Ghana

Advertisement

Eric outside NYB Craft stall, Ghana

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.

Advertisement

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.

Ready to go?

These tours & activities make it easy:

Tips & articles

  1. The 11 best street foods worth blowing your diet over

    27 April 2012

    You’re on holiday abroad exploring a local market. Suddenly an enticing aroma encircles you and makes you turn your head...

    Read more

  2. Irish bars around the world

    12 March 2012

    Once a religious holiday within Ireland, St Patrick’s Day is now an international celebration. We’ve scoured our travel guides and chosen a...

    Read more

  3. Globetrotting for chocoholics

    19 January 2012

    Love chocolate? Discover how to feel full of beans on this non-stop choc-focused tour of the planet.Flanders, BelgiumBelgians love chocolate...

    Read more

See all tips & articles for Ghana

Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. funspirit avatar
    RE: Going Going Ghana (selling the shirt off my back)

    by funspirit 28 May 2012

    admirar- i went during the dry season, so it wasn't so bad, but hotel employees tell me that during the rainy season, there are SWARMS…
  2. admirar avatar
    RE: Going Going Ghana (selling the shirt off my back)

    by admirar 28 May 2012

    Blog content aside, I am curious: as someone who mosquitoes love, how bad were they for you in Ghana?
  3. scottyheather avatar
    RE: scam private messages

    by scottyheather 27 May 2012

    Only $300,000 this time from Ghana. Cheapskate!

See all Thorn Tree forum discussions for Ghana

In our shop

See all shop products

Travel Insurance

Going to Ghana? Make sure you're covered.

Get a quote

See all travel services

Advertisement