Ghana on Stilts!

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).