Ahanta Eco Lodge
On the move again - Destination Busua!
Ahanta Eco-Lodge is an eco-friendly lodge in the Busua in the Western Region of Ghana. The main selling point here is “eco friendly”, which is the term used for anything designed to do the least possible damage to the environment, so almost everything is natural and environmentally friendly. In addition to being a resort/lodge, it is also a professional surf school and camp with daily surf lessons on beginner & intermediate levels.
This place is a roadtrip favourite, but I had no one to take me and because of the distance driving myself was completely out of the question so I used a semi-cheat code to get there - They arrange pick-ups from the Takoradi airport (¢120 one way, ¢240 return journey) so I flew to the Takoradi airport and got picked up from there. I timed it, and the place is a 1 hour and 23 minute drive from the airport. For the most part the journey was comfortable till we were about 10 minutes to the final destination and then the road got really bad.
My driver Peter was the sweetest! He was super friendly, helpful and polite.
Check In is at 2:00pm and Check Out at 11:00am but I don’t think they’re super strict about that. I got there and was shown my room immediately. There are 8 rooms in all - I booked a “Double Room with Private External Bathroom” on Booking.com for $40/night. My booking turned out to be a standard double room opposite the outdoor shower.
I love ceiling-to-floor windows, so I loved the look: I found it very calm and pretty. Unfortunately it wasn’t very clean. On the surface it appeared to be, but if you looked closely, yikes. There were these tiny (harmless I’m sure) bugs on my bed in the night and I couldn’t figure out where they were coming from. There was a sound, I think a bird, that went on for hours sometime around 6:00pm and later around midnight. Lord! I was ready to go outside with a slingshot. Imagine my horror when I had to shower at cold 6:00am and there was no hot water. I get the eco-friendly theme, but this is a necessity😩. The woman on duty offered to get me some but I declined, it seemed a bit long to me.
The mattress was super comfortable! And even when I turned off the airconditioner the room was still really well ventilated, to the point that I didnt need to use it throughout the night.
Another plus - sockets. I counted at least 7 in my room, and they had even the USB ones. There were some outside the door too. I can’t tell you how necessary that was for someone like me whose batteries are almost always low.
All rooms come with basic soap and towels but you need to bring the rest. All the rooms are essentially double rooms with 2 being “Double plus”, basically, double rooms with space for extras. With the exception of Rooms 1&2 which are Budget Rooms, all rooms come with ensuite bathrooms. According to them, the rooms are all powered by solar panels. Rooms 4, 7 and 8 have airconditioners but the rest rely on fans and natural air. There is a terrace on the first floor next to Rooms 1&2 that is open to all.
For those interested in booking a stay, they have a “Weekender package” which starts from $150 and includes:
2/3 nights in a private room at Ahanta Eco Lodge
Breakfasts
Dinners
Surf lessons and
Free use of surf equipment during your stay and
Optional Yoga lessons.
The regular rates for rooms is ¢250 for double, ¢90 per extra head and ¢160 for budget.
Room 1 & 2 (Budget rooms)
They’re both on the first floor and use the outdoor shower opposite Rooms 7&8.
Room 3 (Standard Double)
Room 4 (Large Double)
Room 5&6 (Double+Extras)
All rooms come with breakfast.
There is a restaurant on-site but the menu is neither broad or fixed: there are daily specials, and for things like lobster etc you need to order early. They have a number of cocktails for ¢15-¢25, and the food goes for ¢10-¢30. I tried the honey garlic chicken and fried rice first. The chicken tasted like regularly spiced chicken, not honey garlic but it was still really nice.
For dinner I had mashed potatoes and chicken which was also good.
The food takes about 45 minutes, so order well ahead of time.
Sidenote, they dont have bottled water, so if like me you’re picky about that bring your own. I’m pretty sure that is because plastic is pretty much the most non eco-friendly material and goes directly against the theme. If you do take your own, please take the empty bottles back with you.
Ghanaian Sunrise (Grenadine, Fresh Orange Juice, Local Spirits) - ¢16
Honey Garlic Chicken And Fried Rice - ¢30
Mashed Potatoes And Chicken - ¢30
The main activity here is surfing. There are yoga classes organised too, just ask one of the staff to schedule one for you. The lodge isn’t on the beach like I initially thought, but it’s a walking distance away. In addition to their surf lessons they have packages for people willing to try it out.
They have surf camp packages from $380 which include:
7 nights in a private room
Breakfast
Optional dinner
Optional yoga
5 surf lessons with experienced and skilled instructors
Free use of surfboards
One day trip to another beach and/or historical site with lunch and water included
One sunset trip to Dixcove town and a guided tour of Fort Metal Cross
Pick up/drop off in Takoradi and
Help arranging day trips and assistance with any other practical matters
and surf trip packages for both intermediate and expert for $750 which include:
9 nights at Ahanta Eco Lodge and / or beach camp
Breakfast
Free use of surf equipment
Your own surf guide
Trips to the best surf spots in Ghana
All transportation between surf spots and
Pick up and drop off in Takoradi.
Its a very quiet (for the most part) and peaceful vibe. Like I mentioned before, its a roadtrip favorite and a tourist one too. It’s all very “natural and organic”. The prices are really good too, you could plan a whole weekend here for under ¢1000. The service was good, everyone was really pleasant and helpful. Dont forget to bring bug spray, its essential (And bottled water, dont forget).
You can reach them here if you have any questions or would like to book a room.