Tourism attractions

The East Gonja Municipal as a whole has a potential for tourism development. The Municipality is endowed with a lot of natural attractions, historic places and cultural features that are of considerable interest to tourists. Salaga, the Municipal capital is famous for the role it played during the slave trade era as the main market centre for slaves. The present township and its surrounding villages have a lot to depict what actually transpired in the past.

Although some of the artifacts of the slaves cannot be traced due to the ignorance of certain individuals, which has led to the destruction of these treasured items, quite a number of them have been preserved. The site for the actual market place still remains in Salaga. At this place, one can still find the huge baobab tree against which the slaves were chained.

Some of the shackles used in chaining these slaves can be located at the Kpembeaur’s palace, about one kilometer from Salaga. Most of the wells dug by the slaves can also be located in the various parts of the township.

Other attractions that can be found in the town include the river where slaves were bathed before they were led into the town and another one where dead bodies were deposited.

The traditional cultures of the people of the Municipality are also an important attraction to tourists. The Damba and fire festivals of the Gonja often associated with drumming and dancing, attract a lot of people. Other attractions of interest to tourists include traditional religious beliefs and practices that prevail in some rural areas.

At Akamade, a village across the Volta Lake, there exist a footprint believed to be that of the wife of Ndewura Jakpa, the great warrior and founder of the Gonjaland. Also at Lantinkpa, a village in the northeastern part of the Municipality, a similar mark attributed to the same person can be found.

The East Gonja Municipal has one of the biggest slave markets in Ghana and also the highest density of hand-dug wells used for the bathing of slaves and the slave raiders.