Visiting Ghana can seem like a scary thing to do solo, especially if you don't have family and friends there like I do. So this post is to give you a little insight about Accra, Ghana; Where to go, what to eat and how to get about.
Getting out and about
When you arrive in Ghana, you'll be at the Kotoka International airport. I didn't know until I had to get my flight to Tamale in the north, that there's a second, smaller, airport behind Kotoka International and it's the Kotoka Domestic airport. As a side note, if you do take a Domestic flight, ignore the request to arrive 4 hours early at the airport; they don't even open check-in until two and a half hours beforehand.
The main way to get about in Ghana is by car. If you're looking to use public transport, there are trains but not many people attempt to use them and the only current service is to Tema. The only real way to get about by public transport is to use 'Tro Tro's which are public minibuses that depart from a number of stations such as Tudu, situated in the heart of the market.
Now there are varying levels of safety and comfort offered with the higher levels coming at a slight premium; you can read about both experiences in my upcoming blog (Volta Region) when I 'picked' the safer STC minibus to Ho, and returned on the cheaper, not-so-safe Tro Tro from Hohoe. Up that way you also have the option of using shared taxis and 'moto's which are the Ghana equivalent of tuk-tuks.
Hiring a car, although convenient, carries a number of risks. The roads in Ghana are not the easiest to manoeuvre with thick traffic jams frequenting the main junctions, motorbikes weaving in and out of traffic and people walking between cars selling a wide selection of products from food and nuts to phone cases and sponges. When you get off the main roads, the roads are rough and unpaved with huge potholes and in some places, very steep speed bumps that will scrape the bottom of your lovely new hire car. So, you can either get a 4x4 and drive extremely carefully, or you could also hire a driver.
Taxis are a very popular way to get around, and they are easy to 'pick' off the side of the road or at certain junctions where they tend to gather. They are easy to spot with bright orange panels but are usually pretty run down and dusty with air conditioning costing you extra. You can negotiate the price with the driver before you get in and they will take you wherever you need to go.
Ubers have started to become popular in Accra, and have become the go-to method for locals to use on short trips within the city. Bear in mind that for long trips out of Accra, you will likely be charged extra for the driver to pay for petrol to get themselves back to Accra - so the price quoted on the app will not be what you pay. No, you can't currently pay via the app, it's usually cash on arrival or mobile money.
Shopping
Ghana is a great place to go shopping with many options available at any given turn, from roadside little tin shops to sellers with products piled up on top of their head weaving between traffic all the way to huge busy mega markets that you shuffle through shoulder to shoulder. The spirit of the market places is captured beautifully in this Ghanaian artist's work; Anne Blankson-Hemans (also an aunty - in Ghana you call those older than you aunty or uncle out of respect).
The largest market in Accra is Makola market, it's not for the faint of heart as you need to be prepared to get lost in a sensory overload of sound, sight, feel and smell. People shouting, selling, babies crying, animals clucking, bleating or whatever their native sound. Colours everywhere, reels and reels of cloth in wonderful patterns, mothers with babies on their back wrapped tightly by a thin piece of cloth. Dried herbs, spices and roots in all shapes and sizes, sweet-smelling tamarind to stinky brown dawadawa. Be prepared to feel like a sardine stuck in a single file passageway through stalls upon stalls of strange unknown items.
This is exactly how I used to feel at the slightly smaller food market, Kaneshi, when my grandmother used to take me as a little girl.
For more familiar, organised shopping centres, you can go to Accra Mall. Or for the ultimate tourist experience, you can enjoy the (literal) Oxford Street of Ghana in Osu. Osu is a definite must when you go to Accra, and I'd add that the Papaye restaurant there is a must for fried rice and chicken. When you're done with your shopping in the more tourist-focused market stalls and shops, you can head over to Osu castle and then on to the Black Star Square for your insta-snaps.
I can't write about the Ghana shopping experience without giving a shout out to this small business in Haatso who my very own Aunty modelled for, Wear Ghana! With a modern take on Ghana prints, this brand was developed by two university friends with the aim to contribute to the development of their community and elicit pride in Ghana-made products. As an added bonus, Wear Ghana is supporting the Autism Awareness, Care & Training Centre (AACT) by donating GH₵5 for every item purchased from their DITA collection.
Charity
Down the road from Wear Ghana in Haatso, you will also find the Autism Awareness Care & Training centre (AACT) set up in 1998 at a time where there was a considerable lack of understanding of the Autistic spectrum disorder, by my same crazy Aunty who was posing for Wear Ghana. Their mission is to support individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder; AACT envisions a society in Ghana that is more inclusive and sensitive to the needs of those with autism.
As Serwah Quaynor writes on their website; in Ghana having a child with autism can be viewed as a curse on the family, the mother is labelled a witch, and mother and child are shunned by society. Many people are not seeking the necessary help that they need; instead, they are hiding these children at home, locking them up in their rooms, or denying them their basic human rights. Violent beatings have not been uncommon in the past!
AACT have been a breath of fresh air bringing awareness and education on the subject and providing a safe haven for children and families. If you can find time on your trip to volunteer with them, please get in touch with them. If not, consider donating to support their cause and the children who have found a place where they can be themselves and have the care they need.
Food
One of the best things about Ghana is the unique food that you will never find anywhere else in the world! It's worth trying all the weird and wonderful delicacies while you're visiting, although be warned that some of it is an acquired taste!
Street Food
It is rare to walk along a street without some sort of manually set up stand on one side, or at a junction selling very cheap food. You will find that certain street food is sold at specific times of the day and you will rarely find it outside of those hours. Most popular at breakfast time is my all-time favourite rice dish; Waakye. This dark brown rice is cooked with waakye leaves and black-eyed beans in a large metal pan on the roadside and is offered up with a boiled egg, noodles, stew and shito (a shimp based hot pepper condiment). You'll only usually find this sold in the mornings.
A popular mid-day snack is Chofi and fried Yam with shito. This naughty snack is fried turkey tails and actually got banned in 1999 for being too tasty (well it's pure fat and was proving to be hazardous to the health of citizens, I imagine due to overconsumption). It's unclear whether it's making a comeback, or even if it's legal now, but you can still find a stand selling it if you know where to go!
For something a bit sweeter, or more refreshing, you will find coconut stalls selling fresh coconuts that they skillfully cut in front of you allowing you to drink the water as a quick way to rehydrate before cutting it in half and using the shell as a spoon to scoop out the tasty coconut flesh. And some stands sell sugar cane, cut up into pieces for you to chew and suck on all the sugary juice and then spit the remaining cane out!
Now if you're heading to the beach in the evening, you'll likely spot the smoke from the bbq where they're cooking Kyikyinga, Ghana's street kebab. There have been rumours as to what meat is used to make these tasty, spicy kebabs but it's usually Gizzard (chicken's stomach), Goat, Beef or Pork. My favourite version is the Goat. The beach isn't the only place you'll find it, it's also popular on a night out so you'll see them located near bars as people come out and grab one on the go.
Coming to my absolute favourite nighttime snack, you will find this sold fairly late into the night as the Ghanaian equivalent of a post-partying snack; Kelewele. This is plantain chopped into small pieces, coated in ginger, garlic and other delicious spices and deep-fried. It's sold with bags of unsalted peanuts (nkateɛ in twi) and my mouth is watering just writing about it.
Restaurants and Bars
Ghana is full of great eating spots, which makes sense seeing as food is such a big part of the culture. Aside from the street food mentioned above, some of my favourite Ghanaian dishes are Red Red, Jollof, Banku and Okro stew, Fufu and Ground Nut soup, Kenke and Fried fish - and there are plenty of restaurants or eating spots that specialise in exactly these types of traditional food like Buka Restaurant in Osu.
There are also loads of new spots opening up as Ghana becomes a tourist hot-spot making other types of food, like Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine and American cuisine so don't panic if you aren't ready to dive into some Tatale and Aboboi just yet!
Moka's in Labone had a really modern twist on their Ghanaian Jollof rice, as well as some fantastic Lebanese dishes in their modern resto-cafe. I enjoyed a tasty avocado smoothie with my meal which is always a win for me! And I mentioned it already but Papaye in Osu has the tastiest fried rice and chicken I've ever had!
For a night out, you will not find it difficult to find somewhere to dance and let your hair down - just follow the sound of music which blasts loudly from rooftop bars, beach bars and nightclubs. I had a blast at Kona's rooftop bar where I could barely hear my own thoughts let alone speak to my friend Taz, but I couldn't help feeling the music and bopping along to it with my cocktail! Another favourite is +233 Jazz Bar, and Chez Afrique where you can experience live music.
If you want to really party like a local, then you can head to Purple Pub where you can pick up one of their famous blue cocktails (which are very strong might I add) and grab a seat on the party street along with everyone else having a good time with their friends. Or you can start dancing in the street with some of those who can't resist the music... like me. Just a word of warning, however, if you need to pee (or otherwise) you really aren't going to like their outdoor concrete hole-in-the-ground toilets that STANK with piss and who knows what else and are definitely not hygienic. But with Covid-19, you should have your hand sanitiser on you so at least you can feel somewhat germ-free following.
Day out
There are plenty of places where you can go for a day trip or experience a different part of Ghana. Accra has many beaches where you can relax, grab some food or go for a swim; my top beaches are Bojo beach where you get a boat across to a pure white sand island and can enjoy a bar, food, fresh coconuts and go for a swim, and Millie's which has a fishing village vibe as you will see fishing boats along the beach used by the locals- you'll often have local artists and creators selling their work on the beach for very reasonable prices.
Ada is in the eastern part of the Greater Accra region and is located both at the beach and river estuary; it is located right where the Volta River meets the Atlantic ocean. Its coastline is lined with palm trees making it a popular place for beach resorts which in turn host beach parties like the ones planned by @ghanaexcursions.
A spot not to miss is the Aqua Safari overlooking the Volta River, as well as being a large sought after resort where you can stay in a luxury experience, it opens its doors as a leisure location where you can dine, swim, ride horses, go on jet skis, boat rides and so much more! For my little cousins, playing 'marco polo' in the pool following an eat-as-much-as-you-can buffet was enough to knacker them out and mark this as a top experience.
Not far from Ada, PramPram is an up and coming coastal town around 45 minutes from Accra (if the traffic isn't too bad) and has a beautiful coastline. For this reason, beach resorts have started to pop up along the coast as it attracts more and more visitors from Accra. I visited the Ocean Green Beach Resort while I was there with its outdoor pool which my little cousin dived straight into, as we sat overlooking the ocean eating our burgers, fries, fried chicken and yam. On the way out, I could see the kebab stand setting up getting ready for the evening where more people would come to have some drinks and relax by the beach.
There is so much more you can do in and around Accra, but these are just a few of the places I visited, things I tried and enjoyed in my very few days in Accra.
See you there soon!
Mary-Daisy x
P.S Apologies for the quality of some of the photos, I think you can tell which ones I borrowed from my trips more than 10 years ago as opposed to the ones from my most recent trip in November!