Hans Cottage Botel

Combining “hotel” with “botanic,” the Hans Cottage Botel turned a corner of Ghana’s dense forest into a resort that especially caters to reptile lovers…because who wouldn’t love to share their vacation with crocodiles living in a man-made lagoon?

The staff assures all guests that these are friendly reptiles. Anecdotal history suggests they arrived by sniffing out and swiftly annihilating a fish farm, but (unless you’re a fish) that shouldn’t be a problem. Should you possess the grit, test it out on the daily Croc Tour, where guests are invited to pet the prehistoric beasts. Not to worry; the croc’s appetite will have been freshly assuaged with a paltry fish filet delivered hastily via stick by staff who, clearly, are taking no chances.

Afterward, you are invited to delight in a meal or a very strong drink at the terraced restaurant, safely on stilts well above Crocodile Lake. The lagoon is not just home to enormous crocodiles; beautiful wildlife, including weaverbirds, egrets, and monkeys, are also on display. If such an environment doesn’t compel you to don your swimsuit and get in the water, perhaps you’ll change your tune when you realize a likeness of the Virgin Mary is watching over the pool, and her lifeguarding tenets couldn’t be clearer.

Whether her “No Drowning” mandate is a warning or a reassurance to swimmers of faith, you can take whatever comfort it brings to know that you’re— by all appearances—not going out on her watch. Here’s hoping there’s a no biting sign, alongside another saintly statue, minding Crocodile Lake.

📖 Full Story Page 239