Fågelskådningsturer, kulturella och historiska turer i Ghana.
Beskrivning
Tour guiding gör hela skillnaden. Guiderna förmåga att identifiera fåglar genom samtal och ljud. Hans excellens som tour guide och oklanderlig kunskap om platserna gör att han arbetar med en upplevelse.
Turalternativ
Höjdpunkter
Vad som ingår
Upphämtningsplatser och tider
Vi väljer från alla destinationer i Accra. Särskilt Kotoka International Air Port och någon där du vill att vi ska välja dig i Ghana.
Resenärers betyg
Viktig information
- Kollektivtrafiksalternativ finns i närheten
- Rekommenderas inte för resenärer med ryggmärgsskador
- Rekommenderas ej för gravida resenärer
- Rekommenderas inte för resenärer med låg kardiovaskulär hälsa
- Resenärer bör ha medelgod fysisk kondition
Recensioner(5)
Ghana Birding - Malimbe Tours and Owner and Guide Kalu Afasi -Traumatic Experience, Dangerous, Avoid at all Costs My story birding with Kalu Afasi and Malimbe Tours in Ghana is hard to share. It occurred in April of this year (2025). Below I recount my story in the interest of the safety of the birding community, the safety of the birds themselves, and in the hopes that my story will help prevent others from having similar traumatic experiences. The National Park security escort raised his rifle in all seriousness, pointed it straight at Kalu Afasi, and said, “I should shoot you now.” Fed up after numerous years of being berated by Kalu, the national park guard easily could have shot and killed Kalu and clearly wanted to. This crazy episode, unfortunately, was just one of many negative and several times traumatic experiences being guided by Kalu Afasi with his company Malimbe Tours. Traumatized and not feeling safe with Kalu, I left 1.5 weeks early and lost over $1750 due to changes in my airline tickets, additional hotel costs, lost opportunities, and the money Kalu refused to refund me. During my 1.5 weeks with Kalu, I learned and saw so many disturbing things from my guide that I have never seen before anywhere else in the world from someone I had to share close quarters with for so long. During the trip, Kalu bragged about his years smuggling cars from Nigeria, his home country, for the police in Accra and the border police and all the intricacies involved with such a life, the people that got in his way, and how they lived to regret it. He suffers from malaria and daily confronted me with visions of being buried alive, staying up all night, and accused me and everyone else of conspiring against him. Kalu’s birding ethics had also been compromised. He accused a number of people of “ruining” the birds by bringing tourists to certain spots when he wasn't there; yet, despite him accusing others of ruining the birds and me asking him to stop, he played the red-chested owlet call for over 1.5 hours. I walked away. The owlet was stressed, moving around a bunch trying to find another owlet calling. I love seeing birds, but not at the cost of negatively impacting the birds. In addition, Kalu was yelling at the guard during this time, yelling at him that he had “ruined the bird.” The list goes on. Unfortunately, from the first day that I arrived in Ghana, I noticed that something was off about Kalu that I didn’t notice before during our two WhatsApp conversations. At our first location we visited, the Shai Hills, I asked him innocently enough, if we would see a few species that appeared in the Merlin App with range maps overlapping this area. Kalu laughed condescendingly and with an annoyed look, “That species doesn’t occur here.” He didn’t tell me where we would see it or what species we were looking for in this area. And when I asked him what species we could expect in this area and in this habitat we were walking through, Kalu said that nature would present us with what it would present us and that we could not predict anything. It is true that there are no guarantees in nature, but generally certain species of birds can be found in certain habitats and some more frequently than others. While I had been studying my birds of West Africa before the trip, I had never birded West Africa, and was just looking for some guidance, a way to connect with the guide and try to hear the guide’s insights and knowledge about the birds, their ecology, and the local habitat and history. In addition, while I had looked at eBird lists and a list from the basic itinerary of birds from the Shai Hills, we were going to several different spots within the area. Sometimes different species are found in different habitats within the same “Hotspot”. I was just looking for some guidance. I am open and love to learn, but Kalu and his arrogance and disdain, I have never seen. It would be one thing if I was talking a lot and preventing us from seeing the birds because I wouldn’t stop talking, but I am very conscious of the need for quiet at the appropriate times in order to see many of our target birds. This was something else. After so many times trying to ask questions and learn about the birds and always getting annoyed or condescending remarks, I realized my efforts were useless and I chose to remain silent. Which Kalu preferred anyways as he spoke endlessly about his accomplishments, about how he did this for this person and this for that person, and how this person has betrayed him and is guiding independently now or that hotel has made it difficult for him to stay there any more. Months before going on the trip, I had requested that we tour through Ghana, Togo, Benin, and the Côte d’Ivoire (CI). I also asked specifically about the visas as I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed before arriving in Ghana and the other countries. Kalu said he would talk to the embassy for CI and make sure I had no issues crossing the border. He assured me during our video chat that he has crossed the border many times with clients and hasn’t had any issues. He told me he knew CI and could guide me there and in the other countries as well. As we got closer to the trip, I was getting anxious because I hadn’t heard from Kalu and needed the itinerary to send to the Ghana embassy to get my visa. When I finally did get the itinerary from Malimbe Tours, Togo and Benin were not included. I tried to find out what had happened. Kalu explained that there was no time to go to those countries. He hadn’t consulted me about it and just unilaterally removed those countries from the itinerary. I was still excited about Ghana and CI, but disappointed I wouldn’t see the other countries and also didn’t like the way Kalu handled this. Only the week before the trip, Kalu tells me that he is going to have a guide from CI lead us around. Understandably, I was concerned about the costs of having two guides and Kalu said he had guided there previously. Still I didn't have an estimate for all the costs for CI. The day that we were set to cross the border, Kalu told me he wasn't going with me to CI, he missed his family, wanted to go back to Accra and go visit a doctor. This was only 1 week into my trip and I had already paid for 15 days. Separately, I had paid $200 for a visa to CI to cross at the border between Ghana and CI; however, when we arrived, I spent over 4 hours with the border police who wouldn't let me in. They said I had to fly in. I had asked Kalu in advance if there needed to be pay offs or if there would be any issues and he assured me he never had problems with clients in the past. Clearly this was not the case. In addition, the guide and driver from CI were waiting during all of this. I had to pay off the driver and the guide and deeply apologized for the issues. So, I lost more than $550, plus most of that one day which I had paid for to be birding. Being in the border police station for hours while they discussed my fate was unnerving. Luckily, I speak French and they took some pity on me, but told me, I still couldn't enter. In addition, the price that Kalu had told the guides in CI I would pay was $150 just for the car and then more for the guide and that I would have to pay petrol as well! Kalu had told me I would have to pay $150/day total for all of these things. So the driver and guide from CI were also upset and it put me in a very awkward, vulnerable, and even dangerous position. Not wanting to cause a seen, I paid off the driver and the guide from CI. Kalu told me I needed to carry a bunch of cash and pay in cash and people knew I had a lot of money on me. Things only got worse. So, I’ve lost time, lots of money, opportunities to see other countries and some species I can only see in CI for instance and felt uncomfortable and at risk with Malimbe Tours and Kalu Afasi. And as I said, things got worse. While we were driving to the north, Kalu told me about a couple of guards at the border crossing between Togo and Ghana who tried to stop him at the border while he was smuggling cars for the Accra police. Kalu told me that he made sure that those people no longer had jobs. He also told me that other things also happened to these people which were bad, but he didn't elaborate, just saying that these people messed with the wrong person. Thus, Kalu is vengeful as well. Vengence, paranoia, and arrogance are a dangerous combination. A few other notable very sketchy moments: As we drove north for over 10+ hours on a remote road we entered new habitat which I knew had new species to me. I asked if we could stop to check out any of these areas we were passing. Birding trips often stop at the side of roads and you often can see lots of new species just from the road. Kalu then laughing said that we don't want to get shot. Excuse me? What?! He said the Fulani tribe in this area was known for shooting up cars, killing the people, and robbing them of everything. Then why the hell were we driving here!! Not ok?! I found out later when I was fleeing from Kalu’s unpredictability and paranoia that cheap and easy 1 hour flights were available to a location fairly close to the National Park to which we were going. And there was nothing I could do. Who takes clients into dangerous areas like this. Clearly he lives a life of danger smuggling from Lagos, Nigeria, and is used to it, but putting others at risk is inexcusable. In addition, since this incident, I've read up more on the Fulani people, the conflicts with Ghana police, and the stereotypes and discrimination they face. There is a history of violence and discrimination here that I didn't know about. Kalu was perpetuating the stereotype and scaring the hell out of me. I had told him before the trip that I felt vulnerable as a solo traveler and he was taking full advantage of that fear. The night before we headed up, Kalu had the driver pull off on the side of the road suddenly and told me I had to take out money from the ATM. We had been driving all day, it was night time and I had already paid for an extra week of time with him that would cover our trip to the north. This really shakes me. In the middle of a dark area in the City at nighttime and he is telling me to take out money. I felt very vulnerable and threatened. He said if I didn't take out more money, he would leave the next day to Accra. Yet, I still had a week more for which I had already paid. I had paid prior to the trip using a bank transfer. I said I could do another bank transfer, but then he started complaining that the bank would steal his money and I had to get out cash. But I had already paid through a bank transfer? He kept making up excuses and I felt very uncomfortable. The banks and ATMs were closed and so the next morning we drove out of our way to Cape Coast so I could take out cash. He knew a black market cash dealer and I had to exchange my US dollars in a market area along the side of the road in a dense urban market area. Again, another sketchy moment with Kalu. It wasted our morning and it was another morning without birding. Despite paying him more than his asking price online, he continually complained about money and said that with what I was paying, he wasn't earning any money. Prior to the trip, he told me he had no concern about the money or how I paid, but every day I was on the trip he complained. And this was despite the fact that I had already paid him everything. As I mentioned previously, he clearly has financial issues. At the National Park we went to, we took a 4 hour break from birding because he didn't want to pay the driver. With all the people I saw Kalu pissing off, he is going to get himself, his family and maybe even the tourists he guides in trouble. I am so disappointed with this experience. Ever since I was 18 and studied Ghana as an undergraduate at Cornell University, I had dreams of going to Ghana. Hopefully, someday I can return, but I am afraid to do that with Malimbe Tours and Kalu Afasi still around and his known vengeful and paranoid state of mind. What Kalu really needs now is some psychological help and medical help with his malaria. He is a danger to himself and those around him. I had reservations about writing any of this for my own safety, because of Kalu's vengeful tendencies and because I know he will make up many lies about me and the trip. He already told many lies to the couple who helped me get away from Kalu in the northern part of Ghana. However, I felt it very important to warn people in case they are not as lucky as me to get away.
My name is Kalu Afasi, I am founder and principal tour guide of Malimbe Tours West Africa and I have been guiding professionally since 2008. I was alerted to a review about me on Bird Forum, which I have now read. However, because of the nature of the review I am compelled to rebut this review because essential criticisms are factually and demonstratively false. Therefore, I here recount the trip I took with Kevin Schwartz (who is “yellow-billed magpie”). Kevin has identified himself as the author of a similar review about me on another site (Golden Gate Bird Alliance website), so I do not feel his identification here is a betrayal of identity. He also apparently sent one to Trip advisor. I believe he initiated a one person effort to hurt me and my business personally and professionally. So I feel I have no choice but to provide readers of Bird Forum the situation from my perspective. Some critical elements of his review can be independently provable to be false or not correct as presented while others such as comments I make about how my driver and hotel staffs would take more time to demonstrate. I apologize for my English. Although I am not a native speaker I speak English very well, but I tried to use the grammar checker on my computer and a friend to help me with my recounting of these events. So, I will be happy to restate later anything that is not clear. I also apologize for the length of my response, but I feel these details are necessary for the reader to understand that the many allegations the reviewer wrote about me are false. I am just a bird guide who has never had to confront such a thing as this so I will do my best. Kevin Schwartz contacted me to guide him in Ghana, but he later requested we add a 7 day trip to Ivory Coast to his itinerary because I work with a very good guide there (Julien Kouame). In fact, we had good communications before Kevin arrived, which included a video talk while I was guiding in Ankasa forest. During that video talk Kevin told me that he survived cancer. Normally, potential clients do not share such personal information so I was full of empathy and was willing to work as hard as possible to make him happy. He also told me he read about me from a book, Birding Without Borders, written by Noah Strycker about his big year. In that book, the entire chapter 11 is devoted to the trip Noah took with me. So, I was determined to do my best. He also explained that he liked staying out for long in the wild which is my thing too. However, at the outset of our trip, I sensed something was strange because when I met him at the airport, the very first thing he told me was that he thought I would not come to receive him at the airport. I asked him why he thought this because we had agreed I would meet him at the airport so that we could start the trip from there. He just said that he felt I would not come. So, I asked him again why he thought that I would not come, and he said because he already sent me money for the 15days, he thought I would abscond with the money. Needless to say I was shocked because he was the one who insisted on sending the money because he didn't like to carry cash. Nevertheless, I said to myself that maybe he had a bad experience in the past, which might explain such an odd first interaction. I told him that I also guide for companies and others and they send money to me in advance so this is a normal practice for birding trips. Before we got to the vehicle park at the airport, he told me that I was the second person that he ever hired as a guide and that he hoped that our trip will be better than his first one because that one didn't end well. I asked what happened with the first guide. He said one morning the guide just left him without a word. When I asked why a guide would behave like that, he told me that he guessed that he frustrated that guide, that the guide was fed up with him. I did not know what to make of that comment (or even if it was true), but to me it was a huge red flag. So, I asked him why he didn't tell me this particular story when we were planning the trip, he laughed and said he didn't want to discourage me. I said “well you are here, I will try to stay till the end”. When we got to the car, he dropped his bag in the car boot, then pulled a net, chain, and padlock out. He covered the bag with the net then proceeded to chain the netted bag to the back seat and locked the chain with a padlock. I have never seen something like that as a guide. The driver, Stephen, was like “this is Ghana no one will take your bag.” I told Stephen not to worry because everyone does what is best to protect his property. Kevin did this routine during the entire trip. As we drove off from the airport Kevin told me that all his birding was in the United States of America and that his only birding outside USA was to Argentina. Perhaps that was where he hired the guide he had frustrated? However, I was just happy he arrived safely, and I enquired about his health. He was the only one I ever met that told me they survived cancer, yet I was still full of pity for him at this point not knowing that I was dealing with someone who would turn out to be my worst nightmare client. In his review, Kevin lists some issues that occurred. So, I will address them within specific paragraphs. I am sorry my responses are long, but they are necessary to help understand how a person could change context and portray a real circumstance in a way that it was not. Improper visa to Cote d'Ivoir forces cancelation of Kevin’s visit to that country: When Kevin said he wanted to add Cote d’Ivoir to his trip, I had told Kevin that we could obtain the Ivorian visa in Accra when he arrived in Ghana. After he first told me about this requested change I personally went to the Ivorian embassy and explained to them that we might need an urgent visa which they agreed to issue on short notice. However, Kevin insisted on obtaining the visa in US because he didn't want to lose birding time in Ghana. So when he arrived, he already had an Ivorian visa. But, like most visas it had a restricted entry location. Therefore, in Accra, I told him that his visa was for entry from the airport into Cote d’Ivoir but that we will be entering by road at a border crossing near Ankasa. So, I recommended we submit his passport at the embassy in Accra then go to our birding site and return for it after our morning birding because the lady at the embassy said it will take only 3hrs when I spoke to her. She said this short time was possible because Kevin had already gone through the basic visa process in the USA. Kevin refused, insisting that he already had a valid visa. I again told him that French countries in West Africa are strict, since his visa said he is expected to arrive at the Airport they will insist on it, Kevin refused to believe this was true, but from his utterances I realised he was not willing to part with his passport for 3 hrs and he was also not willing to wait, so we departed Accra and headed West towards Kakum national park. After birding for one week at Kakum and surrounding areas we drove to Ankasa. After two days of birding, he had to cross into Cote d'Ivoir to meet Julien, the Ivorian guide I had arranged for his trip, but as I had warned him the visa was refused by the Ivorian border control because that visa was from USA not the Ivorian embassy in Ghana so he was, as I had told him, required to enter through the airport. Julien had already arrived with a rented vehicle and waited for about 3 hrs. I asked Julien if he would forgo his 7 day guiding fee as a personal favor to me even though Kevin, rightly, should have paid him the full amount of the 7-day tour because it was his fault the trip failed. Julien agreed to accept a single day of pay plus a day of rent for the vehicle because he owed that to the company. When we were about to return to Ghana following this generous concession by Julien, Kevin went to pay Julien and the driver their fees because it was his failure to follow instructions to obtain a proper entry visa. But all of a sudden Kevin ran to the car and said, “let's go,” and he suddenly began hurrying everyone. I wanted to say goodbye to Julien, apologize for the problem, and thank him again for forgoing his guiding fee but Kevin said “no, let's go he knows you are leaving.” So, we drove to the Ghanaian border and as soon as we went through the border process, not even up to 20meters inside Ghana, my phone rang and it was Julien, who told me the money Kevin paid him wasn't complete. I asked Kevin why he did not pay the full amount, he said whenever people see Americans, they think they are money bag. I told Julien not to worry that I will provide him the money later because we already crossed into Ghana, it was only then that I realized why he was hurrying – he had not paid the full amount and wanted to leave before he was caught. The reason Julien did not discover the shortage of funds is because Kevin had given him 100 $1 bills, which he had to count! If readers do not know, some guides cannot exchange $1 US bills in their countries and when they can as in Ghana, they get a lower rate of exchange than if the bills are larger (>$20). I will leave it to readers here to decide for themselves if the actions taken by Kevin were right. But I now feel bad that Julien agreed to my request because he not only rightly deserved the money for the canceled trip (owing to Kevin’s mistake) but also because he was given small bills and less money than he agreed too. As I promised I personally gave Julien the money that he should have got from Kevin. I will add that this was not a huge shorting of funds, but it is distressing to us (Julien and me) that it occurred at all. After this experience, we returned to Ankasa forest and continued with the trip in Ghana. But now he wanted to add an extra one week to his stay in Ghana since he was rejected entry by Cote d'Ivoir. Note that he paid earlier for two weeks with me. Therefore, with the Cote d'Ivoir trip cancelled, by adding another week in Ghana he needed to add an extra payment to cover the extra week with me in Ghana because it was his fault for the failed excursion to Cote d’Ivoir. But he didn't provide those funds, instead he said I should use the two weeks money he paid already and finish the 3weeks, then he will pay me at the airport when he is about to depart. I told him it was not possible because I already saw what he did to Julien (the Ivorian guide). In the next one week as we traveled north towards Mole, Kevin was full of drama, he said, he needed ATM to withdrew money for payment of the additional one week, when we got by ATM, he said he had cash, then he said he wanted bank transfer, everyday he had a reason not to make the payment. I finally told him I have a contract with him for 15days, and I will honor that contract. But I can't force him to pay for an extra one week so once the 15 days was over I will stop. By then the driver, the hotel staffs, and everyone he had interacted with was completely fed up with him. We stopped at the end of the originally agreed to 15 day trip because he would not provide money for the additional week – rather I did not trust him to provide the money given what he done to Julien in Cote d’Ivoir. So, he left the trip because we felt everyone was financially exposed. Indeed, I lost a small amount of money having to reimburse Julien for the money he was not given by Kevin. I know Kevin has complained on another form that he incurred extra cost for changing his flight, but that is his fault for failing to provide the necessary funds to extend his trip with me by 1 extra week. I believe it is standard practice for all birding companies to receive their total funds prior to the start of any birding trip. So, the cost he incurred with his flights were his responsibility not mine. I ask the readers, would you have trusted Kevin to provide you the funds for extending a trip you were guiding at the end of the trip after you had seen him not pay a guide in full even after that guide had agreed to forgo his due costs and when he eluded my efforts to have him pay me the extra week? Allegation of arrogance: Kevin has accused me of being arrogant. I hope I have not been, or appeared to be, arrogant with my clients, and I will never berate someone. The guide, Amankwa who is the guide I work with at Ankasa, and who Kevin said was upset with me, is my best friend as far as birdwatching is concerned. He is one of the best rangers in that Ankasa national park. We have been friends for over 10yrs. Before I arrive for any tour, he finds the best spot for Nkulengu rail , Fraser's eagle owl , Akun’s eagle owl , Spot breasted Ibis ,Tiger heron etc. In fact, he makes guiding easy for me at Ankasa forest, he gives me the latest update. During the Covid, Amankwa supported me financially because he had a steady income so on what basis would I berate or be arrogant to him. Anytime I go to Ankasa, I eat in his house. All my other clients can testify that I never eat at the lodge when I am in Ankasa. So, Kevin must have another definition of arrogance or he is fabricating another negative story. Kevin said Amankwaa pointed a gun at me, well this is the funniest thing I have heard, but my guess here is that Kevin is just trying to implicate Amankwa because he knew Amankwa was not happy with him just like all other rangers we met were not happy with him. Amankwa still remains my trusted friend till today. Inappropriate playback for Red Chested Owlet: Kevin said I played the call of Red Chested Owlet for 1.5hrs and I ask myself with what batteries is that possible? My bird calls are in a memory card inserted in my phone, there's no way I will be on one bird calling it repeatedly for 1.5hrs. We also know different spots where we find this owl. So, I will move to the next spot rather than stay in one spot for one and half hours. Most clients would not tolerate overuse of playback, as they rightfully should. So, I hope people see Kevin allegation for what it is. Paranoid behavior: Kevin accuses me of being paranoid, but it really is the opposite. Aside from chaining his bag to the car seat, another example occurred on our way to the Picathartes site. The local village provides guides (some of whom you would think of as boys) who help birders on this short walk. They all carry machetes as a matter of course and they did with us. I was in front and Kevin was behind me, along the way one of the local guides (a boy) felt he should help Kevin carry his bag, but as soon as he touched him, Kevin shouted loudly, I stopped, thinking something has happened to him but I saw nothing. So, I asked why he shouted, and he said he was not expecting the boy to touch his bag. The boy who touched him was shocked by Kevin’s reaction. I asked what the matter was, the boy, who was now shaking with fear, explained to me that he just touched his bag in an attempt to carry it for him. I told him not to worry about the bag, that not everyone wanted to be helped. We continued walking in the forest, but after about 2 minutes after the loud shout, Kevin said “Kalu can I walk in front of you?” I said “yes, you can walk in front of me and I will be directing you.” So, we successfully got to Picathartes site and saw the birds and returned with him, all the while Kevin walking in front me. From day one every local guide we met kept asking why he travelled because he was so scared. It seemed to us that Kevin was afraid and suspicious of everything and everyone. I am not sure he ever relaxed for the 15days. I kept assuring him that Ghana is a birdwatching destination and that everyone was cool with birdwatchers but all was in vain. It seemed to us that Kevin thought everyone was a thief, the hotel would poison him, or some other thing he was afraid of. I do not mean to seem unconcerned about someone who has genuine fears about their safety, but when people are friendly and happy as they are in Ghana, it did not make sense to us when he was so fearful and paranoid. And as the various local guides commented to me, why travel with such a burden? Speculation about the effects of malaria on me: It is true that I have malaria, many people in Africa have it, but I think I have been able to cope with it given its impact on a person. But I think the way Kevin has presented my ailment provides both a false depiction of its effect on me and a fake concern by Kevin. As an example, I told Kevin one morning that I felt symptoms of malaria just before we left the hotel. He acted as if he didn't hear me so we went birdwatching in the forest. After about 5hrs, Kevin asked me if I wanted to see a doctor, I was surprised he asked because I was birding with him for almost 5hrs so why ask the question when we are about to quit? I told him I was OK and didn't need to see any doctor. I didn't even know he heard me in the morning when I said I felt malaria. The forest was now becoming quiet so I told him if he was tired we can go back but not because of malaria. Allegation of smuggling cars. This is a serious allegation. Lying about people engaged in illegal activities is unacceptable any place in the world . My professional life has revolved around football and birdwatching. Anybody who knows me knows that it is only football and birds for me. For Kevin to claim that I said I smuggle cars into Ghana makes me extremely concerned about his motivation to harm me personally and professionally. Why he would say something so exceedingly reckless and dangerous is beyond me. I am deeply shocked and concerned about so many lies he told, some of which are provable (failure to get the proper entry visa to Cote d’Ivoir and his attempt to abscond from paying Julien - either of which should destroy his credibility). Kevin told me that he wrote something bad about the first ever guide that he hired. He has also now has written something bad about me, the second guide he ever hired. By any measure, hiring two guides with whom you had a serious conflict (the first guide, whatever happened it was enough for the guide to abandon him; as for me, I had no choice but to stop guiding after our allotted time because I could not trust that he would pay me for my additional time) would be a stroke of bad luck, but under the circumstances – at least with me – I believe he caused his problems in Ghana. Yet, he appears to be taking out his anger on me (and likely the other guide). Interestingly, throughout his review he mentions only one species of bird – not any of the other 300-370 species we saw, which suggests his review had but one intent. Despite his review, I am very happy that people I have guided are coming out to say that they had great trip with me. I know people change for many reasons, but I feel I am the same man that I was when I guided those clients who have written the positive comments. I sleep, dream and think birds. To me, I always say that bird life is life, other things are just details. I hope that does not change. When Kevin threatened to write something bad about me, he told me that people from Western world will believe anything he writes about me, even if I put a response. However, I do not believe that is true. I believe most birders have better hearts than to believe one person who has expressed such anger without first asking others or seeking other reviews about the person being criticised so they make a better judgement. Therefore, I welcome all of you to come visit my beautiful country of Ghana and I hope you entrust your trip to me. Respectfully, Kalu Afasi
Unreliable, NOT correct - unexpectedly cancelled the tour 24 hours before departure, only returned part of the money. On top of that, he threatened to arrest and deport us to get our money. Never transfer money to him in advance!
Mr. Ferenc N was part of the group of 3 "friends" alluded to by Grego Gabor N in his TripAdvisor review. However, I appreciate Mr. Ferenc N honestly admitting their group was in Ghana contrary to the assertion by his friend Grego Nagy that they were forced to cancel their trip to Ghana on account of my canceling their trip. Therefore, I refer the reader to the response to Gregor Gabor N's TripAdvisor report about me.
Had a arranged a private biding and photography tour with Kalu based on some target species. 12 days in all and it was quite an experience. Kalu's birding knowledge is incredible and he will have discounted species just as you might notice them. And expertise in all habitats is rare (from my experience elsewhere birding the continent). And he is relentless - he just won't give up if he knows a certain species is in the area (a feature common to the best guides). He goes at a tremendous pace so you will need to be sharp to keep up (or ask to slow down!) and isn't especially instructive (unless you ask) so take you bird book and note the species as you go along. The driver Kobby was brilliant also and kept the vehicle going in difficult circumstances. So, if you are after a birding experience you won't find better than Kalu.
THE GOOD: Excellent guide prompt knowledgeable THE NOT SO GOOD: More people do not know about him I was given Kalu's details via a friend that had previously used him to go birdwatching and I was not disappointed by Kalu. His knowledge and expertise was to be admired. He is a very friendly and easy going guide that does not rush you and will find you birds that other guides working for European companies won't be able to find. If you are in Accra or Ghana, hire the best guide in the country that was doing birding tours before anyone else started.
Kalu was my bird guide in 2 weeks fantastic birding trip in Ghana, we birded in forests across the coast, west (Kakum NP), north (Mole NP), then south east and back to Accra. We saw 3 Owl and 2 Nightjar species, which is unusual in birding trips, Kalu has great knowledge of bird species in Ghana, as like all other experts he birds with his ears. The people in Ghana are friendly, welcoming and nice, we had no problem using a big expensive camera outdoors in every place we went. I definitely recommend any birder to enjoy the company and expertise of Kalu and maximize their bird watching experience without the hassle of big groups. Thank you Kalu for the outstanding service and expertise. Bilal Al-Shahwany California, USA
