Kwahu paragliding, an adventure you can't miss

Ghana has numerous festivals in the regions to attract both domestic and international tourists.

Kwahu Easter festival stands out as one that has shaped tourism in Ghana because of its successful performance over the years. The festival takes place during the Easter period, known as the Kwahu Easter and later infused Paragliding because of its benefits.

The event is held annually during the Easter period in the Kwahu in Eastern Region to promote tourism in the area as thousands of people both natives and tourists all over the world visit to Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, See Ghana and Feel Ghana. Kwahu is a very popular place most Ghanaians as well as tourists go for their Easter holidays. The chief of Kwahu Traditional Council is Daasebre Akuamoa Agyapong II.

Aside him, there are some prominent personalities who are also from Kwahu who has one way or the other contributed to the development of Kwahu and they are Dr. Kwame Ofosu Bamfo the owner of Alisa Hotel, Mr. Ernest Bediako Sampong the founder and CEO of Ernest Chemist Limited and also Mr. Bernard Twum-Barima the project manager at Midwest Company Limited.

This place is known typically for its exhibited cultural value, amusement opportunities like cave hiking, zip lining activities, carnivals and street jams and the most that attracts people a lot both domestically and internationally during the festive season is the paragliding. Kwahu is also a tourism hub in Ghana as it has some amazing tourist sites to visit aside the Easter paragliding festival in the month of April.

The stone city as one of these tourist sites is located at Kwahu Amartey. A visit to the stone city will expose one to more than 50 different naturally shaped rocks like crocodile rock, independent ark, sofa rock and also oware rock. The Bruku rock is located at Kwahu Tafo and it is believed to have saved people of Tafo and its environs. The Abetifi Stone Age Park which has an artificial waterfall and ancestral cave was once a place where people lived about 13000 BC according to research. Another is the popular Odweanoma Mountain which is mostly where the paragliding takes place.

The paragliding festival was started in 2005 to promote both domestic and international tourism by the Late Hon. Jake Otanke Obetsebi Lamptey who was then the minister of tourism and modernization of the capital city. After its introduction, the event has drawn many enthusiasts to Kwahu and positively impacted the local economy in relation to transport business, tour operations, hospitality establishments, souvenir sellers, and entertainment industry among others. Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport.

The Kwahu Easter paragliding festival as it brings people all over the world and all the regions in Ghana, it helps establish friendship as people get to interact with others and also fosters peace and unity. It also creates employment where people get to sell and also pilots get invited for the paragliding and this in return generates revenue for the country.

The Paragliding festival has attracted both Ghanaians and foreigners alike and has become an integral part of the annual Easter celebrations in Ghana with 3-days aerial fun, ceremonies and music. Activities done during this paragliding include health walk, fun games, kings of the mountain, indoor games, live music, tour packages. The event rekindled the hitherto dying Kwahu Easter Festival and transformed Easter celebration.

In line with the tourism sector’s vision of making Ghana a leading tourism destination in Africa, paragliding festival was instituted to help achieve this goal. Paragliding provides a unique addition to the range of attractions which are common to most sub-Saharan countries. This sport has made Ghana the destination of choice for tourists to sub-Saharan Africa.

Among the health benefits of paragliding, it also helps build a strong core, which helps with balance, posture and stability. This aerial sport engages ones deep core muscles which strengthens the body and reduces the risk of injury during exercises and activities. Paragliding is also known to release stress and for those who have the fear of heights (vertigo) and want to face that fear, paragliding is one of the most adventurous and exciting sport to participate in to help boost your self-confidence.

Imagine how it feels to sense the breeze on your face, to see the uninterrupted 360-degree astonishing views of the landscape around you as the birds do. Picture yourself dancing through the skies as you experience human flight in its purest form.

Take the opportunity this Easter celebration and have an idea of how it feels to partake in paragliding. Apart from being a lot of fun and a memorable experience, it also allows you to view the world from a unique perspective. Besides that, paragliding offers a variety of advantages for your physical and emotional health.