Seven underrated Ghanaian weekend destinations
Beyond Kakum and Cape Coast, a new generation of travellers is discovering the quieter, wilder, stranger side of Ghana’s tourism landscape.
The crowds at Kakum National Park canopy walkway and the Cape Coast slave dungeons are testimony to Ghana’s growing domestic tourism culture. But beyond these landmarks lies a quieter, wilder, stranger Ghana that rewards the traveller willing to stray from the main road.nn**Tafi Atome, Volta Region** — A small village in a forest reserve where the local community has lived alongside a troupe of mona monkeys for generations, treating them as sacred. The monkeys are entirely habituated to humans and will eat from your hand. Accommodation is homestay-style and profits go directly to the community forest fund.nn**Buem Forest Reserve, Oti Region** — One of Ghana’s least-visited conservation areas, where a network of trails crosses through a landscape that shifts between dry woodland and riverine forest. Early morning walks can yield hornbills, baboons and, with luck, the forest buffalo.nn**Larabanga, Savannah Region** — Home to the Larabanga Mosque, one of the oldest and best-preserved examples of Sudano-Sahelian architecture in West Africa. The village itself is a living document of northern Ghanaian Islamic heritage.nn**Wli Waterfalls upper section, Volta Region** — Most visitors see only the lower falls. The two-hour hike to the upper falls, the highest waterfall in West Africa, passes through forest full of fruit bats and delivers a reward entirely disproportionate to the effort.nn**Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Bono Region** — Another community-protected area where colobus and diana monkeys live alongside villagers under a centuries-old protection agreement. Far less visited than Tafi Atome and twice as wild.nn**Nkoranza, Bono East Region** — Famous for its giant wooden sculptures and the Nkoranza Cultural Festival, the town offers an authentic slice of Brong-Ahafo life that tourism has not yet reshaped.nn**Bui National Park, Bono East** — A Black Volta riverine park where hippo pods are almost guaranteed at dawn. The national park accommodation is basic but recently renovated.
