The following update information relates to chapter 6 of the Bradt Guide to Ghana:
I just opened a Lodge in the area of Accra. It’s a replica of old colonial building, and suitable for the individual guest and groups. Breakfast, Laundry and Internet. Ground floor; 4 double rooms, living room, kitchen, shower. Top floor; large bedroom(4people) Email: ghanahomelodge@yahoo.co.uk Ghana 00233(0)244-244620(Alex) Ghana 00233(0)-21-718103(Home lodge) Belgium0032(0)476-242521(Hans) LOCATION 69A BEACH DRIVE DTD NUNGUA(ACCRA) (20 MINUTES FROM AIRPORT).The website is www.ghanahomelodge.com. Hans Innegraeve, March 07
For a very nice, low cost ($20 – $27) guest house near Accra, Ghana, check out the following: www.j2nghana.com. Their email address is j2nguest@hotmail.com. Richard Fry, March 07.
I think the New Haven Hotel behind Ring Road is great. First we were seated at the Victor David Hotel, behind the Italian Ambassade but that hotel is not recommendable. No water, enough prostitutes in the hotel (if that’s what you’re looking for..) and very basic. New Haven however was great. Very good value (160.000 cedi’s for Dstv, AC and Fan, hot water) and a great place to finish a 6-month tour in Ghana. Roger van Loon, June 07.
In Accra an excellent restaurant Asanka local in Osu where you can try most of the Ghanaian foods. Near Kaneshie market a good cozy restaurant Giorgio’s for tasty and cheap Ghanaian food, also serves the standard fried rice and the rest. . Near Kaneshie market towards Awudome roundabout a recommended restaurant called Big Boss for varied foods and drinks. Good places for shopping in Accra are Woodin in Osu ‘Oxford Street’ for local colourful good quality materials and MKOGH, a local brand by a Ghanaian designer making Ghanaian and also western style clothes with Ghanaian flavour. Located in North Ridge near DHL office. Tiina Heusala, July 07
Our room rates at Akwaaba Beach Guesthouse have changed on July 1st 2007 as follows: Standard room Us$60 (Euro 44); Executive room US$88 (Euro 65); De Luxe room and Penthouse US$95 (Euro 70); Additional person US$30 (Euro 22). Prices per room for 2 persons. Breakfast as well as 15% VAT are included. We don’t accept Credit Cards mobile phone: 0233-(0)244-280 028; Phone number 0233-(0)21- 717 742 (landline); website: www.akwaaba-beach.de; Email: reservation@akwaaba-beach.de. Helene Jaeger, July 07.
I wanted to mention a lovely guesthouse that I stayed in just outside of Accra in the area called Adenta, near Madina and the University of Ghana at Legon. Wintata Lodge This is a very comfortable and safe guesthouse with wonderful people working there. No hot showers or DSTV but you can get a self contained room with a double bed, fan, TV and refrigerator for approximately $13 US a night. They will also cook tasty local and more western meals for you there for about $2.50 US-$3:50 US. There is also a small bar area and the staff will do your laundry for a fee. For more information and a specific address you can email the owner at wintatab@yahoo.com. Mary Thompson, Aug 07.
I just wanted to drop a quick note of recommendation for a wonderful Vegetarian / Vegan restaurant in Accra named Bao Bab. Not only is the food & service wonderful, but I saw many people there (mostly Westerners) who were not vegetarians. I think that it appeals to them because of the variety that it offers. The restaurant is in Osu across the street from the Blue Gate restaurant. Being a vegrtarian, this restaurant saved me from weeks of plain rice. Matthew Hahn, Aug 08.
When I went to the Afrikoko Restaurant there was no live music and no other customers. They had run out of all food except rice and fish, and all drinks except beer. The Osekan bar was also a let down, as the service was absurdly slow (even by Ghanaian standards), some of the food never even arrived, and then they overcharged us by putting items we hadn’t ordered on the bill. Josie Prynn, Sep 07.
The Niagara Plus in Accra. It is an oasis in a bustling city. The people that run the hotel were friendly, accommodating & immensely helpful during our last two days in Ghana. It is just a short walk from a major street with most everything you need or at least that is for sale in Ghana. This includes a well air conditioned grocery store. They only one we saw. When you go here ask for the Gorham discount, which is about 30%. Gorham Bowler, Sep 07.
Calvary Methodist Guesthouse in Accra is closed and from the person I spoke to there are no plans in the future to reopen it. Also Books for Less, in Osu, Accra, is now called Bookshelf.net. It’s opposite Frankies (on the second floor). Sheona, Oct 07.
The new Niagara Inn will open in March 08. It is a 17 room operation, targeted towards backpackers and those who can not pay the upper prices the Niagara is offering at Adabraka and Osu. Customer has the choice of room with air-conditioning, at $35. or without at $25. All rooms otherwise are equipped with air-conditioning, and fans, TV, hot and cold shower. For more details contact the Niagara Hotel niagara@ighmail.com. Ramiz Helwani (manager), Feb 08.
Please note that the old Akuma Village hotel/bar/entertainment spot in central Accra, which you may have listed before, is now renamed The Rising Phoenix and is undergoing a major renovation. Same great city-centre-plus-beach location, but now fresh, delightfully designed, exquisite. Soon to feature major live events and a new, large open air dance floor under the palms and stars, and cooled by ocean breezes. Great value for money. Absurdly peaceful for Africa, set in wonderful gardens. I could go on, but please look at www.the-rising-phoenix.com for everything else! Sent by management, Mar 08.
Crystalline Hostel in Darkuman is clean, friendly and will arrange a taxi pick up from the airport for $12.50. This is well above the going rate but seems reliable although the person who meets you at the airport has very high tipping aspirations and is not afraid to show his unhappiness if you tip him a generally accepted amount! Also worth noting is the proximity of some of Crystalline’s bedrooms to the local Mosque. Abigail Herron, Mar 08
Amomono Beach Gardens – Very friend welcome and a wide variety of books to swap but unfortunately downhill from then on. The nightly open air film showings are no more and all the vegetarian restaurant can rustle up is plantain and plain rice, even with a days notice. The beach is covered in litter and the guesthouse has an uncared for atmosphere. It’s also rather unclean and you’ll need to provide you own mozzie net. The phone number is 00233 (0) 244 648 703. Abigail Herron, Mar 08
Hotel St George, Chatfield Rd. The price of a single has increased to $30 a night. The welcome is friendly but the rooms are filthy, noisy and the air con wheezy. On the plus side, they seem to be taking steps to overcome cockroach problems. Abigail Herron, Mar 08
Kohinoor Indian Restaurant in Osu is open on public holidays and offers a wide range of vegetarian dishes. It is comparatively expensive. Vegetarian Bao Bab in Osu, referred to in the previous update, has gone out of business. Another vegetarian restaurant, Asesse Pa, located after Busy Internet but before La Paloma Hotel has gone out of business too it would appear. Koala Supermarket in Osu sells soya milk.
Champs Sports Bar now charges $8 entrance, although the hopeful doorman will initially ask for $10 – just point to the sign on the door showing the entrance fee of $8! This is refundable against drinks at the bar. Abigail Herron, Mar 08
The level of hassle at the National Culture Centre is spiralling ever upwards. It’s much better value, and a nicer experience to buy your gifts in Kumasi. Abigail Herron, Mar 08
Savannah beach guest house, bar and vegetarian cuisine is located at 37 lagoon road, Teshie/Nungua, Greater Accra. We are an ecotourism destination, directly on a sandy beach. our phone numbers are 233-24-352-3363, -24-313-5250, -24-601-8989. website: savannahseashoreinn.com. Beth Brehmer, Apr 08.
Accra – a great little chop bar down the road of beverley hills hotel, on the corner of samora machel road and first mangotree avenue, called gina’s. food is very cheap, less than 1cedi for a plate without meat, and less than 1.5 for chicken. Also, the Lemon Lodge is now 25Ghc for a room, and therefore I would no longer class it as a budget option, rather overpriced for simple lodgings. The Mavis is still good value, at 12-15Ghc for the rooms, although they were doing some renovations, so it wouldn’t surprise me if prices were to increase in the near future. The Petits Paris Bakery/Coffee Shop mentioned, near to the KLM office in North Ridge is now closed. Other than that, not much to say about Accra. For me it was more a place to work than anything, and was more than happy when leaving the city for travelling Steve Medley, Apr 08.
I’ve recently returned from covering the African Cup Of Nations and would like to give a recommendation for the Kork Palm Hotel in Asylum Down – Accra. During a period when many media hotels hiked the prices up, The Kork Palm didn’t. It was clean, very friendly and flexible, lovely staff and I would definitely stay again in Accra. They also answer emails which is a novelty for Ghana. Highly recommended – a lot of media migrated there over the period of the tournament which is a good indicator. Tel. +233-(0) 21-226797 or + 233-(0)208-022599 or +233-(0)243 045341. Email: korkpalmhotel@yahoo.com. http://www.flickr.com/photos/korkpalmhotel. Steve Bond, May 08.
The Golden Tulip. A wonderful setting -even if you aren’t able to stay here we’d recommend you spend an evening listening to the live music performed each evening by the pool and enjoy the grounds. Drinks may be more expensive here by Ghanaian standards, but are still relatively affordable. Rooms are serviceable and of international standards. The food is generally good although service is not the fastest, but breakfasts were by far the best we found –a great variety of dishes available. The free bus that runs to the airport is available by request, and we found this very convenient. We would reinforce the guidebooks advice that rooms are available at a reduced rate for weekend occupancy. We were given a substantial discount on the advertised price. If you need to stay mid-week it would be worth booking well in advance as the hotel gets very busy. Charlotte Butterfield, June 08.
Afia Beach Resort. We would strongly recommend a stay at Afia Beach Resort. The location is very convenient for the sea and beach, although the sea is rather dirty and not suitable for more than a paddle. The accommodation in small chalets is comfortable and well maintained. It was very good value and the staff were very helpful about providing an extra bed at a very small cost. The restaurant was fantastic! The food was very good value for quality and variety and the service was the best we found in Ghana. The location is cool with the sea breeze and stunning views out to sea. We would particularly recommend it for a relaxed lunchtime. Overall the resort is great value for money. Charlotte Butterfield, June 08.
Kindly permit me to highlight a few changes we have made in James town, Accra, Ghana. With a panoramic view of fishermen bringing in their catch, against the historical James Fort and the monumental Lighthouse is the spotlessly clean Jaynii Beach resort, the only nice beach in the heart of the Accra city- Situated right behind the James Town Light house, where turtles are often found ashore. Come enjoy the irresistible music and dance of the creative and dynamic Jaynii cultural troupe, who aside the traditional ones, create their own music and dance from simple Ghanaian instruments that will surely set your waist wriggling till you drop. Join our spectacular Drum and Dance lesson that will keep you coming for more even when you have become a professional in no time. The proceeds of JayNii Beach Resort and the JayNii Cultural Troupe goes into the Jaynii StreetWise organization which has its ultimate aim of improving the lives of children and youth by picking children off the street and putting them in to the classroom to empower them and provide them with skills. Meet Jay & Nii, extremely nice, young and enterprising managers of JayNii who will serve you with chilled drinks and make you feel at home. ‘Hey, with us, you are safe’. Come and have a genuine experience of what we are known for- Warm People. The location, safety, the serene atmosphere and the direct fresh breeze from the ocean makes it exquisite. Itʼs not for nothing that both locals and foreigners say itʼs ACCRAʼS BEST KEPT SECRET. Kindly check the site below to see what we are talking about please: www.flickr.com/photos/jayniibeach, www.flickr.com/photos/jaynii, www.flickr.com/photos/jayniistreetwise. Tel: 00233 277 117 286 or 00233 249 47 40 28. Email: jayniibeach@yahoo.com Jay & Nii, Aug 08.
