Tourist Centres
Kakum National Park
The park was established in 1932 and officially opened to the public in 1994. It is located in the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana. The 357km2 national park is comprised of mostly undisturbed virgin rainforest. Excellent walking tours and a canopy walkway through the forest provide the opportunity to see much of Ghana’s indigenous plant life, as well as rare butterflies, birds and game (that could include the extraordinary bongo and forest elephant). Highlights include:
Kakum National Park Visitor Centre
The Kakum National Park Visitor Centre (KNPVC), managed by Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust (GHCT) built with funding from USAID and technical support by Conservation International (Cl) is located on a 512-acre land adjacent to the Kakum National Park. The Centre has facilities that promote conservation education and awareness.
Rainforest Café
Kakum Rainforest Café encourages conservation efforts at the Park by supporting local farmers through the purchase of fresh produce while providing a relaxing location for visitors to enjoy a fine meal and refreshing drinks.
Hidden Connections
The "Hidden Connection" exhibit interprets the complexities which underlie tropical rainforest diversity, the interdependencies among species, and the numerous biological connections which make the rain forest a "web of life '. It also highlights the cultural connections that the people of southern Ghana have with the natural world that make them part of this "web". At least forty-five minutes should be planned for visitors to experience the exhibit as it prepares them to enter the rainforest and to notice more of the scents, sights and sounds unique to the forest environment while increasing levels of enjoyment and conservation education.
Sun bird Trail
Visitors with a special interest in birds now have a new trail that is specially developed to incorporate three ecosystems: the rainforest, the secondary forest and a pond environment. Visitors can use this trail to search for more than 400 bird species found on the Kakum bird checklist. The departure times for bird watching can be specified when making a booking for the trails and guides.
Canopy Walkway
The Kakum Canopy Walkway, Africa's first and only rainforest walkway, is composed of 350 meters of suspended bridge and six tree platforms that reach the height of 30 meters above the forest floor. From the treetops, visitors experience a unique and spectacular view of the rainforest ecosystem and have the opportunity to see flora and fauna, which could never be viewed from the ground. Hundreds of species of butterflies and birds can be viewed from the Walkway early in the morning and if visitors are lucky, they may catch a glimpse of the Spot-nose, Campbell's and Columbus monkeys.
Elmina Castle
The Portuguese founded Castle "Sao Jorge and Mina" in 1482 to protect the gold-rich lands discovered in 1471. The castle was completed according to its original plan in 1486 and the town was raised to the status of a "city".
Portuguese navigators carefully selected the castle’s site, because it was strategically located at the end of a narrow promontory bounded on two sides by the Atlantic Ocean and the Benya River or lagoon. Here, in the lee of a low headland, a natural harbour provided sheltered anchorage.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Portuguese enjoyed a trade boom in spite of numerous attempts by Castilians and later the French and the English to break the Portuguese trade monopoly.
The Portuguese imported vast quantities of old and new cloths, blankets and linen from Morocco, North European copper and brassware, millions of "manilas" (metal bracelets) and iron kettles and bars in exchange for gold dust and ornaments supplied by Mina. So extensive and popular was the cloth trade that a factor maintained a large shop for old linen c.1500-1507. The commander of the castle wrote to King Manuel in 1503: "Sir, I, Diego d' Alvarenga, kiss the royal hands of your highness and I report that I have received the old linen."
The import trade raised the issue of porterage, as the natives needed assistance in conveyance of large quantities of European goods into the hinterland and coastlands. To meet this need, the Portuguese initiated, in the early 16th century, the importation of slaves from Benin to Elmina in exchange for gold, ivory, etc. As it turned out, however, the price of gold slumped in Europe in the 16th century due to massive importation of superior gold from Mexico. At the same time, the Portuguese Crown spent vast sums of resources on defensive works, artillery, galleys, warships and convoys related to Mina. Thus weakened, the Portuguese succumbed to Dutch attacks and were dislodged from Elmina in 1637. A very interesting place to be.
Cape Coast Castle
The strategic location of Cape Coast in the Central Region having a sheltered beach in proximity to Elmina Castle made it a great attraction to the European nations. Hence, for nearly a century, there was a ding-dong competition among the Portuguese, Dutch, Danes, Swedes and English to gain control of Cape Coast.
The Portuguese built the first trade lodge in 1555 and called the local settlement "Cabo Corso", meaning short cape, later corrupted to Cape Coast. The Swedes, led by Krusenstjerna, built a permanent fort in 1653 and called it Carolus burg after King Charles X of Sweden. During the next 11 years, the Danes, the local Fetu chief and the Dutch each in turn captured and held Carolusburg for a time. Finally, the English fleet led by Captain Holmes took Carolusburg. The fort remained in English hands till the late 19th century serving as the West African headquarters seat of the president of the Committee of Merchants and later as the seat of the British governor.
Aburi Botanical Gardens
These centuries – old botanical gardens in the Eastern Region, about one hour’s drive from Accra offer a rich collection of tropical flora, which attracts scores of birds and butterflies. The tranquil paths are a popular excursion for our city dwellers.
The Gardens were originally created in 1890 as an agricultural research station and a habitat for plants from around the world. Over the years the Botanical Gardens have collected together a variety of tropical flora which attracts scores of birds and butterflies. Situated in the town of Aburi, which is well-known for its health climate, the Gardens also have pleasant indoor-outdoor restaurants and facilities for staying overnight.
Tafi Monkey Village
Nestled in the heart of the region (43km South of Hohoe and less than 200km north of Accra) lies the beautiful village of Tafi Atome in the Volta Region. Tafi Atome is surrounded by an indigenous tropical forest with very high floral concentration. In this forest, one could find the endangered, playful and rather sacred True Mona Monkeys.
Believing the monkeys to be messengers to the gods and their protectors, the chiefs and people of Tafi have been protecting them for the past 200 years.
The Dodi Princess
The Dodi Princess, which predates the relationship between Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed, is a modern passenger cruise ship built in 1991 with an insured passenger capacity. Dodi as an island in the Volta Region of Ghana. There were many people in Ghana by the name of Dodi well before the other Dodi of the UK came to British public attention.
The cruiser liner has two decks – a lower, air-conditioned deck which seats about 100 and an upper deck with a canopy overhead which provides a commanding view of great expanse of water. The vessels measures 45 metres long by 12 metres wide and has a gross tonnage of 450 metres. It is fitted with state of the art navigational and safety equipment for the comfort and safety of its passengers. There is regular cruise to the Dodi Island departing the Akosombo Port at 1030 hours on Sunday s returning to the port at approximately 1600 hours with a one-hour sightseeing stopover on the island. The cruise is most popular among Ghanaians and foreign visitors alike with its hot barbecue lunches, a well stocked bar and live band entertainment and dancing aboard. Children aboard are also well taken care of with indoor and video games on the lower deck.
The boat is available for hire for parties, sightseeing cruises, weddings, birthdays and any type of celebrations on all days of the week except on Sundays.
Kalakpa Resource Reserve
From Accra, Kalakpa Resource Reserve can be reached through Juapong on a branch off the main Accra to Ho road. The Ho to Abutia Kloe road through Sokode can access the reserve.
The Resource Reserve with its administrative headquarters at Abutia-Kloe in the Ho district of the Volta Region has an area of about 325km². The reserve is located between the Abutia and Adaklu traditional areas in the typical Guinea Savanna vegetation zone. It has a spectacular combination of forests on the hills found in the middle of the reserve and along drivers and grass on the plains of the reserve. It is one of the few places in the region where indigenous animals associated with the vegetation can still be found. Prior to the establishment of the reserve, the area use to be the sport hunting grounds for expatriates, mainly Italians, Greeks and Germans resident in Accra, Akosombo and Tema.
The reserve abounds with the following animals; Red-river hog, Buffalo, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, Kob, Oribi, Black Duiker, grey duiker and Red flanked duiker. The common monkeys found are Baboon, Patas monkey, green monkey, spot-nosed monkey with Black and White Colobus being present but rare. Other small mammals include rodents like Giant rat, Grasscutter, Crested porcupine and Pangolins. Bird fauna in the reserve is also rich.
Boti Falls
Spectacular, but seasonal, waterfalls in the forest reserve at huhunya. In the immediate vicinity are cascades, at their best in June to August. It is located in the Eastern Region.
The Big Tree
This is near Akim-Oda in the Eastern Region, and is supposed to be the largest tree in West Africa, measuring 128m with a girth of about 11 metres.
The Great Boabab Tree (Adansonia Digitata)
This peculiar baobab tree is another attraction in the Dodowa Forest in the Eastern Region. It served a very interesting purpose during the war. The Shai warriors were said to have fired their last bullets into this tree to declare the Kantamanso War over on 26th August, 1826.
It was alleged that bullets used consisted of beads, beans, millet rice, salt, black potions and talismans on locally prepared gunpowder/ the big tree displays the “bumps” or “hunches” as “wounds” caused by the bullets till this day. i.e. 177 years ago. This giant baobab is situated just north of the entrance to the great Dodowa Forest.
The Tsenku Waterfall
The Tsenku Waterfall sits at the northern corner of the Dodowa Forest in the Eastern Region, taking its source from Obosmase (Akwapim ranges). This beautiful waterfall drops from a height of over 250 feet, running on stratified rocks into a pan of cool, clean and clear pool with thousands of tilapia.
The Tsenku stream is joined by two other streams “Sanyade” and Popotsi” before meandering into the sea.
Wli Waterfalls
It is the highest waterfalls in the Ghana and in the whole of West Africa. The more noise people make while at the falls place the more it falls. It is located in Wli, a small village near Hohoe in the Volta Region of Ghana.