LIATI WOTE AFADJATO-TAGBO ECOTOURISM CENTRE
WELCOME TO LIATI WOTE, HOME OF AFADJATO & TAGBO FALLS
Away from the hassle and bustle of urban life, tucked away in the quietness of the mountains that form part of the Akwapim-Togo ranges is nestled under the foot of Afadzato, the highest mountain in Ghana, the beautiful touristic village of Liati Wote. Wote is a haven for a getaway any time all year round. Hike up the mountains, take a nature walk, immerse yourself in an authentic African village life or just relaxing at a serene waterfall to enjoy the peace of nature. The warm and friendly people of Liati Wote would make your visit a memorable one. Woezor! You are welcome!
Brief History of Liati Wote
Liati Wote is one of the nine towns that constitute the Liati Traditional Area. The ancestors of present day Liati Wote were part of the Ewes who migrated from Notsie due to the tyranny of their King Agorkorli. They first settled in the Akwapim-Togo ranges. Later, they migrated further down the mountains to where Liati Wote is located today.
The name Wote comes from the simple sentence Ewe sentence “Ewɔ tẽ” because the people realised that gardens grow well on the land. The E is a pronoun referring to the land; “wɔ” means fertile and “tẽ” is garden egg. Thus, Wote literally means “the land is suitable for growing garden eggs.
The meaning of Afadjato
The name Afadjato is the corrupted form of “Aʋadzato”, a noun from a whole sentence meaning the mountain which you go to war with the bush to climb. The forest parts of the mountain are covered with a certain plant, called “edza” in Ewe language, which causes severe skin irritations. When our forefathers first settled under the foot of the mountain, there were lots of wild animals that they hunted for game and also to protect themselves. They used to go on hunting expeditions in the forest on the mountain. Unlike today when we have trousers and long sleeves to protect us from the “edza” plants, the hunters’ bodies were much exposed and therefore suffer lots of body itching whenever they go hunting. Hence whenever the hunters or farmers climbed the mountain, it was like being “at war” with the plants and so they named the mountain “Aʋadzato”. “Aʋa” in this case means war and “to” means mountain.
However, the Ewe language alphabet “ʋ” could not be pronounced by the European writers so the pronounced and wrote the name as they heard it for their own comfort. They replaced the letter “ʋ” with the English letter “f”. Besides, the Ewe alphabets do not have “j”. Thus “Aʋadzato” became Afadjato or Afadzato.
The meaning of Tagbo.
There are several variants of the story about how river Tagbo got its name depending on whom you talk to. When the people came to settle in Wote, they had strange experiences in connection to their main source of water. The villagers therefore consulted an oracle which revealed that a powerful spirit ruled the river. This spirit revealed itself as the “Tagbo” or overlord of the river. “Tagbo” is the same as “Togbui” in the local Ewe language. Accordingly, the river was named Tagbo. The people of Liati Wote consider the river Tagbo sacred, and till today a number of taboos such as not fishing in the stream are associated with it.
The Afadjato-Tagbo Ecotourism Centre
The people of Liati Wote, led by the chief Togbe Kodadza V, started a community-based ecotourism project in the 1980s. This was aimed at protecting the environment and conserving our natural resources, preserving and promoting our rich cultural heritage and thus ensuring employment and security for future generations. The Liati Wote Afadjato-Tagbo Ecotourism Centre is under the direction of a constitution enforced in 2011. It is run by a Board in charge of policy direction, and a Management & Staff unit responsible for the day to day activities.
Tourist Attractions
In Liati Wote: (These highlights could be hidden and pop up with the curser hovering over tourist attractions. Detailed information provided after an introduction)
– Hiking tour to Mount Afadjato (highest mountain of Ghana)
– Hiking tour to the Twin Mountains
– Hiking tour to the Tagbo Falls
– Cultural Tour of the village
– Palm Wine tapping and local gin distilling
– Farm Tours
– Traditional drumming and dancing
– The Afadzato-Tagbo Falls festival (last Saturday in October)
The peak season starts from March (6th March is always a busy day) through to July and then from October to December. The low season of August and September is mainly due to the heavy rains during this time of the year. Also, there are no public holidays during this time. There are few visitors between January and February. However, visitors have lots of activities to occupy themselves with the year round either to conquer the highest mountain in Ghana and other interesting peaks or to relax at the refreshing and beautiful Tagbo Falls. Lovers of culture will love their stay to experience the rich culture and hospitality of the people of Liati Wote.