A visit to the Kakum National Park in Cape Coast

Kakum National Park is one of the best known national parks in Ghana; it is in the southern part of Ghana, in what is known as the Central Region. The Park was first established in 1990 from an area of 350 square kilometers to the north of Cape Coast and Elmina near the small town of Abrafo. The entire area is covered with tropical rainforest.

In the Park gamekeepers were specially trained to make accessible to the visiting tourists some important tropical plants on the grounds and their relevant medicinal significance. Besides the impressive plant world, which partly also comprises rare species, the Kakum National Park presents rare animals, including the very rare and endangered Mona-meerkat, as well as pygmy elephants, forest buffalo, zibetkatzen, and a highly developed bird world. Still, the observation of animals in this forest is extremely difficult because of the dense rainforest. In the course of the development of tourism, authorities and park managers plan in the future to add water holes or clearings, to make better observation possible.

Kakum National Park has a unique tourist attraction: the only round tour over a hanging bridge in the forest canopy level in all of Africa. Beside Kakum there are only four other round tours of this type. From the so-called Canopy Walkway, at up to 40 meters height, the visitor can approach the plants and animals in their living space which would otherwise be inaccessible for people. The Canopy Walkway passes over 7 bridges and runs over a length of 330 meters.The Walkway is definitely unique,however ,if you are going there for wildlife spotting think again as this is a rarity, most of the animals have long since migrated to other more remote parts of the park,this quote coming from one of the parks rangers

Kakum National Park is both incredibly biologically diverse, and sacred to local people. Forest elephant, bongo, antelope, and duiker live in the forest, as do seven species of primates, and many other animals. Kakum is most famous for its unforgettable 333m-long tree-top canopy walkway, which is suspended 27m off the ground. There are wooden platforms built around trees for rainforest canopy observation. Early morning canopy walks offer the best chances for wildlife observation, but the forest view in itself is astounding. It is the only such walkway in Africa.

At Kakum you can also take forest nature walks, listen to the dawn bird chorus, take interpretive hikes to learn more about the medicinal and other uses of plants, and visit the award-winning visitors' centre. There are also forest camp sites available. At nearby Jukwa you can visit a traditional craft village.

The 357 sq. km rainforest park is home to 269 species of birds, butterflies, and other insects. Large mixed bird flocks are most often seen (and heard) January through March near Abrafo. On the Antwikwaa road, hawks, kingfishers, bee-eaters and starlings, among others, can be found. Kruwa has fruit trees that in season draw many greenbuls, barbets, tinkerbirds, hornbills, and other birds. Aboabo, a two-hour drive to the park's northwest corner, offers some opportunity to witness flycatchers and eagles.

Kakum is about 30 kilometres north of Cape Coast and makes an excellent day-trip from Cape Coast or Elmina. The less visited Kruwa Camp at the southeast corner can also be apporached from the Kumasi road.