Onyx Isle

A private threshold. If you have been expected, you will already know the word that opens it.

For guests of the current expedition. If you do not have the word, please reach your point of contact.

July 2027 · Accra, Ghana

The Ghana
expedition.

Destination
Accra
Dates
2 July to 12 July 2027
Duration
10 Full Days, the 11th Day Reserved for Departure
Lodging
Cantonments Embassy Gardens
Cohort
Friends and family, by invitation only

What follows is everything a guest needs to know before arrival. It is designed to be read in order or returned to as the trip approaches. Milestones are updated as they are reached. Resources continue to be added in the weeks leading up to departure.

Milestones

The path to the Motherland.

Completed · February 2026

Invitation accepted

Welcome to the cohort. A brief orientation note and introductions to the expedition team.

Completed · April 2026

Website launch

The members portal opens to the cohort. A first walk through the activities, the cadence of the year ahead, and the dates that will shape it.

August 2026

Scout and book airfare

Begin researching flights into Kotoka International Airport. Our team is available for routing guidance. We recommend booking early while fares remain reasonable.

October 2026

Readings and cultural grounding

Release of the curated list of readings, interviews, and short films intended to prepare guests for what the itinerary will open. The materials are selected to be returned to across the year, not consumed in one sitting.

November 2026

First deposit due

The first of three installments. Payment instructions and receipts are handled privately with each guest.

December 2026

Last call for airfare

For optimal pricing, airfare should be booked no later than this month. Our team remains available for routing and coordination with other guests.

February 2027

Second deposit due

Guests submit their second installment. Begin to draft any questions that you may have and bring them to the Spring Checkpoint Session.

March 2027

Spring Checkpoint Session

A virtual gathering with the full cohort. Instruction on vaccinations, passport renewal where needed, and the upcoming visa application, paired with a check in on readings and questions as the trip comes into closer view.

April 2027

Final deposit due

The final installment completes the cohort's financial commitment. In parallel, visa applications are filed and passports are sent to the Embassy of Ghana; our team provides the detailed checklist and guides the process, though each application remains the guest's own.

May 2027

One-on-one technical assistance

Our team offers each guest one-on-one technical assistance for trip logistics throughout May, ahead of the full-cohort Pre-Departure Session in June.

June 2027

Pre-departure session

Packing list, final questions, contact sheet, lodging confirmation, and arrival time coordination. The final virtual gathering of the cohort before the trip begins.

1 July 2027

Depart from America

Transatlantic travel. The cohort converges within a single window so that the first evening in Accra can begin as one group rather than a trickle of arrivals.

2 July 2027

Arrival in Ghana

Private ground transportation from Kotoka International Airport to our base at Cantonments Embassy Gardens. Welcome dinner that evening. The expedition begins.

Itinerary

The shape of the ten days.

What follows is deliberate and also deliberately incomplete. Every cohort has moments that are not on the page, and those moments are the point. Departure times are listed where they have been confirmed and will be filled in as the itinerary is finalized.

Day one

Arrival and welcome

2 July · Accra
Activity
Location
Departure
Arrival
Kotoka International Airport
To be confirmed
Grocery stop
Palace Mall
To be confirmed
Rest and acclimation
Cantonments Embassy Gardens
To be confirmed
Welcome dinner
Buka
To be confirmed
Optional: night out
Alley Bar
10:00 PM
Day two

First rhythms of the city

3 July · Accra
Activity
Location
Departure
Morning workout with Dickson
Accra
To be confirmed
Basket weaving class and lunch
Ozzies Beach Palace
9:00 AM
Accra Goods Market
Accra
1:00 PM
Dinner
Teabaa
7:00 PM
Day three

The coast and its memory

4 July · Central Region
Activity
Location
Departure
Kakum National Park canopy walk
Odumase
3:00 AM
Cape Coast slave dungeons
Central Region
To be confirmed
Assin Manso slave river
Assin Manso
To be confirmed
Dinner
80/20
To be confirmed
Day four

At the table

5 July · Accra
Activity
Location
Departure
Jollof rice cooking class
Food Haven
10:00 AM
Dinner
Sandbox Beach Club or Alora Beach Resort
To be confirmed
Day five

The sculpted witness

6 July · Ada Foah
Activity
Location
Departure
Nkyinkyim Museum
Ada Foah
8:00 AM
Dinner
Living Room
7:00 PM
Night out
Venue to be confirmed
To be confirmed
Day six

Open city, the hand at work

7 July · Accra
Activity
Location
Departure
Open exploration, morning
Accra, guest's choice
To be confirmed
Batik making
Accra Art D'strict
1:00 PM
Dinner
Afrikiko
To be confirmed
Day seven

Nation and memory

8 July · Accra
Activity
Location
Departure
Chocolate making
Bioko, Accra
9:00 AM
Kwame Nkrumah Museum
Accra
To be confirmed
Photoshoot
Black Star Gate
To be confirmed
Dinner
Rockz Waakye
To be confirmed
Day eight

Canopy and cascade

9 July · Aburi Gardens & Waterfalls
Activity
Location
Departure
Aburi Gardens and lunch
Central Region
7:00 AM
Oboadaka Waterfalls
Central Region
To be confirmed
Dinner
Honey Suckle
To be confirmed
Day nine

The Pan-African inheritance

10 July · Accra
Activity
Location
Departure
W. E. B. Du Bois Center
Accra
To be confirmed
Rest day and open exploration
Accra
To be confirmed
Dinner
Indulge Accra
7:00 PM
Day ten

Gathered in closing

11 July · Accra
Activity
Location
Departure
Church service
Empowerment Worship Center
9:00 AM
Rest day and open exploration
Accra, guest's choice
To be confirmed
Final dinner
Skybar or Zen Garden
6:00 PM
Day eleven

Departure

12 July · Accra
Activity
Location
Departure
Departures
Kotoka International Airport
To be confirmed

Private transfers to the airport on each guest's timing. Safe travels home. The integration session with the full cohort will be scheduled in the weeks following return, details to follow.

Resources

Everything you need for the road.

Organized for easy return. This section is updated in the weeks leading up to departure. If you do not see something you need, please ask.

Passport and visa

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry. Visa requirements vary by country of citizenship. We do not process the visa on your behalf; we guide you through the application and provide the detailed documentation checklist during the March Checkpoint Session.

Vaccinations and health

Yellow fever vaccination is required for entry. Additional recommendations include hepatitis A, typhoid, and anti-malarial medication. We will review your specific situation during the one-on-one consultation in March.

Packing

Lightweight, breathable fabrics. Long sleeves for mornings and evenings. A modest option for cultural sites. Comfortable shoes for walking. Formal dinners are rare and relaxed. The detailed packing list is a single-page reference, organized by theme and shaped to the climate and cadence of this itinerary. Download the PDF, print it if that helps, and consult it as packing begins. The list is brief by intention; trust it. Download the packing list (PDF)

Currency and connectivity

The Ghanaian cedi is the local currency. Most expenses are handled through the expedition; personal spending money is modest. Connectivity is good in the cities and variable in the rural portions of the itinerary. Local SIM cards can be arranged on arrival.

Cultural grounding

The curated reading and viewing list is released in October 2026 and returned to in depth at the March Checkpoint Session. Engagement with the materials is not required but is strongly encouraged. The trip lands differently for guests who arrive prepared for the encounters it makes possible.

Dietary and accessibility

Please share any dietary restrictions, allergies, and accessibility considerations through the intake form or directly with our team. We accommodate at every meal and every venue, and the earlier we know, the more thoroughly we can arrange.

Safety and emergency contact

Our team is reachable at any hour throughout the expedition. A full emergency contact sheet, including local medical resources and embassy numbers, is distributed at the pre-departure convening.

Guest directory

A brief directory of your fellow travelers, with consent, will be shared at the pre-departure convening so that introductions already in progress can become introductions already made.

Payment

How to settle the deposits.

Deposits are due on the cadence set out in the Milestones section above. Two methods are available. A small instruction concerning the memo line applies to both, so that every payment is matched correctly to the guest on receipt.

Memo line

Please enter your first name, last initial, and GH27 in the memo line of every payment. As an example: ChelleJGH27. This single step is what allows us to reconcile deposits quickly and send your confirmation on the same day.

Upon receipt of your deposit, a confirmation email will be sent containing a short survey. Please complete the survey at your earliest opportunity; the answers shape the itinerary in small but meaningful ways, aligning final arrangements with the preferences of the assembled cohort.

QR code Zelle QR code for payment
Zelle
Cash payments
Preferred Method. The receiving account is held under Slate 312, LLC, based in Chicago, Illinois. Please confirm the account displayed is a Business Complete Checking account ending in 7096 before completing the transfer.
QR code Chase Payment Portal QR code
Chase Payment Portal
Credit card payments
If paying by credit card, please reach out to request access details for the Chase Payment Portal.
Guest next steps

The quiet preparation that lets the trip land.

A short sequence of actions to take in the months before departure. Each is small by design. Together, they are the groundwork that lets the expedition do its work.

One

Confirm passport validity

Check that your passport is valid through at least August 2027. If it is not, begin the renewal process immediately and let our team know so we can offer support well ahead of the visa application window.

By December 2026
Two

Complete the guest intake form

Dietary preferences, accessibility considerations, emergency contact, travel history, and the goals you are bringing to the expedition. Reach out if the link has not arrived.

By February 2027
Three

Schedule your logistics consultation

A thirty minute call with our logistics lead to review passport, visa, vaccinations, and travel insurance. This call is the substance of the March Checkpoint Session.

During March 2027
Four

Complete the review of all ground materials

The curated readings, interviews, and short films released in October 2026 are designed to prepare the cohort for the encounters the itinerary opens. Complete your review ahead of the Spring Checkpoint Session so that the March conversation is grounded in shared material.

By March 2027
Five

Attend the pre-departure convening

Our final virtual gathering with the full cohort. Questions answered, introductions renewed, the shape of the trip clarified. Attendance is requested of every guest.

June 2027
Six

Pack with the list in hand

Guests should begin packing no later than the week of June 20th, so that every item is procured and settled well before the day of departure. This lead time exists for a reason: guests who pack early arrive relaxed and confident rather than hurried. The packing list itself is brief, specific, and built from years of watching travelers bring either too much or the wrong thing. Trust the list.

Week of 20 June
Seven

Arrive

We will be there to meet you. The rest is the work we have been preparing for together.

2 July 2027
A glimpse

What to expect.

A curated selection of images and reflections from the expedition, offered here not as documentation but as orientation. The trip you take will not look exactly like these. It will feel like them.

Part of the Corpus ecosystem · © April 2026