Trip to the Northern Region

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Monica James
5 years ago
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Leaving Ghana without visiting the Northern Region would be a serious mistake!

The trip ended up to be extremely interesting and educational. The text below is intended to encourage other travelers to visit the northern region of the country.

The city is a dusty, Alat, and hot place with lots of motor bikes; everyone is riding a motor cycle or bicycle. In general, the city appears to be much cleaner than Accra.

1 Leaving Ghana without visiting the Northern Region would be a serious mistake! So, we decided to spend a week in the Northern Region and discover places like Tamale,, Bolgatanga, Navrongo, Paga, and Larabanga, and their surroundings. The trip ended up to be extremely interesting and educational. The text below is intended to encourage other travelers to visit the northern region of the country. The map on the Aigure shows the northern part of the country. Tamale is a very interesting town to visit. Although, there is not much to do, there are many interesting things to watch for. The city is a dusty, Alat, and hot place with lots of motor bikes; everyone is riding a motor cycle or bicycle. In general, the city appears to be much cleaner than Accra. People believe there are lots of business opportunities in Tamale and they are trying to attract foreigners to invest. Recently, Brazilians have been contracted to build a new international airport in Tamale (as a gift). It is believed that by having an international airport, the city can attract some of the investors from Accra. Almost 70 percent of the people in this region are Muslims; most women wear hijab, while also wearing very tight dresses and short skirts. Watching them maneuvering in the streets on their motor bike is very interesting. Polygamy is a very common thing around here; we met several individuals with three wives. In one case all wives knew about each other; in fact, two of them lived together happily (they were traveling with the kids when we arrived - I understand the second wife recognizes the Airst wife as her mother). The third wife is helping the husband to start a new business.

2 The National Cultural Center is a very cool place; it is mainly for tourists and offers lots of cultural events, including various traditional dances. Dancing in the traditional Smock Handcraft Market in Tamale Making fried goat cheese sold in the streets of Tamale Our little friend at the cultural center

Watching the wild life in was incredible. Here is where we had breakfast with elephants!

personal with groups of elephants, and gangs of baboons, water bucks, and antelopes.

Going to by bus ended up becoming an exciting story by itself!

3 Watching the wild life in was incredible. Here is where we had breakfast with elephants! In the morning you could be sitting and sipping your coffee while watching the elephants moving around. Early morning, along with a guide, we went for a walk in the park and got close and personal with groups of elephants, and gangs of baboons, water bucks, and antelopes. It was interesting to compare our foot size with an elephant s footstep. Going to by bus ended up becoming an exciting story by itself! Let s just say we arrived with 8 hours of delay! Here are some photos: Typical huts around Tamale going to Mole. Each hut usually has multiple compounds, each one for a member of the family. Baboon in the

Paga In order to go to Paga, we had to take the bus to Bolgatanga. When we arrived in Paga, we found two guys offering us a ride around town with their motorcycles.

Among the places we visited were the Chief s Palace (Pio s Palace) and Zenga Crocodile Pond. After dinner! Coming to receive his dinner (?

??? In the Palace, the Chief's son welcomed us and after receiving his $5 donation, he gave us a tour around the premisses.

This is where you can actually touch the crocodiles and pretend sitting on their tail.

4 Paga In order to go to Paga, we had to take the bus to Bolgatanga. When we arrived in Paga, we found two guys offering us a ride around town with their motorcycles. We took the offer, we sat on the back of their motorcycles an visited a number of places. Paga is the border city with Burkina Faso (see the map above). Among the places we visited were the Chief s Palace (Pio s Palace) and Zenga Crocodile Pond. After dinner! Coming to receive his dinner (???) Chief s Palace (Pio s Palace) Serving Pito, the local drink???? In the Palace, the Chief's son welcomed us and after receiving his $5 donation, he gave us a tour around the premisses. In front of the Palace there were several large rocks. During special occasions, they scarify chickens or birds here. Later we went to Zenga Crocodile Pond. This is where you can actually touch the crocodiles and pretend sitting on their tail. Apart from the entrance fee you also pay for one fowl which will be thrown to the crocodile, while it is still alive. They say the reason that they use fowls instead of chickens is because fowls scream and get the crocodiles coming. In this area these crocodiles are considered very sacred; no one will bother them and apparently the crocodiles don t hurt anyone. Sometimes, they go far away from the pond, as far as the Chief s Palace just to egg!

It is said that the prisoners had to walk from this camp to Cape Coast.

5 In the Northern Region of Ghana, around Tamale, there are some ruins of Slave Camps. The one in Paga is called the Pikworo Slave Camp. This is the place where Africans would gather the prisoners and send them to places like Cape Coast to be sold to British Slave traders. So, Pikworo Camp was more like a transit camp. It is said that the prisoners had to walk from this camp to Cape Coast. The ones that were lucky and survived the 1000 km journey while shackled, would stop by Assin Manso, Slave River, just before Cape Coast to be cleaned and become presentable to British Slave traders for the Ainal sale. It is important to understand that Pikworo Slave Camp was categorically different from Cape Coast or Elmina slave dungeon, where over one thousand slaves were put in a dungeon waiting to be shipped to America. Pikworo Slave Camp; drinking place Pikworo Slave Camp; slave meeting place. This is where the slaves could dance and perform social activities. Next time we will write about Larabanga, located right before Mole national Park.

Cultural Exploration and Slave Trade in Ghana 11 Days, 9 Nights (1 Night on Plane)

Cultural Exploration and Slave Trade in Ghana 11 Days, 9 Nights (1 Night on Plane) Day 1 Depart Meals: On Flight, Subject to Availability Grab your passports and get ready to embark on the trip of a lifetime!