Have you ever imagined or heard of people living on rivers? Get your ears cleared as I tell you about this outrageous village built on stilts at Nzulezu where people live their lives and their normal duty on the river.
Location of the Nzulezu stilt village
The Stilt village is located in western region of Ghana at Nzulezu about 327km from Accra. It is also about 2 and half hours from Takoradi.
History about the Stilt Village
The name Nzulezu is an Nzema language which simply means surface of water. As its name suggests, it overlooks the Tadane lake made in stilts.
But why would people prefer to live on the river instead of land?
History has it that in the 14-15 century, the forefathers of the Nzulezu village were living in Timbuktu in Mali, a land very peaceful and rich in resources until the Mendes from Senegal begun to trade with them. The trade landed in jealousy which ended the Senegalese killing them. They vacated the land to seek refuge after consultation from their gods leading them to Wenchi through Burkina.
They later moved on to Essipon in the Western region and without having their peace of mind, they further moved to a place called Bakanta where they discovered a river in the middle of the road. The made a raft for themselves which transported them to their present home.
They begun their settlement in the forest but due to sufferings from fire outbreaks from the direction of the wind, they moved further to the surface of the river providing them security.
Currently, the population size has increased compelling some to move to the land. Activities here are very interesting seeing kids play around, mummies cooking and pounding Fufu and what have you. One side of the road is living quarters for the inhabitants while the opposite side of the road has business, the school, a public venue and other business adventures.
There is a basic school, a dispensary or clinic, a church in the Nzulezu stilt village. There is no electricity power in the village of Nzulezu so nightlife is conducted under the help of lanterns, flash lights, and rechargeable lamps .The elites also generate electricity from car batteries to power their televisions and other gadgets to make life in the village entertaining.
Nzulezu is a traditional village hence, the inhabitants cling to conventional standards and values. There are days set aside as sacred day where the people are made to rest of their normal duty. The day is also presume to be the day for their gods and should be observed with sacredness.
The primary occupation here is fishing and farming for those fortunate to be on the available land. activities.
Nzulezu has become a tourist attraction driving lots of people from different parts of the world for its intriguing nature. It’s really an amazing experience one has to have. Isn’t it?
Nature lovers, this is a very powerful vicinity to reconnect with nature since there is so much vibe in the stilt village.
Getting to the Stilt village of Nzulezu
One of the features of a visit to Nzulezu is positively the excursion to arrive. Nzulezu is one piece of the Amasuri Wetland, a ramsar site and the biggest inland marsh woodland in Ghana. Bookings are done at the reception of the Beyin visitor center with an affordable entry fee, a guided tour is arranged.
A canoe ride of 45 minutes to an hour passes tight, rich channels, open fields, lastly the wide territory of Amansuri Lake. The ride is protected and lifejackets are accessible to all tourists embarking on the 5km journey to the village. There are speed boats that can speed up the journey within 15 minutes for those who cannot paddle the canoe.
For the best time when you can explore watching monkeys and different species of birds and guided strolls to see sea turtle, then make arrangements between the month of May and August. One can also make arrangement for guided tour in the evening.
Entrance fee
Entry fee is 20 cedis for Ghanaian and 50 cedis (10$) for non-Ghanaians (Foreigners).
There are also the cost for a ride on a canoe or speed boats to the stilt village.
Working hours
The reception to the stilt village opens from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Accommodation
Nzulezu has a guesthouse constructed naturally known as Homestay Bar and Rest house providing accommodation to tourists and those camping. The guesthouse provides meals and assorted local drinks for their guests all on budget.
However, there are also nearby accommodations such as the Maaha Beach Resort, Karda Hotel and Resort, Beyin Beach Resort all of modern standard for visitors who want to live in luxury but for adventure, why not explore the guesthouse at the village?
Contact
One can contact the front desk for more information via 0241152811.
Also read about The Best Natural Lake In Ghana
Conclusion
Visiting this stilt villge at Nzulezo is an experience everyone should have to appreciate life and nature wherever we find ourselves because you can never measure the stature of a mountain until you have arrived at the top. Then, at that point, you will perceive how low it was.
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