Nzema East Between River and Forest
The navigable Ankobra River is a tourist attraction in Nzema East, offering visitors the chance to take boat trips on the river. If you would like to include a trip in your plans, check in advance whether it is currently operating. This makes the river itself a possible part of your stay; the trip adds an activity of its own to the area’s other attractions.
Nzema East also has extensive forest reserves. The river and reserves offer two different perspectives on the community’s natural environment: the opportunity to take boat trips on the navigable Ankobra and vast forest areas. Most of the community’s tourist attractions are still undeveloped. The river therefore offers a clearly defined activity, while the reserves shape the landscape on a broader scale.
Axim: Historical Traces and a Shared Festival
In Axim, the capital of Nzema East, the site is said to be where the first bank on the then Gold Coast was established. The building still stands, but is unoccupied. Its historical context dates to the Gold Coast of that time; the building itself remains. Thus, Axim brings together a historic founding and a still-existing, unoccupied building.
Another cultural reference is the Kundum Festival. In 2026, Lower Town Axim and the Nsein Traditional Area celebrated the annual festival together. Unlike the history of the bank building, which is tied to a single location, the focus here is on two named areas celebrating together. Nzema East therefore brings together a historic site and a jointly celebrated festival as distinct cultural points of interest.
More Discoveries in the Western Region
The wider destination of the Western Region has other distinct places to explore. Fort San Sebastian is located in Shama and is Ghana’s third-oldest fortification. The Portuguese built it between 1520 and 1526. The fort’s ranking and construction dates give it a distinctive place in the history of the Western Region and a different historical perspective from that of the bank building in Axim.
Also in the Western Region is Nzulezu, a 400-year-old stilt village on Lake Tadane, where several hundred people live. A guided tour to the stilt village can be arranged from the visitor center in Beyin. By dugout canoe, the journey takes an hour to cover five kilometers through watery landscapes to Lake Tadane; the entire tour lasts three hours. The one-hour journey is therefore part of the three-hour tour. Check locally whether it is currently operating.
In the wider destination of the Western Region, performances by a local cultural group featuring drumming and dancing can also be arranged for the evening by special request. If you would like to include this option in your plans, check local availability.
For the wider travel overview: Western Region.
