Not shy of Shai Hills
Ever visited Shai Hills? No? Well, if you are shy about this whole tourist attraction business, at least this is one site you could easily visit.
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Shai Hills Resource Reserve is the official name of this attraction. What makes Shai important is that it is the biggest wildlife experience one could have without moving too far from Accra. Plus, it is an adventure, a rather safe one.
It is also the only coastal savannah national park. In other words, it is a unique reserve because it is the driest evergreen savannah forest in Ghana. With only a space of 51 square kilometres, Shai Hills is not your Mole Park or Kakum but it does provide nature-filled respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
This dry-evergreen forest area along the Accra plains is a suburb near Dodowa in the Dangme West District. From the Tema motorway roundabout, one arrives there by heading north towards Akosombo.
For many people, their familiarity with this attraction is the little they see on their travels to places such as the Volta Region. One little warning though: never do the tour without a site guide.
Although the entrance to the reserve (near the Doryumu Junction) is well marked, the good thing is that the natural inmates love to announce themselves.
Some of the animals, especially the monkeys, come at you in a show-off as you drive past. Perhaps their message is “if folks would not advertise us, we shall do our own marketing.”
But beyond the gate, what actually is available inside Shai Hills? At this reserve, one discovers mixed coastal savanna, dry forest, and the fauna to which these habitats are home. Bushbucks, kobs, oribi and royal antelopes are among the wildlife seen here. Large, bat-filled caves are also on the reserve.
Green monkeys, lesser spot-nosed monkeys and olive baboons can also be found. A visitor may enter and tour on foot but it is a better experience to tour the reserve in a four-wheel drive vehicle.
Of course, one sees better during the dry season (September to May).
Shai Hills is also a bird haven with over 150 bird species. These include indigenous and migratory birds. With patience, the Senegal parrot, grey plantain eater, hornbill, red northern bishop and violet turaco can all be seen.
Other birds to be found in the Shai Hills Resource reserve include Senegal cuckoo, stone partridge, ground hornbills, bustards and francolin. This makes the reserve a bird lover’s paradise.
Three caves can be found in the reserve and these are Adwuku, Sayu and Hieweyu. These caves provide an excellent home for bats which spend the entire day sleeping, only to wake up in the night.
Whether this excites you or not, a variety of snakes also abound at the reserve. The reptile family of crocodiles, rats and tortoises all work together to maintain the ecological integrity of this park.
Yes, it is interesting that these animals are easy to find. However, they may, especially the apes, grab whatever food you have to offer them. Not all the animals are outgoing. The antelopes can be seen but are very shy and will not approach visitors.
Actually, this area also serves as the watchtower over Accra. Visitors can climb up the summit of the caves and the inselbergs in the reserve to view the plains of Accra.
Best times are in the evenings or during sunset. The lighted city skyline is a sight to behold.
Shai Hills also has rich history and heritage of a people. The hill was home to the ancestors of the people of Shai and still contains many of their artifacts. It was the British colonial masters who forcibly expelled them in 1892 on the allegation that the natives were committing ritual murders.
Today, this venue offers a nice outdoor or picnic experience. A memorable day can be spent walking through the cool dry evergreen forest to the caves to see relics of old Shai settlements in the reserve.
If you visit during the celebration of the Mgmayem festival (September/October), you would have a lot of cultural fun. This festival brings the community to the reserve area, which is their ancestral home.
The Dipo fertility festival is normally performed between March and May and part of the rites are performed here. This is an added attraction for visitors to Shai Hills.
Because it is not too far from Accra, those interested in hotel accommodation wouldn’t have much of a headache.
If you ask me, Stone Lodge (5 minutes away), the scenic, eco-friendly getaway, is a sure bet. So, are you planning to shake of your shyness and visit Shai? They will be waiting for you.
Kofi Akpabli is author of Tickling the Ghanaian- Encounters with Contemporary Culture and A Sense of Savannah-Tales of a Friendly Walk through Northern Ghana
