discover ghana

1. Legon Botanical Garden: It is located inside the University of Ghana Campus, Legon. The garden, until the coming on board of the new investors, PineSprings and Avatarz (Local and foreign respectively) only served as a habitat for some flora and fauna species It had also served as event centres for some recreational activities.
Activities at Legon Botanical Gardens are designed for all persons irrespective of your age. There are lessons, fun and experience for all. From play centres, children’s park, high ropes course structures as well as a canopy walkway, there are so many fun activities that one can get involved in.

2. Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum: Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, also known as the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park (KNMP) is the last resting place of the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It is dedicated to him for his outstanding campaign to liberate Ghana (by then Gold Coast) from colonial rule in 6th March,1957. It has a total surface area of approximately 5.3 acres. The mausoleum provides a front for the statue of Nkrumah whereas the museum is subterranean and does not compete with the mausoleum for attention. Rhythm, contrast and harmony were the main principles of design used in this building.
The Museum houses the personal effects and publications of Ghana’s first president and pictures showing his life history. Some of these pictures of Dr. Nkrumah with some of the most famous people of his time is an eye opener.
Wander through the photos, and you will be stunned at how many of the 20th century’s most iconic people pictured shaking hands with the founder of modern Ghana. He is pictured with famous people like Jawarharlal Nehru, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Nikita Khrushchev, John F Kennedy of U.S.A, Sir Alec Hume, Queen Elizabeth II of England, Harold Macmillan, Pope Pius XII, President Nasser of Egypt, and countless leaders of countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Niger not forgetting Nigeria and many others.

3. Osu Castle: The Osu Castle formerly known as Christianborg was built in 1659 and named after King Christian V of Denmark. Throughout its history, the Castle changed hands among foreign competitors several times until the early 1920s. It became the seat of Government when the colonial administration was moved from Cape Coast Castle in 1877.
The seat of Government is now at the Presidential Palace at Flagstaff House and the Osu Castle is now being re-designated as a tourist site

4. Fredriksgave Plantation: Frederiksgave (Frederik’s gift) Plantation is “A historical exhibition and cultural centre covering a chapter in the history of Ghana’s and Denmark’s common past and cultural heritage.” In the beginning Frederiksgave served as a typical colonial plantation, which experimented with various crops like coffee, sugar, tobacco and wine, but the as the gains were poor, the plantation became a health resort for ill Danish public servants from Christiansborg Castle. In 1850, when the British bought the Danish Gold Coast, the buildings were abandoned.
From then on, the site was surrounded by mystery and taboos by the locals due to tradition saying that slaves had been kept in dungeons in the main building. The building decayed both because of ordinary dilapidation, the tropic climate, and the fact that stones from the building were removed for building houses in the village of Sesemi nearby.
Danish and Ghanaian scientist sounded the alarm. In 2005 specialists from both countries together with local villagers began excavating the overgrown site. Deep in the soil they found the foundation of the main building as well as remnants like letters, pottery, glass and clay pipes from the Danes’ time at Frederiksgave. These items are now exhibited in the main building.
On the basis of these few remnants Frederiksgave was rebuilt and is now a museum as well as a bracing green spot with beautiful views of the stretched land into Accra.

1. Lake Bosomtwi: Lake Bosumtwi is the only natural lake in the Ashanti Region and Ghana. It is situated within an ancient impact crater that is about 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) in diameter. It is about 30 km south-east of Kumasi the capital of Ashanti and is a popular recreational area.
The Ashanti consider Bosumtwi a sacred lake. According to traditional belief, the souls of the dead come here to bid farewell to the god Asase Ya. Because of this, it is considered permissible to fish in the lake only from wooden planks.

2. Manhyia Palace Museum: Museum featuring exhibits on Asante history & culture in a 2-story British palace built in 1925. The Museum was officially opened on August 12, 1995 by Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the 15th King of Asante, as part of activities marking the Silver Jubilee of his accession to Asikadwa (the Gold Stool). The Museum is a two-storey building with open verandas as a yard. A small outhouse was added in 1995 for use as the Museum Shop.
Visitors to the Museum will be able to view video-presentations explaining Asante history and the richness of its culture, as well as splendid examples of the gold-work for which the Asante are world famous.

3. Kumasi Zoo: Opened in 1957, this 370-acre zoo features dozens of animal species native to Ghana. The Zoo is located in the heart of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The zoo occupies a 1.5-square-kilometre (370-acre) area between the Kejetia Bus Terminal, the old race course and the Kumasi Centre for National Culture. It has about 40 different species of animals, with individual animals numbering over 135. A notable feature is the thousands of bats that rest on trees in the zoo.

1. Cape Coast Castle: is one of about forty “slave castles”, or large commercial forts, built on the Gold Coast of West Africa (now Ghana) by European traders. It was originally built by the Swedes for trade in timber and gold, but later used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It was used to hold slaves before they were loaded onto ships and sold in the Americas, especially the Caribbean. The “gate of no return” was the last stop before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

2. Elmina Castle: Elmina Castle was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine) Castle, also known simply as Mina or Feitoria da Mina) in present-day Elmina, Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast). It was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, so is the oldest European building in existence south of the Sahara. First established as a trade settlement, the castle later became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade. The Dutch seized the fort from the Portuguese in 1637, and took over all the Portuguese Gold Coast in 1642.
Britain granted the Gold Coast its independence in 1957, and control of the castle was transferred to the nation formed out of the colony, present-day Ghana. Today Elmina Castle is a popular historical site, and was a major filming location for Werner Herzog’s 1987 drama film Cobra Verde. The castle is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

3. Kakum National Park: Kakum National Park, located in the coastal environs of the Central Region of Ghana, covers an area of 375 square kilometres (145 sq mi). Established in 1931 as a reserve, it was gazetted as a national park only in 1992 after an initial survey of avifauna was conducted. The area is covered with tropical forest. The uniqueness of this park lies in the fact that it was established at the initiative of the local people and not by the State Department of wildlife who are responsible for wildlife preservation in Ghana. It is one of only 3 locations in Africa with a canopy walkway, which is 350 metres (1,150 ft) long and connects seven tree tops which provides access to the forest. 

The most notable endangered species of fauna in the park are Diana monkey, giant bongo antelope, yellow-backed duiker and African elephant. It is also an important bird area recognized by the Bird Life International with the bird area fully overlapping the park area. The bird inventory confirmed 266 species in the park, including 8 species of global conservation concern. One of these species of concern is the white-breasted guineafowl. Nine species of hornbill and the grey parrot have been recorded. It is very rich in butterflies as well, and a new species was discovered in 1993. As of 2012, the densest population of forest elephants in Ghana is located in Kakum.

4. Donkor Nsuo (The Slave River): Donko Nsuo in Assin Manso is located in the Central Region where the slaves were being kept. It is less than hundred kilometres from where the slave ships were docked at Cape Coast and Elimina, the captives were encamped for their last bath with African water, in a river known as “Donkor Nsuo”, Slave River.

1. Akosombo Dam: The Akosombo Dam, also known as the Volta Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority. The construction of the dam flooded part of the Volta River Basin and led to the subsequent creation of Lake Volta.
The primary purpose of the Akosombo Dam was to provide electricity for the aluminium industry. The Akosombo Dam was called “the largest single investment in the economic development plans of Ghana. Its original electrical output was 912 megawatts (1,223,000 hp), which was upgraded to 1,020 megawatts (1,370,000 hp) in a retrofit project that was completed in 2006.

2. Aburi Botanical Garden: Aburi Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden in Aburi in Eastern region of South Ghana. It was opened in March, 1890. The garden covers a total land area of about one hundred and sixty (160) acres. However it is only three (3) acres that have been developed and the remaining serving as a botanical reserve.
On a visit to the garden, the first thing that graces you is the beautifully lined royal palm trees (roystonea regia) on both sides of the road leading to the car park. These palm trees cannot be said to be part of the original plants that were cultivated but look very old. You do not have to worry about authenticity because there are some original species of plant that can still be found there; the silk cotton tree (ceiba pentrandra) is an example. This tree is said to be the only survivor of the original forest that once covered the Aburi Hills.

3. Boti Falls: Boti falls is a twin waterfall located at Boti in Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region of Ghana. These twin falls are referred to as female and male. It is located 17km North-east of Koforidua, which is the eastern regional capital. It is just over 30 minutes drive from Koforidua and over 90 minutes from Accra depending on the means of transportation.

4. Atewa Range: The Atewa Range (also called the Atiwa-Atwaredu ranges) is in the Akyem Abuakwa region of southeastern Ghana, near the town of Kibi, and south-west of the Kwahu Plateau which forms the south-west boundary of Lake Volta. The range runs roughly north-south, consisting of steep-sided hills with fairly flat summits. It is the last remains of the Cenozoic peneplain that once covered southern Ghana, and contains ancient bauxitic soils. The range is the site of an important forest reserve, and the source of three major rivers.

1. Nzulezo: The village of Nzulezo is located near the village of Beyin, roughly 90 kilometers west of Takoradi, in the Jomoro District of the Western Region of Ghana. Nzulezo overlooks the Lake Tadane, and is entirely made up of stilts and platforms.
In 2000, it was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is a major tourist attraction area.
2. Bia National Park: Bia National Park is a national park in the Western Region of Ghana. It is also a biosphere reserve with a 563 square kilometer resource reserve. It has some of Ghana’s last remnants of relatively untouched forest complete with its full diversity of wildlife. Some of the tallest trees left in West Africa are found in this national park.

3. Fort Metal Cross: The British colonial fortification, Fort Metal Cross (originally Dixcove Fort) is located on a promontory near the fishing village of Infuma, in Dixcove (Dick’s Cove) in the Western Region of Ghana. The cove’s quiet waters are suitable for small boats and canoes; large ships anchor approximately 2 kilometres offshore. The Fort was included as one of the Forts and Castles of Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions that became a World Heritage Site in 1979.

4. Fort Bateinstein: Fort Batenstein was a fort and trading post established by the Dutch on the Gold Coast in 1656. It was situated near Butre. The fort was ceded with the entire Dutch Gold Coast to Britain in 1872. At this fort, the Treaty of Butre was signed on 27 August 1656 between the Dutch and the Ahanta. The village and Fort is located in a sheltered bay amidst the forests of Ahantaland, east of Cape Three Points.

5. Nini Suhien National Park: The Nini-Suhien National Park is found in Ghana. It was established in 1976. This site is 160 square kilometres in size. Along with the Ankasa Resource Reserve. The national park is part of the 500-square-kilometre Ankasa Conservation Area.

6. Fort St Anthony: Fort Saint Anthony was a fort built by the Portuguese in 1515 near the town of Axim in what is now Ghana. In 1642, the Dutch captured the fort and subsequently made it part of the Dutch Gold Coast. The Dutch expanded the fort considerably before they turned it over, with the rest of their colony, to the British in 1872. The fort is now the property of the Ghanaian state and is open to the public.

1. Mole National Park: Mole National Park protects an area of savannah and forest in northern Ghana. It’s home to elephants, leopards and rare birds such as the white-backed vulture. In the western part of the park, the Konkori Escarpment has panoramic views and overlooks waterholes where animals drink. There are waterfalls along the Kparia and Polzen rivers. To the south, Larabanga village has a centuries-old, Sudanese-style mosque. This area of Ghana receives over 1000 mm per year of rainfall. A long-term study has been done on Mole National Park to understand the impact of human hunters on the animals in the preserve.

2. Larabanga Mosque: The Larabanga Mosque is a mosque, built in the Sudanese architectural style in the village of Larabanga, Ghana. It is the oldest mosque in the country and one of the oldest in West Africa, and has been referred to as the “Mecca of West Africa”.

3. Lake Volta: is the largest reservoir, man-made lake, in terms of surface area contained behind the Akosombo Dam. It is completely within the country of Ghana and has a surface area of 8,502 square kilometres (3,283 sq mi) which is 3.6% of Ghana’s land area. Stretching from Akosombo in the south to the northern part of the country, it is one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the world.

4. Mystic Stone: During the British times, in Ghana there was a road that was laid near the Larabanga Mosque, a stone was removed during the process to make way for the road. The next day, the stone was found again on the same place it was displaced from. The stone was again removed from the way and the same thing happened the next day. Later, the officials decided to build the road around the stone and it became the mystic stone.

5. Bui National Park: It was established in 1971. This site is 1820 km². The reserve is notable for its Hippopotamus population in the Black Volta. The endangered black and white colobus monkey and a variety of antelopes and birds are also present. Part of the park will be inundated by the reservoir of the Bui Dam, which has been under construction since 2009.

1. Paga Crocodile: is a sacred pond in Paga in the Upper East Region of Ghana, which is inhabited by West African crocodiles. Due to the friendliness of the reptiles, it has become popular among tourists and the pond is now reliant on tourism to ensure the population of crocodiles remain fed and healthy.

1. Digya National Park: Digya National Park is the second largest national park and the oldest protected area in Ghana. It is located in the Brong-Ahafo Region and is bordered on the north, south, and east by Lake Volta. Located on a lowland peninsular, it has an undulating terrain. It is located in a transitional area between a forest and savanna. It was created in 1900 and given national park status in 1971. The park is the only wildlife territory in Ghana to have Lake Volta at its borders occupying an area of 3,743 square kilometers.

2. Kintampo Water Falls: Kintampo waterfalls is one of the highest waterfalls in Ghana. Also known as Sanders Falls during the colonial days, it is located on the Pumpum river, a tributary of the Black Volta, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of Kintampo municipality, on the Kumasi–Tamale road. This waterfall, one of the main natural attractions in the area, is hidden in the forest and it is formed by 3 main drops where the longest drop measures 25 metres (82 ft) in height, and, after a number of steps and cascades, the river falls about 70 metres (230 ft).

3. Fuller Falls: The hills surrounding Kintampo run from north to south and form a transitional zone between the northern landscapes and the adjacent forested regions that extend into the mountains. Of particular interest is Fuller Falls, located some 7km west of Kintampo. It falls gently over a series of cascades along the river Oyoko at Yabraso. It provides a scenic beauty at the site of the falls as it continues its journey towards the Black Volta River. The surroundings of the Fuller Falls provides for the visitor a wonderful peaceful scenery and a refreshing pool to take a dip and a place to just relax quietly

1. Mount 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.
If you are able to make it to the top of the mountain, you can inscribe your name on the rocks there as others have done to record your achievement.

2. Fort Prinzestein: Prinzenstein (stone of the Prince) was erected in 1784 by the Danes and is one of the most spectacular relics of colonialism in Keta which was used in the slave trade. Many such forts were built in Africa, but Prinzenstein is one of the few that lie east of the Volta River. It was initially built by Danish traders for defensive purposes in a war against the Anlo and to keep the area safe from other colonial powers. In the colonial era, the fort served as a prison, a role it continued to serve until it was damaged by waves during a storm in 1980.
The fort served as a transit point for slaves from Accra, Northern Volta, Togo and Dahomey in Benin. They were marched from their villages and taken to the slaves markets in Keta and Atorkor, where you can see a memorial of the slave trade.

3. Volta Regional Musuem:ting museum with exhibits showing important aspects of the history of the Volta Region. Definitely worth a visit to learn and understand the local culture and traditions.

4. Dodi: Dodi island is an island in Ghana, located 5 kilometres off the shore of Lake Volta. It is a tourist destination and a land place for the cruise ship, Dodi Princess.

5. Wli Waterfalls: It is the highest water fall in West Africa. The falls is known locally as Agumatsa waterfalls – meaning, “Allow Me to Flow.” It is located in the Hohoe municipality of the Volta Region, the land of the Ewe culture. It is approximately 280 kilometers from the capital Accra.