Green Bug Adventures is still alive and providing adventures in Ghana we have survived the unfortunate down turn in Tourism due to Ebola and are still hoping for a comeback because West Africa has so much to share with travelers as a safe place to visit.  We can also now offer limited adventures to Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso.  We have moved our home base from Colorado to Oregon in the US.  I personally have moved to Ghana and live there full time working in tourism and building more capacity.

We are working on a new and improved Green Bug Adventures site and incorporating a better booking system, more community based tour options including day tours and urban walking tours.  We will also be providing and showcasing tours to Togo, Benin, and Burkina Faso.  So keep an eye out for all of these updates.

In addition to Green Bug Adventures I am working on the following businesses and projects in Ghana to build the tourism sector and capacity:

Superior Hospitality Solutions

This is my primary focus other than Green Bug Adventures.  We provide technology solutions, marketing and consultation to hotels throughout Ghana.  Our primary product is the Hotel Link Solutions services providing websites, booking platforms and distribution to hotels.  Some of the outlets of these developments are the following sites:

www.accommodationcentral.com –  If you search Ghana you can book and see all the hotels that we work within Ghana.

www.thetravelrevolution.com –  Like Accommodation Central this portal will allow you to view and book the hotels we work with in Ghana but at a discount that is not available anywhere else on the web.

Destination Ghana-

As part of Superior Hospitality Solutions we are launching a new version of Destination-Ghana.com one of Ghana’s first websites dedicated specifically to Hotels in Ghana.  In addition to hotels this new portal will provide simple booking of rental cars, tours, travel insurance and airfare with a whole lot of travel information that will be good for Eco-travelers and even a more general audience.

Global Eco Village Network Ghana-

I have been invited to a very unique group of change makers in Ghana as an Ambassador to GEN Ghana, we are working to build the first Eco Village Network in Ghana as part of the Global Network.  This will only help all the practitioners in Ghana and make sure that we have a sustainable future along with many interesting places for you to visit.

In short Green Bug Adventures is still here and ready to show you how amazing West Africa is, we are growing in terms of knowledge and capacity but we have not kept up on our blog.  We look forward to hearing from you soon.

This guide is intended to help surfers looking to enjoy Ghana’s amazing coast line for the first time it will give an introduction to where you might find some waves, what the waves and bottom conditions are like and where to stay in the area around these breaks.  I will not go very far inland since I can imagine that it will be very hard to pull yourself away from the beach.  Ghana is still relatively undiscovered in the surfing community and there is little information out there about where to surf in Ghana, and some of this may be kept a secret by the people who know and wish to keep it that way.  But surfing is not new to Ghana as surfers have been coming here since the 60’s as seen in the popular Endless Summer video from that time period  but they may have been little and far between up until 2006 when the first surf shop appeared in Ghana.

A little intro video to Ghana surfing by our partners at Black Star Surf Shop:

Ghana has about 370 miles (about 590 km) of beached, caped and reefed coastline making it a perfect place to find surf.  This combined with friendly Ghanaians, a rich culture, beautiful weather, and lots for travelers to do makes it an undiscovered paradise of empty waves still off the major surf maps.  The highlight of Ghana surfing before 2006 was the clip seen below, in the “Endless Summer” surf movie that many will recognize.  There may have been a few adventurous surfers that passed through following Endless Summer, but there was really no sort of surf movement until Black Star Surf Shop opened its doors in Busua Beach in 2006.  This started a little movement in Ghana which is still very much in its infancy today, check out the video below about the formation of Black Star Surf shop who is also our partner in all of our surf Adventures.

“Endless Summer,” Ghana clip

 The Black Star Surfers Documentary

The experience of surfing in Ghana today has changed little from those early days in Endless Summer.  Everywhere outside of Busua the waves are still empty, the people are still friendly, and the kids are still hundreds deep watching you tear up the waves hoping for the chance to get to try it.  Foreigners (regardless of their color or nationality, unless other Africans) are referred to by Ghanaians as obruni, this is often mistaken by travelers to mean white person, but roughly translated it means person who came from the sea.  So even to this day it creates a little bit of a stir in most of the surfing communities when they see someone ride in from a wave.

Unfortunately I have not had much personal experience with surfing in Ghana and I do not have personal experience with most of these breaks, information here will be provided from some personal experience along with information found throughout the web.  Please feel free to post your experiences here along with any comments you might have.  Only through community can we provide more information about what is out there.

Some great articles about Surfing and Development in Ghana:

http://www.economist.com/node/21550253

http://www.caravanmagazine.in/letters/ghana-crude-beginnings

When to Go:

Ghana’s water rarely dips outside of its zone of 75-78 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year, so there is no bad time in terms of water temperatures to go and surf in Ghana.  Ghana’s coast line ranges from 6 degrees north of the equator to 4 degrees north of the equator at its most southern point.  This makes for nice warm air temperatures throughout the year too.  During the southern hemispheres winter is when the waves pick up most, this is during the northern hemispheres summer June – September.  The largest waves are reported during September.  This is also the rainy season in Ghana, which usually makes for some afternoon showers.  To learn more about when is a good time to visit Ghana more generally read here.

Pros of Ghana Surfing:

• Zero Localism
• Empty waves with no line up
• Great place for women to surf or learn to surf, as there are very few male surfers to put up with and no localism
• Leave your wet-suit at home you won’t need it here all year round
• Wonderful beach lodges to stay in near the breaks in comfort.
• A surf shop located near some of the best breaks in Ghana
• So much more to do than just surfing
• No Sharks

Downside of surfing in Ghana:

• You will not want to tell anyone about it because there will be a side of you that wants to keep it a secret and all to yourself.
• You will probably want to shy away from being in the water or surfing at high tide in a lot of areas.  Trash disposal in Ghana is not that great so the tide picks up a lot of garbage especially around Accra and to the East of Accra.  In the rural areas the beach is still the bathroom, this practice is thankfully dying for those of us that love the beach.  But you can’t really blame the locals that don’t have toilets and the beach offers fresh air, a view and removal of the waste everyday.
• Only a few places to rent boards.
• Public transportation is not that well set up for boards, and cab drivers don’t really know what to do with them yet.
• Strong Rip tides

Some days to put on the surf Calendar for the 2013 season:

March 4-6^th-  Asabaako Music Festival in Busua

June 20^th-  International Surf Beach Clean-up at Busua Beach

August-  Ghana Surfing Association Invitational.

Dangers Precautions and tips:

It is advisable to never surf alone and this especially goes for an unknown surf destination like Ghana.  There are jagged rocks at many of the breaks you should be careful off and some reefs.  Ghana is known for its intense rip tides that have taken more than a few lives, be careful and use the buddy system.

The best way to have the most amount of fun and to find the best breaks is by going with a local surf guide.  Our surf adventure provides this opportunity, spending a week exploring the best breaks around Busua.

Around Accra and to the east of Accra the water is very dirty with the run off from the city and trash in the water, try to avoid surfing post rain, and near the let out of streams, lagoons and rivers, this just makes things dirtier.  There are so many better places to surf further away from Accra, but if you insist use ear plugs to avoid and ear infection.

Below is a little video about the dangers of tides in Ghana and what one organization is setting out to do to avoid more drownings.

What to bring:

1.  Surf Board-  you can rent from Black Star Surf Shop but that is no where close to Accra and you will pass by some surf on the way.  This way you know you have a board that will work for you also.
2. Passport and Ghana Visa- If you are bringing your board, put this with your board as you will not forget your board so you will not forget this.  You will not get very far without your passport and you will not make it onto your final flight into Ghana without your visa.
3. Rash Guard
4. Plenty of sun screen
5. A hat to block the sun
6. Some gifts or things to trade or give to new Ghanaian friends
7. Camera, and video camera, come on lets see some more cool surf videos coming out of Ghana.
8. Sunglasses
9. Mosquito Replant
10. Longboard or longer fun board would probably be best for Ghana
11. If going to Busua you may want to bring your pool skate board.

Where to find surf from East to West along Ghana’s Coast line

One the things that could absolutely ruin your trip to Ghana would be forgetting your passport, and not having all the necessary documents for entry to Ghana like the Yellow Fever Vaccination card, and entry visa.

Here are the requirements for entry to Ghana from the Official Government of Ghana website:

1. Travel Documents

All persons entering Ghana must be in possession of a valid passport or Travel Documents establishing the identity of the holder. 
Travel Documents include Laisser-Passer and other travel documents issued by International Agencies recognised by the Government of Ghana. 
These are:

1.    ECOWAS 
2.    United Nations and its specialized agencies 
3.    The World Bank 
4.    African Development Bank, etc.

Where there is doubt, it should be cleared with the Ghana Immigration Service headquarters or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Accra.

2. Entry Visas

1.    All foreigners entering Ghana, unless covered by para 3(1) require Entry Visas. Entry Visas must be obtained prior to arrival in Ghana and may be obtained from a Ghana Embassy, High Commission or Consulate abroad.

Where Ghana has no Consular or Diplomatic representation, an application for Entry Visa may be made to the nearest Diplomatic Mission or Consulate authorised by the Government of Ghana to act on its behalf .
2.    ii. Ghana Entry Visa may be issued on arrival if the Director of Immigration has prior notification from travellers or their sponsors. 
Applications must be made to:

Director Of Immigration 
Ghana Immigration Service 
Private Mail Bag 
Ministries Post Office-Accra 
Tel: 00233-21-221667 / 225321 / 224445 
Fax 00233-21-226996 
GHANA IMMIGRATION SERVICE ONLINE

3. Exemptions

The following categories are exempted from obtaining entry visas to Ghana

a. Citizens Of Ecowas Countries 
Nigeria 
Benin 
Mauritania 
Niger 
Gambia 
Senegal 
Guinea 
Sierra Leone 
Guinea Bissau 
Togo 
Cote D’ivoire 
Burkina Faso 
Liberia 
Cape Verde 
Mali 

b. Nationals of Kenya, Malaysia And Singapore

Holders Of German And Cuban Diplomatic/Service Passports 

c. Persons in direct airside transit. 

4. Referals (for British Diplomatic Missions and Consulates)

I. Entry Visas may be issued in accordance with the Visa Regime to the following categories of persons without reference to Accra. 

1.    Members of Diplomatic and Foreign Consular officers “de carriere” travelling to or through Ghana on official business 
2.    Persons in transit in Ghana who wish to break their journey in Ghana for period not exceeding 48 hours provided they are in possession of visas and onward tickets to their destination beyond Ghana and are not stateless persons 

ii. Where Visas are issued without reference, details and two photographs of the persons to whom they have been issued must be forwarded to the Director of Immigration, 

iii. All applications for Visas except in category 4 (I) above must be cleared with the Director of Immigration. 
Referred applications should be accompanied by two recent photographs of applicant and should be forwarded by mail with statement of action taken. 
Reply to referred cases will be sent by fax where applicable. 
Whenever application for visas are referred, a report of local security clearance and any other relevant information must be accompanied. 

iv. Visas may be obtained at the point of entry in Ghana by investors or tour operators. Prior approval for visa on arrival may be obtained from the Director of Immigration through fax or e-mail.

5. Refusal

Visa to the following category of persons should generally be refused. 

1.    Prohibited Immigrants 
2.    A person without visible means of support 
3.    An undesirable person 
4.    Any mentally handicapped person 
5.    On the advice of the health authorities 

6. Immigration notice

Intending travellers must note that the possession of the appropriate documents does not confer a right of entry. Travellers may be refused entry into Ghana if they fall within the category of prohibited Immigrant and if they do not satisfy Immigration requirements at the point of entry. 
The Government of Ghana will not be financially liable for their repatriation. 

7. Immigration Regulations

Immigrant Quota:
Persons who enter Ghana ostensibly as visitors may not be permitted to take employment. 
No person shall be permitted to accept employment or undertake an occupation for reward in Ghana unless such employment is within the authorised Immigrant quota (an Immigrant quota being the number of non-Ghanaians that a person or firm can employ). An application for 
Immigrant Quota must be made to:

The Secretary 
Immigrant Quota Committee 
Ministry Of The Interior 
P.O. Box M. 42 
Accra 

An approval for Immigrant Quota for a foreign employee must be obtained before he proceeds to Ghana. 

8. Investors

Investors to Ghana must register with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. 
Application for the extension of visa or automatic quota must be accompanied by a supporting letter from the GIPC confirming the status of the Investor. 

9 Mining

Investors into the Mining Sector in Ghana must register with the Minerals Commission as approved Mining Services Company. Application for the extension of visa or Immigrant Quota must be accompanied by a supporting letter from the Minerals Commission confirming their status. 

10. Professionals

It is an offence for foreign doctors, dentists, lawyers, pharmacists and other professionals to practice their profession in Ghana unless they have registered their profession in accordance with the profession of the respective ordinances. 
All professionals wishing to enter Ghana to practice one of the professions are required before visas are issued to provide particulars of their qualifications in order that their eligibility for registration may be determined. 

11. Prohibited Immigrants

Any person falling within the following categories. 

1.    There is a deportation order in force – Part II ACT 160/63 
2.    A destitute or person with no visible means of support 
3.    A person of unsound mind 
4.    A person declared by the Minister, or by Executive Instrument to be a person whose entry into Ghana would not be conducive to public good. 
5.    A person against whom there is an extradition crime in force within the meaning of the Extradition Act, Act 22/60. 

12. Fees

Some amount of money is charged for Entry Visas 

www.immigration.org
www.ghanatourism.gov.gh

[email protected]

So remember unless you meet one of the exemptions you need the following three things to enter Ghana:

Passport

Entry Visa

Yellow Fever Immunization card

If all of this is a little confusing for you we would be happy to help you out with the formalities if you are a US citizen, this is one of the services that we can provide for you, feel free to contact us at any time.

If you need more guidance on what to pack you can also check out this blog here.

You will also need an entry visa to travel to any of the surrounding countries like the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Togo.  As not to waste your valuable travel time it is recommended that you get these before leaving home, but there are consulates in Accra where they can be had along with most border crossings.

On facebook and twitter I try, when I have time to post a Picture of the Day from my travels in Ghana.  Sometimes a simple sentence explains the picture, but others ignite a whole story.

This is not the most glamorous, beautiful or captivating picture I have taken, I had actually even forgot about it up until a few days ago when talking to a friend I remembered a story about these kids.  This picture was taken in 2004 in the village of Elmina, when my father and I were traveling down the coast of Ghana, after I had completed a semester of college at the University of Ghana.

Fort St. Jago on the hill in Elmina

There is a large castle on the beach at the village and as you look inland there is a road that goes strait up a hill ending at another fort.  After checking out the castle on the beach we decided to walk up the road to check out the colonial fort that you can barely see in the background of the picture above, and very clearly in the picture to the left.  About half way up we came across these kids on the side of the road leading to the fort.  We said hello and were unsure of what they were doing, possibly burning plastic and other things on their little charcoal stove (the things we used to do as kids, who knows?).  My father being the playful guy that he is had come with a contingency of bouncy balls for kids he met along the way.  The interaction would usually involve some kids getting excited to see us, my dad saying hello and making some goofy faces, the kids returning the goofy faces with displays of dance moves, or karate moves, and then my father would offer the bouncy ball.  The kids would usually give a puzzled look and then the match of bouncy ball throw and catch would ensue.

This interaction heading up the hill to the fort went about the same way, but when it came time for him to bounce the ball to them, this may not have been the best place for that as it was on a steep hill.  The ball bounced right past the kids and bounced part way down the hill on the road and then off a cliff, presumably bouncing through the whole village before landing in the lagoon (probably not the best environmentally friendly gift to give to kids on your travels).  The kids were shocked, it was hard to tell if this was because they saw that their gift went bouncing away to be lost forever, or because there gift was able to do that feat on its own.  Luckily for these kids my dad had some more balls and handed them over this time rather than risking another bounce.

One of the Posuban shrines on the very street where the bouncy ball match went on.

After checking out the fort a local boy showed us a back way down the hill into an old part of the village with a lot of colonial architecture and cobble-stoned streets.  Here we met two young girls one much younger than the other, as we smiled and walked by the younger girl who seemed terrified reached out and grabbed my dads arm and she shrieked and ran a little ways away.  An adult seemed shocked and then exclaimed that the little girl thinks you are a ghost (being white and all) and tried to see if you were real.  The little girl still seemed terrified but was looking our way hiding behind the older girl, who was giggling.  This set my father into action to try to rectify the situation and out came the bouncy balls again and he bounced one in their direction. The older girl bounced it back a few times but the younger one was still too scared.  So we worked our way down the street a little more checking out the Posuban shrines along the way.

After passing a few of the shrines we heard some giggling in the direction we had come from and a bouncy ball coming right for us down the street.  It had appeared that the girl who was afraid of my father had launched it seemingly a little braver now.  My dad caught it and launched it back going quite some distance.  Then some other kids caught it and sent it back again.  I think some other balls from other kids came out at this time because it turned into quite the bouncy ball match with multiple balls and a whole pack of kids going in every direction on the street in the old part of Elmina village.  I don’t remember how it calmed down but we eventually moved on and continued with our journey, with a few things to laugh about.

One of the questions that I received from travelers going to Ghana, Togo and Benin with us is, what is the availability of electricity and the plugs that are used in these countries?  For me to answer their question since I knew where they were going was relatively simple, I knew where they were going and staying each night.   But to answer the question for you is a little more difficult as I do not know your itinerary.

Electricity in Ghana, Togo and Benin will be available at most hotels, guest house and lodges on the major tourist routes through these countries.  In villages and rural areas it is a hit or miss sort of thing, it really depends on how far off the beaten path you are going.  Even in the areas that typically have electricity there are often blackouts, and prolonged periods without electricity because of the lack of maintenance, and the energy crisis many of these countries are experiencing.

To fully understand the issues facing electricity and power in Ghana, Togo and Benin, a brief look at the short history of electricity in these countries would be helpful.  Below broken up by country is a short guide to electricity matters in Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

Ghana:

Standards

Ghana: 230 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Plugs

*The two prong plug is the same as the one used in Togo and Benin. It often requires something non-conductive to be put in the third hole which opens the other two holes for the plug it to be slid in.

Stats

Electricity coverage for population  45-47% of Ghanaians have access to Electricity with 15-17% being in rural areas.

The coastal area enjoys the most connectivity to electricity, then the forest ecological area, and then lastly the savanna area (in the north) is the least connected.

Electricity accounts for 11% (split almost 50/50, residential/commercial usage) of the countries total energy expenditures.

In 2004 Ghana had electricity to about 44% of the population compared to the average of 18% for the rest of West Africa.

Info from http://www.esi-africa.com/node/7765 published in 2007.

 History of Electricity in Ghana

The first major occurrence of there being electricity in Ghana was in 1914 and was supplied to a Railroad office in Sekondi.  In another 14 years the service had spread to Takoradi, while the rest of the country was turning on lights in limited areas of Accra, Koforidua and Kumasi.

The basis of this early power generation was motor power generators remotely operated around the country in some cases by the government, also mining and other industry companies.  This was the norm until in 1966 Akosombo dam was completed on the Volta River, creating the Volta Reservoir the largest in the world until recently.  This gave Ghana more than enough power along with the Kpong dam dam which followed shortly.  This made Ghana an exporter of electricity, supplying most of the primary needs for power in Ghana, along with Togo and Benin.

In the early 80s there were some droughts that tested the limitations of Ghana’s power supply with its reliance on water stored behind hydro-electric dams.  This started a whole string of studies that resulted in an old diesel power plant in Tema being restored and completed in 1993, and the creation of a Thermal Power Plant being started and fist phase was completed in Takoradi in 1999.

Ghana and it’s neighbors power needs and consumption continued to rise at a steady 6% a year.  The majority of this information is from pre 2006, but in 2007 the water levels in Volta lake reached an all time low, causing the first major energy crisis in Ghana.  The whole country underwent months of continued rolling blackouts which they called “load shedding exercises” because of the need to conserve energy.  The government turned to fuel again for power consumption, I believe that the Takoradi plant was expanded and a power generation barge was bought to supplement the energy needs of the quickly growing country.  The Ghanaian government was going broke trying to keep the generators supplied with fuel until the droughts let up in 2009 slightly.

The government came up with a few solutions one had been in planning and even construction since 2005, this was the West African Gas Pipeline, the other was an old plan from the 1960s that was brought to life again.  This plan consisted of damming the Black Volta River in the Northern Region of Ghana near Bui, and to be called the Bui Dam project.  The same developers of the 3 Gorges Dam in China stepped to the plat to build this one with Chinese financial backing.  This project has been said to be an “environmental disaster” by an in-bedded reporter with the team that did the environmental study.  The leader of the team always kept a neutral stance but was still banned from doing any more research on the environmental implication in 2001.  No one seemed to worry that the resulting lake would swallow one of Ghana’s best national parks, and ruin the habitat for one of the last large groups of hippos in the country.  It was glazed over that this would also follow the same ills as the other hydro-electric projects in the country and be at the same threat to global climate change and annual droughts.  The construction began anyway in 2008 and water began rising in 2011.

The West African Gas Pipeline was the other answer, a brain child of Ecowas (West African governing body) to make a natural Gas Pipeline from Nigeria to Ghana. Work began in 2005 and finished sometime in 2010 with numerous delays.  This pipeline fed the Thermal plants in Takoradi until August 2012 when a shootout between the Togo Navy and Nigerian pirates damaged a section of it by the pirates ship anchor dragging over it.  As of December 26th, 2012 the repairs have not been completed yet.

Even though the demand and supply of power has been growing in Ghana, there are some things that limit its expansion.  First from my talking to communities it sounds like they have to pay for the transformer after the power lines have been run that will supply their community.  Then the power companies will also not deliver power to houses with a thatched roof.  This create a development dilemma because that is traditionally how people kept their houses cool in the north using natural convection through the roof and clay walls.  So to get connected to electricity they need to re-roof their houses and then they will also probably need A/C units which in turn further tax the power supply.  It does not make financial sense to the primary farming people that live in the communities and it does not make sense for the sustainability of power generation in the country.

Remember while traveling about these power concerns and at what cost the electricity was brought to you.  Turn off AC, lights, fans and other appliances when not in the room, and be conservative with the energy that you do use.

Togo and Benin

Standards and Plugs

• Togo: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz

• Benin: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz

History

Togo’s electricity program has historically piggy backed off of Ghana’s development , and they still rely primarily on imports of electricity from Ghana.  As of 2007, about 85% of Togo’s electricity was imported from Ghana.  Three fifths of the domestic energy production in Togo is from hydroelectric the remaining comes from petroleum based generators.  Recently with the addition of power plants from ContourGlobal, they have began supplementing their domestic production of power.

As with Ghana the addition of the West African Gas Pipe Line WAGP that runs from Nigerian through both Togo and Benin also add to the energy security of both of these countries.  There are plans in the works to take more advantage of the pipeline on their doorstep but this is highly dependent on if the pipeline can show any sort of reliability in it delivery of natural gas.

The West African Power Pool WAPP is another initiative grown through ECOWAS that will help to secure reliable electricity through the whole region of West Africa.  This involves connecting the power systems of all these regional countries, this will add some redundancy to the system, and hopefully better reliability and ability to handle the load on the system.  In October of 2012 Liberia was the latest country to connect to the WAPP that already connected the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.  In addition Liberia will also supply power to Sierra Leone creating another connection.

Tips for the Traveler

• Don’t over do it on the electronics that you bring on your trip.  Enjoy your trip rather than being 100% plugged into things back home.  Plus you will not have to worry as much about them getting damaged, or perhaps stolen
• If you are leaving the capital city leave things like blow dryers and other high draw electronics at home, first if you are the type that will enjoy traveling outside the cities you are the type that can leave the blow dryer at home for a while.  Second this is more draw than some of the places you will be staying can take, especially boutique lodges, and eco-lodges where often they rely on alternative power generation, or diesel generators.
• Be respectful of the power limitations of the places you are staying in and also the countries themselves   Un-plug electronics when they are not in use, and turn off things like TVs, radios, A/C and fans when you are not in the room using them.
• Un-plugging electronics when they are not in use is also important for the life of your electronics, often there are power spikes especially as the power is coming back on on that will kill your electronics when they are not in use.
• If you see staff at a hotel be careless about leaving things on, you may remind them or the owner of the hotel that electricity is not free and its use does in-fact pollute.
• Do not leave electronics laying about in your room, for the most part they will be safe but you have to remember the average electronic that you may bring with you may be worth a years salary in theses countries or even multiple years, and the temptation may be too much for even generally moral people to make it their own.
• Do not flaunt your electronics in public, this may increase your changes of loosing it to theft.
• Be careful what information you bring on your laptop or other data storage devises.  Pornography is illegal in these countries, and some other sensitive material may get you in trouble from your work or if you work for another government.

As amazing as it would be to leave all the mobile devices at home and have a vacation free of these distractions on our relaxation it has become more and more important to be tied into communications, back home for work, or to make your travel arrangements as needed or for emergency situations.

To give you an idea about the coverage areas in these countries I have prepared the following information.

Most of Ghana, Togo and Benin have GSM mobile phone coverage. Just like anywhere there are gaps in the coverage and differences in coverage between operators, this happens primarily in rural areas.  The primary bands used are 900, and 1800.

To avoid costly international mobile charges it is recommended that you pick up recharge cards locally from the different providers in each country.  Since no network is all inclusive you should go for the major networks. To make sure the group has coverage as much as possible it is recommended that each person get one chip from a different carrier.

If you are traveling and covering a lot of ground each day you should have coverage at some place along the way. The rural areas may have spotty coverage this will include places between established communities in northern Ghana, Togo and Benin. You may also loose service even along the coast in some remote areas of the Western Region, like Cape Three Points.

AT&T offers some good information about GSM coverage in the three countries that you will be traveling to, here is a map of over all GSM coverage in the area.

Ghana:

The primary mobile operators in Ghana are;
• Vodaphone (also known as former Ghana Telecom) coverage map
• MTN
• TiGo no coverage map available
• Zain no coverage map available

Togo:

The primary mobile operators in Togo are;
• Togocel
• Moov- coverage map not available

Benin:

• MTN- you man need to zoom in to see.
• Moov- No coverage map available
• Glo- No coverage map available
• Bbcom- No coverage map available

Right now is a great time to visit Ghana to feel this optimism and excitement with the countries growth, but it is also very important that we as travelers go and support the local businesses, community ecotourism projects, and conservation, to show that is an important way to develop a sustainable tourism economy, and that these values are important to travelers everywhere.

1. Tree Platforms in the Rain Forest:

    

Kakum National Park is known for its canopy walk way where visitors walk through the canopy of the rain forest at times over 70 feet from the forest floor, but this is only part of what Kakum has to offer. One of the best ways to immerse yourself into the Kakum experience is to stay the night in the forest. With the forest floor being wet and trafficked with all kinds of critters it is not the best place to get a restful night. Luckily for you there are a couple of amazing options for staying in the park. Near the park headquarters is a platform in the forest where guests can stay the night, this is a nice intro but does not get you too far off the beaten path.

Another better way to sleep in the forest is provided by a partnership between Mosomagor Eco-Village and the Ghana Wildlife Division. The village is located along the eastern side of the park and requires driving part way up the road from Cape Coast to Kumasi before navigating a dirt road that can be quite difficult to reach the village, especially in the rainy season. You need to get to the village by early afternoon so you can arrange with the community guide and the Wildlife Division guide who will accompany you into the forest. It is a 2 hour hike from the village to get to the tree platform; most of this is through cocoa plantations and fields before even reaching the park boundary. It is important to get to the tree platform before dark especially in the rainy season because it is believed that the forest elephants will charge the light from a flashlight.

It is also nice to walk the trail in the daytime because when getting into the thick rain forest there are a number of obstacles like hanging vines, and fallen trees that need to be traversed, along with other natural obstacles  The guide will also be able to point out hundreds of plants and tell you about their traditional medicinal and commercial uses which are very interesting.

A view up what is said to be the tallest tree in West Africa

The tree platform itself is built around the trunk of a very large tree, about 50 feet from the tree that is said to be the largest in West Africa. The platform or tree house is about 6 feet in the air which is reached by climbing a really long latter which would make anyone afraid of heights queasy. The platform is large enough to sleep around 10 people and has a roof covering so if it rains you will still be dry and comfortable  When the sun has set and it is time to bed down, that is when the forest comes alive with all sorts of interesting noises and it may even be possible to see eyes out in the tree tops and forest floor. Your guide can tell you about all the noises but there is no need to fear them as you are safe in the tree platform.

The next morning if you are lucky this is one of the best chances that you will get to see the elusive forest elephants who are said to frequent the area.

Bring plenty of water, and some food for the evening and the next morning if you wish. It would be kind to bring some to share with your guide.

2. Hippo Hide at Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary:

Kids travel across the sanctuary and river each day from Burkina Faso to Ghana for school.

Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary is a community based hippo sanctuary brought together by 17 communities working together protecting about 42km of the Black Volta River in the Upper West Region of Ghana right on the border of Burkina Faso. The sanctuary is located about 30 minutes outside of the regional capital Wa. To get the most out of your visit you will want to stay at least a couple of days, and because of this it is not practical to stay in Wa. There is a guest house at the sanctuary that has some beds, but you will need to bring your own food and work with the guides for cooking.

The guest house is very basic and showering is done with a bucket shower, there is a pit toilet for those needs. During most of the year it can be quite hot to sleep inside, and my traveling companion in 2011 had something bite his toe while sleeping.

Because of the reasons listed above there is another way better option for your nights rest at Wechiau. Along the river in a few places there are hippo hides where you can sleep. A hippo hide is not actually the skin from the hippo, but an elevated platform that can be used for viewing the wildlife and the hippos. This can make for a unique experience because you will get to see the Hippos in the water during the day, not seeing much more than their heads and ears, with an occasional great shot when they decide to open their large mouths and yawn. Hippos come out of the water and feed at night. This may make it a little difficult to see them when they are out of the water being dark without a full moon, but you can hear the sounds they make below and potentially see them in the early light of the morning.

Once again you will need to bring your own food and plenty of water. The guides will prepare your food for you and make a mean batch of spaghetti  you can pick up the provisions in the village of Wechiau before reaching the sanctuary.

3. Castles and Slave Forts:

Ghana is very unique in that it has more European forts and castles than any other country outside of the Europe. The coast line still boasts over 43 standing colonial and pre-colonial forts and castles. They started life in the trading times prior to the slave trade as trading centers; they were built by the Swedes, Danes, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and even the Hapsburgs. In the 1700 with the advent of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade most of them found a new function as holding cells and dungeons for the slave trade and sometimes the last place Africans stayed before leaving Africa forever. The most famous of these is the Cape Coast Castle where over a million souls were ship out of Africa. This dark history has left these monuments of people’s suffering, and are a must visit for anyone traveling to Ghana.

There are a few forts that have been converted into guest houses and are a very different place to stay. Fort Iron Cross in Senya Breku about an hour west of Accra is one of these. It is a four walled fort with fortification built on a hill on the cape overlooking the town and beach. Many African Americans and other go out of their way to stay here because of the stories of spirits talking at night and being seen. The rooms are along the east wall overlooking the beach and are comfortably furnished with decent beds and wardrobes. The courtyard also has a bar and restaurant to make the stay comfortable. The cost is very minimal and reasonable.

The other fort that has been converted is the Fort in Princess Town in the Western region which started life as a possession of the Hapsburgs and was eventually sold to a Ghanaian Chief who lived in the castle from that time on. This is a great place to stay to enjoy the empty, clean beaches of the Western Region and hike the Cape Three Points area.

4. Hand in Hand Hermitage:

The Hermitage

Located behind the hospital in a community called Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region near Techiman is a very unique place that goes by Hand in Hand or Peace and Christ Guest House. This is a guest house that started life as an orphanage for mentally and physically handicapped children in Ghana. This is an important need because often these children are left by their parents at orphanages because they do not have the skills, or finances to take care of a child with these kinds of needs. They often end up in orphanages around Ghana who also do not have the skills required to help these children, they are often neglected. Hand in Hand takes in these children from all over Ghana and gives them a caring home with the help of volunteers and some very skilled employees.

Early morning view around Hand in Hand

The guest house on the grounds helps significantly for them to fund their mission along with generous donations and the sale of crafts from the children’s craft workshops. The guest house has a number of well-furnished and comfortable bungalows. There is also a more unique spot great for independent travelers because it can really only house one person. At the end of the football pitch at the edge of the property is a rock outcropping that has been sculpted into a bungalow with the front walls being made out of cement but the rear walls are formed by the rock face. This solitary room along with the surroundings makes this a great off the track place to stay while heading north. It is also a great place to set up a base camp for exploring Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary and Tano Sacred Grove.

5. Village Home stays:

A host family for home-stays in Magnori Eco-Village getting the bike ready for a long ride to school.

If you travel to Ghana without visiting the rural areas you are truly not visiting Ghana. Ghana has so much more to offer than its popular Castles, cities, and National parks. The rural life in Ghana is like another world to most travelers and they will be floored by the generosity of these people that on the outside it looks like they have very little. One of the best ways to experience this is through staying with a family in a home stay. There are a number of great Eco-Villages around Ghana that have set up formal programs for guest to be able to this, screening families and the room that they have to house guests. You will get to slow down to the life of the village, eat with the family and most likely experience some sort of village entertainment being the games that the children play, the stories the old me tell, or dancing and drumming around a fire at night. In the north often people sleep on their roofs to enjoy the cooler evenings, this is a very nice place to enjoy the stars with very little light pollution and the clearer skies of the north.

All of our great adventures have one of these places to stay as an option while on them.  Check them out.

Lets hope this is not your packing style.

Packing for a trip to Ghana can be tough for some people because they are unsure of what to expect or what they will need. There are of course different schools of thought for packing for travel that different people subscribe to according to what they think is important. Some people travel light some people travel with everything but the kitchen sink. It really depends on how long you will be traveling for and what type of travel you will be doing. If you have your own transportation it is easier to pack a little heavier than if you are taking buses, and tro-tros.

Generally packing lite to Ghana would be a good idea; it will offer you the most mobility and flexibility in terms of your travel arrangements and options. There are not a lot of sidewalks or paved areas so heavy roller bags are a little impractical. Also it is possible that busses and tro-tros will want to charge you more if you have a lot of luggage.

In this blog post we will cover some of the basics about packing for your trip to Ghana but ultimately it will be more dependent on the type of trip you are taking. Feel free to leave comments with questions so we can all learn from the questions and answers.

DO NOT FORGET

• Passport with Ghana Entry visa

• International Vaccination Card with Yellow Fever Vaccination Proof

These are two things that have to be packed and will make for a very miserable vacation if you forget them. Most airlines check for passport and entry visa before allowing people on the plane to Ghana or another country, but if you have a domestic transfer before your international flight this can leave you in a very sticky situation if you forget these items. Visas upon arrival in Ghana are not offered yet.

Proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination is a requirement for entry to Ghana and you will not be allowed through immigration without it.

We would be happy to help US citizens get their entry visa to Ghana.

Money

There are a couple of different ways to handle the money situation on your trip to Ghana.

Cash:

US dollars and Euros are very easy to exchange with decent exchange rates in the capital and are accepted at most hotels and by tour companies and other travel services. If you are using a tour company or major service during your trip to Ghana paying in US dollars or Euros is probably the easiest way to handle these transactions.

Be aware though that there are certain risks with carrying large amounts of cash and just use your judgment like you would in any major city in the US or Europe.

After going through immigration in the baggage terminal there is a Forex Bureau that will allow you to exchange US dollars and other major currencies to Cedis. If you can try to ask for some smaller bills because finding change for some of the larger bills can be very difficult at some shops and street venders, also if you are taking a cab from the airport you will want to have some smaller bills handy.

A little history on money in Ghana:

Prior to 2007 Ghana used a different version of the Ghana Cedi than is used today.  Then $1 was around 11,000 Cedis.  The largest bill that was available was 20,000 cedis so just under $2.  This made for a very fat pocket when going to the ATM for $80 worth of cash (the maximum draw at the time).

In 2007 the government re-denominated the currency and reprinted new Cedis with the value of 1 Cedi to $1.  With inflation this is currently fluctuating around 1.9 Cedi to $1.  Sometimes Ghanaians still negotiations and talk about money in the old Cedi value.  So if you are buying something small and you are asked for 9000 cedis try to hold back your estonishment because they are actually asking for .90 new Cedis, .01 Cedi is called a Peswah so they are asking for 90 new Peswahs.  This can get a little confusing but just think about a Cedi being around 50 cents or 2 Cedis to a $1 and always ask for new Cedi prices.

The average Ghanaian still makes less than 5 Cedis a day.  This makes the money situation difficult when an ATM machine gives you 20 Cedi notes, it will be very hard for you to find many places that have change for that.  When getting Cedis try to get small notes or get them broke as soon as possible.

Travelers Checks:

Travelers Checks are accepted at most major banks in Ghana and you will have more luck in Accra than the more rural areas. You will get a decent exchange rate but not as good as cash exchanges and ATM machines.  Even in Accra it can be a hassle to deal with travelers checks, so they are not recommended.

Credit/Debit Cards:

Visa and Master cards are the most widely accepted card in Ghana. It is advisable to use your card to draw money from ATM machines as you will get the best exchange rate this way and it is also the most convenient method to get money as there are ATMs in most major towns and all regional capitals in Ghana. It is NOT advisable to use credit cards for general purposes or paying hotels because for one not many places have the capabilities to accept credit card and Ghana has a fair share of credit card fraud.

This also applies to any lodging provider or tour companies trying to get you to book with credit card ahead of time. Make sure you do the home work on any tour company before you book ahead of time, as it is standard policy to pay for a tour before you travel, most tour companies in Ghana still do not accept credit card though. You can also use a company like Green Bug Adventures which is US owned and based and partnered with operators in Ghana, this offers the best of both world the security of paying with credit card ahead of time and then traveling with in depth local knowledge.

Clothing

Be warned there is not access to laundry mats or automated laundry services in most of Ghana. At some nice hotels in Accra it might be possible to have your clothes machine washed and dried but this is not the norm. You will either have to hand wash or pay someone to hand wash your clothes. That being said Cotton is king as it is breathable, comfortable and easier to hand wash. You also may want to consider cloths that are easily dryable if you feel you are going to need to do laundry on your trip, drying can take some time in the humid tropics. Also white clothing may be hard to keep clean with the dusty roads and such.

Here is a basic list of some good clothes to bring.

• 1 light waterproof jacket

• 1 pair of flip flops or shower shoes

• 1 good pair of walking shoes

• You may also want a durable pair of sandals like Chacos or Tevas.

• Light weight cotton underwear amount depending on the duration of your trip.

• 1-2 Pairs of jeans depending on the length of your trip, they are durable but can be uncomfortable in the heat and take a long time to dry.

• Longer shorts.

• Linen or light weight cotton pants for evenings or hiking in places with underbrush.

• Swim suites, ladies go a little conservative here and keep it to the beaches and pools.

• Ladies- Long skirts at least to the knees, long sun dresses, or pants.

• Men- Longer shorts make the weather comfortable.

• 1 sweat shirt or warmer shirt just in case it gets a little cooler like in the north in the dry season at night.

• Good cotton sox, might even want them in a little darker color since white will get dirty quickly.

• A hat for the sun

• Cotton t-shirt

• Ghanaians dress really nice so if you have any plans for formal interaction bring at least one nice pair of clothes.

• Ghanaian funerals are quite the attraction and are a celebration of the person’s life, black and red are the colors worn at a Ghanaian funeral so take this into consideration when packing.

Baggage

Once again unless you have private transportation pack as light as possible. Luckily most international airlines still allow two checked bags on flights so there is not too much need to worry about that.

• A day back pack is a must for day trips

• A large backpack would be best if you are using public transport and moving around the country.

• A large duffle or wheeled bag is handy for consolidating smaller bags and straps, also it can be filled with things that you may want to donate to a school, hospital or HIV/AIDS program. You can work with us for doing this or NGOs and other tour companies. They will also store that bag until you are ready to leave the country again. This spare bag then can be filled with art, crafts and souvenirs to take home.

Toiletries

• Sunscreen

• Bug Spray

• Toothpaste and tooth brush

• Deodorant

• A natural shampoo and conditioner (kind when using outdoor shower)

• Soap (optional, black soap is a wonderful product that can be found in Ghana cheaply)

• Lotion (optional, Shea butter can be found in some specialty shops in the south and in most villages in the north and is a wonderful natural product)

• Hair supplies

• Aloe, if you are like some of the other fair skinned folks walking around Ghana you might get a little red like them.

• Towel and washcloth (bring a lighter towel if you can they are not normally offered at hotels and lodges and heavy ones are hard to dry, back packing towels work great)

Electronics

Electronics are very sought after and valuable in Ghana it is fine to bring them but you may want them insured because of the risk of damage from water, viruses, lose, and theft. Also you may not want to flash them around.

• Camera, and batteries for it (if you have a pocket printer you will be the most popular person in rural Ghana giving out photos)

• Power inverter with a European style plug, 240 to 120 volt.

• Headlamp or flashlights

• MP3 player it might help with road time

• Laptop if you wish

• If you have a GSM phone there is a good chance you can get a chip for it local to make calls if you feel like you need it

Odds and ins

• Sun Glasses

• Mosquito Net, the self standing ones make it really easy to set up without a ceiling hook.

• Malaria prophylaxis

• Any prescription medication or other supplies like contacts and fluid

• First aid kit, including aspirin or other over the counter medications you might need

• At least one good book for downtime and while on the road

• Travel journal or note-book

• Bandana, the roads can be dusty and a wet one over your mouth may help, or just to blow your nose.

• Duct Tape is very useful

• Anything you want to bring to barter, things from home are very sought after, t-shirts, Obama gear, and any electronics are in demand.

You can save a lot of waste plastic which is currently at epidemic proportions in Ghana if you bring supplies for filtering your own water.  Please read more on this on another blog post here.

This is the 6^th segment on How to Get Around Ghana. We have already covered 5 other ways of traveling in Ghana they are:

• Part 1: Walking Around Ghana

• Part 2: Biking Around Ghana

• Part 3: Taking Taxis

• Part 4: Taking the Trotro

• Part 5: Buses

Many people are very interested in renting a car during their trip to Ghana. This method of transportation is the most familiar to tourists from western countries visiting Ghana. It offers the most independence and can be the most convenient and timely way to travel in Ghana. But as people look into car rental in Ghana they soon find out it is not as simple as calling up budget, or enterprise rental car. Finding a rental agency is the first major hurdle, none of the companies online list rates or fares for doing this, there is also very little information on their sites. The other major obstacle is that for the most part cars are not for rent for people looking to drive them themselves.

The majority of car rental or hire firms in Ghana only rent a vehicle with a driver. This really seems to bum out the people dead set on showing up in Ghana and driving themselves around. But you must ask yourself do you really want to be responsible for driving in Ghana? The rules of the road are very different than most countries in the developed world and can be quite frightening sometimes to people from outside of Ghana. There are also very few road signs or good maps of how to get around. Then there is the issue of liability, insurance and driver’s license. All of these issues contribute to why cars are not rented out to travelers without a driver. There is a couple of places where it may be possible to rent a car to drive yourself in Ghana but you will need to give a very high deposit for any potential damage or accidents and work out some insurance issues. It is also required that you have an international driver’s license to drive in Ghana.

Hiring a car with a driver can have its advantages that may be overlooked by those travelers only considering their budget. Travel in Ghana can be quite taxing and it is nice to have someone that is concerned only with the driving and getting you to where you need to be safely; allowing you to rest and enjoy the surroundings. Local knowledge of the roads and some of the languages is also very important to finding where you need to go; with few road signs or detailed maps, even the best driver will need to stop and ask for directions from time to time. You will also then essentially have your own guide who can be a resource with dealing with any issues that come up on your trip, working with hotels, negotiating prices at the market, answering cultural questions, and dealing with police at road blocks and the list goes on and on. Traveling by trotro or bus can be quite slow especially if you need to get to more rural areas which require waiting for multiple trotros and each one of them needs to fill up before setting off, which can easily suck up days of travel time. Hiring a car you can get around the country much more quickly allowing more time to relax in the places you want to be rather than sitting in a stationary hot trotro. When thinking about this you will be glad to be cruising down the bumpy roads in your own transportation with air-conditioning and the driver to take care of the hard work.

The major disadvantage with hiring a car with a driver is that it will be more expensive than those budget car rental rates you are used to in developed countries. There are a couple of very legitimate reasons for this expense that are important to think about and acknowledge. The cost of a car in Ghana is typically similar or more than the cost of a car in the developing world. Most of the cars for hire are newer models and are imported specifically to the country for that purpose and thus are more expensive to begin with. Maintaining a car in Ghana is more expensive, including getting the parts, and the increased need for maintenance because of the rough roads and the high standards needed for cars used by international travelers and people in country on business. Then a part of the price goes to paying the driver and providing the driver a stipend especially for overnight travel where he/she will also need to eat and sleep. All of these things add up to make it the most expensive travel method in Ghana.

There are typically a couple of choices for the type of vehicle to hire in Ghana. Green Bug Adventures offers car hire with driver for Saloon Cars (sedans like BMW, Mercedes, Toyota Corollas and the like), Toyota Hilux Pickups, Toyota Land Cruisers, Mini bus, and a larger charger bus. If traveling the main areas in the south of the country, Volta Region, and up to Kumasi a saloon car is more than adequate and the least expensive method. But if you have plans to go to the north and get off the beaten path especially in the rainy season you will need a 4 x 4 like the Toyota Hilux if your group is small or the Toyota Land cruiser if you needing more room.

We offer the following car hire options with driver; you will also need to pay for fuel as you go:

• Salon car: In Accra $85/day plus fuel. Outside Accra $120/day plus fuel.

• Toyota Hilux Pickup: In Accra $85/day plus fuel. Outside Accra $120/day plus fuel.

• Toyota Land Cruiser: In Accra $130/day plus fuel. Outside Accra $150/day plus fuel.

• Toyota Mini Bus 15 seats: In Accra $130/day plus fuel. Outside Accra $150/day plus fuel.

• Toyota Coaster Bus 30 seats: In Accra $215/day plus fuel. Outside Accra $250/day plus fuel.

Please give us a call or send us and email if you would like some help with your travel plans in Ghana.