joyful workers. He is one of the great palm wine tapers in the area. You cannot leave his house without tapping palm wine or sipping gin. After the walk you will have a good understanding of local life and traditions in this rural Togolese village.

The cost of the Basic Community Experience is CFA 1.500 per person (€ 2,50).

Community Experience 'Special'

Combine the Basic community experience with an additional workshop. At the time of writing, the village offers four different workshops to choose from:

  • Cultural workshop:
    Learn Blekete, a voodoo dance. Fetish priest will perform special rituals, so prepare yourself to go through it as you may be requested. Other dances are the Bobobor, an Ewe dance practiced by the youth, Gahu, a kind of Yoruba dance and other dances such as Bobo/Agbadja, Kine and Agbetikor. Another cultural workshop is the Ve game, a typical Ewe game. Performed in the afternoon. These workshops start from CFA 10.000 for 1-3 persons (€ 15,00).
  • Biking tour to the neighboring village:
    Cycle to Fomidja Kopfe, ten km distance away from Davedi. The route leads you through farm fields and forests. Worth attending is the voodoo dance. This tour costs CFA 3.000 per person (€ 5,00).
  • Twin dolls ceremony:
    Two elderly women who still hold on to the local traditions will show you their usual duty of catering for wooden twin dolls. They bath the dolls, dress them up and serve them with food and drinks. This is an opportunity to get the meaning of the twins culture. Starts from CFA 13.000 for 1-4 persons (€ 20,00).
  • Story telling:
    Some elderly and children will entertain you with amazing stories. Prepare to dance together with these traditional lecturers. Only in the evening. Costs are CFA 1.300 per person (€ 2,00).
“ From June till August 2010 we have travelled with our 3 kids (5, 8 and 11 years old) through Ghana, Togo and Benin for 8 weeks. The last 5 weeks we have travelled with Jolinaiko tours.

The program was set up very well by Cindy and completely fullfilled our needs and wishes. It was a great, great experience to travel together with our guide Apollo, as well as for us as for the children. The numerous discussions and talks we had about the life in West Africa, the visits to the villages, markets and meetings with the local people and their traditions, the chats and laughs we had, the games we played makes it a once in a life time experience for all of us.

Travelling by car with a guide and driver (in our case Evans and Nashirou) is to our opinion the most convenient way to cross these countries. It felt safe, in our case with the kids off course the most important aspect, we have visited places and regions you can't easily reach by public transport, we were flexible and we have seen and heard a lot of the country, the people and its habits.

We left Ghana with the feeling that we have really experienced the life in West Africa! Apollo and Cindy, thank you very much! ”

Schonk family,
The Netherlands.