Koforidua and the Eastern Region

Why the Eastern Region is such an easy win

Of all Ghana's regions, the Eastern is the one you can enjoy on the least time. It rises just north of Accra into the cool, forested Akuapem and Kwahu hills, and within a couple of hours of the capital you can be standing under a waterfall, buying beads at the country's best market, or looking out over the plains from a mountain ridge. For visitors short on days, or wanting a break from the city heat, it is the obvious choice.

Koforidua, universally called Koftown, is the friendly regional capital and a natural base, though much of the region is easily reached from Accra itself. As a Kasoa-based team who run day trips and short breaks up here every week, we rate the Eastern Region as the best value for effort in the whole south: big rewards, short drives, no need for internal flights or long hauls.

The region also suits travellers who cannot face heat all day. The Akuapem and Kwahu highlands are noticeably cooler than Accra, and the forest keeps the waterfalls fresh and shaded. For families with children, older travellers, or anyone easing into Ghana in their first days, it is a gentle, rewarding introduction that never demands too much of anyone.

Getting to Koforidua

Koforidua lies about 85 kilometres north of Accra, roughly a two-hour drive depending on traffic leaving the city. The most scenic route climbs the Akuapem ridge through Aburi and Mamfe, past the botanical gardens, before dropping towards Koforidua; the faster route runs via the Accra to Kumasi road. Either way it is a short, manageable journey, which is exactly why the region works as a day trip.

Because the sights are spread across the hills and some are down rural roads, a car with a driver-guide makes the difference between a relaxed day and a stressful one. We can do it as a single full day from Accra or as an overnight if you want to take your time. Our Accra day trips guide puts it alongside the other easy escapes.

Boti Falls and the rock formations

Boti Falls, near Huhunya northeast of Koforidua, is the region's headline sight: twin waterfalls that the locals call male and female, dropping side by side into a pool at the foot of a long flight of steps down through the forest. The falls are fullest in the rainy season, and after heavy rain the two streams are said to meet, a sight locals treasure. It is a lovely, green, cool spot.

Close by are two more curiosities: the Umbrella Rock, a huge mushroom-shaped boulder you can stand under and climb onto for a view, and a rare three-headed palm tree. A short guided walk links them. Together they make a satisfying half-day of gentle hiking and photography. Our hiking in Ghana guide covers this and other walks.

Local lore adds to Boti's appeal. The two falls are traditionally regarded as male and female, and after heavy rain, when the two streams swell and meet at the base, it is seen as a rare and auspicious sight. Whether or not you catch that, the walk down the long staircase through cool forest, loud with birdsong, is a pleasure in its own right.

The famous bead market

The Eastern Region is the home of Ghana's glass beads, made by the Krobo people, and Koforidua's Thursday bead market is the best single place in the country to buy them. Stall after stall is heaped with strings of recycled-glass beads in every colour, from tiny seed beads to bold statement pieces, and prices are far better than in the Accra craft shops.

If you want to see how they are made, the workshops around Odumase-Krobo and Somanya, including well-known bead factories, let you watch the whole process, from grinding old glass to firing the beads in clay moulds. It is a genuine craft experience and a great place to buy meaningful souvenirs. Our souvenirs guide helps you shop well, and our textiles guide covers Ghana's wider craft traditions.

The Krobo beads themselves have deep cultural meaning, worn at naming ceremonies, puberty rites and funerals, and given as heirlooms. At the workshops you can watch recycled glass being ground, layered into clay moulds with patterns, and fired in simple kilns, then strung. Buying a strand you have seen made, and understanding what it signifies, turns a souvenir into something with real weight.

The Akuapem ridge and Aburi

On the way up from Accra, the Akuapem ridge is worth building in. Aburi, perched on the ridge, is famous for its botanical gardens, a cool, green, colonial-era park of huge trees and shaded lawns that feels a world away from the city below. The drive up the ridge gives long views over Accra and the coastal plain, and the air is noticeably fresher.

The ridge villages have a genteel, hill-station feel, with woodcarvers lining the road near Aburi and easy walking. It pairs perfectly with a Boti or bead-market day, or stands alone as a gentle half-day escape. Our dedicated Aburi Gardens and Akuapem ridge guide covers it in full.

The woodcarvers along the road near Aburi are worth a stop in their own right. Generations of families carve stools, masks, drums and figures here, and you can watch the work and buy directly at far better prices than the Accra galleries. As with all such buying, a little polite negotiation is expected and the quality rewards a careful eye.

More across the region

The Eastern Region has more than a single day can hold. Akaa Falls offers another pretty cascade, Bunso has an arboretum and canopy walkway among tropical trees, and the Kwahu plateau to the north, around Atibie and Nkawkaw, comes alive at Easter with its famous paragliding festival and a big diaspora and local crowd. The Volta and the Adomi Bridge lie on the region's eastern edge.

All of this makes the Eastern Region a place you can return to, doing a different loop each time. For most visitors, though, the classic combination of Boti Falls, the bead market and the Akuapem ridge is the perfect introduction, and it slots neatly into any Accra-based trip.

When to go and what to expect

The waterfalls are at their best in and just after the rains, roughly May to October, when Boti is full and the region is at its greenest, though trails can be slippery. The drier months give firmer footing and easier driving, with the falls reduced but still flowing. The hills are pleasantly cooler than Accra year-round, which is part of their appeal. Note the Thursday timing if the bead market is a priority.

Bring comfortable shoes for the steps and short walks, water, and a light layer for the cooler ridge. It is a safe, easy and welcoming region, well suited to families and older travellers because the walks are short and the drives manageable. Our best time to visit guide helps with the seasons.

The proximity to Accra is the region's great practical advantage. You never need an internal flight, an overnight is optional rather than essential, and you can be back in the city for dinner. For travellers with only a few days, or a spare day at the end of a longer trip, it delivers real Ghana without eating into the schedule.

It also works beautifully as a first excursion. Guests who have just landed and want to shake off the flight often start here, with a gentle day of gardens, beads and a waterfall, before committing to the longer drives of a fuller itinerary. It eases you into the country's rhythm.

For photographers, the region is generous: the tiered greenery of Boti, the ordered rows of Aburi's gardens, the riot of colour at the bead market, and the long views from the ridge all reward a morning of decent light. We time the day to catch the best of it.

And for shoppers, between the beads, the woodcarvers and the roadside produce, the Eastern Region is one of the better places to pick up gifts with real local character, at prices that put the Accra tourist shops to shame.

If you have a second day in the region, the range widens further. Akaa Falls makes a quieter alternative to Boti, the Bunso arboretum suits nature lovers, and the drive up onto the Kwahu plateau opens long highland views. Spreading the sights over two gentle days rather than one full one is the more relaxing way to do it, and it leaves time to linger where you please.

The Kwahu plateau and Easter

North of Koforidua the land rises to the Kwahu plateau, a cool highland of ridge-top towns like Atibie, Obo and Mpraeso above the escarpment town of Nkawkaw. It is beautiful walking country, and at Easter it becomes the scene of Ghana's best-known homecoming, when the diaspora and city crowds pour in for the Kwahu Easter festival and the paragliding that launches off the cliffs above the plains.

Outside Easter it is a quiet, scenic escape, with long views, fresh air and a slower pace than the plains below. The plateau links naturally to a broader Eastern Region trip and rewards travellers who like their scenery with a bit of altitude and their crowds kept for one weekend a year rather than every day.

If your visit falls around Easter, book well ahead, as the whole plateau fills up and rooms are scarce; we can advise on timing and secure arrangements early.

A sample Eastern Region day

The classic loop packs a lot into one full day from Accra. Leave early to clear the city traffic, climbing the Akuapem ridge for a first stop at Aburi Gardens in the cool morning air. From there, drop towards Koforidua, timing a Thursday for the bead market if you can, and browse the stalls for Krobo glass beads at prices the city cannot match.

After lunch, drive out to Boti Falls for the walk down through the forest to the twin cascades, with the Umbrella Rock and the three-headed palm nearby. As the afternoon cools, it is an easy run back to Accra, tired and happy. With an overnight in Koforidua you can spread all this over two gentler days and add Akaa Falls or the Bunso arboretum.

It is one of the best-value days in the whole country, and we time it so nothing is rushed and the market and falls are seen at their best rather than at their busiest.

Practical notes for the Eastern Region

The Eastern Region is easy, but a little planning pays off. Time a visit for a Thursday if the bead market matters, and aim for the drier months if firm footing on the Boti steps is a priority, though the falls are fuller after rain. The ridge and plateau are pleasantly cool, so a light layer is worth having even when Accra is hot and sticky.

Comfortable shoes for the short walks and steps, water and sun protection cover most needs. Facilities are good, with hotels in Koforidua and lodges on the ridge and plateau. The region is close to Accra, safe and very used to visitors, which is part of what makes it such a stress-free escape from the city.

Traffic leaving Accra is the main thing to plan around, which is why we start early. For choosing your season, our month-by-month weather guide helps you pick the right window.

Let us plan your escape from Accra

The Eastern Region is genuinely easy to enjoy, but a little planning turns a good day into a great one: timing the bead market for a Thursday, hitting Boti before the crowds, and linking the ridge on the way so nothing is backtracked. That is the sort of detail we handle without you having to think about it. It is the perfect trip if your time is short but you still want to see real Ghana beyond the city.

As a Kasoa-based team, we run these routes constantly. We can pick you up from your Accra hotel or from Kotoka, drive you up in an air-conditioned car with a driver-guide, and shape the day around what you fancy, whether that is falls, beads, gardens or all three. Tell us your dates and we will make it effortless.

Send your dates and group size on WhatsApp or the enquiry form and we will come back with a tailored plan and a quote for Koforidua and the Eastern Region.

Questions people ask