Ghana - West Africa - page 439

THE NORTHWEST
This remote corner of Ghana is hard to reach and seldom visited for that reason.
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Wa
The capital of the Upper Northwest region is basically an overgrown village. If you happen
to overnight here (to visit Wechiau or break the journey between Bobo-Dioulasso and Ku-
masi), check out the town's mud-and-stick mosque.
The Tegbeer Catholic Guesthouse ( 039-2022375; r with shared bathroom & fan C30, s/d with bathroom & air-
con C28/45; ) , about 3km north of town, is an excellent option with clean, good rooms and
a nice on-site bar-restaurant (mains C7). More upmarket is Upland Hotel ( 039-2022180; s/d
C60/80) , west of the town centre, which is popular with the town's businesspeople and has
air-con and DSTV in the rooms. The restaurant serves international cuisine (mains C10).
There are regular tro-tros and buses to Wechiau (C2, one hour), Tamale (C15, six hours),
Hamale (C6, three hours) and Kumasi (C20, six hours).
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Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary
This much-hyped hippo sanctuary ( www.ghanahippos.com ; adult/student C7/5) on the Black Volta River
was initiated by local village chiefs in 1999. Hippos can usually be seen from December to
August; once the rainy season is under way, however, hippos disappear and the site be-
comes very hard to reach - probably not worth the considerable effort it takes to get to this
remote corner of Ghana.
When you arrive, report at the community centre in Wechiau village, where you'll pay
your fees and organise activities. Options include river safaris, birdwatching, village tours
and nature walks. All activities cost C6 per person per hour.
Accessing Wechiau is no small feat, even if you have your own vehicle. The village is
located about 50km southwest of Wa, about an hour's drive; the sanctuary is then a further
20km (of bad tracks) from Wechiau. Tro-tros run between Wa and Wechiau (C2, one hour);
the community centre can then help you hire a bicycle/motorbike/ tro-tro for C5/10/20 to
cover the last leg of the journey.