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The forest of Boabeng and Fiema is not only famous for its sacred monkeys. In this area there are also a lot of great butterflies you can easily see everywhere in the forest.
In the Information Centre of the Monkey Sanctuary you can get all the information about these butterflies. There are at least 20 species here, and some are beautifully coloured and very big.
Inside the forest I saw at least 10 different species and managed to take pictures of two of the most beautiful ones.
Written Jan 15, 2007
Address: Boabeng-Fiema, Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana
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Besides the monkeys in the forest at Boabeng and Fiema, there is much more to see inside the jungle here. In a large part of the forest there are footpaths around some amazing trees and other plants. When you have a guided tour to the monkeys, the guide will take you through some of these paths to some of the highlights of the local forest.
One of these highlights is a great strengling ficus that is completely open inside so you can get inside the tree. There are a lot more of these so-called parasites here and some trees are completely covered by them.
And inside the forest here you can see some great flowers. In some parts you can see complete parts of the area covered with big, red flowers.
After the guide has completed his tour you are free to return to the forest and have a walk yourself. That is a great thing to do, because there are enough paths to walk around for hours there, in a really great environment. Make sure that you can always hear to sound of the village when you are walking around, so you can't get lost.
Written Jan 15, 2007
Address: Boabeng-Fiema, Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana
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The villagers of Boabeng and Fiema believe that the monkeys in the forest are their ancestors. This is why they treat the animals like their own family. When a monkey dies, it will be buried like they also bury the villagers.
The monkeys get a real, little coffin and are buried at a special cemetary in the forest. Here the monkeys are buried as well as the preachers of the villages. "Normal" people are buried somewhere else, this cemetary is for the "higher class": the monkeys and the preachers.
At the cemetary you can see the graves of about 30 Colobus- and Mona-monkeys and a few preachers. Only a very small part of the monkeys are buried here, because a lot of the monkeys die deep inside the forest and their remains are never found. The few monkeys that are found dead, all are buried here, with crosses saying "Adult Female Mona" and "Juvenile Black and White Colobus".
Written Jan 15, 2007
Address: Boabeng-Fiema, Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana
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The guided tour through the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary -of course- starts with the famous monkeys. In the beautifully green forest there are hundreds of monkeys, of which a lot of them live very close to the villages, because the villagers don't harm them anyway.
These villagers believe that these monkeys are the reincarnations of their ancestors. Every monkey in the forest can be "grandpa" or "grandma". This is why the villagers feed the monkeys at the sides of the forest, they protect the forest from lumberjacks, and they give all the monkeys that die an official burial.
The monkeys in the Sanctuary are all Mona-monkeys or Black and White Colobus. The Mona-monkey is a smaller monkey with brown fur. These ones are quite rude and are not afraid to get very close to the visitors. It is even possible to feed the Mona's: they will eat from your hand!
The second species is the Black and White Colobus. These monkies are much more shy then the Mona's, but even prettier then the small ones. The Colobus monkeys have a spotted fur and a very long tail that always hangs beautifully down when they sit high in the trees.
Written Jan 15, 2007
Address: Boabeng-Fiema, Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana
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The shortest and therefore cheapest way to get to Boabeng-Fiema, is by chartering a taxi in Nkoranza at the central Tro-Tro station. As soon as the taxidrivers see an "Obruni" (white person) get out there, they will attack you with "Are you going to Boabeng?". And they will offer to take you there.
When you ask them for the price they will say "Just get in...": VERY BAD IDEA! Or they will say "Just make it 250(.000)": BAD IDEA TOO! Before you get in, you really have to bargain hard! Never accept someone's first offer, and never accept a second or third offer either. Walk away, come back and stick to your price. After 10 minutes there will always be one taxidriver that will accept your low bid. That will not make him popular with his colleagues, but it will give you a much better price.
When I went to Boabeng-Fiema, I chartered a taxi for 90.000 cedis ($ 9,-) for a return trip and including him waiting for 2 hours at the Monkey Sanctuary. I think that is a good price.
There are travel guides that also advise you to take a Tro-Tro to Fiema, but that is a very bad idea! There are hardly any Tro-Tro's going that way, and even less going back to Nkoranza. You might end up in Fiema without a way to get back. So just spend a few more cedis and charter a taxi: that's a much safer way to get there.
Written Jan 11, 2007
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Favorite thing: When you arrive at Boabeng, you are first dropped at the tourist office of the village. Here they have opened an information centre on the Monkey Sanctuary, where you can read a lot of information about the monkeys and about the way the villagers treat them. But also about the other animals you can find inside the park like a lot of different -and all beautiful- butterflies.
It is here that you have to pay for the entry of the park. The fee per person is 40.000 cedis (about $ 4,-) and that includes a guided tour. When you are by taxi, the taxi will bring you to the village of Fiema that is about 3 kilometres further. Here your guide is waiting for you.
At the Information Centre you can also buy some "small small" souvenirs like bracelets and little books about the monkeys.
Written Jan 15, 2007
Boabeng-Fiema, where the sacred monkies live
Very close to Nkoranza, in the Brong Ahafo Region in central Ghana, you will find the very extraordinairy villages Fiema and Boabeng. The inhabitants of these villages believe that the monkies that......
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