Dunkonah: ‘Paradise Found’

Picture a place of nature-focused peace and tranquility, graced with gorgeous beaches around, proper accommodations, 3D cinema halls, world-class shopping malls and restaurants serving superbly fresh foods. Picture you are in Dunkonah.

Situated about 20 km west of central Accra, Dunkonah -- which is near Weija in the Ga-South municipality of the Greater Accra Region -- embodies the new cosmopolitan Accra.

Over the years, the rise in economic and industrial activities in Ghana’s capital Accra has become a city choked with traffic and having a poisoned atmosphere -- to their delight, some people have discovered the laid-back nature of Dunkonah and want to keep the serenity of the place their special secret.

Dunkonah, a native Ga word that literally translates as ‘The Edge of Smoke’ has an unrivalled natural and historic beauty, making it the choice place to live within the Ga-South Municipality.

Sparse population -- which at the last national population and housing census in 2010 was about 486,000 in the Ga-South Municipality -- geographic richness and environmental focus add up to a treasure trove of thrills for nature lovers, especially those who are also crazy about beaches, hiking, fishing, canoeing and bird-watching.
Noticeably, the place is endowed and surrounded by the beaches which tourists and vacation dwellers desire.

Big Milly’s, Musteen Beach, Kokrobite Beach, and Bojo Beach are some of the country’s major and finest seashores that are within Ga-South Municipality. There is also a cluster of mini-beaches around the area that are well-kept and clean, comparing well with any top-notch beach in the world. The air around the beaches smells sweetly briny. Light reflected from the shore-waters intensifies the golden glow of dawn and sunset, as well as the eye-hurting brilliance of mid-day.

This is a sharp contrast to the experiences of beach crazed residents in central Accra, who often have to travel many miles to catch sight of a pristine beach such as the ones in the Ga South Municipality. The La Beach and others in central Accra for years have been considered environmental and security concerns.

Perhaps that is the reason the Ga South Municipality seems to display a special ability to draw people and tourists to the area.

Asked to isolate a particular area that serves as the heart and soul of the Ga South Municipality, most locals would answer Dunkonah.

No wonder Dunkonah has in recent times emerged as the one of the places of choice for people who are looking to relocate.

The imminent opening of arguably the biggest shopping mall in West-Africa, West Hills Mall, is proof of the quality-of-life being experienced in Dunkonah’s tranquil area.

Already, floor space in the Mall has completely been leased out to renowned brand and retail outlets such as Shoprite, which is currently operating 10 metres from the West Hills Mall construction site.

Dunkonah is also home to the country’s only 3D Cinema operator, Silverbrid Cinemas. Although other areas in the capital play host to amenities which define the quality of life, residents and visitors to Dunkonah enjoy the advantage of free-flowing traffic on the world-class George Bush Highway, otherwise known as the N1 -- which is also the connect road between Greater Accra, Central and the oil-rich Western Regions.

But leisure, shopping, entertainment and transportation are not Dunkonah’s only attractions which have become the envy of many suburbs in Accra. Accommodation is also one of Dunkonah’s little luxuries. The breathtaking housing developments at the place, led by Sunda (GH) Real Estates Limited, offer an insight into a trendy gated-community lifestyle that is no dream but a reality.

Sunda (GH) ’s Fortune City for instance -- a fully-serviced 150-acre estate development enclave, that lies about 600m behind the West Hills Mall -- appeals to the appetite of upper middle-income earners and successful people who yearn for a life in a gated community, where access to some basic amenities such as water, electricity, tarred roads, swimming pool, fitness centre, tennis court, security, privacy and exclusivity are all within reach.

Indeed, Fortune City is the tangible future -- and it is all the more amazing because it represents a place that embraces nature. Nature thrives and flourishes in a place where the environment and atmosphere is pure and have not been polluted by industrial activities, thus offering an incredible range of flora and bird-life to explore as well as different natural environments for recreation.

One just has to picture hiking on rocky hills. Picture canoeing on rivers bordered with green vegetation, and the only sound coming from songbirds, jumping fish, and bees buzzing through trees. Picture the family on a white-sand beach sunbathing, swimming, and building sand-castles. Picture fishing here, there and everywhere. Picture an area filled with clean air while shopping or watching an award-winning movie on a 3D screen.

If you are in Dunkonah in the Ga South Municipality, you won’t have to picture anything. All is abundantly available.

By Evans Boah-Mensah | B&FT Online | Ghana