Maaha Beach Resort is a class apart. I call it “an inviting expanse of bespoke indigenous hospitality carefully blended with nature.” Located in Anokyi in Ellembele District of the oil-rich Western Region of Ghana, Maaha Beach Resort derives its name from the raffia vinifera or bamboo palm, a tropical plant with hard woody stem, known locally among the Nzema people who live in the area as maaha. Instead of concrete, the property’s exterior designs and construction has been crafted with maaha, giving it a traditional village yet exotic ambience.
I visited the resort as part of a group comprising media and tour operators on a familiarisation tour of the Western Region for the 5th Accra Weizo West Africa tourism expo. The visit was brief, but the impression lingers. We were there for lunch and site inspection after a river cruise to the famous Nzulezo Stilts Village, a UNESCO World heritage Site in Beyin.
I think what makes this place unique is the fact that it’s very close to nature. When you come around, you will see these high coconut trees that give you the impression of being in some Caribbean country, but we are still in Ghana. …this place should be an example for most African countries to promote what (they) have. Everything was built by local artisans with local materials… I think this is the best destination in Ghana.
Jean-Jacques Mass
The lunch was good, very good and the staff were warm – maybe because they knew who we were. I doubt if that really made any difference. It’s hard to imagine a place like this will compromise its services by employing staff with no proper training. The staff is an eclectic and dynamic mix of highly skilled Ghanaian, Ivorian, Portuguese, and Nigerian nationalities and the multilingual nature makes communication very easy.
The rooms looked cosy and I can only guess what sleep comfort would be like. Again, the property was fully booked and we were only able to see two rooms of the combine total of about 150. It is obvious that business is booming for the resort.
We had a little chat with the General Manager, Jean-Jacques Mass and a while later on we got to meet the owner of the property who gave us some background information about the resort.
Maaha Beach Resort was officially opened in June 2017. The room categories include Standard, Deluxe, and Executive Rooms, Junior Suites, Executive Suite and Presidential Suite. Each of these has either sea or garden views, and is spacious and fitted with modern technological gadgets, Wi-Fi access and the trappings of world class resorts to make your stay both comfortable and memorable.
The resort boasts of multiple outdoor pools, a beauty spa centre and fully equipped gym, buffet and a la cart restaurants, Spanish bar and pool bar, a 30-seater movie theatre, tennis court, snooker, children playground and variety of indoor games, while the seafront is perfect for fun activities like beach soccer, etc. when tides are low.
Conference facilities are available and can be customised to suite client’s needs and requirements.
The resort offers a luxurious boat cruise to Maaha Village, a nearby island where you can engage in exciting water-sports activities like Jet-ski, Kayak, banana boat, balloon boat, water mat etc. There is also an exclusive Party Bus serving drinks and canapés for group merriment.
Nearby attractions include: Ankasa Nature Reserve, Cape 3 Points, Fort Apollonia, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial, Nzulezo Stilts Village, Ghana Gas and Atuabo Gas.
The resort offers car rental services and local tour packages, while it accepts MasterCard and Visa credit cards, bank transfers and cash as payment methods.
Maaha Beach Resort is located 30mins from the border with Cote d’Ivoire, which makes it quite a stretch if you’re arriving from Accra by road. The journey could last as long as six hours. An option is a local flight from Accra to Takoradi, and then you take a 1-hr-15-mins-ride from the airport to the resort. Thankfully, the resort offers shuttle services from Takoradi Airport and Kotoka International Airport, Accra. Its 30-seater Party Coach and 10-seater Mercedes bus has toilet facilities and butler services to make your journey extremely comfortable.
Maaha Beach Resort is one of Ghana’s best well-kept secret and it is waiting for you to discover its charms.
*****
This review was done in June 2019 and was initially published on morecreamthancoffee.com
