The people of Liati Wote, led by the chief Togbe Kodadza V, started a community-based ecotourism project in the 1980s, aimed at protecting the environment and conserving the natural resources, preserving and promoting the town’s rich cultural heritage and thus ensuring employment and security for future generations.
The Liati Wote Afadjato-Tagbo Ecotourism Center is under the direction of a constitution enforced in 2011, run by a Board in charge of policy direction, and a Management & Staff unit responsible for the day to day activities.
As you enter Liati Wote, your view of the village is dominated by the Afadjato, Ghana’s highest mountain. In addition to the mountain, is a feature of the beautiful Tagbo Falls which can be reached by a satisfying hike that showcases an abundance of butterflies (over 300 species recorded), coffee and cocoa farms as well as the beautiful semi-deciduous forest. When you reach the falls, you can take a refreshing jump in the chilly waters of the pool at its base.
Mount Afadja, known in the Ewe language as Afadjato, is the highest mountain in Ghana. The summit of this peak is located near the border with Togo, in the Volta Region of Ghana, close to the village of Liati Wote in Afadzato South District. It is about 178 kilometers (111 mi) northeast of Accra, and 178 kilometers (111 mi) northwest of Lomé. Part of the Agumatsa sub-range of the West Africa Mountains, its summit is 885 metres (2,904 ft) above sea level. The summit of Mount Aduadu (746 metres (2,448 ft)) lies 3.5 kilometers (2 mi) to the east of Mount Afadja.
Afadja” is the name of the mountain whereas the suffix “-to” in the Ewe language means mountain therefore, it is called “Afadja-to” by the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo. The correct name would be “Mount Afadja”, as “Mount Afadjato” would be a repetition of the word “mountain”. When the Ewe people migrated to the area and saw the mountain it looked like the mound in which water yam is planted, water yam being called “Avadze” in Ewe. Moreover, there were some creeping plants on the mountain that resembled the water yam plant; they therefore called it “Avadze-to”. Mount Afadja has been recorded over the years as one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Volta Region of Ghana, welcoming thousands of visitors from around the globe annually.
The mountain is located close to the Ghana-Togo border and Volta Lake on the east of Ghana.
The main nature attractions, in Liati Wote, Mt. Afadjato (885 meters) and the Tagbo Falls are covered with tropical forests and a bit of savanna vegetation around the mountain tops. Unknown to many, Wote offers much more than these two attractions to keep the adventurous tourist busy for days.
Behind Afadjato is the Aduadu mountain which is easily accessible. The Afadjato-Tagbo-Twin Mountains enclave contains three other smaller waterfalls, the Vunate, Torglo and Gobali Falls. With over 300 species of butterflies, Liati Wote’s forest is home to one of the largest butterflies count in Ghana. Researchers have recorded about 33 species of mammals and a wide variety of birds in the catchment area.
Further to the south is the beautiful Twin Mountains. For the lovers of hiking, there are new hiking trails recently constructed to the two peaks. It takes between an hour and 50 minutes to 2hours to climb both peaks of the Twin Mountains. The Twin mountains most often is used to avoid Afadjato that is more over crowded with tourists. The Twin Mountains is almost as high as Afadjato and offers a magnificent view on a clear day of Lake Volta. One can also see Afadjato and Mount Aduadu in the background. Trekking on a hunter’s trail in the mountains is a great experience! Make sure you get one of the specially trained guides for this particular hike.
South to Afadjato, within almost an hour walk through the cool forest, cocoa and coffee farms is the beautiful and ageless Tagbo Fall set in a lush forested arena. The waterfall has its own climate as it is set in a semi-circular rock formation with two small caves at its base. As it rushes down the mountains the whirling breeze gives a good and refreshing splash of the cool waters as if to say welcome to paradise. Tagbo Falls is a waterfall near Mount Afadjato in Ghana, located at Liati Wote, approximately 27 kilometres east of the township of Hohoe.The water falls down in several stages, with the last stage being about 60 m. high. The area is surrounded by rainforest.
The nearby Tagbo Falls and Wli Falls (the highest in West Africa) also considered tourist attractions as indicated above, features, several caves, streams and other waterfalls in the area.There is a plant species on the mountainsides that causes severe irritation. Shielded by the tropical forests of Ghana, the mountain provides a home to many species of flora and fauna. More than 33 species of mammals and about 300 butterfly species live in the ecological region. Also, regularly spotted in the mountains is the Mona and spotted monkeys. People often come to climb the mountain or observe the surrounding beauty.
A private tour operator, Jolinaiko Eco Tours has also put up the Tagbo Falls Lodge. It has five-bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms plus warm shower. It is a good base to stay for a few nights and undertake different excursions in and outside Liati Wote, such as climb Afadjato or visit the Tagbo Falls.
Price List From Tour Afadjato Ecotourism
Since there are different attractions in Wote, it is natural that tourists may have their own reasons for visiting. The price list shows the fees to only ONE attraction. This means for example a Ghanaian adult who wants to conquer Afadjato and relax at the Tagbo Falls pays GHC20.00.
GHANAIANS NON GHANAIANS
(GHC)
15.00
(GHC)
Adults 10.00
Students – Tertiary 8.00
Students – SHS 6.00
Students – JHS/ Primary 4.00
Volunteers 4.00
Organized groups adults (20 and more) 8.00 per head
Organized groups Tertiary (20 & more) 6.00 per head
Organized groups SHS (20 & more) 4.00 per head
Organized groups JHS/Primary (20 & more) 2.00 per head
Below are directions given by the owners of the website specifically for Tour Afadjato Ecotourism.
Getting there by public transport from Accra:
Take a Hohoe-bound bus. You may decide to alight at Golokwati (short form is Kwati) at the police barrier. You can either charter a taxi or take a motorbike from there to Liati Wote.
The other option is to go to Hohoe. Ask of the Fodome station at the Post Office square in Hohoe. Take the Wote bound taxi or mini bus from there.
Getting there by driving from Accra:
From Accra get unto the Tema motorway and drive towards Akosombo. Cross the Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku and drive on through Juapong and get to Asikuma Junction. Take the left turn at Asikuma Junction and drive on through Peki, Kpeve and Have. From Have drive on straight without turning (a left turn takes you to Kpando) through Avatime Fume, the Logba and Tafi towns till you reach Logba Wuinta. Take the right turn and drive to Leklebi Dafor where you turn left. This turn brings you to Liati Agbonyra. From Agbonyra turn right onto the untarred (dirt) road and drive to is Liati Soba where you do the last turn on the right to reach Liati Wote. (see the sketch →)
You can also drive on straight at Asikuma Junction (without turning left to Peki) and drive through Tsito and Anyramase Junction to Ho (the capital of the Volta region). At Ho drive past the OLA Girls Secondary School up the hills to Taviefe, Dzolo towns and Avatime till you get to Avatime Fume. This road is through the mountains, but the road is better than the road through Peki. From Avatime you drive through the Logba and Tafi towns till you reach Logba Wuinta. Take the right turn and drive to Leklebi Dafor where you turn left. This turn brings you to Liati Agbonyra. From Agbonyra turn right onto the untarred (dirt) road and drive to is Liati Soba where you do the last turn on the right to reach Liati Wote.
REFERENCES
1. Available online at, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Afadja
2. Available online at, https://visitghana.com/attractions/liati-wote/
3. Available online at, https://tourafadjatoecotourism.com/2018/05/29/liati-wote-tourist-attractions/
4. Available online at, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagbo_Falls
