With what easily passes as a different dimension to the annual Kwahu Easter celebration, the much talked about experiential trip to the area came off and it was nothing short of exciting and adventurous.
The much talked about Njoy Ghana Tours’ maiden tour happened over the weekend and for anyone who embarked on the journey, it was the difference that made this year’s festivity worthwhile.
From the early hours of Saturday when the deluxe Scania Marcopolo bus took off from the Accra Tourist Information Centre to its first stop at the Bunso Aboretum, every distance that was covered in between those places was filled with fun and loads of laughter which fueled those on board’s anticipation for a wonderful tour.
President of the Tour Operators Union of Ghana, Mrs. Nancy Quartey Sam in a brief address stated that it was imperative that people went on tours such as these to help promote domestic tourism which is why the idea to take people on tour Kwahu especially around this time of Easter celebrations by Njoy Ghana Tours is commendable. With the very controversial and loquacious Counsellor Lutterodt aboard the bus, one could only imagine the rib-cracking moments that filled the bus.
Spanning 16.5 hectares of protected forest reserve, the Bunso Aboretum is home to a variety of medicinal plants, giant trees and unusual fruits with a canopy walkway which the tourists could not help but to dread the vertigo-inducing adventure. The experience at the Aboretum was not just fascinating but informing and educational, and for lovers of ecotourism, the over 300 bird species that greet your sight and titillate your ears with orphic sounds once on the walkway, makes for an interesting undertaking.
The journey from the Aboretum to Kwahu was as informing as Tour Coordinator, Abeiku Santana traced the history of Ghana and the various groups with specific reference to the Kwahu people in a discourse which was also intellectually rewarding. With a pair of sturdy hands and obvious display of experience and level-headedness the driver of the cozy bus ascended the Odwenanoma Mountain and not even the heavy traffic on the road could discomfort the tourists onboard. Once at Kwahu, the bus headed straight to Twendurase to the Mystic Cave, which journey proved to be a feast for the eyes.
Dotted along the road were revelers, mansions and lush greenery which made for spectacular viewing for all onboard the luxurious bus. The expedition at the Mystic Cave was nothing but adrenaline-pumping and heart-throbbing, reminding all why there is the need to regularly leave city life to experience nature to add some adventure to your life.
A brief history of the Cave as recounted by its Manager and Assemblyman of the Twendurase, Ayim Poakwa, indicated that it served as a Campsite for warriors of the Ashanti tribe during the days of inter-tribal wars in the then Gold Coast. And perhaps why it’s called the Mystic Cave, warriors who camped there were said to be able to fortify themselves spiritually for any battle including the ability to vanish.
With the Njoy Ghana tourists having to endure the gruesome exercise of overcoming gravity and friction by tugging along ropes that are knotted around huge trees in order to enter the Cave, that narrative was made the more credible. Once in the cave, the tourists had to meander their way through the narrow and very dark cave which could only be illuminated by the headlamps that were provided by the tour guides.
Before leaving the Cave, the tourists were made to put off the light and the darkness that abruptly engulfed the Cave help to provide the perfect ambience for the spiritual exercise of prayer which is believed to produce amazing results.
The exploit at the Twendurase Cave which is housed within the part of the majestic and imposing Odwenanoma Mountain could best be described as daunting yet adventurous. ‘’I love it!’’ declared one of the tourists who was in Kwahu for the first time. ‘’I have been to Kwahu several times for the annual celebrations but I never knew there was something like this here, this is very exciting and I am glad I joined the tour,’’ said another. That remark added to a similar one which had been made earlier by Abeiku Santana that ‘’about 85 to 90 per cent of the people who come to Kwahu for the Easter won’t get to enjoy this.’’
From the Twendurase, the group went to the Air Jays Lodge at Obo where there are the 887 steps which take one to an apex which allows for a panoramic view of the beautiful Kwahu Ridge. Behind the Lodge is also the Zip Line which the ever audacious tourists could not help but to go for an adventure. After a restful period of sumptuous meals and drinks at Air Jays, it was time to for tourists to indulge in the festivities proper.
And the distance from the Lodge at Obo through Obomeng to Mpraeso which could take not more to than 15 minutes on the regular, took well over an hour to cover due to heavy traffic on the by-pass as the main stretch had been blocked for various street activities. But that did not matter to the tourists onboard the comfortable bus because there was much entertainment to keep anyone from growing weary and bored.
Apart from the occasional interaction with Counsellor Lutterodt and Abeiku Santana, Ogunskele of 2Toff fame who was also on the bus kept all entertained and even performed his brand new single on the bus. It had rained all throughout the day in Kwahu and so one would have imagined that venturing out to the streets which were full of fun filled activities was not even an option. But some of the tourists defied the night rains and join roisterers to party into the break of dawn when it was all set to return to Accra early Sunday. So in one tour package, the Njoy Ghana Tours managed to take tourists on a an ecotourism, heritage tourism, educational tourism and fun adventure which certainly leave indelible prints on the minds of all who embarked on it.
The experiential fun trip to Kwahu is the maiden tour by Njoy Ghana Tours; a domestic tourism drive by Kaya Tours, a destination management company, Touristswatch, Inter-City STC Coaches Limited with support from the Tour Operators Union of Ghana.
Check out the below photos from the tour…
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