In Person Lodging Evaluation: 4.43 out of 5
Eco-tourism Lodging Rating: 3.51 out of 5
Located on the shores of the beautiful Lake Bosumtwi, Lake Point Guest House continues to carry the beauty from the lake side up the bank and hill above. Lake Point Guest House is the child of an Austrian/Ghanaian couple, it started some time ago when they were visiting Stephen’s (the male owner) home village not too far from Lake Bosumtwi. They decided to take a day trip to the lake side and visited the village of Obo, where they were surprised by the level of poverty, and the lack of school or English skills of the children. They started out by building a school in the village. Stephen’s wife was then named Queen Mother of Development of the village. They decided to make their home near the village and the guest house has grown out of their home into the great place that it is today.
On arrival after you crest over the rim of Lake Bosumtwi the green ring around the tranquil lake will be quite the lovely surprise with the view, continuing towards the lake after the navigation of a few switch back you will descend into the village of Abono. Upon entering the village a dirt track will take off to the left where after a few km you will drive through the village of Obo, not too far after the village is Lake Point Guest House. The road bisects the guest house property, below the road is a garden area with some trees, nice grass and a beach along the lake. Directly above the road is the restaurant, bar, front desk/office area. You will probably be met at your car before even making it this far by one of the gracious staff, but the bar/restaurant is a great place to relax and definitely includes the personal touches of the owners with hanging beads around the exterior and the mosaic of recycled glass and tiles that make up some of the seating and walls.
The guest rooms are scattered on the hill above the restaurant/bar they are nice self-contained huts with thatched roof giving it the feel of a village. Between the rooms are flower beds with very nice looking flowers and trees throughout the property. In addition to the self-contained rooms there is also an open air dormitory with mosquito nets on each of the beds, which offers a very affordable place to stay for people that don’t have a problem sharing some space.
Lake Point works to be sustainable by trying to encourage guests to try local dishes; they also use traditional building materials and methods. The do not have the same water issues as some other places in Ghana with their proximity to the lake, which continues to rise year after year. They are also very integrated into the community with one of the owners being the Queen Mother of Development in the nearby village.
When you are not relaxing at the bar with a cool drink, or having one of their wonderful meals there is much to do in the area. You can move down to the lake shore and continue to relax in lounges on the beach. You can take a swim in the lake, being one of the few fresh water bodies in the country that does not contain diseases so it is perfectly safe to swim in. There are paddle boats and local boats that you can use to venture out onto the lake. The lake shore all around the lake is dotted with wonderful little communities which make for a great hike along the shore. There are also some hikes that go up into the mountains and hills around the lake. One of the villages at the end of the road that goes around the edge of the lake in the other direction as Obo from Abono is said to have the most delicious pine apples in all of Ghana, you will have to decide for yourself though.
In person Evaluation
Positive Aspects of In person evaluation:
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Staff met us at our car to see how they could help us.
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When touring the property other staff members were friendly and helpful.
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The lobby/restaurant/bar area was clean, comfortable and had good visual appeal.
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Visual appeal of the general property was good even in the dry season, would improve during the rainy season due to the amount of garden landscaping.
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The beach along the lake was clean and free of trash.
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Hallways, floors, doors and walls were visually clean and maintained.
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Linens were clean and seemed to be in good condition.
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Bathrooms were clean.
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Impressions of cleanliness on online reviews were good.
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There is a night watchman for safety
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The impression of sanitation in the restaurant was good.
Aspects of in person evaluation that could use some improvement:
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Even though staff met us at our car to see how they could help us, I felt a little rushed to get out of the car what I needed too.
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Impression of customer service from online reviews indicated that it could use some work.
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Dormitory shared shower did not drain well.
Eco-tourism Evaluation
Aspects of Lake Point that brought up their Green Bug Ecotourism Index:
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Locally owned.
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Supplies are bought locally including food, crafts and other products needed.
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Employees are paid a competitive wage, above minimum wage for the area.
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Contribution to community development is a large part of their goals, they built a school building and owners wife is Queen Mother of development for the near by village.
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Have an established recycling plan.
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Guests going on day trips are encouraged to bring back waste for proper disposal.
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Bio-degrable and food wastes are composted.
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A grey water system is used.
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A septic system with approved municipal pump out is used for human waste.
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Very little use of AC systems.
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Guests and staff are encouraged to turn out lights and other appliances when not in use.
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Hot water for showers is kept at a conservative level.
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Native plants are used in landscaping.
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There is no garbage or waste on the grounds.
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Organic fertilizers are used, and no chemicals are used.
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Employees are provided training about the surrounding environment, including how the establishment is eco-friendly
Aspects of Lake Point operations that brought their Green Bug Adventures Index rating down:
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Employees are largely unable to answer questions about the environmental policies and practices of the establishment.
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There is little contribution to conservation.
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CFL bulbs are not disposed of in a responsible way.
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No solar Panels, wind generator, or alternative power systems.
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There are no activities that are energy friendly in the evening times.
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Environmentally friendly cleaning products are not used.
- Guests are not encouraged to use towels and linens for more than one night.
If you have stayed at Lake Point or have experience with it, please leave a comment below letting us know how it was.
Below are the tours in which Lake Point Guest House is an option to stay. Remember that we would be happy to tailor make a tour for you that would include Lake Point Guest House.
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