My first time walking to Wli Waterfalls felt like l was entering a different world all together. 

That 45-minute walk felt like it’s not ending anytime soon but it was rather an experience.  A thick canopy of trees stretched overhead, their branches meeting to form natural shade that cooled the air even on the hottest days. Birds sang from unseen corners of the forest, small streams ran quietly alongside the trail, and butterflies of many colors floated around, at home in the space they had always known.

It made the walk calm, beautiful, and unforgettable. In recent times, many of the trees along the path have been illegally cut down for timber, and sections of the forest have been burned. Where shade once protected visitors, the sun now beats down without mercy. The once cool, sheltered walk is broken into open, exposed stretches. The forest feels thinner. Quieter. Less alive.

The journey to Wli matters just as much as the destination. Without the forest, the walk becomes ordinary, and the magic that once defined the experience begins to disappear.

This place deserves thoughtful care and responsible protection. Conservation must come before convenience. The forest is not an extra feature, it is the heart of the experience. If the trees are lost, the birds and butterflies will follow, and the beauty that draws people to Wli will slowly fade.

Writer: Frederick Nortey