Highlands & Forests Near Accra
Close to Accra are a number of highland sites and forest that are beautiful to visit and cool in climate due to the altitude or thick forest.
Aburi Botanical Garden
Aburi Botanical Garden was officially opened in March 1890 and is one of the most beautiful, peaceful and fascinating places in Ghana. Covering 64.8 hectares and overlooking the Accra coastal plain from an elevation of 370 to 460 metres, the Aburi Botanical Garden is a must experience for every Ghanaian as well as visitors to Ghana. Butterfly and bird lovers would love Aburi Gardens for the presence of many species. Another delight of Aburi Botanical Garden is the blossoming mixture of indigenous and exotic trees. Various hikes are possible as well as bike rentals.
Cocoa Farms
Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa in the world and you will see cocoa trees everywhere. Quite near to Aburi is the first cocoa farm that was established in Ghana. The seeds for the original cocoa trees here are believed to have been brought to Ghana in 1879 by Tetteh Quarshie, a blacksmith with a hobby of farming.
Today this is more of a show farm that is designed to tell the history of cocoa in Ghana. If you wish to visit a working cocoa plantation you can visit a cocoa farming village of Adjeikrom or the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana at Tafo, both along the Koforidua-Kumasi road.
Akropong
This is a small picturesque village nestled in the highlands of the Akuapem Hills , north of Aburi. The central square, chief's palace and scenic village streets welcome you for a relaxed visit at a location that is not on the tourist circuit. One of our favorite activities for groups is to be hosted for a ceremonial blessing, drumming, dancing and a private durbar of chiefs by the village chief and entourage.
Dodowa
The enchanted Dodowa forest is the battle-field of the Kantamanso war which ended in 1826. The defeat of the Great Ashanti Warriors on the 7th of August 1826 marked the end of Ashanti domination of the then Gold Coast. The giant Baobab tree at the edge of town is where the ceremony was held to mark the end of conflict.
The attractive Tsenku Falls is located in the Dodowa forest, while the Shai Hills wildlife reserve is nearby.
Atewa Forest Reserve
Located near Kibi on the way towards Kumasi, the Atewa Range Forest Reserve is part of an ecosystem known as the Upper Guinea Forest. The Atewa Range is only one of two such upland evergreen forests that remains in Ghana and is recognized as a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area. This area has an amazing number of butterflies, including the "Papillio Antimactus", one of the largest butterflies in Africa. One of the most beautiful forests you will ever see, but it cannot be accessed during the rainy season.
Bunso Eco Park
Another beautiful forest is at the family-friendly Bunso Eco Park, which has been developed into an activity location with swimming, zipline, horseback riding, a small canopy walkway, and a cocoa farm. Set on a hillside, there are numerous trails among fruit trees, timber trees and crop plants where birds and butterflies can be seen in abundance.
Kwahu Plateau
The Kwahu Plateau parallels the Accra-Kumasi road from Bunso to Nkawkaw, where scenic diversions can be taken off the main road at either end of the plateau.
At the south end of the plateau is Adjeikrom, where a cocoa farm can be visited, and the village of Begoro, higher up the plateau and home to the seasonal Begoro Falls.
At the north end of the plateau is the busy town of Nkawkaw, which is full of old colonial buildings. The plateau road from Nkawkaw is an extraordinarily beautiful drive, passing highland villages with old colonial buildings, and Kwahu Tafo, home of waterfalls and the Buruku Rock Pillar Shrine, which suspiciously looks like the Eye of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings, and has a similar mythology.
For a true adventure, you can circle the plateau, moving from Begoro to Kwahu Tafo on the remote backside of the Kwahu Plateau which would follow the western coast of Volta Lake for a short way.