Accra Shopping

Centre for National Culture

#1 of 39 things to do in Accra

#1 of 994 shopping in Africa

3 reviews | Write a review

Good for: Buying souvenirs, travelers with limited time, buying traditional crafts

  • Address
    • 28th February Rd Central Accra
  • Phone
    • tel, info: 021 664099
  • Hours
    • 09:00-17:00

Correct these details

Lonely Planet review for Centre for National Culture

A warren of stalls selling arts and crafts and known simply as the Arts Centre, this is the place to shop in Accra and the most visited site in the country. The level of aggressive hassling may make you want to keep your cedis in your pocket but if you have the patience and wherewithal, you can come away with good-quality handicrafts from all over Ghana.

 

Traveller reviews for Centre for National Culture (3)

  • Avatar
    To write a review sign in, register or   Connect_light_large_long
    Recommend
     
    Add your experience “ ”
    Say more…
  • Avatar

    Exhausting, but I wish I bought more.

    amanda8404 recommends this,

    This market mainly has stuff like wood carvings, jewelry, soccer jerseys, and the kind of stuff you can buy for souvenirs. Like most places and things in Ghana, buying involves haggling. The first price offered is much higher, two to ten times higher than what you are likely to pay. This was my first trip to a country where that is the norm, and I found it really tiring. I read some really good advice in a guidebook about haggling, which was that you shouldn't feel like people are trying to rip you off because you are a tourist. It is just how they do it, and if you pay more than someone else it isn't because there was actually some true price for the thing and you caved too soon, it's because you were ready to say okay faster than someone else. This market was where the shop keepers actually told me that I should not accept their first price, so again, they aren't trying to rip you off. I think it is easy to get preoccupied with getting to the rock bottom price, but the whole experience is much better and easier if you just focus on what you are comfortable paying, instead of what you think someone from Accra would pay. The tiring part for me wasn't that I cared so much what I ended up paying (especially because even the starting prices are usually much cheaper than you would pay almost anywhere in the US), it was just that buying something requires a big to-do almost every time. Even with help from my sister-in-law who has been there for a few months and did all the work, at that point in the trip I couldn't bring myself to buy very much.

    That is a shame because now I can't believe I didn't buy more. I ended up with a woven fan (extremely useful in the heat and humidity), and a bag and a skirt made of patchwork. The city and market itself were so overwhelming that I didn't notice all the little details about the fan until much later, and it really is a beautiful thing. Until I got used to what I was seeing, it was almost like not having glasses on.

    Also, as you walk through, people will come up and introduce themselves and ask you where you are from. I had some really good conversations this way, but the end is always an invitation to their shop and you have to say no a million times. I found that "maybe" is not worth saying. My advice is not to try and avoid talking to people because you don't want to get pressured, because you can't and I didn't feel super pressured anyway. They just asked and I said no and then they talked about something else for awhile. I was just waiting for other people and had decided I was done shopping, so that probably helped.

    All in all: I thought other markets were more interesting because this one had mostly souvenirs, but the souvenirs are nice things. Like everything else, buying stuff requires a lot of conversation.

    Good for: Buying souvenirs

    report
  • Avatar

    good place to find handicrafts at a fair price

    juliopohl recommends this,

    report
  • Avatar

    brings the craft villages to you when you can't go to them

    carobbine recommends this,

    Definitely worth a visit, maybe even two. You can chat to the people who weave kente, or carve drums, or mold pottery, and especially in the evening near closing time, they are more than willing to show you their trade and answer questions that you have. It's amazing to see firsthand the work that goes into the products that they sell - and prices here are cheaper than the Arts Center in Accra. The convenience of having all the different types of traditional crafts in the same place means that you can learn a lot in a comparatively short amount of time.

    Good for: travelers with limited time, buying traditional crafts

    report