Ghana

Overview

Ghana is a country in West Africa . It's a gratifying destination for first-time visitors to West Africa (it's sometimes called "Africa for beginners"), owing to its good infrastructure, political stability and widespread use of English. The people are generally very helpful and welcoming. While their laid-back attitude and a lack of organised tourist sights or trips can be a little annoying, you'll quickly realise that it is one of the delights of this country.

Tourism in Ghana is growing quickly, and tour operators are seeing increased requests for Ghana as a travel destination. Ghana has gold mines, and is a stable country with good potential for growth.

There is archaeological evidence which shows that humans have lived in what is present day Ghana from about 1500 BC. Nonetheless, there is no proof that those early dwellers are related to the current inhabitants of the area. Oral tradition has it that many of Ghana's current ethnic groups such as the multi-ethnic Akan, the Ga and the Ewe arrived around the 13th century AD. However, the Dagombas are believed to be the first settlers, having been fully established by 1210 AD, before the arrival of other ethnic groups. Modern Ghanaian territory includes what was the Empire of Ashanti, one of the most influential states in sub-Saharan Africa before colonial rule. Its capital, Kumasi , was said to be one of the most vibrant and impressive cities in pre-colonial Africa, but was largely destroyed and looted by the British during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War in 1874.

Places to explore

There are 16 administrative regions in Ghana: Greater Accra region, which includes the country's capital, the Northern Region which is the largest in terms of size, Eastern Region, Western Region, Upper East Region, Upper West Region, Central Region, Volta Region , Oti Region, Western North Region, North East Region, Ahafo Region, Savannah Region, Bono East Region, Ashanti Region , and Brong Ahafo Region which is the second largest.

In addition, the forts and castles of Elmina , Cape Coast, Butri, Apam , Abandze, Komenda, Axim , Dixcove, Shama and Senya Bereku are collectively listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List .

Sights and landscapes

For many visitors the history of Ghana starts with the slave trade , and interaction with Europeans, but there was a long and rich history before that. Remnants of thriving civilisations can be seen in the Northern region, at both the Larabanga mosque which dates from the 15th century and the 16th-century Nalerigu Defence Wall.

With the growth in power and prestige of the Ashanti Kingdom in the 17th and 19th centuries, the capital Kumasi also grew and now contains a number of historic sights.

However the slave trade did leave its mark on Ghana, with forts built by the British, Dutch, Danish, Germans, Portuguese and Swedish dotted all along the coast. Excellent examples of these can be seen at both Cape Coast and Elmina , these forts give a glimpse of the time of slavery and a view of the last sight of Africa for thousands of people, are UNESCO World Heritage sites .

Ghana is blessed with an abundance of natural treasures, from beautiful beaches such as those at Kokrobite and Winneba, where you can relax with a cocktail, enjoy a stay at a beach front hotel or watch the fishermen at work. Alternatively you could take the waters inland instead, Volta Lake created by the damming of the River Volta at Akosombo in the mid-1960s to provide a source of electricity to Ghana also provides a wonderful viewing point from the dam or trips out onto the lake itself or you can take a trip on the River Volta instead at Ada.

In the Ashanti region not far from Kumasi is Lake Bosumtwi, a 10.5 km diameter meteor impact crater lake, which was created by a meteor strike approximately 1 million years ago, as well a being extremely picturesque the lake holds a spiritual significance to the Ashanti, whose traditional belief asserts that souls of the dead meet the god Twi at the lake.

Culture and food

Traditional food is fun to try and easy to enjoy. Fufu, the most widely served traditional dish, consists of pounded balls of yam, plantain, or cassava served with a variety of soups and meat or fish stews. Soups are typically made of groundnuts, palm nut, okra and other vegetables. Banku is a fermented corn version of the dish typically eaten with grilled tilapia fish or okra soup.

Rice dishes are also typical, but not considered a "real" meal by many Ghanaians, males especially. Jollof rice is a dish as varied as its chef, but generally consists of white rice cooked with vegetables, meat pieces, spices in a tomato based sauce. Waakye is a mix of beans and rice, typically served with gari, a powder of ground cassava. Often rice dishes are served with shredded lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes on the side with a dollop of Heinz salad cream or mayonnaise. Such meals are extremely cheap from street vendors and cost GH₵1.50-2.50.

Plantains, yams, and sweet potatoes are prepared in various ways and serve as small snacks. Kelewele, a spiced fried plantain snack, is especially delicious. Fresh fruits such as pineapple, mango, papaya, coconut, oranges, and bananas are delightful when in season and come when applicable by the bag for as little as 10 cents.

Planning your route

In Takoradi, the passenger train runs from Takoradi to Kojokrom, and then joins the branch line from Kojokrom and ends at Sekondi. It is very common to see the train carry freight from Nsuta or Tarkwa to Takoradi.

Roads are variable. In Accra most are fairly good. Significant improvements are being made on the main road between Accra and Kumasi. Most of the roads outside Accra apart from the major ones are dirt tracks. The road between Techiman and Bole is particularly bad and should be avoided if possible. For travel on most roads in the North of the country a 4×4 is required, a saloon car will cope with some of them in the dry season but is not recommended.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.