Nzulezo Stilt Village

What could you make out of raffia, an ornament, basket, well just about the entire stilt village including guest house is built out of Rafia.

A population of around 500 lying in raffia built rooms, about 5 foot above the water level, the buildings within the village are connected by walkways. The separation of the buildings is so that fire cannot spread. Before being at its current location it was on the other side of the lake and  being windier there, flames were blown from one house to the next, burning it down several times.

Luke Bosman   Click on image to see larger version

The trip out to the village is largely by the guide punting the canoe along, the water is generally shallow most of the way. You should see a lot of birds, some up close. The water is black.

You can stay overnight (US$6) but some have reported a lot of insects like cockroaches under the cover of darkness. There is no electricity supply, so take a torch. Power for TV and music etc comes from car batteries taken to other villages to charge. Meals can be provided if cooked in advance for about US$2.

The canoe service is organised by the Ghana wildlife Society. The Amansuri Conservation and Integrated Development (ACID) Project concerns the conservation and management of the pristine Amansuri wetland and its fresh water lagoon. The wetland has the largest stand of intact swamp forest in Ghana and home to a variety of animals like monkeys, crocodiles, marine turtles and birds.

Luke Bosman   Click on image to see larger version

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Location: Nzulezo Stilt Village, Ghana Map Reference: Country/region: Ghana Map Link: Aerial photo: Getting there: By 1 hour canoe trip from Elub Access: Website: http://www.ghanawildlifesociety.org/ http://www.ghanawildlifesociety.org/projects/amansuri.html Other Useful Websites: http://www.moxon.net/ghana/nzulezo.html Email: Address: Postcode: Telephone: GWS 031 92310 Opening Times: Canoe trips run from 8am to 3pm, possibly later if you are staying overnight in the guest house. Boats do not run on Thursdays, and Sundays may be more difficult than other days. Arrange before you go if you can. Charges: US$6 per person return, for the canoe ride. US$1 per camera, possibly another 2GHS on arrival, plus a tip for the guide with the canoe. If you travel out late you may end up paying for him to stay and eat at the guest house overnight. Nearby Locations: Other Location Pages: Notes: The Amansuri Conservation and Integrated Development (ACID) Project area is within the Western Nzema Traditional Area (between Lat. 04 55’-05 13’N and Long 02 15’-02 45W).       Page Ref: Nzulezo_stilt_village Classification: Landscape Date Updated: 01/2009

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