Volta Basin
Volta Basin
Volta Basin is a region of Ghana dominated by Lake Volta, the world's largest man-made lake.
Cities
- Ho
- Savelugu — one of the ancient towns of the Dagbon kingdom
- Tafi Atome — home of Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, where you can feed monkeys bananas. The friendly staff can lead to into the forest any time of day to interact with some of the over 300 Mona Monkeys living nearby.
- Tamale —
- Wli Todzi — 400 years ago, Wli Todzi's founders climbed to the peak of Agumatsa Mountain to settle, attracted by the fertility of the land and its abundance of plentiful game, clean water, and natural beauty.
- Yapei —
- Yendi — the seat of the King of the Dagombas kingdom
Other destinations
Understand
Of Ghana's ten administrative regions, Volta has the most tourism potential but only an estimated 5% of visitors to Ghana go there. This combined with the lush vegetation, mountains, and coastal plain makes it a great spot for active independent travelers. The cities are cleaner and traffic is nonexistent compared to the streets of Accra and Kumasi. Volta's attractions revolve around community-based ecotourism such as waterfalls, monkey sanctuaries, nature reserves and kente villages (such as Kpetoe).
Talk
Most people of the Volta region speak Ewe.
Get in
There is a daily flight from Accra to Tamale (~US$90).
Organized tours from Accra or other major destinations can be a convenient and popular way to include some of the Volta Basin highlights in a trip. For independent travellers (and for locals) however, tro-tros (minibuses) cover all main destinations and chartered private cars are affordable and readily available. Although the road network still comes with challenges, roads connecting the towns and communities are being improved and expanded.
Get around
See
- Adaklu Mountain. The Adaklu Mountain Eco-tourism Committee (AMEC) is a community-based organization that offers a genuine cultural experience that travelers are unlikely to find elsewhere. Hike to the top of beautiful Adaklu Mountain, observe and participate in the everyday life of the people from palm wine tapping to Kente weaving to bee keeping (the best honey in West Africa!) Visit and learn a few phrases in Ewe and help support local development efforts for an experience that is beneficial for you and the communities. Homestays, meals, guided mountain tours, drumming performances and more are all available. Any money made from tourist activities are reinvested into the preservation of the mountain and community development. Take a tro-tro from the Adaklu station in Ho or from the market on market days. The welcome center is located in Helekpe, where you will meet Dela Richmond, a great English speaker who is also the chairman of AMEC. Slow down and spend the night in the village.
- Wli Falls. The tallest falls in West Africa. A 45-minute hike from the nearest village takes you to see a view of the upper falls and to the pool at the base of the falls. The falls are located about 20 km from Hohoe and are within the Wli Nature Reserve. The small entrance fee is worth the view! You can hike up to the upper falls for a small tip or "dash".
- Cedi Bead Factory: Mr. Cedi will show you his secrets of handmade glass and stone beads. Beads are available for sale for very reasonable prices at the factory and in the annex along the main road to Akasombo.
- Mount Afadzato (Mount Afadja). The tallest mountain in Ghana
- The Lake Volta Dam at Akosombo. The dam powers all of Ghana and most of Ghana's neighbours and created the largest man-made lake in West Africa.
Do
You can move about on the River Volta by sitting in a boat or canon with life jacket.
Eat
A sweet popsicle-like treat, bisap is made from the hissop flower and is a delicious cool-off.
Local foods are also around such as "Apkle with ademe" soup.
Drink
Mineral drinks are sold there such as malt, Coca Cola and Fanta. African drinks such as palm wine are also sold there.
Stay safe
There are houses and hotels around there where you can spend the night there with safe security who guide the hotels.
Go next
Related Wikipedia article: Geography of Ghana#Volta Basin