What is the primary historical significance of Cape Coast Castle?
Cape Coast Castle was built by the Dutch in 1650 and later captured by the British, who made it the capital of the Gold Coast colonial territory for over 200 years.
At a glance
Length
23 min
Channel
Alex Page
Video from
Apr 2012
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
University students and educators seeking cultural immersion and historical understanding
What this video answers
What is the primary historical significance of Cape Coast Castle?
How physically challenging is the canopy walk?
What is kente cloth and why is it culturally important?
How do Ghanaian funerals differ from Western funeral customs?
What environmental challenges does Ghana face, and how are they being addressed?
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Overview of This Ghana Study Tour
This video documents a group of 11 University of Oklahoma students on a week-long expedition through Ghana, West Africa's first sub-Saharan nation to gain independence. The tour moves from the capital city of Accra down the coast to Cape Coast, into the Ashanti region's Kumasi, and includes stops at slave trade historical sites, rainforest canopy walks, and local villages. The video blends cultural immersion, historical education, and environmental awareness through the eyes of young travelers encountering Ghana for the first time.
This experience suits anyone interested in African history, cultural exchange, and meaningful travel beyond typical tourism. It's particularly valuable for students, educators, or anyone wanting to understand the legacies of colonialism and slavery while meeting vibrant, forward-thinking communities. The trip balances sobering historical sites with joyful cultural moments—music, dance, and interactions with local children and artisans—making it ideal for thoughtful travelers seeking authentic connection rather than superficial sightseeing.
Key Moments
Highlights of Ghana's Culture, History, and Natural Attractions
Learning traditional Ghanaian dance and drumming in Accra with professional dancers, experiencing the rhythm and movement central to the culture
Visiting Cape Coast Castle, a former Dutch slave trade fort, and walking through the "Door of No Return" where millions of enslaved people departed, followed by the symbolic "Door of Return" welcoming descendants
Walking the canopy platform at a national park rainforest—one of only four seven-platform canopy walks in the world—suspended hundreds of feet above the forest floor
Attending a Ghanaian funeral, a week-long celebration featuring live music, dancing, and communal gathering rather than somber Western-style mourning
Meeting children at a local government school in Kumasi learning environmental education through skits and performing songs about sanitation and land conservation
Observing kente cloth production in Ashanti villages, where weavers create silk and cotton fabrics stamped with patterns representing social status and African proverbs
What to Know Before Traveling to Ghana
The trip covers multiple regions over approximately one week, traveling from Accra south to Cape Coast (about 90 miles) and inland to Kumasi in the Ashanti region
Ghana's official language is English, but most residents also speak native languages such as Twi, spoken by over half the population; learning basic greetings like "Akwaaba" (welcome) enhances interaction
The rainforest canopy walk requires balance and nerve—platforms are narrow with wooden planks, and you'll be several hundred feet above tree canopies; it's physically demanding but not height-restricted
Visiting slave trade castles is emotionally intense; prepare yourself mentally for confronting the scale and human cost of historical trauma
The weather is very hot and humid, especially during dance and outdoor activities; lightweight, breathable clothing and hydration are essential
Currency is the Ghana Cedi; many interactions happen with local guides and vendors who provide cultural context and facilitate authentic exchange
Half of school-age children in areas like Kumasi do not attend school due to family poverty or need for child labor, reflecting educational and economic challenges the region addresses through NGO programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Ghana Tourism
What is the primary historical significance of Cape Coast Castle?
Cape Coast Castle was built by the Dutch in 1650 and later captured by the British, who made it the capital of the Gold Coast colonial territory for over 200 years. It served as a major hub of the slave trade; approximately 200 men were held there at a time in dungeons without sunlight before being forced through the "Door of No Return" to ships. Today it stands as a museum and memorial to millions of enslaved Africans who passed through it.
How physically challenging is the canopy walk?
The canopy walk consists of seven platforms suspended hundreds of feet above the rainforest floor, connected by narrow wooden plank bridges. It requires balance and steady nerves—leaning too far left or right creates a sensation of instability. While some travelers found it terrifying, others who weren't afraid of heights enjoyed the experience; it's described as a bonding and exhilarating adventure rather than a technical climbing expedition.
What is kente cloth and why is it culturally important?
Kente cloth is a hand-woven silk and cotton fabric created in Ashanti villages using traditional methods. Patterns and colors are stamped onto the cloth and carry specific meanings—they represent social status, cultural identity, and African proverbs. The weaving tradition is central to Ashanti heritage and remains a living craft demonstrated to visitors in villages outside Kumasi.
How do Ghanaian funerals differ from Western funeral customs?
Ghanaian funerals are week-long celebrations of life rather than quiet mourning ceremonies. The first few days involve visits to the casket for grieving, but the remainder features live bands or DJs playing music loudly late into the night. Family and friends dance, celebrate, and socialize, often becoming intoxicated—a stark contrast to Western funeral traditions and reflecting a cultural focus on honoring the deceased through joy and community gathering.
What environmental challenges does Ghana face, and how are they being addressed?
Surface mining and illegal logging have caused severe land degradation, deforestation, and water pollution in regions like Kumasi. Uncovered mining pits create breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects, and deforestation leads to dried riverbeds and infertile land. NGOs working in Ghana prioritize education—teaching communities about waste management, sanitation, and sustainable practices—recognizing that behavioral change through schooling, rather than infrastructure alone, is the foundation for environmental recovery.
This video is invaluable for anyone considering a trip to Ghana or a West African journey, because it doesn't romanticize or oversimplify the experience. The student voices bring authenticity—they share initial fears, emotional breakthroughs at historical sites, and genuine joy in unexpected moments. The guide, Proco, contextualizes what you're seeing with real information about economics, environment, and culture, moving beyond surface-level tourism.
What I loved most was the balance between honoring difficult history and celebrating vibrant, hopeful present-day Ghana. The interaction with school children and the pride they show in environmental stewardship reminded me that travel is most meaningful when it connects you to people and their futures, not just their pasts. If you're ready for a trip that challenges and inspires you equally, book this experience.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
This short documentary explores the culture, people and places of this West African nation. Through the tour of Ghana you'll learn about the history and events that shaped Ghana into what it is today. Insight is provided by students that were along for every step of the trip. Visit www.trotrotravels.com for more information.
Video transcript for “Expedition to Africa: Ghana” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
[Music] to westerners it's known as the Dark Continent because so little is known about it so when a group of students from the University of Oklahoma headed to Ghana few of us knew what to expect the first of the subsaharan African colonies to gain independence in 1957 Ghana became a shining example of
Africa for Africans like their neighbors a majority of the population still struggles with poverty but the vibrancy and peace found here is uniquely Ghana name the Gold Coast by British colonizers because of their abundance of gold and Coco Ghana was the last place seen by millions of slaves funneled into
the slave trade Ganan culture is full of song and dance infused with tribal customs and elements of globalization now tourist attractions you can visit Forts and castles along the coast once part of the slave trade we'll visit a few of these and more on our trip through [Music]
Ghana we begin in the capital city of Acra it was breathtaking to actually be in Africa all these years growing up I always dreamed of being there and actually land and see the people and and their traditional clothing and just how friendly everyone was it was it was nothing like I was expecting it was it
was beautiful when I first landed in Ghana um of course we were really exhausted from the long long plane ride finally we found Pro Coco and um he led us to our small little taxi and rode back to the guest house so here we are in our classroom um in the OSU area right here at the Ken Us guest
house I I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to Ghana uh Ghana is a very peace loving country uh we have uh about 23 million people living in Ghana and our currency is the city Ghana has been divided into segments and we call them regions so we have 10 regions in Ghana uh and each region has a central
government there but they all still we have the uh uh the national capital which is Acra where we are now so class I just wanted to formally um introduce cooco and I know we pick most of you up at the airport um but um uh he's our right-hand man on this trip this week he's also our tweet teacher
aaba is to welcome you everywhere you go you hear people say aquaba aquaba aquaba aaba aquaba aquaba literally means that you've gone all the way out and have to retain there their culture is definitely
big on Rhythm and dance and expressing yourselves through movement and singing it really gave you an authentic African experience just learning their dance and learning their music it it was a lot of fun and um at first I was a little shy about it but a little couple minutes in I was unnatural
so or I thought I was it was a lot of fun it was really really hot I thought I was going to die of a PE stroke and just sweating but it was fun I danced I I danced my butt off and and actually that was one of the things that I wanted to explore the most was the music uh and how it was infused
within their culture they had the drums they had the the simple Maracas everything was still just had that African Groove to it and it it was it was [Music] extraordinary music is everywhere I mean uh luckily we were I was able to go to um some Churches and a a funeral and
even there they were just bumping some music with some bass uh everyone was dressed in red or black the music was blaring uh most people get really really intoxicated it was a much different sight to see at a funeral it it wasn't nothing what you would expect Ganan funerals are usually
week-long events the first few days the men and women visit the casket to grieve their lost one but the rest of the time the funeral is full of music coming from a live band or a DJ late into the night family and friends celebrate the life of the
deceased next we head about 90 Mi down the coast from Acra to Cape Coast founded by the Portuguese in the 15th century Cape Coast changed hands between many colonizers Now cape Coast is a fishing Town erected around a former slave trade castle built by the Dutch in 1650 the castle was captured by the
British a few years later and they made Cape Coast the capital of the Gold Coast for more than 200 years I was very overwhelmed with emotion I guess when I went to Cape Coast it was something I I knew we were going to and I knew we were going to see but I didn't expect it to have that big
of an impact on on me so we are going to enter it was a condemned self but today I'll condemn you but nobody will die it's hard to even put that into words just knowing that the countless amount of slaves that walk through there knowing that they would never be back in their Homeland it was it was it was very
sad there was tons of tons of things you never really thought about or or knew that existed until you actually went to the slave castle and got to see how big of a deal it was to see go from the Governor's Mansion at the very top of the hierarchy you know down to uh just where slaves were just constantly being
flushed through it almost a humbling experience um knowing the history of that and how the United States impacted this horrible history about 200 men were kept here work through the T then into the sea he did not see sunlight when you walked through the door of no
return it it was like a blinding flash of immense power I I don't know when you walk through there was just life everywhere it opens up to the fishing town and how everybody comes up to you and they're wanting to meet you and sell you things and then uh what really was inspiring to me was they named the
backside of it the door of return and they were welcoming guess they were welcoming back the descendants of people in the slave trade and that was I think that was really moving uh to see that [Music]
[Music] a group of 11 students embarked on a journey to Ghana in the capital city of
Acra professional dancers showed us the Rhythm and moves that flow through the culture next we travel down the coast where we learned about the horrors of the slave trade inside Cape Coast Castle but we also saw the perseverance of the Ganan people and their ability to grow around this painful reminder on our way
out of Cape Coast we made a brief stop at national park where you can visit the rainforest from above on a seven platform canopy walk one of only four in the world during the actual hike through a Caton rainforest I was literally plotting in my mind like how am I going to make it back to the bus or they try
to try without anyone noticing I was terrified being in Africa and knowing that I was about to walk across a this tiniest bridge on Earth that was so skinny and just on just like wooden planks uh that was insanely crazy and scary I loved the canopy walk I wanted to go through it all again and just run
it like with no one in front of me it was a lot of fun I'm not afraid of heights or anything so I really like being there and being in the jungle I wish we had more time to explore it's unbelievable how high you were and it didn't feel like you were that high but when you would look down and you would
see you were way above the tips of trees you realize okay I'm a few hundred feet up in the air it didn't feel like it though it felt like if you fell you would just uh you just Glide onto some pillows no this is probably the tallest tree around walk on it you have to have balance I
mean if you leaned on to too much to the left too much to the right it it felt like you were going to fall to actually walk that course and to just go through it with everyone it was it was just such a bonding experience for me because I really was I don't know if anyone could tell but I was terrified you guys are
doing great here if we fall here we're not we made it we're next we travel to the heart of the Ashanti region Kumasi Kumasi has the second largest population outside of Acra the majority of the population is self-employed Farmers or those who own their own shops many of the country's natural
resources are bought sold and exploited in this region of Ghana gold and Timber are major industries in Kumasi but surface mining and illegal logging have taken its toll on the environment NOS operate in Kumasi to educate the population about land degradation and waste management as we all know when
when a mining company comes in to mine first of all they clear the land that's if there Forest they have to clear the land and after that they don't something they don't cover their pits okay then it becomes a breeding ground to um so many um sometimes stagnant water um brings out other environmental or health health
issues if if they are setting up uh say timber industry then the possibility that the forest will be depleted and there will be deforestation is higher if uh there is no proper policy put in place for reforestation after harvesting the environment will be left bare it will bring about
desertification and the rivers will dry up and it will also reduce the fertility of the the land that's why we want to start with education unfortunately the projects are putting in place s providing the solutions like um they just let's say when they realize that this place um people throw waste and all
that they provide veins and all that no that's not it have to educate the people right away that you need you need to put your waste into this vein because if you put it you don't put it into this bin you put it into the GS it's going to choke the Gest when it rains it's going to Flat your houses the market places
and all that so the number one problem is or the one solution is education only it's not so easy to get an education in Ghana only about half of the children in Kumasi attend school because many times the families either can't afford it or need the kids to help at home however we did see the impacts of
these lessons when we visited a local government funded school I'll forly introduce the dream environment Club of who's shipping the kids were extremely intelligent and they were hilarious they um would do skits on how colera affects everybody in society and how you shouldn't you know you need to be clean
and help keep sanitation in order to be healthy it's up to me to plant more they more it's up to me to all we in my environment so that mosquito and snakes attack anyone honestly that that probably was my fa most favorite thing in Africa was visiting the children um at the school I mean once once we walked
in to the school the children just got all ecstatic uh they they were all just along the balconies just looking at us smiling waving laughing uh they were really excited to listen to a speak I thought that it was really great that you guys know that keeping your environment plan starts with you just
talking to them about how sanitation works and the United States was really interesting too because they were so excited to see a future like that for Ghana they were very optimistic and very focused on wanting to fix the situation they knew what was wrong and they knew what needed to be done and they it's
really inspiring to see that generation and it'll be interesting over the next few years to see them evolve and to see if they've actually accomplished what they set out to do I've never seen children so happy just to see another human being the children would say o Bron o Bron which
means white man man from not from this land and and in response I would get excited and say Obi Bean which means black man and and they got a huge trip out of that they they would rush up to you hold your hands Jump Around sing songs that you had no idea what they were saying but it was the most adorable
thing I've ever seen the official language of Ghana is English however most everyone speaks a native language as well TW the language of the aan people is spoken by over half the population outside Central Kumasi different Villages specialize in making a variety of textiles in this Village
many residents weave a silk and cotton fabric into K cloth K cloth has great meaning to the people in the Ashanti region different colors and patterns signify social status symbol stamped on the cloth with a special die translate to African [Music] Proverbs welcome to home of
Eda here we only do the painting and then the dying of fun clo the black and then the red clo but first we are going to talk about how to get the dye they showed us the exact steps of what they do in order to make the ink um in order to uh for the stance to stamp on the cloth you see there a back wood over
there in The Cauldron they use bark to make dye so you take the pistol and you hit it h see is black color black easy uh different colors from purple red blue they had the whole sheet so in all after ping food of this this is what you get
so we are going to boil it for 6 hours and then it reduce to this one and then it become thick and turn to black it was really interesting to see the actual process that they go through making that dye and all the preparation that's put into that the one who boil more than 6 hours it turn to particles it's of no
use it means you lost you waste your fire you waste your time you waste water you waste the back so it's supposed to be active of your time we have about 66 different C but the C is different but the meaning is one there were tons of stamps from Obama to um a star that meant uh God is with me there was huge
huge selection of symbols the stamps that I chose were Faith and Hope I for one did a stamp I I was only able to do one stamp compared to everyone else sad enough but mine was I I grabbed it out of random and my stamp was me God there is something in heaven let it reach me that is symb of hope this
one is go back to your root okay so back to America back and we have the wooden comb you know comb the one they used to comb afri so they are many and this is a I'm not afraid of you you like I'm not so you are not afraid of me I'm not afraid of you okay come to this 11 hold it right hand or left right so
hold it hold it this St up here you go look I did it [Music]
we began our journey in byy Acra where we picked up the dance of the people and the rhythm of the drums in Cape Coast we learned about the history of the slave trade and its impact on Ganan society and in Kumasi we learn the importance of future generations and the culture of the Ashanti people as our
journey comes to an end we have one more stop near Ghana's eastern border with Togo after a 45-minute hike through the agasta wildlife sanctuary we emerged to find the wi waterfalls the highest Falls in Ghana it was beautiful just hiking through the rainforest and seeing all the wildlife
and hearing the wildlife and then seeing that beautiful waterfall just spilling over that wall it's it's cold you can feel the wind from the power of the water just brushing through uh I mean it was immense and there was just a constant mist and just beautiful green surrounding it and Oasis you know bats
on the walls all along I mean it was it was extraordinary I'm that's probably one of my favorite places that we went it hurt a little when we were underneath it but I mean it was really a neat experience GH challenged what each of us knew or thought we knew about Africa a few Google searches could have never
prepared us for what we encountered I would recommend anyone to go to Ghana because it opens your eyes to a different world that we're not used to that was the biggest thing what you find there you don't learn about the culture and their history you learn about yourself as well and you learn
about I guess how to be how to handle yourself better in any kind of situation um like for me it helps me to become more patient and to become um less occupied with time and more OCC more focused on finding enjoy in the smaller things the people there are the most friendly people you'll ever meet on
Earth um I don't think there was one encounter where we um where we had a conflict or an issue or a rude person speak to us even if that's not your prerogative for going you should at least go just to see and meet the people I mean the people are absolutely incredible they're nice even I don't
they're nice and they're friendly and they're always willing to help you to despite what they've been through you also realize how fortunate you know living in the US and being born in the US you are if nothing more for an educational experience to go over there and experience what it's like
to live in Ghana it's just it's not everything that you see on TV will stay with you and change you long after we've returned to the us we will remember the people and culture the struggles and triumphs of this vibrant country and one day if we return we can be sure we will hear the familiar
aquaba welcoming us back because we have gone all the way out and we have [Music] returned light
great we're lost in a Tiana what are you today I'm a Survivor did [Music]
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