Butre & Akwidaa

Darco writes:

Hideout Lodge (Butre):

Huge recommendation for this little hotel. We slept in a treehouse and we were very impressed by the friendliness of the staff (a much desired attribute that missed in most hotels we visited) and the quality of the food and room we stayed in. Price/Quality was excellent so if anyone is looking for a secluded spot at the beach please consider this location.

Batenstein Fort

Quite a negative experience for us visiting batenstein fort in Butre. We have been coming and going to butre a couple of times because we came back for hideout lodge when first staying there, having a good experience and coming back to it after green turtle lodge and we saw when we arrived and left from the trotro spot, a small simple wooden shed, which read “tourist office”. Now before we went to batenstein we saw this office at least four times, none of the times it being occupied.

We went to search for the path up the hill to the fort and from the bridge to hideout we took a right (afterwards we saw we should have taken a left). We walked through forest on a little footpath, came across a wateringhole and some people who would only show us the way “for something” so we just said hi and moved along. Finally we found what we thought was the path and through a very interesting climb we reached the fort. We enjoyed some nice views and we saw from there a path had been made that went directly into the village. So when we were done seeing the fort we went back down along the path. When we came back down into the village however we were in for a rude surprise.

A man came up to us saying we were to pay for visiting the fort and that we had to follow him to the tourist office (which was until then unoccupied on all occasions). We were asked to pay 10 cedi for seeing it even though it is nowhere even hinted at, a fee has to be paid when visiting the fort (not in the village itself, not on your way to the fort, not at the fort itself, no sign whatsoever). The tourist office, was suddenly occupied by 3 other men and a book was given to us for registration purposes (interesting detail, the oldest registration was only just after the italians renovated the fort and built a path to it in 2010). We put down our details and in the column for amount paid we put 10 cedis and gave him the money. We then asked for a receipt to know the money would go to the village, to a guide (we did not have) and keeping up the fort but he gave us some bogus excuse not to give the receipt. Desillusioned we went back to hideout afterwards and were very dissapointed this had happened. So please, if you are going to visit the fort, be warned you will have to pay for it, and it would be best you go to the tourist office first so you can at least get a guide with you (although I must say it seemed to me the money we paid would not be going to the village, or the guide, or the fort, but the man would just take it himself. He even said when he met us going down from the fort he “wouldn’t be here if people would not have to pay”.)

 

Green Turtle Lodge (Akwidaa):

This is just an opinion from two visitors so please don’t get discouraged for going there when reading this but we were not impressed. Especially since the bradt guide offers this as a great place to stay, we had a very different experience.

First of the positive aspect, we were greeted by a very friendly staff member of the reception so hats off to her.

Then the negative aspects.

- We would think, considering all the environmental friendly ideas the creators of this lodge had, to be sure of a night of solid resting. This, however, did not happen. The bed we were sleeping in (we were in the 35 cedi hut with shared bathroom) was terrible. We had a big beam right in our backs and even though me and my gf differ considerably in height we both had tremendous trouble getting comfortable (we didn’t btw). The second problem was a generator (of all things!) was on most of the night right behind our hut making the noise levels unbearable. Why would they have a generator? Especially since it is advertised they are using solar power. Even worse, the generator did not seem to be for the guests to make their stay more comfortable but for the employees (not that I would not grant the employees such benefits, but it’s at least strange the generator would seem only for them). A last problem we had, although this is in all fairness our own fault, is the huts do not have any fan or AC so it gets really hot in the hut. Too hot for us to be able to sleep together with the other two problems.

- A second negative experience for us was the turtle hike. We did this because we thought it good to support the turtles in this way but our experience with the guide seemed lacking. The guide told us a quick two sentences of turtles nesting at this part of the beach and we started walking. Due to bad luck we only saw turtle tracks and nothing else (but we usually have this bad luck when viewing animals so no surprise there) but it seemed strange to us, to walk a mile to get to a secluded spot on the beach where a change on turtle sighting would be higher, only to turn around and walk back not even 200 yards into the area. Furthermore the “guide” seemed to not know at all what he was doing, because when we asked if we there was a chance we could see eggs, he said, sure, and started digging in random spots with two hands (I seem to remember turtle eggs being very delicate and so this way of digging seemed absolutely crazy). Also only after us making a comment on it being to bad we did not see any turtle did our “guide” start using his torch a bit more often. All in all a very lacking experience.

- In the bradt guide it is mentioned they also did other excursions to a nearby national park, the stilted village etc. but when informing on this they did not seem to do those anymore. The last time he could remember they asked 300!! cedis to go to the national park which is an outrageous amount to begin with but they didn’t seem to eager to even offer us these excursions in the first place.

All in all, we were planning on staying there for 5 nights, we eventually stayed just one and left with dissapointment.

Akwidaa,

We had to go to akwidaa from the turtle lodge to catch a trotro and I noticed a troublin trend there (although this could be interpreted in other ways than I did). Children, ranging from about 10 to as young as 3 years old, seemed to be calling us “my friend” all the time. Now of course in itself this may seem harmless but after being in ghana and india, you know that “my friend” is not used in a friendly, i-just-want-to-say-hi manner, but in a i-want-something-from-you manner. Needless to say we just said hi back and would be on our way, but if that is the general consensus for all of akwidaa, the children there are raised with quite negative intentions. As I said before though, this can be interpreted in different ways and maybe it is just their way of a friendly greeting.

 

 

 

Trip Report 5-26th Feb 2013

Sandra writes:

We (German couple, 41 and 52, journalist/university prof) visited Ghana for three weeks in February 2013 and found the guide very good and valuable (and – this for Germans who are preparing for Ghana -  far far better than the German one from Jojo Cobbinah, this one gives just lots of wrong and more of useless information.)

Here a couple of updates to the Bradt guide and highs and lows as we have experienced them (prices are usually for self-countained doubles or one of those big-bed singles, with fan)

Accra, Pink Hostel (100 GhC)

nice staff, full of young volunteers, feels a bit in the middle of nowhere, okay but nothing special.

Accra, Afia African Village – also called: Afia Beach, Accra (120 US Dollar)

the bungalow was nice, although the AC did not work, for being in Accra the beach looks very good, pay attention when you call to make a reservation: The guy I asked how much it is confirmed the figures, 100 for a standard bungalow, 110 with balcony and 120 with ocean view, but he didn’t say that it was in Dollars although I was talking of Cedis all the time. At the end Helen, the boss, proofed to be very professional: she charged us the 120 Cedi. In fact 120 Dollars seems a bit too much and 6 Cedis for a beer is double of what you pay elsewhere.

Ada Foah, Brightest Spot Guesthouse (25 GhC)

great value for the money! nice courtyard with very good tilapia & banku served.

ferry Ada Foah to Akuse (5 GhC)

the MS Sogakope left on time -  Friday 6h in the morning – and this is a great trip to do. Women are selling food and there are lots of little villages to see (even if I some times felt a bit like in a zoo).

Atimpoku, Adomi Hotel (35 GhC)

room was okay and quite – what you won’t expect, because the Hotel is right on the main traffic circle. The owner is half-german and has been living in Hamburg for most of his life, good opportunity for an interesting chat on Ghanain-German cultural differences.

Koforidua, Erdrec Hotel (34,50 GhC)

the Hotel description fits just perfectly! one feels a bit like in USSR already entering the reception Hall and for sure once touched the dark red carpeted floor – quite unique. still: good value, just a bit out of town, but plenty of shared taxis on the street.

Boti Falls didn’t have any water in mid February, even if the man at the Trotro-Station in Kof-Town was sure there was, they still want the full fee.

Kumasi, Sanbra Hotel (44 GhC) and Fosua Hotel (60 GhC with AC)

both okay, but alltogether not too friendly or nice, just okay. We didn’t find the coffee shop or the cocktail bar in the Aseda House though.

Tamale, Catholic Guesthouse (33 GhC)

very nice place to stay, we particularly appreciated the quiet garden after downtown trips, plenty of shared taxis to get into town.

Visiting the Mosque and walking up is worth and also walking along the Zongo Hausa to the leather workers, on the rooftop bar of the Crest Restaurant do not worry if a couple of young Ghanains take a seat at your table, they are just curious and want to talk and they will leave immediately if you just tell them friendly to do so!

There is a ForEx in Hospital Road now.

Bobiri Forest Butterfly Sanctuary (30 GhC)

this is a wonderful place to stay! Agnes prepares good diner even if you arrive without reservation and a very nice breakfast with lots of fruits, take it both on the terace of the main house. The walk though is for sure a bit longer than 3km, but still it is worth walking from Kubease. And: Jonathan does a great job as a guide through the Forest (4 GhC).

They told us they are open year round, but still maybe it is better to phone: 020 8094709 or 0236 464520 (the numbers Agnes gave me)

Winneba, Lagoon Lodge (35 GhC)

the first room somewhat stylish (in our sense) room for decoration and colours, huge bathroom – very nice. Food is good, somewhat ridiculous that there is no smoking allowed in the garden though. The guys at the reception/at the bar were friendly but totally clueless, it took them nearly half an hour to copy, re-copy and re-copy again the same invoice. Be patient!

Winneba itself seems poorer than other small cities, the beach is okay but nothing compared to the ones farer west and seeing the University Campus is worth – like a wholly different, elitist, world.

Green Turtle Lodge, (60 GhC)

it is (still) a great place to stay, what a wonderful project! But we had the impression that things are changing and that this might be related to the fact that the original owners have left (we talked to the caretaker who said the place is still for sale, but an American might buy it within short time). The huts could easily be in a better shape: for example the electricity didn’t work properly when it got humid at night, because the connecting wires were ‚connected’ in the most unprofessional way – though the staff managed to fix it after a while; time to buy new matrasses and pillows, and for sure to wash the cushions. The evening turtle tour now seems to be done only if tourists ask for it, at least the documentary book on the daily turtle watch tours stopps in february 2011 or 2012 (sorry can’t remember the year). The staff is friendly, the food is good and a bit different in style from what we had most of the time, but the reception looks a little bit like there was no-one there for the last two years.

Still the beach is great!

The canoe tour (10 GhC) with Jimmy at 6h in the morning in the mangroves behind Akwidaa (poor little village 25minutes west from the Turtle walking at the beach) is everything but exciting and Jimmy didn’t have a good day, he hardly said a word and after 35minutes he seemed only happy that is was over.

Butre, Hide Out Lodge (50 GhC)

Another great beach and another nice lodge. in comparison with the Green Turtle the food here unfortunately is done in some ‚western style’ kind and this is not a good idea at all: I had a bad banku which was cut into slices like Italian polenta, the pepper sauce wasn’t hot at all and the fish was just a fried slice – what a disappointment in comparison to so many great grilled tilapia, banku and pepper I had on the streets elsewhere. The advantage on the other hand is Butre itself, which is just around the corner – over the bridge to be exact – and a very nice little village, with fishermen who that morning we were waiting for a Trotro had exposed what to us looked like little sharks and dolphins!

Elmina, Coconut Grove’s Bridge House (110 GhC, 85 GhC when AC does not work!)

the idea was to go to the One African Guesthouse – but do not try to walk their from the main road where the Tros between Takoradi and Cape drop you off, it is just too far and it is all walking along the busy road. So we ended up in the Coconut Grove’s: the building is very nice facing the bridge and the castle, but for the room itself it is definetely a bit overpriced and the breakfast is ridiculous – every single street egg bread was a lot better.

Elmina was the only city we visited which had a square place and spots around – being from Old Europe that was what we missed elsewhere – thanks to the Portoguese!

the fish market is definetely worth the 1 GhC entry fee – quite an impressive quantity of tunas and even more impressive the way slight women cut them into pieces with machetes.

Cape Coast, Mighty Victory Hotel (40 or 50 GhC)

Oasis Beach seemed to us a bit too much an all-Obruni/volunteer meeting place, the Mighty Victory is worth the walk through town up the little hill and it isn’t far at all, a quite and nice place to stay with gazebos in the garden-kind entrance. Don’t miss the Market day on Sunday.

Ceto Beach House, Dixcove-Akwidaa Road

Proprietor Claire Wilkinson writes:

Ceto Beach House is a self-catering house for rental. From as little as USD25 per person per night you have access to your own house, complete with modern bathroom and kitchen, a private garden and a large, secluded sandy beach with safe swimming. With 2 bedrooms, Ceto sleeps 4 people, with mattresses and nets available for more guests if necessary. There are also quarters available for a driver if needed.

 

It can be arranged to have the kitchen stocked with food and drink prior to your arrival. Perfect for a family or group of friends wanting to cater for themselves and enjoy the seclusion of their “own tropical beach”

 

Booking needs to be made in advance, preferably by email

 

Ceto is signposted 4km from Dixcove on the road towards Akwidaa just before you get to Akyinim-Achowa

www.cetoghana.com

email@cetoghana.com

+233 (0)272 92 56 33

+44 7552 313947

 

Ghana’s first Surf School has opened in Busua

Thanks to Chloe Grant for letting me know that Mr Bright’s Surf School, run by Brett Davies, a British surfer with 30 years experience, formally opened in Busua a couple of days ago. For more details check the website www.mrbrights.com

Sandie & Ian’s trip report

My husband and I have lived in Ghana for almost a year, working on a voluntary basis with a chain of low-cost private schools west of Accra.  In our free time we have travelled to different parts of the country, and I believe we have seen all the major points of interest.  We have used your Guide extensively (our copy is well-worn!) and found it immensely valuable.  We have noted just a few points where we believe it is out of date or inaccurate, and now that we are returning to the UK I have listed these, hoping that you may find then useful for a future edition.  They are not in order of importance, just in the order they occur in the book. 

Comments on the Bradt Guide to Ghana

p.69f: Buses may be the safest mode of travel, but we would hesitate to say they are the most efficient.  The STC seems to be on the verge of folding: it now runs seldom on some routes, never on others.  Some newer bus services are excellent, notably VIP which runs frequently between Accra and Kumasi.  They are certainly more comfortable than most tro-tros, although the same is not true of the Metro Mass buses (seating 5 across instead of 4).  But the long distance tro-tros are (in our experience) as fast as buses, and a lot more convenient.

You rightly point out that buses will drop passengers off along their route.  The problem is that they will not pick passengers up along their route – you have to buy your ticket at the original point of departure.  For example, we live some 15 miles west of Accra, in the direction of Cape Coast.  But to get to Cape Coast (or beyond) by bus, we would have to first go to Accra, in the opposite direction!  With traffic hold-ups, this can add hours to your journey – we speak from experience, having done this soon after arrival in Ghana, before we knew better!

The other problem with buses which run to fixed schedules is the difficulty of getting information about timetables.  Websites do not work; emails are not answered; phone calls may be ignored, or switched through to a fax machine.  If by any chance you do get through, you will probably be told that your query cannot be answered (‘we don’t know yet’) or given information which is later proved to be incorrect.

So we quickly learned to take our chances with tro-tros, and found it amazing that (as you state on p.70) you can just turn up at a station and be assured  that there will be a vehicle going where you want to go; no need to find out about times, just go when it suits you!

On the subject of tro-tros, we do not agree that it would be better to wait outside the vehicle until it is ready to depart (p.70).  The earlier you board, the better your chances of choosing the optimal seat.  We were usually quite glad to have just missed a tro-tro if this meant being first to board the next one.  Yes, you would be waiting a while for it to depart, but you would be able to choose the most comfortable seats – if you were really lucky, you might be able to get the ones at the front, beside the driver.  Not only do these offer the best views, they are generally more comfortable – and you do not have to get up to let people on and off!

p.76: As a vegetarian, I have lived in Ghana for a year, eaten out frequently, and experienced no problems at all. You paint an unnecessarily depressing picture.  It’s true that most local Ghanaian food is meat- or fish-based, but you can usually get red red (bean stew with plantains) or jolloff rice (cooked with tomatoes and onions).  And if you go to restaurants advertising ‘Continental’ (i.e. western) as well as local cuisine, you will find that pizzas and other vegetarian dishes are common.  Indeed, many of the restaurants where we ate had a specific ‘Vegetarian’ section on the menu, with at least 3 or 4 options.

p.77: June 4 has not been a public holiday in Ghana since 2000!

p.117: The Hotel Shangri-La is now called the Western Sun, but is currently closed for refurbishment.

p.126: The Tribes restaurant at Afia African Village is excellent, but you cannot see the sea!

p.129: The Centre for National Culture does not close at 3pm on Saturdays.  We visited between 4.30 and 5pm.

p. 138: It’s not really true that the National Theatre is ‘host to regular plays and dance performances’.  Plays are in fact very rare: the theatre is used more often for events such as religious rallies, graduation ceremonies, beauty contests etc, but most nights it is not used at all.   Finding out what is on is not easy.  When we first arrived in Ghana the website was not working, we could get no information by telephone, and even visiting the theatre in person (twice) got us nowhere.   The website is now functioning, but only gives information about the coming week.  There is no way of booking other than going to the theatre in person – difficult if you do not live in Accra.  However, I doubt if there is ever a problem about buying tickets on arrival; when we finally managed to see a performance there were no more than 30 people in the audience.

On that same evening, we planned to eat in the theatre restaurant, recommended in the Guide.  We found that the ‘International restaurant’ offered drinks only, no food, not even snacks.  It was too late to go elsewhere, so we went hungry!

p.150: In Winneba, the cemeteries mentioned are overgrown, especially the Settlers’ (European) cemetery – we could not get anywhere near the graves.  But there are a couple of interesting towers in Winneba which are not mentioned in the Guide.

p.151: The map of Winneba is unhelpful; it does not show the lorry park (tro-tro station), so we struggled to orientate ourselves on arrival.  The road to Lagoon Lodge is shown in the wrong place (unless the road on the map is meant to be the footpath from the Lodge to the beach).

At Lagoon Lodge itself, it is impossible to see the sunset from the bar (which is surrounded by a high wall).  And even if the wall was knocked down, the bar would not overlook the Muni Lagoon.  We walked some distance looking for the lagoon, but found only dried up mud.  If the lagoon still exists, it must be some way from the lodge.

p.153: In Mankessim, we managed to find the famous posuban shrine, but it is not on the same road as the tro-tro station.  In fact, it is about 500 metres up the road to the right from the roundabout, coming from Accra.

pp.164 and 178:  We could not find shared taxis between Cape Coast and Elmina at the places mentioned, but dropping taxis were cheap.

p.173: The Canopy walkway at Kakum National Park now costs 30 cedis each – a big increase on the 9 cedis mentioned in the book.

p.196: The map is misleading.  The scale indicates that it is about 2km from Agona to Busua, but in fact it is 10 (as stated on page 197).

p.207: We were disappointed with Ankobra Beach (‘almost breathtaking perfection’): it is so narrow, there is very little sand between the resort and the sea.  We thought the resort was quite expensive too.

p.226: It is possible to get a tro-tro direct to Ada Foah from Tudu station in Accra (there is a booking office specifically for tickets).

p.227: The Manet Paradise Holiday Resort is closed (for refurbishment?)

p.228: In one respect the facilities at the Maranatha Estuary Beach Club have improved on your description – they now have some flushing toilets!  Our problem (not stated in the Guide) was that there is nowhere at all to wash, shave etc.   The other beach camps were all closed when we were there in August.

p.263: We were not impressed with the Kekeli Hotel in Ho.  There was no water at night, and no mirror in the bathroom for shaving etc.  It was very noisy on Sunday morning, even before the church service started!  There were lots of children running around, and one even burst into our room.  We had chosen to stay there partly because the Guide mentions that car rental can be arranged for a fixed and apparently very reasonable price.  When we enquired, the receptionist said that we would have to negotiate with the taxi driver.  She arranged for him to come and meet us, but was otherwise not involved.  We had to return to the hotel to meet him (and he was nearly an hour late).  The price he asked was extortionate, but by that stage we had no alternative.  We bargained, and he agreed to lower his price, but not by much.  What we paid was far in excess of what we paid anywhere else.

The Freedom Hotel is now called the Bob Coffie.

p.264: We tried two of the Ho eating places listed in the Guide.  The Mother’s Inn offered only banku and fufu; the White House had no food at all.  We ended up having lunch at what we believe was a new restaurant; it was called the Royal Farm, it was close to the Kekeli Hotel, and the food was excellent.

p.268: At the welcome office in Amedzofe, the local guide said that there were two options: the waterfall walk and the mountain walk (as per the Guide).  He that we would be able to climb Mt Gemi, but would find the waterfall walk ‘too challenging’.  We are in our 60s but very fit, and as we had gone to Amedzofe mainly to see the waterfall, we insisted.   The guide was not kidding!  The first part of the walk was flat and easy, but then it plunged steeply downhill, and lost all semblance of being a ‘path’ – it was a long scramble over slippery rocks, clinging to a rope.  We managed it (with help from the guide) but both the descent and the climb back up were very difficult.  We wondered why there was no hint of this in the Guide – surely a warning would be appropriate?  Re-reading it afterwards, we wondered if we had in fact done a different walk, since we did not ‘come out at the three knee-deep pools separating the upper and lower falls’.   We ended up at the base of the lower falls – the ‘more ambitious’ walk mentioned?  But if there is an alternative (easier) walk, why did our guide not offer this – especially as he felt the waterfall walk would be too challenging for us?

p.284: The Wli Water Heights Hotel is a lot more than 50m from the turn-off for the tourist information centre.    A sign at the turn-off says 300m, and having walked it several times, we would say it is at least that.

p.291: We had to laugh when we read that the road between Accra and Kumasi ‘follows good surfaced roads in its entirety’.   On the contrary, much of the journey is on rough dirt roads; the bus has to travel slowly, with much jolting, and the trip takes 6 hours.  We found it amazing that the road between the capital and second biggest cities was in such bad shape; some people we talked to maintained that this was a deliberate political decision to keep business and finance in the south.

p.307: The book says there are 8 STC buses daily between Accra and Kumasi.  There are now hardly any (STC seems to have declined considerably, with few buses going anywhere).  But there is an excellent new company called VIP, which has a bus station not far from the main STC station.  You buy a ticket which specifies a bus and seat number.   Buses leave as soon as they are full – generally about every half hour.

p.312: On the map of Kumasi, the Sambra Hotel is in the wrong place, as is the Manhyia Palace (it is much further from the town/market than the map suggests).

p.313: The Four Villages Inn was pleasant enough, and the breakfasts were excellent.  But we considered it very expensive compared with what we usually pay in Ghana.  On our second visit to Kumasi we stayed in the Sambra Hotel which cost about a third of the price, and was more conveniently located.  It also has an excellent restaurant.

p.315: We were not able to find Aseda House, but there was a large hole in the ground where it is shown on the map, so perhaps it has been demolished.

p.320: We went to the Adae Festival in Kumasi, and it was certainly worth seeing.   What you said about photography was accurate, but the time given was not: the ceremony started well after 12 and was still in progress when we had to leave about 2pm.

p.355:  Entrance to Kintampo Falls now costs 7 cedis for non-Ghanaians.  We were there at Easter, and could not get near the Falls owing to the crowds of people wading, dancing and generally having a good time in the water.  The atmosphere was amazing – it’s obviously the place for locals to go on public holidays!

p.377:  We thought the Larabanga mosque was beautiful, and we did not suffer any of the problems reported by your readers.  We enjoyed a brief but hassle-free visit.

p.397:  The Hotel Myaga at Navrongo was very limited in terms of food.  It amused us that the price for a double room included only one breakfast!

Sandie & Ian

Ben’s trip report

Two weeks in Ghana

I only had two weeks in Ghana but I felt obliged to share my two pennies’ worth on this update page given how useful the Bradt guide proved to me.

In short, I split my limited time between the West Coast and the Volta region with a few of pit-stops in Accra. What follows is a list of the key hotels / events that I did with a simple 5 star rating system (***** = Muhammad Ali; * = Muhammad Atta).

WEST COAST

***** Ezile Bay, near Akwidaa
Without doubt the highlight of my time in Ghana. Run by a charming French lady, Ezile Bay is a small collection of bungalows on a cute beach near Akwidaa (west of Busua). The key draw of Ezile Bay is how isolated – and clean – the beach is compared to rival resorts nearby. The food was delightful which should come as no surprise given a Frenchwoman’s involvement. The beach is said to be swimmable but I wouldn’t get too confident – there are some nasty rocks in shallow water (at low tide at least). The rooms are very modest and there was only electricity for a few hours in the evening…but who cares when you’re in Ezile Bay?

*** Mighty Victory Hotel, Cape Coast
Decent enough. A short walk to the centre of town but it has wifi which is cool. Somebody mentioned to me that the staff weren’t friendly but I got along with them just fine.

VOLTA REGION

***** WAASPS trial flight, near Kpong
Philip, this has to go in the next guidebook. Run by a Brit but staffed by young Ghanaian women, this is a cool airplane company that has two neat dimensions: i) teaching local (rural) girls to build and fly planes and ii) dropping medical info to hard-to-reach parts of Ghana.
I did a trial flight in a really slick little plane that they built onsite. It may not be for everyone but it’s certainly safer than your average tro-tro journey and the views are spectacular. And it helps that the manager, Jonathan, is the closest thing that the West African aviation world has to a rock star.

**** Mountain Paradise Lodge, Biakpa
Lovely place. If you’re in any way outdoorsy then you shouldn’t miss this one.

atmosphere

** Waterfall Lodge, Wli Falls
Strange atmosphere. They also close on Tuesdays which is really peculiar for a hotel.

*** Aylo’s Bay, Atimpoku (near Akosombo)
These guys are out for as much of your money as possible. It’s bang on the Volta River which offers sensational views – and is great for swimming despite the minature crocs (no joke). But the prices are practically double what was stated in the book – 70/80 cedis for a double without/with a river view. Plus they make you pay on arrival which wasn’t the coolest way to kick things off.

In truth I found the whole Atimpoku / Akosombo area slightly less friendly than elsewhere in the Volta region – perhaps it’s something to do with being closer to Accra. In particular watch out for a taxi driver named Aristotle. Although he claims to be both a pastor and the captain of a cruiseship, he is actually just a money-grabbing psychopath.

**** Boat ride on Lake Volta, Akosombo
The maintenance man at the Volta Hotel, Daniel, takes people out on a motorboat for 40 cedis an hour which I think is less than other boat trips / boat hire nearby. This Daniel fella is super-cool and he lets you stop for the odd swim. (Best to give him a tip since the greedy hotel keeps all 40 of the cedis for themselves.)

ACCRA

***** Tour of Nima with Charles Sablah
I had a few hours being shown around the Accra suburb of Nima with Charles, a local. He gave some excellent insights into the community – its diversity, its history – and showed me both his house and those of his friends. We stopped for a beer at one friend’s and lunch in another. Awesome to the max. It’s not far from Asylum Down if you are staying there. His website is as follows:

http://ghana-nima-tours.yolasite.com/

**** Josta Lodge, Osu
Aside from a renegade toothbrush that I discovered in the bathroom, I liked this place. It was clean, safe and had wifi. Best of all it was in Osu, a much cooler suburb than Asylum Down, which I found to be really boring. Granted, Osu is way more pricey but this was my last night and I thought I’d ratchet up the luxury a few notches.

** Pink Hostel, Asylum Down
I’m less sure about this place. I stayed in a pretty shabby dorm that had an even more gritty bathroom adjoining it. I found the staff less than friendly – in fact one woman had a permanent expression as if she’d just received some dreadful news. There was wifi which was some consolation.

* Shai Hills Resort, between Accra and Akosombo
I’m sure the nature reserve is lovely but I took one look at this hotel and bolted for the nearest town (which happened to be Accra). The whole hotel complex looks like the aborted brainchild of Kim Jong-il and I can guarantee that you’ll be the only guest.

OTHER

A few other tit-bits that other travellers may find useful:

Language. The cleverest thing I did was use the small phrasebook at the back of the guide to try out my language skills on the locals. It’s great fun and it is an excellent way of interacting with, for instance, cab drivers and the people next to you on tro-tros or buses. It also serves as a great icebreaker because the locals love to hear you give their language a try. When you invariably screw up, their reactions are something to behold.

Buses. If you’re going from town to town, buses can be a more sensible (and safer) option than tro-tros. Since buses will only leave when they are full, it makes sense to choose your bus wisely. A poor decision could literally cost you hours. Don’t bother with the large air-conditioned buses since they take an extremely long time to fill. The thinking man takes the orange Metro Mass Transit buses which, despite not being as safe as their upmarket rivals, fill up quickly and are crammed with funner people.

Motorbikes. If you’re foolish enough to get on a motorbike with anyone (it seemed to be the only option in some parts of the Volta region), make sure that the driver puts your heavy rucksack in front of him (rather than you carrying it on your back). They seem perfectly happy to do this and it will help to prevent you from falling off the back if you hit a bump or they accelerate too quickly (I’m convinced this can happen). One thing I tried was to offer the driver a one cedi tip at the outset of the journey on condition they refrain from driving like a nutter. (Need you ask, this made no difference whatsoever.)

Maps. For whatever reason, I didn’t meet one Ghanaian who could decipher a map. It’s best just not to go there.

Fufu / Banku, etc. I’m sorry but I’m just not convinced.

Local whiskey. I was foolish enough to try one of those little whiskies in a plastic sachet (K20 was the name). Massive error. This was 10 days ago and I still cannot get the taste out of my mouth.

Ben Griffiths

Fanta’s Folly near Busua

Our best experience was Fanta’s Folly north east of Busua, which I can’t praise enough.  All the staff are absolutely amazing, as are Philippe and Fanta, the owners.  The food is the best that we ate in Ghana and I can’t recommend this place highly enough.  One of the highlights at Fanta’s Folly were the vegetables and salad, which they wash in ‘pure water’ so we were able to eat it.  The Hideout, just along the beach also wash their salad in pure water but these two places were the only places that we found in Ghana that did this.  Most restaurants wash their salad in tap water, with added salt and sometimes added vinegar, which they believe will kill all germs.

Phillipe and Fanta at Fanta’s Folly have a very good relationship with the local village of Asemkow and organised for some pencils and pens which I had brought with me to be donated to the local school.  Apparently you have to be really careful donating things like this as equipment can sometimes be sold by the teachers (who can earn as little as 60 cedis a month in a small village) or ever the village chiefs.

Colette

Ezile Bay, Akwidaa

Ezile Bay, Akwiida, Western Region
I am a permanent resident in Ghana since a year and I would recommend Ezile Bay for those who like to stay a couple of days in a charming environment, with safe beach and good food. Management (French couple living since a decade) and staff are so nice! Prices are cheap (small bungalow/2 people: 30 Ghc, 10-15 Ghc for main course). Dinner at night on the beach is a great moment (with good wine!). A walk to Akwiida (small fisherman village) or along the beach, visit to Cape Three Points Forest Reserve or visit to a local wine factory are among other things, the activities you can carry out after swim. Ezile Bay is my favorite spot in Ghana!

Herve Delsol

Coastal updates

We visited Anomabu on Trotro from Birawa Beach Resort Hotel in April 2012. The village is off the main road and is simple. The main reason was to see the ‘posuban’, which we achieved quite easily. Fort William is no longer a prison but is now a ‘youth centre’ with a (locked) library. As we approached the fort an eldery man asked if we would like to look around it. He showed us around for about an hour and tolds us of its history. It’s grim, especially to think that it was a prison up until 2000. As we were about to offer something for his time he asked for 15 cedi (there were 3 of us). It seemed very reasonable and we were very happy to give him the cash. As we left the village we were followed for a little distance by a happy and cheerful group of 5 year olds chanting and clapping ‘obruni’ . It made us laugh too!

Planters Lodge in Takoradi offers to accept US$ and GP£, but beware the exchange rate is out of date. We were offered 2.0 cedi/1 GB£. The bank rate is 2.77 cedi /1GB£. Daylight robbery!!

Green Turtle Beach Resort and Birawa Beach Resort Hotel both offer to accept GB£ at almost the going exchange rate.

Elaine Thorpe

Detailed accommodation and trip report

Thanks to Nitharshan Srikanthapalan for the wonderfully detailed report below:

Here’s some info from the trip I’ve just had in Ghana (1st – 27th March). Mainly involving prices although I think others have already provided a bit of an update on that front anyway…

FYI I rated each hotel out of 7 (likeart scale) so will provide those ratings as well:

1. Afrikiko’s (just outside Akosombo):
$75/85 single/dbl B&B
An adequate room, pool needed chlorine and lots of it – it was not at all clean. The setting was stunning and the food was very good.
Rating: 4

2. Bob Coffie (formerly Freedom Hotel in Ho):
70 cedis for a twin room (with huge beds) B&B
Room, pool and food all good. Setting was ok – it’s central, walkable from the market/lorry-park. We found the staff very friendly and with a sense of humour.
Rating: 6

If you’re staying elsewhere then using the pool at Bob Coffie is pretty pricey (compared to other hotels in Ghana) at a whopping 10 cedis.

We stopped in at Chances on the way – we found it lacking character and the staff seemed miserable and unhelpful. It had a corporate feel to it and we weren’t keen. It was 90 cedis for a twin.
Also, VIP hotel was nowhere near completion and looked like construction had stopped.

3. Tafi Atome Guest House
20 cedis per person (in a twin room) including breaksfast, dinner and the guided tour
No longer bucket showers – they have a poly-tank providing running (cold) water and flush toilets (although the flush wasn’t working so we had to throw buckets of water down them after, ahem, doing our business).
The room had a ceiling fan (that’s not mentioned in the guide).
Rating: 4 (although it was great value for money)

4. Wli Water Heights (near the falls):
45 cedis for a twin room with bathroom. (B&B)
35 cedis for a twin room with shared bathroom. (B&B)
Phone number had changed: 020 938 7176
Room was nice, there’s no pool, the setting was nice and the staff (particularly the owner) were very friendly. Food was outstanding.
Rating: 6

Big Food Safari Lodge has opened nearby. We didn’t get to see it but there are signs advertising it all over the place. The number is 020 788 2334. It’s worth noting that phone signal in the Wli area is pretty horrendous (I think there’s one network which had an ok signal there – which wasn’t MTN) so if you’re going to call them to book, do it in advance of leaving Hohoe.

5. Galaxy Lodge (in Hohoe):
50 cedis for a twin
The room had AC, a fridge and DSTV but we were disappointed with it:
bathroom door didn’t close, the towels were not what I’d call clean, neither were the sheets – one of which had holes and there was a dead cockroach under one of the beds. Breakfast was not included here but the quality of the breakfast that we ordered was reasonable.
We didn’t have dinner there.
Rating: 2

6. Tsarley Korpey (Ada Foah)
$180 for a family room (B&B)
$110 for a double room (B&B)
Everything about this hotel was excellent apart from the value for money (which was mediocre at best). Rating: 4

If, like us, you are two people who don’t fancy sharing a double bed for whatever reason then Ada Foah is a tricky place to be – we didn’t find anywhere with a twin room apart from Garden Club which we weren’t very impressed with.

For info in Ada Foah, Brightest Spot’s prices are now: 35 cedis for a single, 45 cedis for a double.

And there’s also a newish-looking place not mentioned in the book (it was called something like Emizile) which we liked the look of when we went in to have a look at the rooms and they are charging 60 cedis for a double room.

7. Mole National Park:
18 cedis for a dorm room
70 cedis for a dbl/twin room (plus 18 cedis if you want an extra mattress in there)
Dorm room was reasonable (space to sleep 8 on four bunks although they also threw an extra mattress in there), twin room was lovely.
Obviously the setting (looking over the watering hole) is excellent especially if, like us, you got to see eight elephants go in and have a nice long sit in the watering hole just after we got back from a walking safari where we’d got very close to the same aforementioned eight elephants.
Pool was very clean and good.
Value for money was good too given the location (and their monopoly on accomodation) although breakfast was not included.
Only down side was that the running water wasn’t working for one of our two days that we were there.
Rating: 5

8. Premier Palace (Techiman):
35 cedis for a single, 60 cedis for a double (B&B)
Rooms: good (although the single was a little odourous)
Setting is poor
Food was very good and we felt it was good value for money.
Rating: 7

9. Noks (Kumasi):
45/65/75 cedis single/dbl/exec. suite (B&B – sort of, see below!)
Rooms were good
Setting was reasonable (in a quiet suburb which appealed to us)
Food: Breakfast was good but slow. We didn’t eat dinner there
Value for money: Pretty decent but rather disappointingly they claimed that only one breakfast is included per room so if you’re two people sharing a double room and both of you want breakfast then one would have to pay. Bonkers.
Rating: 5

10: African Rainbow (Busua):
125/135/180/25 single/dbl/family/mattress (added to a room) (B&B)
Thinking back, I think these were the prices of the rooms with AC and they had some slightly cheaper rooms without. The AC is very unreliable because of the whole town’s electricity issues. The AC only works if there is no ‘light-off’ AND the backup generator is on (while neighbouring Busua Beach Resort don’t have that issue as they have more than one generator).
Room was good, setting was excellent (given the balcony that each room has and the excellent, breezy, roof-top bar). Food was superb and the value for money was reasonable (and would be good if the electricity wasn’t an issue). They also had free wifi available in the bar area.
Rating: 6

The prices at Busua Beach Resort next door were:
$175/185/50/25 single/dbl/budget/extra mattress.
A non-resident guest can pay 5 cedis to use the pool (hence our decision to stay at African Rainbow). 5 cedis to use the pool was a bargain.

11. Coconut Grove Bridge House (Elmina):
55/65/75 single/dbl/tpl (B&B)
Room was good and the setting is convenient in that it’s central but also you can smell the fish because you’re right next to the town. It’s busy and bustling which might be good or bad depending on your point of view. The food was very good – particularly their signature dish (which was very coconuty)
Value for Money was good bordering on excellent given the alternatives in the area and especially because use of the Coconut Grove Beach Resort facilities (e.g. the lovely, clean, big pool) is included.
Other info:
Elmina Bay Resort were charging: $135/195/15 for dbl/suite/mattress
Eshu in Cape Coast has closed.

Other info you might be interested in is that there was construction occurring at Step-in Gallery when I went there and was duly not open. It was not clear if this was temporary or not – I couldn’t close enough to nose inside and see if any art was displayed.

It’s worth noting that some of the big cities e.g. Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi etc have “Ford stations” where you can pick up what is essentially a comfortable, new version of a tro-tro for longish journeys in relative comfort (they have AC) and safety (although they also drive pretty fast). Price is slightly more than the same journey by tro-tro.

And finally, as a traveller, I felt it would have been useful to have more Forex Bureaus marked on your maps. For someone travelling cash (which is how you’ll get the best rate), these are the most economical places to get your cedis.