With a rich sandy beaches and national parks with wildlife, Ghana is a small country with loads to offer adventurous travelers. Not exclusively is Ghana relatively easy to navigate, however the country boasts a stable democracy, welcoming inhabitants, and an array of special attractions, from incredible festivals to the studios of artisan coffin makers (indeed, really). Whether you’re a new to West Africa or you’re coming back for more, you’ll always find something here to charm and excite you. Below are 5 things to do in Ghana, travelers guide.
5 Things To Do In Ghana, A Travelers Guide
1. Track elephants in Mole National Park
Mole National Park is Ghana’s largest secured area and the gem of Ghana’s national parks. At 4840 sq km (1869 sq miles), this stunning landscape of open savanna and small pockets of floodplain grasslands is greater in area than Greater Accra, the country’s capital. More than 90 wildlife species call Mole a habitat, including warthogs, green monkeys and 600 of the absolute most docile elephants on the continent.
2. Check0ut some local cuisine
Heart soothing and comforting, Ghanaian cuisine has heavily influenced dishes across the southern United States, from red beans and rice, which has similarities to the country’s tomato-based jollof rice.
Ghana’s most popular food varieties typically comprise a starchy staple with a soup or stew.
Ghana’s national dish, fufu is the dough like starch made from pieces of boiled cassava or plantains that are best eaten with soup.
3. Inquire about the tragic history of slave castles on Cape Coast
The story of Ghana’s “slave castles” is appalling, one of the starkest and most striking reminders you’ll encounter of many sufferings of the transatlantic slave trade. About 40 of these commercial fortresses once spanned West Africa’s Gold Coast during the 17th and 18th centuries, when they filled in as a point of no return for the many people sent off in bondage into slavery. Remnants of a portion of these forts actually exist, and two of the most accessible, Elmina Castle and Cape Coast Castle, are located in southern Ghana’s Central Region near the city of Cape Coast.
4. Admire West Africa’s oldest mosque in Larabanga
Larabanga Mosque isn’t only West Africa’s oldest mosque yet additionally one special in appearance. Utilizing the Sudanese style, this white packed-earth structure features pyramidal pinnacles and horizontal woods jutting out from its sides. First established in 1421, it’s been revamped multiple times throughout the long term and is a popular place for pilgrimage. In fact, many consider it to be the Mecca of West Africa.
The mosque is located in the all-Muslim village of Larabanga, in the country’s Northern Region. A local aide offers voyages through the exterior for a small donation. Down Larabanga’s main road sits the Mystic Stone, an “unmovable” stone that’s sacred to local Muslims and at which individuals of all religions can come and pray.
5. Dig into Ghana’s history in Accra
In 1957, Ghana became the main African country to gain independence from colonial rule. Much of the battle for independence occurred in Accra, and monuments to this compelling history exist all through the city. These destinations appropriately salute the importance of Ghana’s transformation into a republic, and what this newly discovered opportunity meant for the continent overall.
Each year on March 6, Ghana’s Independence Day, a parade takes place in Black Star Square, Accra’s civic center point. This is where you’ll find the Independence Arch, a towering structure representing Ghana’s battle for independence from imperial English rule; Kwame Nkrumah, the country’s most memorable president, commissioned the arch in 1961, with perfect timing for a little while from Queen Elizabeth II. The square’s imposing Black Star Gate is topped by the Black Star of Africa, the five-pointed star that addresses Ghana and also features on its flag. While the interior of the arch isn’t available to the public, guards at times will take visitors to the highest point of the gate for a small charge.
READ: List Of All Public Holidays In Ghana And When They Are Celebrated
Directly in the distance is the stunning Kwame Nkrumah Park and Mausoleum, a striking monument that’s the burial place of the former president and his wife Fathia. The structure is clad in Italian marble and shaped like an inverted sword, an image of peace among Ghana’s Akan individuals. Voyages through this park and Black Star Square are typically offered alongside visits to WEB DuBois Memorial Center for Pan-African Culture, which includes the onetime home and office of the famous American civil-rights activist, considered by many to be the father of Pan-Africanism.