Imagine being able to examine the upper echelons of the rainforest without resorting to climbing trees. That is the premise of Kakum National Park’s Canopy Walk.
Getting there took the group through rural Ghana, a sight of which I had yet to see. We stopped at Hans Botel, a resort themed with crocodiles, as ordering food before returning for lunch would help our overall travel time.
Arriving at the park, we parked next to a scene that was vaguely reminiscent of Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, but on a far smaller scale. There was an excellent exhibit on the park and West African rainforests, creating with the help of USAID and the Smithsonian. The skull below is from a forest elephant. 
I did not know that elephants lived in forests and apparently according to the exhibit, scientists are in the same boat as they know very little about their lifestyles, family habits and even their exact numbers.
Above is the only photo of a forest elephant in Kakum National Park as they are rather solitary creatures and are exceedingly difficult to spot in the wild, let alone be studied intensely.
After a brief hike up a stone path that was almost entirely up hill, we reached to entrance to the canopy walk. Climbing up into a little building that reminded me of a tree-house, we were let out onto the canopy in groups of five at a time. The park ranger assured us that it was very safe. In fifteen years of operation, no one had fallen off and that the structures were inspected daily.
Stepping out onto the now gently swaying walkway, I took a few tentative steps and then moved across to the first stop. There are seven roped sections each separated a platform surrounding what I hope is a robust tree. We would wait there for others to move ahead and then move ourselves onto the next section.
My usual fear of heights was evident as always and I think it made me rush through the walk when I should have taken more time. Another issue was noise, particularly we Americans as our voices seem louder, shriller and more present than a rather lot of nationalities. Thus, the opportunity to see wild life at canopy level was limited. Should I visit again, there are several campsites which I would stay at and be first in line for the canopy in the wee hours of the morning.
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