Monkey Sanctuary and the perfect waterfalls of Logba Tota
Ghana: Tafi Atome
The village of Tafi Atome and its surroundings are the habitat of several troops of mona monkeys that were considered sacred centuries ago. Tafi Atome is one of the most popular Community Based Ecotourism Sites in Ghana. The monkeys are promoted as a major attraction, but actually I found them hardly interesting. These monkeys are definately not rare in Ghana and I wouldn't make the trip from Ho especially to see them. Not saying it's a tourist trap, but yes, everyone may have their own thoughts. Apart from the monkey "industry", the village makes a good base to explore the surroundings.
Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary
According to the brochure and local guides, for more than 200 years the people of Tafi believed that these monkeys were messengers to the gods, until spread of Christianity started to endanger them. In modern times, they are officially protected and generating significant income from tourism. Twice daily (7am & 4pm), a guide takes tourist groups on a walk to observe the monkeys in the forest or – more often - around the village. They are usually being fed by the guides to entertain the visitors. To me it felt a little like a zoo. On arrival in Tafi Atome you are to report at the visitor’s center and pay a fee. For less than 10 euros, the all-inclusive village live-in arrangement is a good option. It includes simple accommodation, meals, a village tour and unlimited monkey watching. It however occurred to me that I was dearly overcharged by one of the staff (name: Innocent –yes really!). The guy showed me a fake pricelist and wrote me a false receipt, but secretly registered me in the official cash register for an amount far less than I paid. Afterwards I discovered the fraud and reported it. I found it unacceptable behavior, whether you are rich or poor.
Now, Tafi Atome is a nice enough place, but the quality of interaction with the local people and the level of hospitality didn’t compare with that in other villages I visited in the region. I suppose the first signs of mass tourism. Positively, it provided a rare opportunity to hang out with other travelers and that was great fun as well. Tourism here was very well organised, and generated undoubtely decent income for the village. And that's important too.
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Rent a bicycle at Tafi Atome
Using Tafi Atome as a base, there are a lot of interesting things to see and do in the area. The (rented) bicycle is the perfect means of transport to cover medium long distances, as the roads here are generally flat and well maintained, while public transport is infrequent. Cycling here is extremely relaxing and enjoyable. I took a bicycle to visit the village of Logba Tota, with its pretty waterfall area, having breaks along the way at extremely friendly places like Old Dzokpe and Logba Alakpeti.
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Logba Tota Bushpath
The village of Logba Tota has a magnificant location and offers awesome views over the Avatime Hills - including Mt. Gemi. Nearby are a pretty waterfall and some interesting limestone caves. You can reach the village by foot along a small bushpath, a great uphill hike of about an hour. The path commences about 15 minutes past the village of Logba Alekpeti, going up steeply. Once you've found this junction, you can hardly get lost as the path is used a lot. After 20 minutes you´ll reach a broader dirt track; go left here. Continue until you´ll reach the tarmac road. You are now very near Logba Tota.
Logba Tota Waterfall
The lesser-known and irregularly visited waterfall at Logba Tota is not as tall or voluminous as some of its famous brothers in the region, but the setting does compete for the prettiest of all. The unspoilt jungle scenery, the beautiful light, the sense of isolation, the refreshing pool where you can swim, the relaxing shower when you position under the fall, the caves with stalagmites and countless bats, it all added to an unforgettable experience. On arrival in Logba Tota I was welcomed in the shop annex bar at the central square near the impressive former chief palace. I had to register and pay a small fee (EUR 1,50) for the 30 minute guided walk to the falls. There’s also a basic guesthouse here.
Continue to Kpandu
From Tafi Atome you can follow a dirt track to Kpandu town, near the Lake Volta. I covered the 17 km by foot, considered it a nice morning walk, where motorized transport was almost non existing.
Visited: Aug 2003
Tips & Impressions originally posted on Virtualtourist.com