A Wanderlust in Ghana’s Sahel outback

Promising himself to “do” Ghana’s northern outback as often as he can, PaJohn Dadson took off one day and went upcountry to visit Bolgatanga. He dwelt on the outskirts of town, travelling around the rural countryside.

It was extremely charming with picturesque landscapes and beautiful villages, he writes, wishfully looking forward to the day and appreciating what is inherently ours. Ghanaians will normalise taking frequent vacations around the country.

What’s there in Bolgatanga besides the basket markets that would make anyone want to go visit? You know what? My wanderlust will drive me out to explore the remotest experience anywhere in Ghana; so indeed, the basket market is enough to drag me up there.

But also, as you’ll discover, Bolga is within proximity of the Paga Crocodile Pond, the mysterious Tongo Hills and Tengzug Shrines, as well as within casual driving reach of the Sirigu Women’s Organisation for Pottery & Art – SWOPA. These are enough baits to pique my interest.

We arrived in Tamale on the first flight out of Accra and immediately headed to town to have an extraordinarily exciting lunch encounter at Duduhgu, a kitchen that serves some incredibly indigenous cuisine! Now, that’s another story for another day! We then hired a cab to take us on the 3 odd hours drive further north to Bolgatanga. We checked in at my favourite Bolga address – the prestigious  Akayet Hotel, and plotted our movement over the next two days.

While technically not regarded as being a Sahel country, Ghana’s northern proximity to Burkina Faso, which is in the thick of the Sahel, gets some of the vibes. Sahel just literally means “beach” or “shore”, a variant of a boy’s name of Arabic, Persian origin. But here, it is in reference to the transitional area between the Sahara Desert to the north and the savannas to the south, where the land is semi-arid, fertile and arable.

Home to a diverse population, the traditional lifestyle in these places is semi-nomadic, and one finds herders moving around seasonally to take advantage of different grazing conditions.

This lifestyle is a major part of the Sahel’s culture and economy. In Ghana’s case, however, the situation is not quite so stark as the land is less arid but typically Savannah, with its mixed grassy woodland characterised by trees being sufficiently and widely spaced out. Not far off south is the full blown tropical forest.

What an absolute feast I gifted my senses going on this trip! I love things rustic, and the encounters in this spartan environment, driving around the countryside here, felt like I was in a completely different world. You’d feel the same too if you were here, especially if you’re used to the forest south.

That’s why they say Ghana is “Africa in one country!” How true! The Savannah eco-cultural feel here is a complete contrast to the vibe given by the forest belt and very urban coast, all varieties of habitats experienced in the different regions in Africa.

The Bolga baskets, known for their bright colours and intricate weaving, are made from elephant grass, also known as veta vera. The strands are very sturdy and durable, and can be mixed with other materials like bamboo and leather to make all manner of different things besides the basket like wide brim hats. Traditionally, these baskets were used as colanders to separate millet and water.

Lately, however, they are being made into a variety of different styles and shapes with exciting patterns and form, and used primarily for storage of such household items as towels, blankets, craft tools, toys and more. They have become so popular and sought after by many people around the world, including art collectors.

Increasingly, they have become sophisticated in function, with many people using them as decorative art pieces in interior decoration. Many are truly unique pieces and consequently, this has caused it to become so pricey as they are often sought after by collectors who have the wherewithal, particularly from Europe and the US.

So, while they used to be reasonably priced here in their home base, the price is not much different from what you would pay for a piece down in Accra these days. I love the baskets! They really do add a distinctive touch to every interior and they are pleasant to just look at.

The weaving process in making them involves splitting, rolling, twisting and weaving the grass; and that afternoon, we chanced upon a couple of women in the community at work, making some. The straw is dyed in boiling water, and the weaving starts at the base of the basket,  working up to the rim. I am fascinated by the deftness of hand of these old ladies and their delicate manoeuvering.

We are in a very rural suburb on the outskirts of Bolga town, where we have been told we would find some weavers as we wanted to have some specific design of baskets made. We were not disappointed.

Earlier the day before, our second day, we made an exciting expedition to Paga, the border town here in the Upper East Region where you will find the famous Paga Crocodile Pond.

Claimed to date back to about 600 years, the locally told origin of this pond, which is considered sacred by indigenes, is that a crocodile brought a dying man to the pond to drink; and after surviving, the man declared it to be sacred, that no harm should come to the crocodiles. This has been observed since, and the pond has been made a legendary site for tourist attraction.

The tour guide who escorted us made us purchase a hen with which he used to “call” the croc that came out to greet us. You know how crocodiles usually move, rather slowly – and this one came in that way, like a reluctant child not in a hurry to play.

I also know that crocs can be dangerously swift when they want to attack so I was terribly careful standing near them, in a manner that would afford me a quick escape if I needed to! My buddy, however, was giddy with delight and went touching the reptile as he posed for his photos.

Sorry, with the sciatica pain hampers my movement, I don’t indulge in such games. I just made a picture that had both myself and the croc in the same frame. Yes, I have since used it to brag to my heart’s content and to uninitiated family and friends amusement. It was a bucket list item for me, and I’ve since struck it out!

On our way back, we made a detour and stopped by SWOPA, the centre at Sirigu well known for its basketry, pottery, traditional architecture and wall paintings. Here, one can take lessons in creating a piece of art you can take home for your mantelpiece. A have a table full of such intimate pieces I’ve created myself all over in my living space. They are great conversation pieces that you can share with your visitors.

SWOPA is quite a special place. It was founded in 1997 by Madame Melanie Kasise, daughter of a Sirigu woman who used her skills in pottery to pay for her education. Today, Madame Kasise has become such a success story – she has appeared at the UN to talk on women’s issues and hosted fomer UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Madame Kasise’s vision to get more women involved in the artisan crafts that her mother had used in educating her now boasts training over 1000 local women for free, making all the incredible arts and crafts found in the gallery here.

We spent our last night at Doxa Court Guest House, and ordered Waakye for breakfast the next morning. I’m an avid lover of that dish and what I was served from the kitchens at Doxa definitely separated the ‘chaff from the wheat’! The Dawadawa laden gravy and pepper sauce proved that this dish has its origins from these parts! It was simply so flavoursome! I don’t know if it was because the protein was ‘akonfem’.

On the drive back to Tamale, we stopped by Tongo Hills – a rocky granite outcrop rising from the savannahs, nestled in the cliffs above the village of Tenzug. Home to numerous sacred shrines – to earth (tongban), to the ancestors (ba’ar) and paramount among them, ba’ar Tonna’ab, this place was a refuge and potent symbol for those who resisted ‘pacification’ in the lead up to Ghana’s independence as the people here in the hills were among the last areas in Ghana to submit to British rule.

One of the most important cultural sites in West Africa, the hills are the sacral epicentre of the Talensi (Tale people) and an area of outstanding natural beauty and cultural richness.

Let’s do Ghana. Among other bespoke itineraries, @bentsifi curates ‘Wander in Bongo’ – an all-inclusive rustic and revealing savannah experience to Ghana’s Sahel outback. Connect for a booking.

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