Time commitment: 1 hour drive to location, 2 hours onsite
Price: 50 cedis per car and 10 cedis per person
Venue: Shai Hills Resource Reserve
One of my favorite date adventures with Beau has been our trip to Shai Hills. It was a while ago so bear with me regarding my slightly foggy recollection of some of the finer details.
It was Beau's first time hiking and rock climbing and he was a good sport but his interest level was at a two out of five at the start of the day. Waking up super early on a Saturday to get there maaaaay have slightly influenced that, haha. However, he ended the day at a 5/5 rating and as a true convert who wanted to return ASAP. So it doesn't matter if this is your first time or you are experienced; if you are an animal lover, nature lover, hiker, or just an adventure junkie Shai Hills has something for you!
Shai Hills is located about an hour outside of Accra on the Tema-Akosombo road. It is quite large; it has an area of about 20 square miles (or 50km roughly). We got there easily using Googlemaps (yes, it works fine in Ghana). The landscape varies from large hills (surprise!) to large swaths of tall grasses where antelope abound. Once you get to the caves and hilltops you can't really see the roadside or "civilization" and the reserve becomes quite a peaceful oasis.
Things you can see/do:
- Feed the ostriches some grass and learn a bit about them.
- Get within a few feet of wild baboons. There about 40 groups with 20 members each (or something like that).
- See the antelope. They are a bit skittish so you can't get close.
- Climb rocky hills. They can be selected based on your fitness level and the amount of time you want to devote to it. Ours took just about 30 minutes with long stops to soak in the views but some hills can take hours. Just let the ranger know what you prefer.
- Visit caves. There are about 3 to 5 and at least one has bats (harmless fruit bats).
- Visit the various spots where the Shai people used to reside- e.g. where the Shai girls stayed during their womanhood initiations, where the Shai chief lived, etc.
- Go birdwatching.
- Going from site to site you have long, beautiful, peaceful stretches of grass and hills. Don't forget to enjoy the ride and take that in as well!
- Camp overnight. They can host large or small groups if you want to have some sort of overnight event. It would be an amazing location for stargazing, camping, and maybe even glamping but keep in mind most animals (like hyenas) are active at night.
- The Shai people have festivals/ceremonies at certain parts of the year: Mymayen is in September/October (headtilt to dearghana.com as I could not remember the name/time)
Animals in the reserve:
- Baboons, ostriches, many different types of birds, hyenas, anacondas, bats, a type of monkey species whose name I have forgotten...More details on the wildlife
Tips before you go:
- Take a 4x4 vehicle.
- You have to drive a bit of a distance to see the good stuff and the paths have not been cleared. The reserve does not have its own car so you have to use your own. Our car's non 4x4 bottom got scraped a few times when we went over some ditches.
- We spent about 70 cedis plus a tip for our guide. There is a charge per vehicle and then per passenger I believe. So most likely a 50 cedi flat fee and then 10 cedis per person.
- A park ranger will accompany you to guide you during the trip
- Make sure there is space in your car for him/her. They have all lived there for sometime and work very hard and are passionate about protecting the reserve. Accompanying you is part of how they protect the place and ensure people don't come to illegally hunt the animals or get lost. Once you go into the reserve it is hard to navigate your way back alone. Be respectful and attentive and tip well.
- Dress appropriately for hiking
- Sneakers, sunscreen, longsleeves, shorts, a hat etc.
- Bring water, snacks
- We spent at least 2 hours at the reserve and barely scratched at the surface of all we could have done. However, there wasn't any food being sold. Luckily, we brought snacks. :)
- Arrive by 8-9 so that you can see the animals before they go to find shelter from the midday heat.
- If you want to see the birds you have to get there very early (around 6am-7am).
- Once you arrive at the gate will immediately be greeted by wild baboons.
- They are friendly in the sense that they will not try to immediately devour you and may approach you for food BUT remember that they are still wild animals with sharp teeth and crazy strength. Don't panic but use common sense (e.g. don't carry snacks with you while on foot or tease them).
Our guide's name was Jacob and we highly recommend him. You can reach him at zero two seven six zero four six four seven seven.
Let us know how this adventure goes if you decide to visit!
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