GHANA- LAND OF SUNSHINE
Ghana, a nature lover’s delight is a retreat combining the charms of the tropical beach accentuated with a fascinating historical heritage, rich culture and interesting wildlife national parks. In comparison to other African countries, Ghana is quite stable and prosperous and is often labelled as ‘Africa for Beginners’ because of its reputation as the friendliest nation in Africa. Tourists travelling around Ghana would often come across the word ‘Akwaaba’ which means ‘Welcome’ hence bringing a smile to everybody’s faces and making it a memorable destination.
Ghana is an independent republic situated in West Africa bordering Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo and the Gulf of Guinea. The word Ghana stands for ‘warrior king’ earlier having its name Gold Coast which became a British colony in 1874. After gaining independence from UK in 1957, Ghana became a democratic country and a member of many international organizations like Commonwealth of Nations, African Union and the United Nations. Ghana is blessed with natural heritage. Visitors can tour through the grassy plains to the dense jungles being developed into nature parks for ecological loving tourists. Ghana has two main seasons wet from April to October and dry from November to March. It is thus advisable to carry light wear clothes along with some mackintosh.
ECONOMY
Ghana’s economy is based on the availability of abundant natural resources including gold, diamond, cocoa, timber, bauxite and manganese. Ghana still remains to be the world’s top gold producers and the second largest producer of cocoa in the world. The main sector in the economy is thus the mining industry producing gold and diamonds. The discovery of oil has also led to big oil industry producing most of the petroleum products consumed by the local market. The major export of Ghana is cocoa along with timber and pineapples. Like other African countries Ghana depends upon subsistence agriculture employing 56% of the population though the industry sector is also flourishing gradually. The currency of Ghana is Cedi which is quite stable making Ghana one of the more economically sound countries in Africa. Ghana also has a very active stock market establishing a significant record in economic growth.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
The people of Ghana are peace loving and the country has not witnessed ethnic conflict rising to civil wars like many other African countries. There is a wide range of ethnic groups consisting of Akan, Mole-Dagbon, Ewe, Guan and Gurma. English is the official language however most of the people also speak one local language. Christianity is the main religion consisting of almost 70% of the population. Islam is the second major religion and some Ghanaians follow traditional African beliefs.
Being an ethnically diverse country, the culture of Ghana is a mixture of all ethnic groups which is most evident from the Ghana cuisine, their art and clothing. Tourists can enjoy the Ghana culture by participating in their festivals celebrated with great pomp and joy like Homowo, Sandema, Odwira along with various rituals of child birth, puberty, marriage and death. Ghana is also very popular in the sports world especially in football as in 2009; it became the first African nation to win FIFA World Cup bringing pride to the continent. Visitors can also take pleasure from the Ghana music and dance which are known for their diversity. Several Ghanaian artists like R&B and rapper Tinchy Stryder have gained international success. There are different dances for different occasions like Kpanlongo known as ‘dance of youth’ and performed at political rallies and festivals and Adowa known for the elegance and complexity of the dancer’s movements hence fascinating the audience.
ACCRA
This capital city of Ghana is one of the most exhausting and exhilarating city to visit famous for its hip life and highlife in Ghana. The National Museum exhibits Ghana history and culture through displays on royal stools, state umbrellas and swords. The Makola Market is one of the most busy, colorful open market of Africa where the travellers can admire the business expertise of the Ghanaian female traders. The National Theatre having Chinese architecture holds regular musical plays, show and dance for tourists to enjoy. The old Lighthouse near James Fort is another attraction for tourists to take a splendid view of the city and the busy, colourful shipping dock. Other popular attractions are the Du Bois Centre, significant venue for Pan African world; University of Ghana, a centrepiece of Japanese architecture and the Accra Handicraft Market where it is often said that shop till you drop. Many traditional crafts, cloths and kente are for sale at the Centre for National Culture. The Osu Night Market is also worth seeing illuminated by hundreds of lanterns and candles. Another shopping spree is the Timber Market displaying animal skulls, live and dead reptiles and strange powders. The La Pleasure Beach or the Labadi Beach is a very accessible beach in Accra often bustling with tourists on weekends.
ATTRACTIONS
There are a number of attractions in Ghana due to its rich history. Ghana is still proud of its 42 European forts and castles all recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Monuments.
• Tourists can admire the architecture of Larabanga Mosque built in the style of former Western Sudanese Empires. It is a religious site for the local Muslins housing the holy Koran and is believed to be a ‘God built mosque’.
• The Kakum Nature Reserve is a popular national park in Ghana having protected conservation area for wildlife like monkeys, antelopes and water buffalos. The park has amazing tree houses from where the visitors can view stunning wildlife from the tree top walk away.
• The famous two fishing villages Busua and Dixcove are known for having the best beaches of Ghana. These villages are blessed with a long, sandy stretch of water ideal for swimming and wind surfing. Tourists can also visit the site of spectacular Fort Metal Cross overlooking the port.
• Lake Bosomtwi is popular among tourists who like water activities like diving, swimming along with mountaineering. There is also a multi day canoe tour through the mangrove Forest of Ankobra River.
• Travellers interested in the history and heritage of the country can take a trip to Elmina Castle, St. Jago Castle and Cape Coast Castle which are recognized as World Heritage Monuments by UNESCO and are very well preserved.
• Tourists looking for adventure can hike through Afadjato Mountain and Togbo Falls suitable for all age groups. Ministry of Tourism also offers hiking tours to Aduklu Mountain.
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
There is only one international airport, Kotaka international airport situated in the capital Accra catering flights to Europe and North America. British Airways, Emirates, Alitalia, American Airlines and Lufthansa Airlines are some of the main airlines having frequent flights to Ghana. Ghana International Airlines is the national carrier having regular flights to London and New York. Entering Ghana by road from the border countries is also possible by entering from Burkina Faso or from Togo and Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire through STC buses and Peugeot bush taxis. These long distance taxis are quite comfortable and the roads are in good condition. Ghana also has two main ports at Tema and Takoradi where ships run from Cameroon, South Africa and other neighboring countries.
Ghana has good communication facilities as compared to other African countries. Internet facility is available across the country and is very popular increasing the demand. There is a good coverage of mobile telephones and several companies have roaming agreements with Ghana. The postal service takes about two weeks to reach Europe through airmail. The media in Ghana is quite independent having a free press without any restrictions by the government. There are daily and weekly newspapers in English along with privately owned Radio and TV channels all broadcasting in English.
FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION
It is quite easy to find international cuisine in most restaurants and hotels in large towns serving Chinese, French and European dishes. Tourists must also try a great variety of local traditional dishes prepared by many restaurants especially the mouth watering seafood and prawns served at the coastal areas. Many national specialities can also be tried like bushmeat (Akrantee), cassava couscous served with avocado (Akyeke) and Kenkey which is prepared with hot peppers and fried fish more popular in the Accra region. Palm wine and coconut juice are very common drinks along with Zom koom prepared from toasted millet flour in water.
Ghana offers a wide range of accommodation suiting the budget of all travellers. There are basic beach hut lodgings in popular beach resorts made from local materials and good international standard hotels located in the capital. Visitors have a choice of hotels, hostels, park lodges and guest houses all over the country having good facilities and in proximity to most tourist attractions. Camping and caravanning is also possible in national parks like Aburi, Akropong and the Shai Hills. University campus in major towns like Accra, Cape Coast and Kumasi are also available at reasonable rates.
Ghana is increasingly becoming a major tourist destination because of its natural beauty, palm-fringed beaches colourful traditional festival giving an insight to the African culture. The warm friendly people of Ghana have made it a success to coexist tradition and modernity in this rapidly developing country.
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