The name of this lodge is pretty self explanatory. Mountain paradise is tucked into the rolling, lush green mountains of the Volta region about half way between Ho and Hohoe. This is a little off the tourist path in Ghana but all the better because of it. The Volta is a great place to visit, with its many Community Based Ecotourism projects. The small community of Biakpa is surrounded by different communities with community based tourism projects, which offers tours to waterfalls, hikes, cultural experiences, and wildlife.
Mountain Paradise Lodge is a great place to take a break while checking out this great region of Ghana, or to use as a base camp, or a stop over on a hike through the Avatime hills. This is one of the few areas in Ghana were day time and night time temperatures are very comfortable and cool. This is a plus, because they do not have the constant hum of AC.
“We undertake constant environmental education campaigns and lead the communities in conservation issues. We have bought trees to prevent them from being felled. We fund community ecological conservation projects. Community development and ecological conservation are our main motivation for the project.” -Management
Aspects of evaluation which helped to raise Mountain Paradise Lodge’s Green Bug Ecotourism Ranking:
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Hiring of locally owned businesses for services like transportation and boat rental services.
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Buying of local supplies from food and craft vendors and avoiding products from endangered or threatened species including bush meats.
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Contribution to community development projects.
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Contribution to conservation projects.
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Encourage guests going on day trips to natural areas to abide by pack in pack out policy.
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Disposal of chemicals, cleaning waste and human waste in a responsible way.
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Disposal of CFL light bulbs in a safe recommended way by the EPA or other environmental regulation authority.
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Use of CFL lighting.
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No use of AC at all.
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Education of staff and guests to conserve water and power.
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Rainwater collection system
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Use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable cleaning products.
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Use of and environmental purchasing policy for all house keeping needs.
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Guests and staff are encouraged to use towels and sheets for more than one night.
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Laundry is hand washed and sun dried.
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Landscaping is clean and use xeriscaping along with native plants that blend into the surrounding environment.
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Use of organic fertilizers and no chemical pesticides and herbicides.
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Great environmental education to staff.
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Serve locally sourced foods and local dishes.
Aspects of evaluation which brought down Mountain Paradise Lodge’s Green Bug Ecotourism ranking:
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Partially foreign owned.
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Employees are not able to answer some questions about the environmental policies and practices of the establishment.
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Does not have a fully established recycling plan.
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Not all food or biological waste composted.
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No gray water system.
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No solar panels or alternative energy systems.
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No automatic water shut offs or low flow shower heads.
- One time use containers and disposable utensils and cups are sometimes used.
Positive Aspects of In person evaluation
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Staff came out and met us at our car to see how she could help us.
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Positive customer service reviews online.
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The property was clean of any garbage and landscape well maintained.
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Hallways, floors and walls seemed visually clean.
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No signs of mold on any of the bedding, or in the rooms.
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Overall things seemed pretty clean considering that it was the dry season, and looking beyond un finished details.
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All rooms were secured by locks and guests are provided with keys.
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The location feels very safe and tranquil.
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There is a night watchmen and staff that keep an eye out at night.
Aspects of in person evaluation that could use some improvement:
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Other staff on the property were pretty reserved and not really service oriented. (this changed as I got to know them and they warmed up though)
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Lack of finishing on some of the details, the craft area in the restaurant area was pretty un-organized, and dusty. Bathrooms in particular were not very finished with raw concrete work still in some of them.
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Things were slightly dusty throughout, at the time of our visit though it was the dry season with lots of dust in the air. The rooms were pretty clean though.
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Some of the linens seemed worn out.
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Showers and toilets were roughly finished which did not add to their visual appeal or since of cleanliness.
Below is the tour that we provide that includes Mountain Paradise as an option to stay at. We would also be happy to tailor make a trip for you that includes nights at Mountain Paradise.
