Tourist Sites

Kakum National Park 

Ghana’s most visited attraction is the Kakum National Park in Assin Attandanso in the Central Region. It has a 333-meter long canopy walkway, suspended up to 27 meters above the forest floor from trees that are over 300 years old. The canopy walk is only one of Kakum’s many delights. There are a variety of trails and guided walks that allow visitors to experience the solitude of the rainforest. It’s also a premier site for bird watchers, with over 300 species including eight species of global conservation concern. Mammals include forest elephant, leopard, bongo, bushbuck and many primates, but game viewing is difficult. Also, more than 600 butterfly species have been recorded. The forest has wild life which can be seen in the night and professional guides are always available to take you on a guided night tour. The park is child-friendly. Kakum is about 4 hours drive from Accra. It is advisable you go by your own pre-arranged transport means. You may also go by public transport and connect from Cape Coast. There is a treehouse for you if wish to stay the night for bird and wildlife watching. There is also an outhouse. There are two cafes at the visitor centre serving basic food, snacks and fresh juices.
More Information → 

Mole National Park

Mole National Park is the largest and most prestigious protected area in Ghana, in the north-west of the country, is Ghana’s largest wildlife refuge, measuring 4,849 sq km. The park has very rich flora and fauna. It is best known for its elephants (a population of about 600) as well as many other primates. Some 94 mammal species, over 300 bird species, 9 amphibian species and 33 reptile species have been recorded in Mole. The large and commonly seen mammals include elephant, kob, roan antelope, hartebeest, waterbuck, bushbuck, warthog, buffalo, several duikers, baboon, roan, kob, hartebeest, waterbuck. Predators include lion, leopard, spotted hyena, caracal, aardvark, genet, civet and mongoose. Occasionally, buffalo overrun the park headquarters and the lodge area. There are also more than 300 bird species and 33 identified reptile species within the national park. The park is located on grassland savannah and its entrance is near the town of Larabanga. The ephemeral rivers Lovi and Mole flow through the park, leaving behind drinking holes in the long dry season.
More Information → 

Other Ecotourism Sites and Attractions 

Shai Hills Resource Reserve
Bui National Park
Bia National Park
Ankasa Resource Reserve
Kogyae Resource Reserve
Bomfobiri Resource Reserve
Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary
Buabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary
Lake Bosomtwi

 

Paragliding Festival

Ghana Paragliding Festival is an annual event held during Easter (usually in April). Seasoned Pilots from around the world are invited to fly hundreds of people during the 3-4 day event at Kwahu Atibie. Pilots with a wealth of experience are selected and coordinated across several parts of the world, in order to cater for the diverse and dynamic nature of participants who come from across the world to fly and have fun. In line with the Tourism Sector’s vision of making Ghana a leading tourism destination in Africa, the Paragliding Festival was instituted to help achieve this goal. The event has over the years flown thousands of people and given them memorable experiences. The 2022 edition promises to be great with tours, hiking and more adventure options. You may drive to Kwahu or get there by public transport via Nkawkaw. The event is held during the Easter period annually in Kwahu in the Eastern region of Ghana. It attracts thousands of tourists from across the world with numbers increasing annually which led to the need for expansion of the take-off point on the Odweanoma mountain. The yearly event which is the flagship programme of the Ghana Tourism Authority organized to promote tourism in the country. At Nkawkaw you can board any of the numerous public transport vehicles climbing up the Kwahu mountain to Atibie. Better still you can hire a taxi from Nkawkaw to the Odweanoma Mountain (https://goo.gl/maps/mpqqQ9X1BZUbQmms5)

More Information →

Mountain Afadja 

Mount Afadja is one of the highest mountains in Ghana standing at an elevation of 885 metres (2,904 ft). The mountain is located in the Agumatsa Range near the villages of Gbledi and Liati Wote, in the Volta Region of Ghana at the border with Togo. ‘Afadja’ is the name of the mountain whereas ‘to’ in the Ewe dialect means mountain therefore, it is called ‘Afadjato’ by the indigenes. The correct name would be ‘Mount Afadja’ as ‘Mount Afadjato’ will be a repetition of the ‘Mountain.’ Mount Afadja is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Volta Region of Ghana welcoming thousands of visitors from around the globe annually. About a kilometer (less than a mile) to the east, is the nearby peak of Aduadu, which is higher than Afadjato, also standing at over 900 metres. When the indigenes migrated to the area and saw the mountain it looked like the mound in which water yam is planted, water yam being called “Avadze” in Ewe. Moreover there were some creeping plants on the mountain that resembled the water yam plant; they therefore called it “Avadze-to”. Today the word has been palatalized into “Afadjato”. The nearby Tagbo Falls and Wli Falls (the highest in West Africa) are also considered tourist attractions. There are several hidden attractions of caves, streams and other waterfalls in the area. 

More Information →

Other Adventure Sites and Attractions 

Dodi World
Legon Botanical Gardens
ATV Quad Biking
Kakum National Park
Bunso Eco Park (Aboretum)

Boti Falls 

There are actually two falls at Boti: The upper falls and the lower falls. These are the main features of the Boti Falls (what has widely been talked about is the lower falls). The locals describe it as male and female (this description is for the lower falls only). When the volume of water is high especially during the rainy season, the two meet in what the local describe as ‘a mating ceremony’. This ceremony is ‘graced’ by the rainbow that is formed by the splashing water. Boti Falls is located just 17km North-east of Koforidua, the eastern regional capital. For those interested in how soon it takes to get there, it is just over 30 minutes drive from Koforidua and over 90 minutes from Accra depending on your means of transportation. Two attractions that are also available for visitors to see but not directly related to the falls are the umbrella rock and the three –head- palm tree. The locals have managed to develop these sites to enhance visitor experience, which means that you are not limited only the falls but other notable attractions as well. The umbrella rock is just 30 minutes walk from the falls. The three head palm tree is unique and can be described as the ‘Siemens’ of the plant life. For those who want a guided tour of the forest reserve around the falls, tour guides are available to provide guided tours. The woods also provide a sacred place for those who want to set aside some time to reflect.

More Information →

Nzulezu Village 

Near the coast at the far western side of Ghana, near the border with Cote d’Ivoire, is a village that is unique in all of Ghana. Spectacular scenery of the 400-year old stilt propped water settlement of Nzulezu, is a unique village built on stilts in Lake Tadane, which is home to hundreds of people in the Western Region.Nzulezu is an Nzema word meaning ‘surface of water’. The inhabitants of the village are said to have migrated from Walata, a city in the ancient Ghana Empire, the earliest of the Western Sudanese States. According to tradition, ancestors of the village were brought to their present place by a snail. The serene ambiance of the surrounding landscape, coupled with the general activities of life on stilts points to a dynamic relationship between man and nature. It is essentially one long pier, called Main Street by the locals, with buildings constructed on both sides. One side of the ‘street’ are living quarters while the other side of the street has businesess, the school, a community center and other commercial ventures. Village life is adapted to the unique environmental conditions, and all activities such as the pounding of fufu (a traditional meal), schooling, worship, baptisms and burials are carried out on the lake. It is said that the lake averts possible disasters such as fire outbreaks.More birds and monkeys are seen on the canoe trip to Nzulezu during the rainy season (May 15 through August) and you can canoe the entire way, versus walking the first 1 km during the dry season. Guided sea turtle walks are offered October through August. Nzulezu has a guesthouse called the Homestay Bar and Rest house that is part of the stilt village. The small window in each of the rooms looks out onto the lake and each has two single beds (sheet and flush toilet, but no mosquito net or towel). Meals and liquid refreshments are available. Camping is also available at the visitor centre in Beyin.

More Information →

Other Nature Sites and Attractions 

Bunso Eco Park (Aboretum)
Wli Waterfalls
Bobiri Forest and Butterfly Sanctuary
Wechiau Hippopotamus Sanctuary

Cape Coast Castle

Cape Coast Castle is the largest of the buildings which contains the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like most ancient fortifications in Ghana, Cape Coast Castle played a significant role in the gold and slave trades. But also, two significant contributions were made here: the arrival of Christianity, and the establishment of the first formal education system through Castle Schools. A guided tour of the Cape Coast Castle will acquaint you with its many interesting features including Dalzel Tower, the slave dungeons, and the cannons and mortars used in the Castle’s defense. The West African Historical Museum is located inside Cape Coast Castle and contains a growing collection of art and cultural objects, including ceremonial drums, old muskets, shackles from the slave trade and ancient pottery. ‘Cabo Corso,’ meaning ‘short cape’, is the name the Portuguese settled on for the local settlement within which its trade lodge was built in 1555. Its corruption to ‘Cape Coast’ is now the accepted name of the capital of the Central Region of Ghana. The Swedes, led by Krusenstjerna, however, were the initiators of the permanent structure presently known as Cape Coast Castle. 

More Information →

Elmina/St George’s Castle

St George’s Castle, a Unesco heritage site, was built as a trading post by the Portuguese in 1482, and captured by the Dutch in 1637. It was expanded when slaves replaced gold as the major object of commerce, with storerooms converted into dungeons. The informative tour (included in the entry fee) takes you to the grim dungeons, punishment cells, Door of No Return and the turret room where the British imprisoned the Ashanti king, Prempeh I, for four years. Elmina Castle was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, so is the oldest European building in existence in suib-Saharan Africa. Elmina is also a picturesque fishing town along Ghana’s coast, not far from Cape Coast. It is home to one of Ghana’s biggest attractions, St George’s Castle. Built by the Portuguese in 1482, it was captured by the Dutch 150 years later and became the headquarters of their West Indies Company for the following 250 years. Gold exports were soon replaced by slaves and the tours through the dungeons will give you a good idea of how gruesome a trade it was. The Castle houses a small museum and guided tours are available. The stark beauty of the white-washed Castle walls contrast deeply with the dark history of this place.

More Information →

Other Heritage Sites and Attractions 

Bono Manso Slave Market 
World Peace Bell
Wassa Domama Rock Shrine
Cape St. Paul Light House
Fort Saint Anthony
Christiansborg Castle (Osu Castle)
Fort Orange 
Independence Arch 
Fort Apollonia 
Bisa Aberwa Museum 
Pikworo Slave Camp

 

Odwira

The Odwira Festival is celebrated by the people of Akropong-Akuapim, Aburi, Larteh and Mamfi in the  Eastern Region. This festival is celebrated in most Akwapim towns during the months of September and October. The Akuapem Odwira festival was initiated by the 19th Okuapimhene of Akropong, Nana Addo Dankwa I (1811-1835) and was first celebrated in October 1826. It’s significance is to celebrate their victory over the invincible Ashanti army during the historic battle of Katamansu near Dodowa in 1826 and also to cleanse themselves and ask for protection from their gods. Odwira is a time of spiritual cleansing, when the peoples Okuapeman, and all who celebrate, present themselves anew and pray for protection. Traditionally, the timing of the festival also coincides with the harvest season when there is abundant food; during which time the people give thanks to the Ancestors. Being a Yam Festival, gratitude for the harvest is especially expressed in the “feeding the ancestors”. During the Festival, bowls of mashed yam (some mixed with palm oil and others left white) which have been specially prepared by the Okuapehene and other stool occupants are carried in procession from the Ahemfi to feed the ancestors at Nsorem. A little-known fact is, the Odwira Festival is also celebrated by the Ga people of Jamestown in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana as a result of their long association with the Akans through intermarriages.

More Information →

Homowo

The word Homowo (Homo – hunger, wo – hoot) can mean “to hoot (or jeer) at hunger” in the Ga language. The tradition of Homowo started with a period of hunger leading to famine due to failure of the seasonal rains needed by crops in the Greater Accra Region, where the Ga people predominantly dwell. When the rains returned to normal, the Ga people celebrated by creating the Homowo festival, hence its name and meaning. Homowo is greatly celebrated in all the towns in the Ga state with celebrations climaxing in Gamashie. The celebration begins with the planting of maize, which will be used in preparing the food for the festival named Kpokpoi or Kpekple. During this period, noise making is prohibited or banned since it is believed that it disturbs the gods. The meal is eaten with Palm Nut Soup and it is also sprinkled within the town. This is normally done by traditional leaders and family heads. Celebration includes marching down roads and streets beating drums, chanting, face painting, singing and traditional dances. Even though the celebration of Homowo is a Ga tradition, many other ethnic groups are welcomed to also join in the celebration. The homowo festival of the Ga tribe is believed to have a lineage from the Jewish tribe and its ancestral tradition of the Jewish Passover feast.

More Information →

Other Culture/Festivals and Attractions

Edina Bakatue Festival
Hogbetsotso
Fetu Afahye
Abeadze Ahobaa Kese