A developing West African country rich in culture, heritage, history and tradition. A country with an eventful past and a colourful promising future. A great footballing nation which has produced some of the best footballers in Africa and the world. A country that has a long list of very influential personalities in all spheres of life such as academia, technology, sports, politics and entertainment. A peaceful nation that is ripe for business and a fertile ground for many of nature’s most esteemed agricultural products. Breathtaking tourist sites and monuments as well as enormous wealth in natural resources. GHANA! What else do you know about this illustrious country? Often, many tourists and travellers read great stuff about Ghana online and are tempted to come over for a vacation. Even when on business missions, there is great information to attract them to enter the country. The biggest challenge is what to do when they finally land here. It is not for the lack of destinations that some tourists end am bored. It is often not knowing what activities are available at certain times. To get a very worthy vacation experience, Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online travel website has put together a few fun activities to consider when you are on vacation in Ghana.
Beaching – All the world over, beaches are great places to relax and take some natural air. The breeze from the sea, the sights and sounds of waves crashing against each other in the ocean and the many health benefits are just great. One may ask, what makes beaching in Ghana more fun and different from what happens in Miami and Copacabana?The people! The people! The people! They make the difference. Beaches in Ghana are popular for various reasons. You will find sand art designed into many hilarious structures. Some very controversial, others quite astonishing. The skill is admirable and the end product will blow your breath away. What about the horse riding, bonfire and football on the shores and in the water. Local food, great Ghanaian music and ‘’dangerous Ghanaian dance moves’’ will keep you smiling and energized for hours. Try out the local cocktails and interact with local people who are likely to tell you some wonderfully interesting stories. The view of beautiful curvy Ghanaian women may also be of great interest to the men while the super muscular dark skinned men may also appeal to the women. Don’t sit indoors all day, try the beach!
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Mountain climbing – Acrophobia may be the more sophisticated term but fear of heights is a very troublesome vacation spoiler. Imagine all the cool mountains in Ghana with some interesting stories around them yet you just stand down there and admire. Why not go up there and find out what’s on top of that mountain? Afadjato, one of the highest mountains in Ghana standing at an elevation of 885 metres is a must climb. The adventure all through the climb till you reach the very top is just fun and exciting. Other mountains in Ghana include the Adaklu mountains, Aduadu, Mont Foto and Mont Tibabene. Hiking is also good exercise and you get to see Ghana’s vegetation and geography at a glance. You will be surprised at the amazing sights and sounds up there. Explore!
Cultural festivals – The chinese have the snow & ice festival, the Italians have the tomato festival and the Germans have the beer festival. All are epic celebrations that bring fun as well as captivating memories. However, none of these beat the ever colourful traditional festivals in Ghana. All year round, Ghanaian tribes celebrate festivals. Each month, you will find one group of Ghanaians observing traditions and undertaking various activities to remember a past event, person or period. Drumming, dancing, rituals, music, art and a showcase of culture epitomizes these celebrations. You definitely have to participate in one of these festivals when you find yourself close by when they are ongoing. Dress like the local people, eat local food, dance like them and learn one or two traditional things. Popular festivals in Ghana include ‘Homowo’, ‘Aboakyire’, ‘Damba’, ‘Hogbetsotso’ and ‘Kundum’. Aside these ones, you just cannot miss the usual Christmas and Easter festivities in Ghana. They are always lit.
Sightseeing – They say this is the best activity for lazy people because it involves less work. Sightseeing is actually a great way to relax and can be very fulfilling when you go to the right places. A combined use of many of your senses makes it a captivating experience. Your eyes and ears are constantly at work. Fortunately, Ghana has so many places to visit and so many monuments to go see. Even the regular open
vegetation along the roads leading to villages as well as the scenery around the coasts are great for the eyes. Enter a Ghanaian market or even a ‘’trotro’’ (local bus) and you will enjoy the conversations from start to finish. Many tourist sites are also open for you always. The Kakum National Park, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, The Cape Coast & Elmina Castles, The Larabanga Mosque, The Legon Botanical Gardens and Mount Afadjato are just classic examples of historic tourist sites you can visit. Go round and feed your eyes.
Sport – Ghanaians love their sport especially football. If you are a sports fan, then Ghana is the right place to be on vacation. Whether there is a major international tournament or not, you find Ghanaians keen on every sporting action. The local football league is interesting to watch at the various league centres and European leagues bring a buzz especially on weekends and during Uefa Champions League matches on weekdays. You find people gathered in pubs, local bars and soccer centres watching these matches while having drinks and arguing in favor of their beloved teams. When there are international matches, the whole country is in a frenzy. You just want to be in town when Ghana wins match, it’s a party! Lovers of boxing, golf, tennis and other sports can also find time to play or watch although they are not as popular as football.
From the same author: Lost but found; How to find your way around in Ghana
Credit : Bennet Otoo, Jumia Travel
