K A K U M C A N O P Y W A L K W A Y
Upper Guinean Forest
Conservation
Through Tourism
Ghana's forests are rich in both biological
diversity and cultural history and tradition. The Upper Guinean
rainforest-one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the
African continent-runs through Ghana, and is the source of and
inspiration for local beliefs and traditions.
However, this
rainforest is disappearing at an alarming rate. Agricultural
expansion, growing settlements and timber extraction have already
claimed 80 to 90 percent of the forest's original extent. The small,
scattered pockets of rainforest that survive in Ghana are testament
to this rapid degradation. Valuable from global and local
perspectives, the forest is a crucial conservation priority.
To combat the loss of rainforest, CI and its partners designed and built the Kakum canopy walkway in Kakum National Park. Offering a unique and spectacular way to experience the rainforest, the walkway was opened for the enjoyment and use of visitors and scientists, as well as a source of revenue for conservation activities.
Through heightened public awareness about the benefits of the park, enhanced visitation and increased jobs and revenue in the surrounding community, the walkway has helped to preserve this endangered rainforest ecosystem.
Location and
Access
Several airlines fly routes from the U.S., Europe and
Asia to Accra, Ghana. The trip from Accra to Kakum takes
approximately three hours along a paved road through Cape Coast.
Visitors can arrange the drive with a local tour operator in Accra,
or rent their own vehicle.
Activities
- Canopy
Walkway
The award-winning Kakum canopy walkway, unique in Africa, leads visitors through the treetops of Ghana's Kakum National Park, offering a spectacular, unmatched view of the rainforest ecosystem.
The suspended walkway is composed of 1,000 feet of swinging bridge and six tree trunk-perched platforms, which reach heights of 100 meters. The walkway was carefully designed to depend upon trees for support; no nails or bolts were used. Instead, steel cables were carefully wrapped around trunks to provide the necessary stabilization.
Kakum received the Conde Naste Ecotourism Award and the British Airways' Tourism for Tomorrow Award in 1998. The walkway has received Ghana's Tourism Attraction of the Year award consistently.
- Bird and
Wildlife Watching
More than 250 bird species can be observed in Kakum, as well as over 500 species of butterflies. Tourists may also catch a glimpse of animals such as the rare Diana monkey, bongos, yellow-backed duiker, and many more.
- Afafranto
Campsite
Located 200 meters from the Kakum Visitor Center, the 'Afranto' (butterflies) campsite is ideally positioned to give you early access to the walkway. The campsite can accommodate 12 adults or 16 children-an excellent option for adventurers-and is equipped with two biological toilets, two shower facilities and six raised and roofed sleeping platforms. Visitors must bring their own tents, mosquito nets and sleeping bags.
- Bamboo
Orchestra
The Kukyekukyeku Bamboo Orchestra from Mesomagor-features on BBC and in Conde Naste Traveler-uses bamboo instruments to produce a melody of sounds and traditional dances. They perform indigenous dances every Saturday from July through October, and every other Saturday November through June.
- Tree
Platform
Visitors enter Kakum National Park through the village of Mesomagor, experiencing the typical Ghanaian rural life. Eat local Ghanaian dishes, see the distillery of local gin, visit cocoa farms, listen to 'Ananse' (the spider) stories at night, and dance to the songs of the Bamboo Orchestra. Stays can be organized with park management.
- Kuntan
Trail
You can learn the secrets of the forest. With an experienced guide, you can learn about the various medicinal and practical uses of the forest plant species while hiking along the Kuntan trail. This tour of nature's pharmacy also passes through some beautiful areas of the rainforest and occasionally you may run into a troop of Cambell's Monkeys or a pair of duikers.
- The Kakum
Rainforest Café
The Kakum Rainforest Café's mission is to encourage the Park's conservation efforts by supporting local farmers while providing an atmospheric location for you to enjoy a fine meal. The delicious international and Ghanaian dishes like Red Red, fufu, banku are prepared at the highest standard with fresh local produce and it is tremendous success with visitors.
Benefits
By charging admission for tourists to
experience the splendor of the walkway, the local people have found
an alternative to negatively exploiting their resources.
In addition, as a unique way to experience the rainforest, the walkway has greatly increased the number of national and international tourists visiting the park. In 1992, fewer than 2,000 people visited the park. In 1999, visitation increased to 70,000 annually. This increased visitation brought new jobs and revenues benefiting efforts to preserve the endangered rainforest ecosystem.
Facilities
The Visitor Center opened to the public
on Earth Day 1997. It houses the world-class exhibition "Hidden
Connections," which focuses on the biological connections that take
place within a rainforest ecosystem and highlights the cultural
connections that the indigenous Akan people of southern Ghana hold
with the natural world.
The innovative stone and timber design of the Center, together with its incorporation of local materials, crafts and labor, has made it a model for other protected-area facilities, has made the facility itself part of the attraction.
Visitors to the park are provided a wide range of accommodations to choose from in nearby towns. A luxury, international class hotel is located 45 minutes from the walkway in Elmina, with rooms in the range of $60 per night. In Cape Coast, only 20 minutes from the walkway, a number of hotels and lodges offer rooms at a cost of up to $30 per night.
Cobra Verde Ghana Tragvel, Im Wrockmoor 25, D-27726 Worpswede- Germany
Tel: 04792 - 952124, Fax: 04792 -952125, E-mail: kontakt@cobra-verde.de