How to visit Ghana - A safari adventure travel guide

I travelled to Accra, Ghana to embark on an extraordinary adventure with my friend. Here is an overview of our road trip, along with some tips, which will hopefully help you to plan your own travels in Ghana.

Why Ghana?

Ghana is often marketed as an “African destination for beginners”. That is, if you’ve never visited any African countries before, Ghana can be a great starting point. Here’s why:

The official language is English, although multiple languages and dialects are also spoken.

It’s a predominately safe country. I felt safer walking the streets of Accra than I do in my home-town of Paris, France.

The people are extremely kind and welcoming. I never felt scammed or harassed during our visits to the markets, unlike in Cuba, where someone tried to sell me a mango for 50 euros!

The landscapes are incredibly picturesque.

It’s a destination which is adaptable to any budget.

Lastly, as someone who enjoys listening to Afrobeat music, I was in musical heaven. This genre was played constantly on the radio and in bars.

How long should you stay ?

We stayed for a total of 10 days in Ghana, four of which, were spent on our round-trip adventure to Mole and the remaining six in Accra. This was definitely sufficient to experience the culture and allow for day trips from Accra to Cape Coast, for example.

ROAD TRIP ITINERARY:

DAY 1: Accra to Kumasi

The road to Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary

Our road trip began in Accra, where we hired a car in the early afternoon and commenced our journey north, into the wilderness. Renting a 4WD is indispensable, as this itinerary will take you off the main highway and onto dirt roads, which are very bumpy and uneven.

Ghana has one main highway which will take you from Accra in the south, all the way to the north. This highway has one lane going in each direction and is shared by semi-trailer trucks and regular passenger vehicles alike. It’s also covered in huge potholes, which often makes driving along it resemble a Mario Kart race!

If you are not an experienced driver, I would advise you to hire a driver for your trip. I was lucky to be travelling with someone who is not only an excellent driver, but also has experience driving in these conditions.

We drove from Accra to Kumasi, stopping at a street market to pick up some plantain chips and fruit to snack on. We arrived in the evening to a low-cost hotel, which we had booked during the journey.

DAY 2: Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary

This is when the fun really began!

We had a quick breakfast before checking out of our hotel and learned that “breakfast included” meant a very mediocre instant coffee sachet, served with a piece of toast and a scrambled egg. Luckily, I had packed a small supply of gluten-free snacks!

We hit the road and drove for what seemed like hours. Stopping on the way to taste some goat skewers and sweet potato wedges from a highway street vendor.

We turned off the main highway in the direction of Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, located in the Nkoranza North District of Brong Ahafo. The burnt orange dirt road contrasted against the lush green forest surrounding us, as we slowly advanced over the hills and potholes to reach our destination.

Mona monkeys at Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary

Despite the long journey to arrive, it was definitely worth the effort. Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary is a forest which is home to two species of monkeys: the black and white Colobus monkey and the Mona monkey. These monkeys are considered sacred to the local villagers.

Mona monkeys in the forest of Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary

For a small fee, you can buy a loaf of bread to feed the monkeys and take a guided tour of the forest. Our friendly tour guide explained the history of the forest and showed us the Monkey Cemetery, where burial ceremonies are conducted.

The monkeys live in their natural environment, however as they are curious creatures, they are more than willing to approach visitors for a piece of bread. I highly recommend including a visit to Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in your itinerary.

The road out of the forest to continue north was, luckily, much less bumpy and far more efficient. We returned to the main highway and stopped in search of food from a local church, which was selling fufu. My friend took the courageous first bite and warned me that my spice tolerance was far too low to taste it!

On we drove, stopping only to let a group of stubborn goats cross the highway, until we reached Mole National Park late in the evening and checked in to Mole Motel.

DAY 3: Mole National Park safari & Kintampo Waterfalls

On the third day of our road trip we woke for a 7am safari in Mole National Park. Seated on the roof of a Jeep, we cruised the park in search of African elephants, only to come across lizards and antelope for the first 45 minutes.

Finally, our guide received word of a group of five elephants heading to the watering hole. We met them there and had the delight of disembarking the vehicle to watch as they took their morning swim in the small lake.

One elephant kept watch as the other four swam and played in the water, taking a refreshing dip in what was already 30-degree heat that morning.

It was a truly magical experience to see these gentle giants in their natural environment and at such close proximity.

After the safari, we returned to the motel to enjoy a poolside breakfast before leaving. We had considered driving further north to Wa, to visit Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary, however, we were informed that it was not the optimal season to see the hippopotami. However, this could be a great addition to your itinerary.

We embarked on our return trip south to Accra along the same main highway, admiring the traditional straw-roofed villages that we passed and stopping on the way to visit Kintampo Falls.

Kintampo Falls is an impressive, three-tiered waterfall, which was gushing with water during our visit in October. It is located just off the main highway and is therefore a very accessible pitstop.

Since our visit, the grounds have been renovated to include a canopy walk where you can enjoy views of the waterfall, or alternatively, a long staircase leads to the basin.

After a short break we continued our drive back to Kumasi, booking budget accommodation on the way.

DAY 4: Kumasi Market

On the final day of our road trip we visited the renowned Kumasi Market. It is a truly bustling marketplace!

The merchants sell a variety of goods from fresh produce to textiles. I bought several blocks of raw shea butter and my friend bought some traditional Kente cloth for his sister. Kumasi Market is unquestionably a worthwhile addition to your itinerary if you wish to experience traditional Ghanian culture.

We continued south along the main highway, reaching Accra in the evening, where we stayed in the beautiful, 5-star, Labadi Beach Hotel.

DAY 5: Accra

After a late night dip in the swimming pool and a restful sleep, we enjoyed the extensive buffet breakfast offered at Labadi Beach Hotel.

A morning massage and manicure was the perfect end to our stay, before we returned our rental car and moved to our comfortable Airbnb, where we spent our remaining days in Accra.

A taste of luxury was very welcome after our previous nights in budget accommodation and the noticeable lack of basic resources we had experienced as we travelled further north. As to be expected, the further we drove from the capital, the less access there was to food, water and electricity.

Along the highway we passed small camps and villages that were lit up by mobile phones. On our return trip to Kumasi, we stopped at several gas stations who explained that there was no running water that day due to plumbing issues. In terms of finding food whilst travelling on the road, it is necessary to either pack snacks before leaving Accra or to eat as the locals do - which is very spicy!

Recommendations: how to prepare for your trip

We had the most incredible time in Ghana, especially during our road trip adventure. Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure that you have the best possible experience:

I suggest hiring a rental car or a driver for your entire stay. We did make use of Uber and taxis in Accra, however, they were not the most reliable or safe cars and it became quite inconvenient to go out at night, as we were staying in the suburbs. Having access to a car in Accra would have allowed us the independence to visit the city more freely and also to include a day trip to Cape Coast, which is a highly-recommended visit.
Do not be surprised if you are stopped by the police during your road trip. We were signalled to pull over on the highway and the police verified the contents of our suitcases. I was glad to have learnt a few Ghanian phrases before I arrived, so I was able to lighten the mood and we were quickly on our merry way.
As someone who has tasted her fair share of West-African food in both Paris and London, I had high expectations of what we would eat in Ghana. Unfortunately I was disappointed. Consider doing some research prior to your visit, in order to enjoy the best traditional Ghanian food, rather than searching for a restaurant on the fly.

Overall, we had an unforgettable experience in Ghana, which has given me a strong desire to visit other countries in Africa. I hope you will consider embarking on your own wildlife adventure in Ghana and will take inspiration from this itinerary when making your plans.

Are you considering a trip to Ghana? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

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