Ghana: The Gateway to Africa
Ghana lying right at the center of the Globe boasts of its rich culture, diversity and a fair share of must-see historic monuments.
The people are warmhearted and hospitality is right at the heart of every one of the over fifty ethnic groups’ ethical values, you are definitely likely to feel at home in Ghana.
Ghana is considered a quite stable country since its transition to multi-party democracy in 1992.
Monuments and History
Along Ghana’s 500km coastline down south, lies a concentration of prehistoric castles and forts, nearly forty of them. In Accra the capital, is the Danish built Christiansburg Castle which now is used as a presidential museum after it being the seat of Government for decades until recent years. Still in Accra you should visit the James fort and artistic Jamestown one of the oldest settlements in Ghana where you can mix with the locals and get to live the Ghanaian way and learn a lot about the culture.
You don’t have to go too far from Accra to connect with the gruesome story of the transatlantic slave trade, in Cape Coast just some 150km away from the capital is the Cape Coast Castle where the guide will tell the sorrowful story of the slave trade also in the Colossal land mark is a museum where the history of the nation formerly called the Gold Coast is told. Further up north in the savannahs of the country is The Larabanga Mosque a spiritual home to the Islamic religion in the Country. The mosque was built around 1600s a date which the local’s dispute, the architecture is old Sudanese and has been retouched on to preserve one of the oldest traditional buildings in the country.
Culture
Right from January through to December will the splendour of the Ghanaian culture be on display through the numerous festivals of the various ethnic groups. A Ghanaian festival usually a week long is always climaxed with a grand durbar which is usually display the rich culture and tradition, there’s drumming, dancing, display of royalty, and feel good factor with every single festival being unique and distinctively to the other. Bakatue festival of the people of Elmina (locally known as Edina) celebrated annually in the first week of July, Hogbestsotso by the people of Anloga in the Volta Region in the last week of November, Damba by the people of the Tamale in the Northern region. These festivals mentioned are only a tip of the Iceberg. Now for something really exciting for visitors is the modern day Paragliding festival which takes place every Easter in the Kwahu Mountains. This festival barely 15 years old has really proved to be one never to miss as it is coupled with a street carnivals throughout the numerous Kwahu towns in the eastern region of Ghana.
Wildlife
In the southern parts of Ghana, the rainforests provides visitors with some incredible options for learning about plant life.
The savannahs of the north come with the adventure of the untamed Mole national park which is the perfect reward of the torrid 700km journey it takes to arrive. The park gets you up and close with giant elephants, buffalos, warthogs and over 80 other animal species. This is a park that promises with a never ending conquest by foot or by driving if visitors come with a 4WD,
Visitors are not allowed to tour the place alone and will have to be escorted by a guard. Down south in the central region is the Kakum National park where you get a bird view of a semi deciduous rainforest by walking a few hundred meters long canopy walkway just about 30m up it the skies. If visitors arrive early enough around 7:00 am they will catch up or get to see most of the animals in the monkey rich forest.
Food and Accommodation
Ghanaians really love their food, visit a Ghanaian home and you will almost be forced to have a meal before you know it, there are several traditional must try Ghanaian Dishes. Ghanaian Food is usually starchy and Fufu one of those, it is prepared with cassava and plantain pounded together and comes with a spicy soup with fish or meat. For the Grain food lovers Waakye is the one for you, rice cooked with beans and comes with stew and usually Gari a powdery flour like substance made from cassava. Ghana is not a very expensive place to live even though people will tend to expect more from tourists. Accommodation in any part of Ghana is low compared to other countries and for about $18 one can afford a decent Hotel. Ghana is a visitor friendly country and truly the Gateway to Africa.
