Manchán Magan (www.manchan.com) writes:
In Cape Coast the Gramophone Records Museum and Research Centre has gone. The staff of the Cape Coast Centre for National Culture have no idea what happened to it.
Wassa Domama Rock shrine project is still working well and their guest house is open. WASSA DOMAMA, BOX K3, CAPE COAST, Ghana, My Guide was FRANK ARTHUR and his number was +2230246616086.
The Sanbra Hotel in Kumasi is a fine hotel. C44. Free internet access in the lobby. The owners advise that all valuables be left at reception. The restaurant is still as great as always – enormous meals.
The Ejisu Hotel (C25) is spotlessly clean and they seem to be taking account of the report on Bradt Update of a robbery. They sent ‘the boy’ with me to buy my dinner at the chop house by the roundabout.
The Video City Hotel (C20) in Mampong is as grimier and run-down as you reported, but the owners are wonderfully welcoming. The restaurant runs out of food early. I was sent to the Obama Chop House for my rice and chicken.
The Star and Moon Guesthouse in Banko is great, though there mightn’t be much for tourists to do in the area.
It is important to stress that it is now easy to get to Nkoranza for the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey sanctuary via Mampong. From Mampong to Ejura costs C2.50 in a taxi, and from Ejura to Nkoranza is C3.
The shared taxi station is now in the New Market of Nkoranza, which is at least 2km from the excellent Hand in Hand Centre at St Theresa’s Hospital.
In Tamale, the Picorna Hotel (C39 per room) is a bit dingy, but the staff are so charming that makes up for it, and the restaurant is excellent, though sweltering. I heard great reports of Swad Fast Food off the Bolgatanga Road.
Regarding getting to Mole National Park, I think it is best to get the early morning Metro Mass Tamale to Wa bus as far as Larabanga, as it is so straight-forward to get a motorbike or taxi to Mole from Larabanga (between C7 and C10 for a motorbike ride). The bus leaves Tamale at around 6.30am, until it was 3 hours late leaving when I travelled. This bus cost C14, as opposed to the direct Mole NP to Tamale bus I took back, which cost C6. The dorm in Mole NP costs C24.
In Ho, the Freedom Hotel is now known as the Bob Coffie Hotel. The cheapest room is C50.
The two short walks in Amedzofe to the German cross and waterfall (both C5) are wonderful and the guides are charming. It was the only village in Ghana where I saw litter bins. There are far longer walks through forest that can also be arranged. The fact that the Akofa guesthouse has a kitchen provides a lovely opportunity for travellers to cook with the produce in the market. I see that people have already posted on the Ghana Update blog about the relatively new Abraerica Hospitality Hotel.
The Biakpa Mountain Paradise lodge was the highlight of my trip, although beer at C5 and 1.5 ltr water at C2.5 were a bit expensive, as was the room, which cost C45.
I stayed at Water Heights Hotel at Wli Falls (C50; breakfast C8.50) and at the wonderful German-run Waterfall Lodge (C37; breakfast C5.90), which is closed on Tuesdays. Breakfast at Waterfall Lodge was the best I’d had in Ghana.
