See better pictures of the hotel here
See better pictures of the hotel here
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the famous canopy walkway at kakum park |
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The canopy is attached to gigantic trees in the forest, raised about 40 meters from the forest floor |
Kakum forest was previously a source for timber felling before 1994 when it was thankfully taken over by the government and other stakeholders to be conserved and protected. It has since become one of Ghana’s biggest tourist attractions for eco tourism.
When you visit Kakum forest, it is poorly run and not maximized for its income prospects but nonetheless, there is several basic enjoyable opportunities. You can pay to go on the nature walk, we had an amazing foot guide with a lot of knowledge of the ecosystem, plantation, hunting and traditional practices native to that part of the country. He shared interesting stories of how he could see and communicate with spirits. He was eccentric enough to convince me. He also said that his late father a spiritualist opened his eyes and ears spiritually so I half believed him.
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our guide showing us various plants on our botanical tour in kakum |
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this is plant that is beaten into plant fiber tooth brush in Ghana |
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kakum tree house |
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kakum forest tree house sits 40 feet above the ground giving a good view of the forest and its inhabitants |
The park has wildlife species such as forest elephants, buffalo, leopard, bongo, yellow backed duiker, red river hog and primates as well reportedly over 200 species of birds, reptiles and amphibians.
When I am in Ghana, I like to treat myself to short trips to the coast and Abandze resort has been my favorite resort in Ghana as it has a wide open space for children to run around freely. The resort is just tucked about 5 minutes walking distance away from the main road that travels between Accra the capital and Cape Coast which is popular with holiday makers. Cape Coast is in the central region of Ghana and it has several privately run resorts.
Some resorts are members only whilst the majority open to visiting guest. The resort at Abandze has beautiful views from upstairs in the thatched roof top restaurant which overlooks a serene lagoon with mangroves. The resort is comparatively clean and the staff are very friendly.
and Abanze villages. The lagoon attracts the villagers on Sundays who come to swim and fish during the dry season. The villagers are very respectful and do not enter the resort to bother visitors. Abandze has open wide spaces for kids to run around freely safely away from the sea.
It is only 3 or 5 minutes walk away from the main road where you can easily catch a trotro to Cape Coast or Accra. Louis Armstrong the famous jazz trumpeter is said to have traced his ancestry back to the near by Kormantze village. Abandze resort is close to Elmina, Kakum National park, Mosomagor Eco-village, Domana Rock Shrine and Anomabu an old and well known village with posuban shrines which are concrete life size statuettes which portray war ornaments and war emblems to represent a history of war victories and military experiences of the Fantes.
Tarquinia is town which is 92km north of Rome and just 5km from the sea in an area known as Northern Lazio. What is unique about Tarquinia which is a medievial town is the well preserved Etruscan Necropolis with several of the tombs restored so visitors can see the magnificient tombs with fresco paintings on the walls. The Etruscans were Italy’s first real civilization, to settled in the Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria. Tarquinia which was one of 12 Etruscan cities later became a Roman colony.
The necropolis is now UNESCO listed with many of the tomb’s fresco paintings fully recovered. The tombs are all several feet below ground level so you reach them by climbing down a flight of stairs and can peer through a glass window to see inside. Inside all the tombs, there are light bulbs fitted in which visitors can put on from outstide to get a proper view of the fresco paintings on the walls which all depicts various fantasies the people buried in each tomb would have held of the after life.
Visiting the necropolis in Tarquinia is truly one of my most wonderful experiences whilst travelling. It is amazing and a wonder to be able to admire the work of art from thousands of years ago. The illustrations on the walls depicts a reflection of what life was like for the Etruscans. There is also near by an Etruscan museum that you can visit coming out back to Rome.
To get to Tarquinia: The town can be reached by train from Rome or from the coast towns on the Roma-Ventimiglia line. Modern Tarquinia has very good restaurants, a beautiful square full of medieval and Renaissance sights that will pique the interest of both the young and the old. It is also a romantic destination for couples with an information centre where you can also pick up information on various craft workshops, B&B’s and guided tours around the town.
Each tomb has a description of the stories featured in the paintings on the walls. The Etruscans are credited with developing an urban civilization that dates back 9 centuries prior to the birth of Christ. These cluster of amazing tombs are monumental as they provide us with substantial evidence of Etruscan residential architecture. Also, the necropolis of Tarquinia, Monterozzi, contains 6,000 graves cut in the rock and famous for its 200 painted tombs with the earliest dated from the 7th century BC.