Akatsi North Crocodile and Bird Ecotourism Facility

The Ave Crocodile Resort, also known as the Akatsi North crocodile ecotourism facility, is a community ecotourism site at Ave-Dakpa, the capital of the Akatsi North District in the Volta Region. It is built around a crocodile pond, where visitors watch live crocodiles, and the site is also described as a sanctuary for birds and butterflies.

The facility was pre-launched on Boxing Day, 26 December 2017, by the Akatsi North District Assembly under then DCE Hon. Dr. Prince Sodoke Amuzu, with the Volta Regional Minister Hon. Dr. Archibald Letsa as guest of honour. Plans announced at that launch included restaurants, a recreational park, a children's park, tourist accommodation and a cultural village for dance performances and artefact displays. Available sources do not confirm that these facilities were built, so visitors should treat them as announced intentions rather than existing amenities.

The site's recent history is relevant to planning a visit. The Ghana Tourism Authority closed it in 2021 after a tourist was attacked by a crocodile, and because the resort was unlicensed. The District Assembly then worked with the GTA, the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission and other agencies to meet safety and licensing requirements. The resort reopened to the public on 27 March 2024. In 2023, while still closed, the GTA named the Ave Crocodile Resort the regional focus of Volta's World Tourism Day activities.

On site, the facility is a crocodile pond with a viewing area and a trained tour guide. A buffer was created to keep visitors from getting too close to the crocodiles. Rates announced at the March 2024 reopening were GH₵15.00 for an adult, GH₵5.00 for a child, GH₵5.00 for a pre-tertiary student, GH₵10.00 for a tertiary student, GH₵10.00 for an adult in a group of ten or more, GH₵3.00 for a child in such a group, and GH₵50.00 for a foreigner. These figures are as announced in March 2024 and may have changed.

The resort is listed in the official directory of the Akatsi North District Assembly, which is the operator, with the contact address P.O. Box 19, Ave Dakpa, GPS address VW-0030-7995, phone 0362291117 and email [email protected]. Nearby hospitality in the district includes guest houses such as Enamsco and Dzorkpata, and bars in the district capital. Opening hours are not confirmed in the available sources, so visitors should check current arrangements with the District Assembly before travelling.