alf_stewart Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Evening all. I'm trying to convince my other half that she won't get kidnapped or shot if we go on holiday to visit friends in 'war-torn' Accra next year (this is the picture she has painted for herself in her pretty little head). Has anyone been? Any words of wisdom you can offer me to offer her? Cordially Alf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Yillan is your man for Ghana ..think he was in Ahotokurom rather than Accra though My experiences in Africa have always been good so assuming you haven't paid off a taxi driver already to" take care" of her she should be perfectly safe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Jabs - make sure you have Yellow fever jab and you take the documents with you to prove it. Money - US dollars. Seems to work for anything and everything Basically forget any sort of rules we have in the west re who does what, there is always a man who knows a man who does that. e.g. Sim cards, foreign exchange, etc etc Taxi's - NEVER use one that you have not booked through your hotel or through a very trustworthy source Be prepared for a totally different world, but one that everyone should experience at least once. West Africa is an amazing place but very much third world in parts. The people are generally great and for blokes all they talk about is Premier League Football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Jabs - make sure you have Yellow fever jab and you take the documents with you to prove it. OT slightly but have you ever been asked to prove it , I've got my little jab book but despite going to countless countries that insist you have it nobody has ever asked * * I'm sure for some reason I have it in my head that yellow fever is only insisted on if you are coming in from an infected country ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Jabs - make sure you have Yellow fever jab and you take the documents with you to prove it. OT slightly but have you ever been asked to prove it , I've got my little jab book but despite going to countless countries that insist you have it nobody has ever asked * * I'm sure for some reason I have it in my head that yellow fever is only insisted on if you are coming in from an infected country ??Both Kenya and Nigeria I was asked to show and that was travelling from both SA and the UK. In Saudi for some strange reason also - I put that down to my massive hangover cramming in as much beer as possible before I flew there :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Both Kenya and Nigeria I was asked to show and that was travelling from both SA and the UK. you must just look unclean or something :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 It was just after I'd had a beer with you :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLN Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Ghana is a brilliant place to go on a holiday. I spent 2 weeks travelling all around the country during a 5 month volunteering stint. The only dangers I saw were the sea and the roads. No crime or anything remotely resembling it. Stay away from the sea entirely. Look at it. Listen to it, but do not go in. The rip currents will take you even if you're just up to your knees. I know this first hand having dropped my gf at the time into the water and watching her getting washed out. She got brought back in again, but only after getting dragged out 30m from the shore. I told this story to a girl who was going out. She assured me that she doesn't swim at all. She was washing sand from her feet with 2 other girls and they were all washed out. She wasn't washed back in and drowned. It's not worth it. Especially as there is a risk of floating raw sewage. Travel on the roads only at daytime. If you haven't gotten where you're going and the sun is going down, find somewhere to stay and try again the next morning. I had some very hairy trips on tro-tros. They are very fun ways to get around, but a rollercoaster ride. There are comfortable buses available also, but you will need to get tro-tros somewhere. Or taxis. Taxis are fine but they will jovially try to screw you. You can have a bit of fun haggling with them. No danger of abduction or anything sinister like that at all. Coconut Grove was a regular haunt for me. It's a holiday resort in Elmina, Cape Coast. Nice spot. There is another '5 star' resort in the area, which I was only in once, but I thought the coconut grove was better. Don't eat salad anywhere or cocktails with fresh fruit juice. They're most likely not washing it with good water. See if you can get to an orphanage just to see how the people live. The orphanage/ leper colony I stayed in was amazing to see, but they stress not a tourist destination. Get talking to some whites and see if you can go see where they are working. A day trip to Accra is all you need. It's an airport and not much else. A mess of markets and air pollution. Worth seeing, but get out as fast as you can and see the rest of the country. Whether that be the canopy rope bridges of kakum, or the hippo sanctuary of waa/bui or camping out in the hope of seeing some lions in Mole. Convince her to go. I'll answer any questions you have. Love remembering it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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