Welcome to the update website for the Bradt Guide to Ghana by Philip Briggs
For recent reader updates, consult the posts or categories opposite, or search on the topic that interests you.
More about the Bradt Guide to Ghana
Add your own news, views or update material: fill in a comment form, or email me, and I’ll generate a new post as soon as I can
Read reviews of Bradt Ghana or post your own at www.amazon.com or www.amazon.co.uk
Updates for other African countries (Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania)
More about Philip Briggs
Posts on this update site are mostly culled directly from reader feeback and I have not verified them first-hand. All opinions and assessments are those of the individual correspondent, and their inclusion should not be mistaken for a direct endorsement by Bradt.
The update website is a free service to readers and can be used without obligation. However, travellers to Ghana are encouraged to contribute their impressions and updates for the benefit of those who follow in their footsteps.
a stark warning…DO NOT TRAVEL BETWEEN CITIES AT NIGHT!
http://iamaghanaian.com/index.php?do=%2Fnews%2Faccra-kumasi-highway-accident-20-dead%2F
We NEVER travel after dark in Ghana unless it is local within a few miles of where we stay. The roads/traffic is bad enough during the day let alone at night in the dark. Always stay in a hotel in Accra when we arrive at night from UK and travel to Western Region the next morning in daylight. Sad to see so many have lost their lives in this accident.
Hope you share this great projection for GHANA TOURISM in 2012
http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2011/10/29/ghana-listed-6th-among-world%E2%80%99s-top-ten-tourism-destinations-in-2012/
We’ve just returned from a 2 week tour of Ghana and must say their tourism industry is very basic at best. The locals have a long way to go to learn how to deal with tourists. A restaurant in Bolgatanga was the worst experience we had – food ordered for 5 people, waitress totally ignoring us, having to ask for drinks several times, BUT the locals coming in got a smile, friendly chat and food served right away while we waited over an hour for food. What we ordered was the same thing being served quickly to locals. Air-con that didn’t work, hotels with no sheets on the bed or towels, it was a real eye-opening experience. By all means go to Ghana if you are prepared to really rough it, their tourism infrastructure leaves much to be desired.
Linda, what did you expect? Ghana is an LEDC so their ‘tourism industry’ reflects this situation. And remember that customer service is a western practice, not a given – if the staff have not been given basic training (or even any basic formal education) then their concept of customer service is about as alien to them as no air conditioning in a hot country is to you.
Joshua Supertramp, this was not our first visit to Ghana, I have been there 10 times since 2005. We visit mainly in Cape Coast and the Sekondi-Takoradi area where things are much more westernized. The north was almost like a totally different country from the reception we get in the south. Ghanaian friends tell us the country is looking to increase tourism to generate income, but they need lots of lessons in how to treat tourists if they want to make tourism in Ghana a successful venture, especially in the north. Our tour guide was a Ghanaian from Accra and he was constantly on the locals about how they should treat visitors, usually not with positive results.
Hi Philip
I would like to make you are your readers aware that we are now offering internal flights to some new locations around Ghana. We now fly from Accra to Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale and Sunyani. All flights are at a low cost and we work very hard to provide a fantastic service and have an exceptional safety record.
Please take a look at the website:http://fly540africa.com/
It would be fantastic if you could write a short post about this as i am sure that it would be of interest to most of your readers on this blog.
And all the school children at our mission link in Essikadu get very excited when they see the planes leaving from Takoradi to wherever they are going!
Hi Linda
Lovely to hear that – I will ask the captain to give them a wave from the cockpit next time – what is the name of your mission link?
Hi Joel, We have a mission link with St. Mark’s Anglican Church and school in Essikadu. They have a big complex on Essikadu Road with the church, mission house, primary school, junior high school and a nursery/creche with a walled in playground. Our church helped them build the nursery school which was opened in 2008.
Hi Joel,
This is great information. Do you know of flights leaving from Ghana to Monrovia(Liberia) and Douala (Cameroon)?
Hi All,
Interesting comments. Yes being a Ghanaian who had the opportunity to experience better customer services in other African countries, I must agree that our services need improving. A lot of that is due to poor supervision. I hope the regulators and authorities really raise the bar to ensure we reap the huge benefits from tourism.
I fly 540 to Tamale frequently and I must say they are one of my favorite airlines in terms of service and punctuality. Keep it up!
Kwabena
Thank you for your kind words – that is very much appreciated. We are trying our best to give great customer service along with low cost flights. We do not get it right 100% of the time but are constantly getting better, or at least that is the way it feels.
Kwabena, do you think that maybe the universities should offer a programme in tourism or hospitality management? Training people to work in the tourism industry would give a big boost to tourism in Ghana, especially the north.
Joel, how can I go about assisting getting out the word more about fly540africa? I think its long overdue and an economical choice for Africa. Are there plans soon to increase services to where one could travel in other areas of Africa?
I am looking forward to my second trip to W. Africa since moving to the U.S as a young child 20+ years ago. This will be my first trip to Ghana and I also hope to visit Cameroon and or Liberia (my native country) while I am that region of the world. I am ordering this book on Ghana to help me make the most of this trip :-)
I’m glad to have found the site. I have recently relocated from Florida to Kikam near Axim. I think that Ghana has to be more aggressive in defining and marketing its tourism sector. I also agree about customer service and that training of some sort is necessary. Finally, the power outages must stop. In a nation that produces much of what the world uses, Ghana should be able to generate its own power in order to provide a quality electrical service.
We were told by our Ghanaian friends in Tarkwa that the power outages were happening because Ghana was selling electricity to the neighbouring countries and they could get more money selling to other countries than they get from selling it to their local customers in Ghana. Not sure how true this is, but it is what we were told by the friends we visited in October.
Hi Linda. Yes, I’ve heard that same reason. Again, Ghana is too rich in resources for this to happen.
Yes, I was told the same, Linda. Still, there should be no excuse for why Ghana cannot have electrical power that is consistent. It provides the world with a lot of natural resources.
My Guide book arrived today! I am looking foward to reading it before I leave for Ghana. Any word/updates on flights to Monrovia from Accra? Thanks :-)
your book is great and where can i find one my country Ghana?
Some copies should be make aveliable easy accessibility
It is sold at a few bookshops in Accra – eg Vidya Bookshop in Osu