Introducing Ghana
In Ghana life is public. People evacuate their homes and apartments every day to escape the stifling heat. And much like the patterned cloth worn by market women, the disparate parts and peoples somehow mix and weave together into a cohesive whole. Ghana is home to a number of diverse peoples and cultures, all finding ways to coexist in a rapidly modernising country. You’ll see men and women in traditional clothes text messaging friends and suited businessmen taking offerings to tribal chiefs.
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Ghana has no iconic natural calling card like Victoria Falls or Kilimanjaro, but one look at a map reveals a geographic blessing: hundreds of kilometres of coast shared by beautiful beaches, like those at Busua & Dixcove, ruined European forts, such as Cape Coast Castle, the poignant reminders of the country’s importance as a way station for African slaves, and the battered shacks of lively fishing villages. Accra is the commercial and cultural motor of the country, while Kumasi is the traditional home of the Ashanti, and is famous for its crafts. In the Volta region to the east, where the geography was given a facelift by the Akosombo dam, you can still find substantial swathes of forest crawling up mountains along the Togo border. And finally the North, which offers opportunities for wildlife viewing up close and personal, stretches across the horizon like an overcooked pancake to the Burkina Faso frontier.
Compared to other countries in the region, Ghana is stable and prosperous, but this valuation is in part founded on hopes for the future. The country is often labelled ‘Africa for beginners’, and while you’ll likely be welcomed by the people in a hot, sweaty clinch, the same way the sun grabs hold of you the second after you step outside, getting around is by no means easy.
Last updated: Aug 23, 2010
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Recent posts
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Drinking water in Togo
by jesperff 0 replies, last post 05 September 2010
I'll be in Ghana (2nd time) and Togo (1st time) later this year. Last time in Ghana there were no problems with drinking water, I usually…
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Ghana in one week? (Things to do around Accra)
by thesneets 3 replies, last post 01 September 2010
Hello everyone, I am looking for a travel destination during january, and after ruling out a few locations I had in mind, I am focussing…
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Travelling to Berlin and discussing human rights and democracy
by icdemla 0 replies, last post 25 August 2010
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Ghana
Our Top Picks For Ghana
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1 Beach life
Soak up the rays and Rasta vibe at a beach resort in Axim, Busua, Anomabu or Kokrobite.
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2 Past life
Tour the castles at Cape Coast and Elmina to learn about the history of slavery.
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3 Wildlife
Engage in a staring contest with a bus-sized elephant in Mole National Park.
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4 Hiplife
Take in Accra’s club scene, the birthplace of some of the region’s most popular music.
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5 Village life
Rough it in one of the community tourism projects, such as the stilt village at Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary.
Fast Facts about Ghana
- Borders
Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo
- Time
GMT/UTC
- Telephone
Country code 233; international access code 00
- Money
Cedi; US$1 = C1.41
- Seasons
Wet (late April to October), dry (November to late March)
- Area
238, 537 sq km
- Population
21 million
- ATMs
Available
- Capital
- Budget
US$30 to US$50 per day
- Languages
English, Twi, Ga and Ewe
Our favourite Ghana Blogs (beta)
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Win Recycled Bolga Baskets
Blog: This is Ghana: All the stuff the guide books leave out...and more. - 31 August 2010
We’ll be holding recycled Basket giveaways over at G-lish too. If you want a chance to win one of these be-you-T-full baskets, wherever you are in the world, subscribe to G-lish! Winners will be announced at the end of the month. Meanwhile, if you can’t wait that long, and you’re in Ghana, you can find the baskets at Trashy Bags in Accra. Check out Trashy Bags videos for more info on their brilliant work in the capital of Ghana.
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Warning: Recycled Baskets Contain Love
Blog: This is Ghana: All the stuff the guide books leave out...and more. - 30 August 2010
WARNING: As a Recycled Bolga Basket I should mention that I’m created from 230 “pure water” plastic bags, and over 2 yards of scrap cloth. Yes—I was once waste, but I’m now rather striking don’t you think? It’s all thanks to the brilliant, basket-weaving communities of Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region of Ghana who will be able to buy medicine and pay school fees when you buy me. That’s because they get paid fairly for creating me.
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One Basket = One Tree
Blog: This is Ghana: All the stuff the guide books leave out...and more. - 29 August 2010
Another positive aspect of the recycled Bolga basket project is that for every basket sold the producers plant a tree in the community. Currently they are planting mango trees, the most popularly requested, since mangos provide excellent shade during the extremely hot season and have a natural cooling effect. They are the coolest places to be when outdoors during the hot season.
