The Coastal Forts

Ghana's role as a focus of the gold, ivory, and slave trade resulted in the construction of an entire string of colonial forts along its coastline, and many remain as picturesque legacies of that era. The forts at Dixcove, Elmina, Cape Cove, and Apam are all open to tourists, and some even offer accommodation and meals. While the forts are reason enough to tour the coast, the area's outstanding beaches are an equally compelling attraction.

Mole National Park

M ole National Park, which extends over 500 sq. km., is a fairly basic but eminently inexpensive destination for wildlife enthusiasts. The game population is abundant, and includes elephants, various species of antelope, an abundant and diverse bird population, monkeys and crocodiles, and even a small number of lions. Unlike many other wildlife reserves in Africa, Mole offers visitors the opportunity to drive or walk throughout the park at very reasonable costs. The only place to stay is the park hotel, which offers excellent views out over the surrounding parkland.

Dixcove & Bosua
The colourful communities of Dixcove and Bosua have been 'in' spots for beach lovers and budget travelers for years. Bosua is tiny, with only one hotel and no restaurant, but a 25 minute walk west brings you to Dixcove, with a vibrant port and a renovated fort. Swimmers prefer Bosua, with its long white-sand beach, while surfers enjoy some of the coast's best waves on the beaches of Dixcove. Fort Metal Cross (1691) is another fortress-turned-slave storage barn, which - while not as haunting as some others - has its fair share of horror stories to pass on.
The two towns are widely renowned for their lobsters, and you can find out why down by the waterfront and at the local markets. Local villagers are your best bet for finding a meal - especially cooked lobster - usually at a very reasonable cost. Dixcove, the southernmost town in Ghana, is about 200km (125mi) west of Accra and can be reached by a combination of tro-tro or taxi and walking or hitching.

Aburi Botanical Gardens
The century-old botanical gardens, situated on the Aburi mountains, about an hours drive from Accra offers a rich collection of tropical flora and fauna which attracts a collection of birds and butterflies not found in the rest of the country. Just beyond the town of Aburi, the Aburi Botanical Gardens provide a welcome getaway from the bustle of Accra. The gardens are well maintained and teem with a variety of exotic plant life from around the world. Two tall and well-named 'monkey pot' trees from Brazil are supposedly able to trap our tree-swinging ancestors - not that Aburi has too many wild monkeys to worry about. The oldest tree is an approximately 150-year-old kapok facing the park's beautiful headquarters building. It's the only one the British didn't cut down when they were planting the gardens, which opened in 1890. The gardens are perched on a ridge 32km (20miles) north of Accra. Tro-tro are available from Tema Station in Accra, and there are several places to stay and eat in nearby Aburi.

In the Yilo Krobo district of the Eastern region, about 20km from Koforidua, the falls are very popular. Visiting the falls at the right time is essential since its source tends to dry up between November and April. Most organizations and clubs take excursions to the falls, attracted by the sheer size of the falls and the wild natural environment. There are however no catering facilities and visitors should pack some food for the trip.

Located at the north-east border is the Paga Crocodile Pond which is a sacred sanctuary for crocodiles. The reptiles are enticed from the water by the custodians using live chicken. These scenarios make a lovely set of pictures to have and to own.

Kakum National Park

Kakum National Park is an island of tropical rainforest in a sea of agricultural lands — an isolated fragment of what was once a continuous belt of rainforest extending from Guinea through Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d'Ivoire to Ghana. Degraded by mining, farming, and settlement, and combed by hunters and timber extractors, Kakum now covers less than 140 square miles, but it provides one of the last remaining habitats for six globally-endangered species, including Diana monkeys, bongos, yellow-backed duikers, and forest elephants.

Kakum also boasts of Africa's only canopy walkway, which is suspended 100 feet above the ground, offering you what is truly a bird's eye view of the rainforest. At this height, you don't have to be an expert to identify the colorful patterns of tropical birds as they glide through the forest below you.