THINGS TO DO GHANA
Top Things To Do In Central Region
One of Ghana’s sixteen administrative regions is the Central Region. Ashanti and Eastern regions border it to the north, the Western region to the west, the Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea.
9. Experience Nature At Kakum National Park
Kakum National Park is a must-visit for nature lovers, hikers and adventurous people! This national park is about 4 hour’s drive from the capital of Ghana, Accra and makes a great day trip combined with other activities such as a visit to Elimina castle on the Cape coast. The most popular activity to do here is the canopy walkway, suspended 30 meters above the ground. Besides the canopy walk, you can go birdwatching to see over 300 species of birds, hike while appreciating nature’s tranquillity, camp and climb the tree house
Some tips to help prepare for your trip here:
- Wear comfortable shoes preferably trainers. You have to walk through a forest trail before getting to the start of the canopy.
- Bring a bottle of water and stay hydrated as it does get really hot. There is a shop and restaurant on site to buy water too.
- It’s best not to carry any heavy items in your hands since you will need your hands to hold the ropes on both sides as you walk along. Bring a small backpack or side bag to put your belongings in because if your camera just drops in the swamp or forest, you will not see it ever again.
Here are the updated fees for 2023 at Kakum National Park:
10. Learn About The History Of The Transatlantic Slave Trade at Cape Coast Castle & Elmina Castle
When visiting the Cape Coast, I would recommend you take a tour of Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, both of which played significant roles in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. There is a 20-minute drive between Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, so if time permits, visit both. The first slave shipment left Ghana’s coast for the Americas over 400 years ago. The Portuguese, British, Dutch, French, Germans, Danes and Swedes came this way to colonise with each of them building their own fort/castle in Ghana.
At Cape Coast Castle, you will be taken on a guided tour of this castle to explore its dungeons that held enslaved Africans up to 3 months before transfer across the Atlantic to the New World. From dark underground dungeons to the “door of no return” observe and have a feel of the conditions the captives went through in this bastion.
We limited time, we were only able to visit Elmina Castle which was an overwhelming experience. To hear the words of the guide narrate the horrific events of slavery and what my African ancestors went through was truly indescribable. But to give you a few words it was sickening, horrific and inhumane. You can’t leave this place without feeling emotional. It shouldn’t really be called a ‘castle’. It’s a dungeon of hell for unspeakable acts that I hope never repeat in our lifetime.
Our guide locked us in one of the condemned cells for African slaves to try to even imagine an inch of what they went through. The room was small, dark, with one little hole for ventilation, really hot, murky and smelt of urine. Now imagine being trapped with no food or water until you die. This was a nauseating feeling to hear some of what our ancestors went through.
If you come to Ghana, I would highly recommend everyone to come here and learn.
The castle shouldn’t be seen as a tourist site but rather a historical site and an opportunity to connect with our ancestors and learn the true dark history. Knowledge is power, our history matters, and our story matters!
Things to note before you go to Elmina Castle:
- It’s about a 2-2.5 hour drive from the capital city of Accra. I recommend leaving early because of the traffic.
- Four buses a day head to Cape Coast from Accra’s main STC station on the Ring Road, costing around 10 GHc.
- Entry fee for Elmina Castle (for students) = 30 Ghc For adults = 40 Ghc (£5.30) The cost includes a guided tour of the dungeon.
- If you’re limited with time & can’t get to Cape Coast, visit Osu castle in Accra for slave history.
Top Things To Do In Eastern Region
The Eastern Region is located in south Ghana and is one of the sixteen administrative regions of Ghana. The Eastern region is bordered to the east by Lake Volta, to the north by Bono East Region and Ashanti region, to the west by Ashanti region, and the south by Central region and Greater Accra Region.
11. Boti Falls
Boti Falls is a twin waterfall located in the eastern region of Ghana. It’s about 2.5-hour drive (depending on traffic) from Accra. This makes another great day trip from Accra and I would recommend making a stop at Aburi Botanical Gardens too. I had such a fun day with the girls and Michael. You can catch the rest of my highlights in my stories.
There are two falls at Boti: The upper falls and the lower falls. At the lower falls, the locals describe the twin waterfalls as male and female. Can you guess which one of the waterfalls is male and which one is female?
According to the local folks, when the two merge during the rainy season, a rainbow is formed. It is usually said that these rivers are mating when this happens. Can you guess which one is the male and which one is the female? Walk 250 steps to see Boti Falls drop from a 33 m (108 ft) high cliff into a natural swimming pool.
At Boti Falls you can:
- Take a short calming boat trip around Boti Falls for 5 Ghanaian Cedis.
- Experience nature and hike to the umbrella rock. It’s 45 minutes each way. It’s not the hardest hike I’ve ever done but it was hot and I was using my hands and feet to rock climb. It’s a guided hike so the guide is there to guide you safely through the forest. There’s an interesting rock formation where you can see incredible views.
- During the hike, stop by a rare three-headed palm tree.
12. Abrui Botanical Gardens
The Aburi Botanical Gardens are located in Aburi in the Eastern region of Ghana. The garden occupies an area of 64.8 hectares. Nature lovers will appreciate the abundance of bird and butterfly species found here. For picnic enthusiasts, the garden offers a serene atmosphere.
Other Regions To Visit
Western Region
The Western Region is located in south Ghana, spreads from the Ivory Coast in the west to the Central region in the east, includes the capital and large twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi on the coast, coastal Axim, and a hilly inland area including Elubo. The top attractions to explore in this region are Busua Beach, Bia National Park, Cape Three Points, Fort Metal Cross, Akatekyi Crocodile Pond and Nzulezu.
Northern Region
The Northern Region is one of the sixteen regions of Ghana. This region covers an area of 70,384 square kilometres or 31 per cent of Ghana’s area, and it was the largest of the sixteen regions until December 2018 when the Savannah Region and North East Region were created from it. In this region, you can explore the capital region of Tamale, do a safari at the Mole National Park and check out the historically famous Larabanga mosque.
On my next visit to Ghana, I would love to experience the North and Western region. Is Ghana on your bucket list to visit? Share where you would love to go in Ghana in the comments!
