The Paga Crocofile Pond

P aga is located in the Upper East Region of Ghana, which is closer to the Burkina Faso Border. The place is well noted for its tourist potential, but the main leisure is the Paga crocodile pond which serves as sacred totem of the Kasena people of Paga. There are two options available if you really want to get to Paga. You can take the (one hour twenty minutes) internal flight from Accra to Bolgatanga and continue with a public transport to Paga. Secondly,you can also board the STC luxury coach or other private buses from Accra to Bolgatanga and continue to Paga. I board the intercity STC bus which took me almost 815kilometers from Accra to Bolgatanga. The next 20 km journey to Paga was not long; it was very stressful but the smooth road and comfortable nature of the STC luxury bus actually made it more exciting. I had enough information from Ghana Tourist Board in Bolgatanga before proceeding to Paga. The gate fee for visiting the crocodile pond was bodily displayed on the notice board; that is GH¢5 for foreign tourist and Gh¢3 for local visitors for a tour package to the village .I paid GH¢3 which was really good because I also received additional services such as security, tour guide, and tour information leading to the pond side The right time to visit Paga Crocodile is during the dry season, from August to November each year. The people believe that their souls reside in these crocodiles and so they handle them with care and make sure they do not provoke then. Occasionally, the reptiles come out from the pond to dry up in the scotching sun. They at times, visit homes and compounds of the natives around, but it seems the people are used to these reptiles. They have two ponds, the chief’s pond and the Zenga pond which contain very friendly but fearful crocodiles. I visited the Zenga pond in other to have the feel of the reptiles. The pond keeper was very helpful in explaining to me the method of enticing them to the shore. . The reptiles are normally enticed out of the pond by the whistling of the caretaker and the brandishing of a fowl, which the crocodiles quickly snatch with their snouts. If you are courageous, you can sit on, or hold the beast's tail for a good camera pose. The caretaker charges a fee for the fowl and basic interpretation. He presented a fowl, which I bought, from the local people I held the tail, touched the back when reptile came out her fowl, but was scared and alert in case of any attack. . . I was really excited when I had a real life encounter with the reptile, because there was enough security to protect me and so I had nothing to fear. I also took a tour through the hidden slave market that fed the southern slave selling point at the Nania slave camp. I visited the cultural and craft the village in Paga to witness the creative works of the indigenous people including colorful relics of the chef’s regalia. The rich and healthy vegetation cover and the friendly life encounter with these reptiles also took my tour to the Nania slave camp, the cultural and craft village as well as the chief’s palace as a package. There are good hotels and restaurants in Bogatanga where visitors can lodge and enjoy delicious and mouth watering local or continental dishes before going to Paga. For enquiries and Bookings, contact FKF Horizon Consult on +233 24 3566 315. Or www.horizontours.getafricaonline.com