Hohoe Things to Do

If you plan to visit both Liati Wote and Wli Afegame, and don’t carry too much luggage, the 4-5 hour walk between those villages is an attractive option instead of using tro-tro’s (you have to go back to Hohoe first).

Most of the time you walk along a dirt road to the west side of the very scenic Agumatsu mountain range, that forms the border with Togo, before heading east, uphill to Wli Afegame (with Ghana’s tallest waterfalls).

On the way – about 1 hour from each other - you pass the pretty and friendly villages of Gbledi-Gborgame, Tsebi and Ahor (turn right at the junction).

Liati Wote Village has also been developed as a Community based Ecotourism Project and besides the hike up Mt. Afadjato, it is the Tagbo Fall that is a good reason for an excursion.

Usually the hike to the falls, located in semi-decidous forest, is done after descending the mountain, but because I arrived late in the afternoon, I decided to leave the Falls for next morning and stayed overnight in the very decent guesthouse just out of the village (a local woman cooked some rice).

The waterfall is quite tall and you can swim in the pool. Still, I don’t rate Tagbo Falls as one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in Ghana, but possibly that can be related to the bad weather (rain) and the subsequent sheer coldness (no joke) after swimming.

The forests that you pass to the Falls are especially famous for its diversity in butterfly and bird species, of which I didn’t see too many due to the rain.

Finally, according to locals, from Liati Wote there’s a bushpath that crosses the Togolese border (no formalities) reaching a village from where you can take a tro-tro to the Togolese main town of Kpalime

Mt. Afadjato, accessible from Liati Wote or Gbledi, is the highest peak in Ghana, and surely worth to climb (because of the spectacular scenery), but I think the mountain itself lacks personality!

It is the shape of the hill that is totally characterless. Ok, it looks like a mountain, but just like an ordinary one; moreover to the east Afadjato is overshadowed by its much taller brothers and sisters in Togo and so frustrating and no decent views to that side!

To the west the view is better as you can see all the way from the Togolese border to the Lake Volta and everything in between including the chain of villages along the Togolese border to the north (that I was planning to visit the next day).

The 1,5 hr. ascent is not difficult, but quite long and has a nasty surprise. When you think you reached the top, completely exhausted, you’ll discover that you still have to conquer an additional small, but very steep rocky hill to the summit!!

Another rather nice excursion from Hohoe goes to the attractive Tsatsudo Falls, near Alavanyo Village. The water falls in 5 stages, all visible and there’s 2 pools where you can swim!

Tourism is not really organised here, but when you arrive in Alavanyo you are supposed to greet the chief and offer a gift (EUR 1,50 for example). He will appoint a guide to lead you to the falls.

The falls are easy enough to find, being close to the road, and I preferred to go without a guide, but although I made it clear, 4 teenagers followed me to the site.

You can swim at the base (very relaxing) or go up along a muddy trail to the third level and jump in a pool there (which looked pretty scary though). By the end of August the Falls were really spectacular, but further in the dry season they are probably less interesting!

Like Ho, Hohoe (pop. 30000) is a great town to use as a base for daytrips, but the town doesn’t offer any special attractions. If you have time, however, visit the characteristic old German built pink E.P. Church!

From its tower you can overlook the town and it’s surroundings in all directions. You can contact the caretaker who lives opposite the entrance, but if you walk around, people are likely to approach you.

Note that Hohoe has a Barclays bank without ATM that buys TC’s and cash but doesn’t sell foreign cash. If you are going to Togo and need CFA, it’s good to know that you can do business with a guy named Mohammed, in the garments shop opposite Barclays.

Agbenohoe village near Kpandu is the site of an important Catholic “shrine”, set on a hill and reputedly with a chance to encounter the Virgin Maria!

Along a circuit on the hill you will pass about 10 white washed shrines telling the story of the last hours of Jesus. One statue for the Virgin Maria has gigantic measurements and can even been seen from the road!

The entrance is free and unrestricted. Come here around Easter to join the pilgrimage!

The Torkor main market is nice, but the extension of the market at the lake shore (5 minutes walk) is what you really come for!!

The hustle and bustle is a spectacle I could watch the whole day (if it was a bit less hot).
The highlight being the hilarious happening when a number of cows had to be lifted onto the big market canoe!

Unlike at many coastal markets west of Accra, where local people may be fed up with tourists, in Torkor tourists are rare and I was approached in a very natural way.

While I found Kpandu Town not particularly interesting, the nearby big market at Torkor on the Lake Volta shore was one of the most fascinating I’ve seen in Ghana.

Remotely living fishermen and farmers from all around the area arrive here by boat, ranging from big colourful motorised canoes to small dug out canoes, to sell their trade in exchange of imported goods. I even bought here a probably second hand t-shirt from a Malian trader.

From Kpandu you can easily take a shared taxi to Torkor main market. At the main market
is also the ferry office, should you want to board the weekly Lake Volta ferry here. Torkor offers also links to various islets in the Lake (most of them probably only operating on market days).