Trip report Feb/Mar 2013

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.

Ejisu Hotel, Ejisu (near Kumasi)

I am currently a student studying in Ghana and I often travel on weekends. I would just like to inform you of an incident which occured a few weeks ago and may be helpful for future readers. Two friends and I were traveling to Lake Bosumtwi for the weekend, and ended up in Ejisu late at night in the rain. We had planned to travel to the lake that evening, however due to the weather transport was unavailable. Due to this we decided to stay in the budget Ejisu hotel, the hotel itself is fine however we asked for directions off a few people and found that the hotel was down an alley which is split in two by a wall. The alley was uninviting but was the only route to the hotel, so we walked down and were attacked by a man who jumped from behind the wall and tried to take my friends bag. Fortunately, she managed to fight him off. I appreciate that this situation was unfortunately and probably unlikely to occur on a regular basis but if you could warn readers the position of the hotel down the alley, people may make an effort to arrive during the daylight when I’m sure the village is very safe. Thank you. JS

Christine’s updates

Hi, I am working as a volunteer near Ashanti Bekwai, and have a few updates for your book. I have found it very useful so far.
In Kumasi, Vic Baboo’s is a very popular place for foreigners to meet, but be ready for extremely slow service and higher prices than similar places in town. For a better meal and much friendlier service, try the Sanbra hotel.
The Bomfobiri Wildlife Sanctuary suffered a large fire some time ago. This means that you are highly unlikely to see any animals there – only burnt savannah.
If you visit the Boabeng monkey sanctuary (which is wonderful) to get back to Techiman flag any trotros that go past Boabeng. If they are going in the wrong direction you can reserve a seat when it comes back. This way they won’t pass you already full.
In Kumasi there is an excellent internet cafe next to the main post office. There are many computers and wireless options. The cost is 90p per 30 minutes.
In Ntonso, David runs a very interesting tour showing how Adinkra cloth is made, and also of his local community. He has a selection of cloth for sale and will also make cloth with your own designs. The tour in Adamwomase is also excellent for Kente cloth. In Bonwire you will be shown a loom and then ushered into a very dark shop.
In Ejisu I chartered a taxi to take me to the shrines. The one in Besease was very friendly indeed but the second one (Edenwease?) was very different. The lady wanted C30 to enter and was very unfriendly. At Besease I paid only C5. I was shown a shrine as part of the community tour from Adamwomase.
Christine