Ghana

Lying on the Gulf of Guinea along Africa’s tropical western coast, Ghana is rich in both ancient tradition and in the history of Europe’s early colonial expansion into West Africa. Today it is a vibrant and colorful country stretching from the blinding white beaches of the Atlantic through dense, deep green rainforest to the open savannah of the Sahel, and one that plays host to over 750 bird species.

The Upper Guinea rainforest attracts most birders to Ghana, and we’ll visit six different forest sites: Kakum National Park, home to Africa’s only canopy walkway, places us at eye-level with a wonderful array of rainforest species and provides a marvelous introduction to West Africa’s forests; Ankasa forest reserve, where we’ll spend three nights, gives us a chance at deep-forest waterbirds including the Hartlaub’s Duck and White-crested Tiger Heron; a forest patch in the heart of Ashanti country will take us to the secret home of the cave-dwelling White-necked Rockfowl, one of Africa’s most evocative birds; Bobiri butterfly reserve is the only such dedicated reserve in West Africa, and, in addition to over 400 species of butterfly, it is home to a surprising quality and diversity of birds; and finally, we’ll visit the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, an area of quality hill forest that harbors some exciting specialties, most notably Nimba Flycatcher and Blue-moustached Bee-eater.

In addition to the forests, we’ll visit the inselbergs, dry woodlands and savannah of the Shai Hills and then later on the wide-open spaces of Mole National Park, an essential part of any visit to Ghana. Here, Bateleurs float across the golden grasslands and Red-throated Bee-eaters hawk for insects in the rich woodland, while Bushbuck and Kob graze around the hotel grounds at night. Ghana has a well-deserved reputation as one of Africa’s friendliest and safest countries, qualities that are still only enjoyed by a small number of tourists.