The village of Nzulezo in the Western Region of Ghana, is one of the country's best known tourist attractions primarily because the entire village--church, bars, schools and homes--is on stilts. Add to this the fact that we had to first slosh in through muddy, warm, standing water to get to the canoes that we then had to paddle (our four not-so-enthusiastic children in tow!) in to the village for about forty minutes, and you've got a recipe for family fun and lasting memories. To be fair, given the infinite number of things that could have gone horribly wrong, this little excursion went off pretty smoothly.
We embarked for the launch point from the Ankasa Wetlands wildlife office (conveniently located next to Beyin Beach Resort where you should go for lunch and stay!) and as it was the dry season, we had to drive in a ways to get to the canal that opens onto the lake where the village is. After some good, old-fashioned mud-bogging (my Lundar brother would have been proud) and a few tests of the credibility of the guides who were urging me on, we arrived at what would have looked like a boat launch, had there been any boats! You can imagine Carmilla's delight (having read in several places about the horrors of standing water in Africa) when we were told that we had to wade to the boats. Of course in true Ghanaian-style, this little tidbit was reserved for this moment, rather than for the moment before we paid! We spent a moment gazing at one another thoughtfully (and lovingly, I'm sure) before we took a collective deep breath and hit the water.
To save you some cheap suspense, no one fell in. In fact, the canoe ride through the forest and then out across the lake was tranquil, stunning, and pristine. There were a few children fishing along the shores and the children took turns paddling as we approached the village. The climb up into the village was a bit precarious and I'm never sure they had my particular physical build in mind as they assembled the ladders and walkways, but we spent some time walking down Main Street in the village on stilts. Children followed us around and we met the Chief's representative so we could sign in and we made a small donation to the school fund.
I have read and heard of several people who count this as a singularly memorable experience and it is to some extent if for nothing other than its uniqueness, but for all intents and purposes it is just another village once you get past the stilts. Unlike some of the eco-village tours, there aren't really any demonstrations, and much of the history of the village has been lost. While there is some agreement about the inhabitants being displaced from another country, no one is exactly sure how or why the village came to be on stilts. When we were there, it was mostly only above ground, but during the rainy season, it is essentially surrounded by water.
I have to say that I also felt even more like an intruder than I usually do, and I couldn't say there was a feeling of welcome (though Finn's always received like a rock star wherever we go!). I suspect that the village has been told that they must do this, and I'm sure it brings some money into the village, but there is nowhere to escape the prying eyes of tourism, and I'm sure it is a relatively constant irritant. If we hadn't been enjoying ourselves so thoroughly at Axim, and if we hadn't been able to do this as a fairly reasonable day trip from our home base at LouMoon, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to recommend it. That said, if you plan to be in the area, it is worth a look (and a little paddling/wading).
The village of Nzulezo in the Western Region of Ghana, is one of the country's best known tourist attractions primarily because the entire village--church, bars, schools and homes--is on stilts. Add to this the fact that we had to first slosh in through muddy, warm, standing water to get to the canoes that we then had to paddle (our four not-so-enthusiastic children in tow!) in to the village for about forty minutes, and you've got a recipe for family fun and lasting memories. To be fair, given the infinite number of things that could have gone horribly wrong, this little excursion went off pretty smoothly.
We embarked for the launch point from the Ankasa Wetlands wildlife office (conveniently located next to Beyin Beach Resort where you should go for lunch and stay!) and as it was the dry season, we had to drive in a ways to get to the canal that opens onto the lake where the village is. After some good, old-fashioned mud-bogging (my Lundar brother would have been proud) and a few tests of the credibility of the guides who were urging me on, we arrived at what would have looked like a boat launch, had there been any boats! You can imagine Carmilla's delight (having read in several places about the horrors of standing water in Africa) when we were told that we had to wade to the boats. Of course in true Ghanaian-style, this little tidbit was reserved for this moment, rather than for the moment before we paid! We spent a moment gazing at one another thoughtfully (and lovingly, I'm sure) before we took a collective deep breath and hit the water.
To save you some cheap suspense, no one fell in. In fact, the canoe ride through the forest and then out across the lake was tranquil, stunning, and pristine. There were a few children fishing along the shores and the children took turns paddling as we approached the village. The climb up into the village was a bit precarious and I'm never sure they had my particular physical build in mind as they assembled the ladders and walkways, but we spent some time walking down Main Street in the village on stilts. Children followed us around and we met the Chief's representative so we could sign in and we made a small donation to the school fund.
I have read and heard of several people who count this as a singularly memorable experience and it is to some extent if for nothing other than its uniqueness, but for all intents and purposes it is just another village once you get past the stilts. Unlike some of the eco-village tours, there aren't really any demonstrations, and much of the history of the village has been lost. While there is some agreement about the inhabitants being displaced from another country, no one is exactly sure how or why the village came to be on stilts. When we were there, it was mostly only above ground, but during the rainy season, it is essentially surrounded by water.
I have to say that I also felt even more like an intruder than I usually do, and I couldn't say there was a feeling of welcome (though Finn's always received like a rock star wherever we go!). I suspect that the village has been told that they must do this, and I'm sure it brings some money into the village, but there is nowhere to escape the prying eyes of tourism, and I'm sure it is a relatively constant irritant. If we hadn't been enjoying ourselves so thoroughly at Axim, and if we hadn't been able to do this as a fairly reasonable day trip from our home base at LouMoon, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to recommend it. That said, if you plan to be in the area, it is worth a look (and a little paddling/wading).
The beach is obviously the main attraction at the resort, and I cannot overstate how many things it has going for it. It is likely the most accessible bit of ocean in Ghana, as there is some sort of sand shelf that serves as a buffer for waves and undertow that drown more than a few people at other beaches every year. The resort is a good distance from the two nearest villages on either side, and both made for good barefoot trek destinations along the shore. The nearest village is also home to Fort Appolonia, another historic slave trade building that is in very good condition, which we were able to tour the inside of. We collected many unique shells, including dozens of sand dollars (we hadn’t found these elsewhere so the kids were especially enthusiastic about these) and the resort has a pretty impressive collection of their own that includes whale vertebrae! While we were too late for the nesting of sea turtles that happens in the area, we still managed to learn quite a lot as it is soon hatching time and the resort is also a dedicated conservation point for the turtles. 
We stayed in one of the two cabana-style, thatched roof chalets, and paid a mere 70 Ghana cedis a night for both of the adjoining rooms in the unit. Each of the rooms had a four poster bed so huge that it comfortably slept our three oldest (no small accomplishment having Cohen and Bronte comfortably co-habitate!). The whole front wall of the room opened up via shuttered doors, to a small, private porch and a long view of the ocean. While our first night was a vomit-filled tribute to parenthood and our second a fanless dedication to the Electricity Company of Ghana, we still managed to survive thanks to ample space, comfortable digs, and generous breezes from the ocean.
As I originally suggested, we went there looking or a good meal some weeks ago when at the nearby stilt village of Nzulezo and were quickly taken with the simple, homey traveller’s retreat that was nestled behind the fence adjacent to tourism office. They had us at "Akwaaba!" and we settled into the open air restaurant for a hearty meal. As we were already booked into LouMoon (a gem in its own right, though in a much higher price bracket), we couldn't stop in longer, but we booked a couple of nights for the next bank holiday weekend. Needless to say, the menu is excellent as we not only managed to feed our gang of six for forty-eight hours, but we also did so with variety and food group representation! It didn't hurt that we all became seriously addicted to fresh-squeezed orange juice made from the locally grown, sinfully sweet fruit. My new adage is "Everything's better with garlic mayo (except my heart and my breath)!" We honestly did not manage to try everything on the menu that we wanted to and this is a tremendous accomplishment for any restaurant in Ghana!
The resort has beach volleyball, a separate playhouse and sandbox for the kids (next to the restaurant), DVD players and movies to rent, a well-stocked lending library, a couple of common areas for conversations, reading or board games (they have several to borrow), and there are also more rustic cottages for backpackers and NGO workers that run considerably less, but still have access to hot showers! If you are traveling in the area, you should stay at Beyin Beach Resort. If you are visiting the stilt village, you should eat there. If you have the luxury of time on your hands, you should book an extended stay and spend your hours imaging a life there (not unlike, I'm sure, the owners themselves did once upon a time). If it's your birthday while your there, like it was mine, call ahead and they might just bake you a cake and save you a hammock on the beach! 
