Welcome to Ghana - Accra - IgoUgo Accra Journal

Welcome to Ghana - Accra

Overview

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Accra isn't the most spectacular city in Africa. However, a walk through Kaneshi clothes market is an interesting way to spend a morning - a shopping mall's worth of tiny stalls full of one of a kind items from donors all over western Europe and North America. Independence Square, a large parade ground for ceremonial occasions, and an important historical site for Ghana, is also worth a visit. Sit a little listening to the sea behind you, and a friendly Ghanaian will soon come up and say 'hi'.Quick Tips: Getting from the airport is a little tiring. Although the taxi drivers who approach you in the airport will charge you a little more than those outside, I'd pick someone in the air conditio...Read More

Accra isn't the most spectacular city in Africa. However, a walk through Kaneshi clothes market is an interesting way to spend a morning - a shopping mall's worth of tiny stalls full of one of a kind items from donors all over western Europe and North America. Independence Square, a large parade ground for ceremonial occasions, and an important historical site for Ghana, is also worth a visit. Sit a little listening to the sea behind you, and a friendly Ghanaian will soon come up and say 'hi'.

Quick Tips:

Getting from the airport is a little tiring. Although the taxi drivers who approach you in the airport will charge you a little more than those outside, I'd pick someone in the air conditioned confines of the airport. Its a long trip from the airport to the city and you don't want to start it haggling with taxi drivers in the sweltering heat outside.
Oh, and change as little money as possible at the airport - rates at airports are always worse than in the city. You do need some money to get into town though, and you'll only lose out if people offer to take dollars. Forex Bureaus are plentiful in the city centre. They mostly offer the same exchange rates, but if you're feeling energetic you can often find one little place offering a better deal than the standard rate.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is always good - its the right pace to peer into shops, catch snatches of conversation and so on. Private taxis (regular cars, not minibus taxis) are a distinctive feature of even the smallest town in Ghana. Generally they charge a flat rate for travel in town, which is about ten times as much as in a minibus, but not a lot of money for a short trip (and minibuses travel fixed routes - private taxis drop you off right outside where you want to be). A word of caution - unlike in many African cities (and elsewhere in Ghana), private taxis in Accra quite often raise the flat rate price for tourists. Feel free to suggest to the driver that he's charging you more than the taxi you took yesterday (even if you didn't) and wait for a response. If he denies it, further arguing is pointless. However, he may give a sheepish grin and lower your fare. Read Less

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Crown Prince Hotel

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Hotel

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I'm strictly a budget traveller, and all entries have to be read with that in mind. Forget less than $50 a night - We're talking less than $5! - In which range the Crown Prince is a pleasant enough little venue. The sheets are changed regularly, the showers are clean (although they are down the hall, there are enough per floor not to have to queue), and there's hot water, and the place is safe. An extra plus is Juliana who helps run the hotel. She's very friendly and helpful. There's also a little bar in the courtyard of the hotel, and a fair stream of Ghanaians passing through, some of them guides and drivers who can give tips on places to see in Ghana, and maybe set up a trip. There is a kitchen...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on July 16, 2000

Crown Prince Hotel
Castel and Kojo Thompson Road
Accra, Ghana

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St George's Hotel

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Hotel

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The St George's was where I spent my first night in Accra. Although I would normally stay in places a little cheaper, my taxi driver practically refused to take me to my hotel of choice, and since it was late in the evening, I went with his recommendation; and had a very comfortable evening. The St George's is very much middle of the range Ghanaian accommodation. A single cost $18 a night, and came with in-suite bathroom, a double bed, air conditioning and tv with satellite (DSTV, broadcast from South Africa). A double would've cost half that per person, and a room with three beds a little less than that. Although there is no restaurant facility, the hotel is in the centre of to...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 16, 2000

St George's Hotel
Kojo Thompson Road
Accra, Ghana

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The White Bell

Restaurant

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The White Bell is a little spot of cool shade in the bustle and heat of Accra. The beers are cold, the menu is quite diverse (the chicken and chips is lovely) and the staff cheerful and prompt. Situated on the second floor of the building with a nice view of the street below, most travelers coming into Accra will pass through here at some point. It's a nice spot to catch up with old friends, or meet new traveling companions.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 16, 2000

The White Bell
Cnr Farrar and Kojo Thompson Roads
Accra, Ghana

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The National Museum restaurant

Restaurant

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The restaurant in the grounds of the National Museum is a pleasant enough place for a lunch (I think it closes with the museum in the evening).

The menu features a variety of well-prepared local dishes, and if you're thinking of tackling the local cuisine (see my entry under Ghana on local cuisine) this is probably a better place than most to start. I had a pretty good meal of red-red here, washed down with a very cold beer.

The prices are reasonable and the service what one would expect from a mid-range restaurant; the food won't come in a hurry, but it will come with a smile.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 16, 2000

The National Museum restaurant
Barnes Road
Accra, Ghana

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National Museum

Attraction

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The National Museum features in most travel guides to Ghana, and so it was one of my first stops when I arrived in Accra. On reflection, it may well be that people write about the national museum so much because there's not a lot else to do on Accra - or maybe people spend a great deal of time in there because its delightfully cool! The museum is fairly large, eclectically stuffed, and not well marked. Its a place for gentle browsing rather than purposeful visits. The most fascinating exhibits, I found, were those detailing the history and meaning of the various symbols used on woven cloth, chiefs' stools and printed cloth. These have been the subject of a great deal of study, each symbol having a par...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 16, 2000

National Museum
Barnes Road
Accra, Ghana

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The National Arts Centre

Story/Tip

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This is the place every tourist gets sent to by any guide or tourist book to buy Ghanaian 'things': wooden masks, carvings, fertility dolls, kente cloth, beads, brass figurines. The name is something of a misnomer. This is more a craft market than an artist's haven (those can be found in the more wealthy shopping malls). It also has its ups and downs as a place to visit. On the up side, just about any curio you can buy anywhere in Ghana, you can get here - and at about the same price; which saves you from having to lug cloth, statues and masks all over the country while you travel. On the downside, its huge and aggressive. One of the more pleasant things about purchasing goods in Africa ...Read More

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Welcome to Ghana - Accra