Accra and surroundings
Accra: The National Museum houses an extensive collection of Ghanaian art and an interesting reminder of recent history: the statue of Kwame Nkrumah, the father of independence, with arms chopped off. The Makola market in the Kojo Thompson Road is a large street market where traders from surrounding villages to sell their products every day. At the Centre for National Culture, you can buy traditional arts and crafts.
Aburi is located 38 km north of Accra in the Akuapim Hills. A 19th Century sanatorium was built (now a rest house) indicates the refreshing climate. The botanical garden was created during the colonial era and houses a comprehensive collection of subtropical plants and trees.
Shai Hills Game Reserve: This relatively small wildlife sanctuary is located 50 km from Accra and can be reached by car.
Ada is a popular resort area at the mouth of the Volta. Anglers in the estuary, barracuda and Nile perch catch. Nearby is the salt marsh Songow the lagoon, which is known for its rich birdlife.
Ashanti Plateau
Kumasi is the historic capital of the Ashanti. Here you can see the ruins of the burned-down by Lord Baden-Powell Manhyia palace and the royal mausoleum. The Cultural Center is a largely devoted to the Ashanti’s Museum, a library and an outdoor theater very interesting. The Living Museum, which consists of a farm and a replica village, can be seen working goldsmiths, potters and sculptors to traditional techniques. Particularly interesting are the weavers produce the colorful kente fabrics.
Owabi the nature reserve lies close to the west of Kumasi. Further to the northeast lies the Boufom Wildlife Sanctuary with the impressive Banfabiri cases. To the south lies the gold rush town of Obuasi.
Akosombo is the former settlement of the workers who built the dam on the Volta, which is the largest artificial lake in the world was created. Currently there is a holiday village created with good water sports facilities. A round trip by car ferry to Kete Krachi takes a day, a three-day trip to the northern capital of New Tamale at the head of the lake also possible. There are facilities for sailing, waterskiing and other water sports.
The Mole National Park is the most beautiful wildlife sanctuary in Ghana. One can wander through the park on foot or by Land Rover, but must be always accompanied by a guide. The tours are planned so that antelopes, monkeys, buffalo, warthog and rarer lions and elephants that have been settled here again, can be observed up close. It may be camped, visitors are not tied to prescribed routes. At the park entrance there is a motel with restaurant. Not far from here, the Larabanga Mosque, Ghana’s oldest mosque, attended in traditional West African style built.
The West Coast
The fish market in Dixcove and the British fort from the 17th Century are worth a visit. Nearby is Busua, a tropical beach with palm trees and high Atlantic waves. However, here, almost as dangerous to the coastline, swimming as the waves create a strong current. But there are small rocky coves where you can swim safely. Elmina (the mine) was the first Portuguese settlement and has an interesting, fully-preserved fortress from the 15th Century.
Cape Coast and Takoradi: Everywhere in this region, one comes across evidence of the colonial period. Cape Coast, the former capital of the Gold Coast, is dominated by a castle, were imprisoned in the slave before the crossing to America. Today the castle houses the West African Historical Museum.
