Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary Travel Guide: Top Sights in Ghana,

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Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; Ghana; 5 Reviews

Suggested Duration: 3 hours

The Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary in Ghana's Upper West Region is a community-managed conservation area along the Black Volta River, home to one of Ghana's last two hippopotamus populations. Established as a grassroots initiative, it protects wildlife while supporting local livelihoods through sustainable tourism. Visitors can observe hippos in their natural habitat, explore riverine ecosystems, and experience the cultural traditions of the surrounding communities. The sanctuary spans a 40km river stretch, with guided canoe tours offering wildlife viewing opportunities.

Operators offering tours in Ghana

Happy Explore Safari *

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Reviews of Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary

Sumba Latif

4
Reviewed: 2024-07-03

I personally went there, it didn't take us to 20 minutes to spot the hippo. Nice river.
Gianluca Floris

5
Reviewed: 2022-06-24

A great example of community-based conservation site. Locals value and respect hippos; tourists can go on a rowboat tour to watch hippos and/or walk along the river to spot birds, in either case enjoying wildlife whilst causing only little disturbance to the animals. Entrance & guide fees are very reasonable, the office issues regular receipts and the money goes straight into the local community (at least it seems to). A hidden gem of Ghana, will surely come back again.
Martina Formánková

5
Reviewed: 2018-11-28

Visiting the place was definitely the highlight of my stay in Ghana! The community is super nice, I had very kind guide. Hej was sharing with me plenty of stories and interesting information about hippos, local community and others. The distance to the place is quite long, but it's really worth doing!
Khalid Zoobi

5
Reviewed: 2018-04-27

Great place. You will need a few days to enjoy all it has to offer... Camping, trail hikes, bird watching, canoe rides on the black Volta to view hippos and other wildlife...and many more. The best part is that it's a local initiative and all proceeds go to developing the community. We saw schools, water treatment plants and energy generating plants all funded by the sanctuary. Any and all support given them is truly in a good cause.
Johan van der Kruk

5
Reviewed: 2018-02-14

Simple nice attractions. Setup by the local village's. Hippos are mainly under water and you see them from far. The main attraction are the enthusiastic people and the boat trip it self.