People and Places

On this stay in Ghana, three of my friends from business school visited and forced me to explore Accra more than I had previously cared to. These are some of the things I enjoyed doing. You will see some common threads of touristy things but also a yearning for the old.

1. +233 – The aptly named spot is on Ring Road central, between the Ako-Adjei interchange and the Kanda overpass. I spoke to one of the managers and learnt it was set up by three brothers for the 2010 World Cup. They brought their skills to bear so that you have a wide open space with the dark, starry African night as your ceiling, food and drinks overseen by one brother, and live Jazz music overseen by another. It is a very calming atmosphere, even romantic, and the food is affordable. On Sundays, you are treated to a live performance by Gyedu Blay-Ambolley, one of the pre-eminent Ghanaian musicians of old.
2. Chez Afrique – This East Legon joint is another place where live music and food mix at night. This one gives a blend of highlife, the smooth Ghanaian music of old, some hiplife—a blend of hip hop and highlife—and a touch of reggae from Marley to Dube. In contrast to +233 where the band is behind a glass wall, there is a dance floor where dancers interact freely with the musicians.
3. Labadi Beach Reggae Wednesdays – A GH₵5 charge will grant you access to this wide expanse of white sands and the roaring Gulf of Guinea where interspersed with the nicely decorated tables and chairs for drinks are pots of fire in the sand and an elevated stage with live reggae music spanning local creations, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley and Culture. It provides a nice mix of expatriates and locals if you are inclined to that atmosphere and you can dance your heart out into the wee hours of the dawn.
4. Buka – This is a surprisingly affordable restaurant in Osu with a nice afro feel and food from Nigeria, La Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. With bamboo paneling, wooden décor and a large neem tree blowing a nice breeze, the only anomaly is the flat panel blaring “Whip My Hair”. You can also down your grilled tilapia and banku, jollof rice and goat stew, ampesi and kontomire stew or fufu and groundnut soup with my preferred non-alcoholic frozen fresh palm wine which you can make alcoholic by fermenting through letting it sit. Do go after 1pm however because they are woefully understaffed and the food takes long in coming.
5. Bojo Beach – The traffic to and from this haven off the Accra-Cape Coast highway is horrible, and the road from the highway to the beach is a shame. It could take you anywhere from an hour to two from the center of Accra to get to this beach. The view of Bojo will wipe those memories away. Located on a sandbar between the Gulf of Guinea and a lagoon, one has to cross a moat and the river to get to it. The cruise, access to the beach and amenities will cost you GH₵6 and you are not allowed to bring food or drinks. Not to worry, they are relatively affordable. The beach itself has thatch structures providing shade, a volleyball net, a jet ski at GH₵15 per 5min cruise and a very swimmable sea. You can stay all day long. I have been here a few times and thoroughly enjoyed them all.

These are of course only a smattering of the many enjoyable places in Ghana – my friends went to Cape Coast and Kumasi among others – but these are the places I recently found and was thrilled to see exist. Next time you are in Ghana (and you should go to Ghana), try them out.

Prime

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This is the way I choose, the destiny I pursue
To help the unfit and the fit
To treat each according to his need
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