A word or two about Accra

Although I spend time in Accra, there's not much that I found really memorable here. I stayed in the YMCA, good spending time with other travellers. I would recommend the city beaches though, or otherwise a trip out of town.

 

Ghana Airways

I flew to Ghana on Ghana Airways, the airline that already was in trouble when I booked my ticket. At that time even prayer sessions between staff and management were tried to save the airline. The flight from Dusseldorf Airport was carried out on a DC9 plane, the only passenger plane of that type still flying into Europe at that time. Entering this plane meant entering Africa, with a few hundred of black Africans on board. Organisation on board was lacking, and - with a bagage allowance of 50 kilos -  big household items were stored about everywhere, even in the public areas.  Due to a the fast deteriorating reputation and increasing financial problems, I could only hope that the returnflight would still be available three months later. And yes it was, but this time there were only twenty or so passengers to carry, that was really sad and everybody knew this couldn't last for long. The big pride of Ghana, one of the last surviving West African airlines flying into Europe, stopped operations not long after.  

 

Bradt Travel Guide to Ghana (by Philip Briggs)

This might well be the most inspiring guidebook I ever travelled with, so by exception I will give it a special mention here. It naturally covers the main tourist sites and provides all the practical information you need, but it really stands out once the author goes off the beaten track, when he explores rarely visited corners of the country, sharing his personal experiences and recommendations. He takes us on countless adventures, and we may decide for ourselves if they appeal to us. And if we do choose to follow him in his footsteps, interesting options and practical directions are given to make it realise. His enthousiasm for Ghana is contagious. Being written by a celebrated travel writer, this guidebook is a pleasure to read as well too, often entertaining, and - much more than other "big brand" guidebooks - in depth. Bradt Guides unfortunately do greatly vary in quality, but those by Philip Briggs (Rwanda, Ethiopia for example) always seem to deliver. And the one for Ghana most of all...