Kakum

Kakum National Park is one of the stunning sites to go visit when staying at Ko-Sa Beach Resort. The second biggest National Park, which is about 60km from our resort, offers a thrilling canopy walk and several guided hiking tours.

The canopy walk was developed by the Canadians in 1994 and opened in 1995. The walk contains 7 rope bridges about 40 meters high up in the beautiful hardwood trees.

Not only will the hike give you an adrenaline rush, it will also provide you with stunning views of the Ghanaian rain forest and if lucky allow you to spot some tropical birds and monkeys.

The park also offers two guided hikes (1h and 2h) either with or without a visit to a small waterfall. The knowledgeable guides will tell you all about the medicinal use of the trees found in the rainforest. After the hike you will not only have seen some beautiful sites and experienced the temperature of the rainforest, but will also understand the importance of the trees in the rainforest and their historical use within the Ghanaian context.

Medicinal Guide to Trees

As you explore the park, you are experiencing a wonderfully rich and diverse ecosystem that is home to unusual and stunning vegetation. Many of the trees that you see are valued for their timber uses and also traditionally for their medicinal use. The following is a short list of some of the common medicinal uses. Both the local and scientific names are noted.

“He that plants trees, loves others besides himself “

  • ESA – (Celtis Mildbraedi) The sapling of this tree is made into the pestle for pounding fufu (Ghanaians favourite food). The wood is also used as chewing sticks.
  • DANTA – (Nesogordonia Papaverifera) The wood of this tree is used for making the morta, the wooden bowl in which fufu is pounded. It is also used for roofing and making furniture. The best gun butts are also made from Danta wood.
  • KYENKYEN – (Antiaris Toxiaria) This tree is among the soft trees, which means that is grows very fast. It has a thick bark, which was formerly made into wearable cloths. It is also used for plywood. The deceased trees produce edible mushrooms.
  • KUSIA – (Nauclea Diderrichii) This three has the best wood for producing the morta, the wooden bowl in which fufu is pounded.
  • WATAPUO – (Cola Gigantean) This tree bears fruits like cola nuts, which are edible. Formerly, the dried leaves of this tree were used for the roofing of houses.
  • OFRAM – (Terminella Superba) This tree has a buttress system of roots and rises straight and tall to tower among other trees in the canopy. In the top of the trees there is a hole where gray parrots often build their nests. Predators are not able to climb the smooth bark of the tree, which makes it a great nesting place. Formerly, buttresses were also pounded on, as a way of communication.
  • KAKU – (Lophira Alata-Red Iron-wood) Kaku is the hardest tree. Its wood is used to make railway slippers. The bark is often sniffed to treat headaches.
  • ODWUMA- (Musanga Cercropiodes) This tree is also called the “umbrella tree”. It is named after the shape of its leaves, on the stem. The stilt roots of this tree can be cut and used as a substitute for salt.
  • ONYINA KOBIN – (Bombax – Red flowered silk cotton tree) The bark of this tree can be boiled and used as a red dye. The sap of the tree can be applied to sores and wounds.
  • NYAMEDUA – SINDURO (Astonia Boonei) In Fante “Nyamedua” means “God’s tree” a special name for a sacred tree. The sapling of this tree sprouts three branches. The branches are trimmed and placed in a compound to collect rain water. The water is used to treat childhood illnesses such as the measles and cough. Pounded leaves of this tree can be used to treat swelling and gonorrhea.
  • ONYINA – (Ceiba pentadra) This tree is also named Kapok, which means silk cotton. It has a huge buttress of root, which covers a large area on the ground. In the dry season the seeds of this tree produce silk cotton (Kapok), which is used for making pillows, mattresses and cushions. The wood of this tree is also used for producing canoes and doors. The bark can be used as enema, which treats waist pains.
  • DUBINI – (Khaya Ivorenses-Mahogany) The wood of this tree is among the best for producing furniture. Locally, the bark of this tree is boiled and turned into a drink “blood tonic”. The fresh bark is also used as an enema, to treat stomach pains.
  • DAHOMA – (Pipetades Niastrum Africanum) This tree is a hardwood tree. The sap of this tree is lethal. In the past it was used in the trails, by ordeal. An accused person would be forced to drink the sap, if they were innocent they would survive, if they were guilty they would die. The bark is used for treating toothache.