Every business travel I have had, I somehow took the opportunity to convert to tourism. It was not different when I went to Ghana for work. You see, I have been to Ghana about once for Christmas(I think that was 2011), I have gone two other times for business. But September was not going to be different. I had just two nights to spend in Ghana and I was going to make the most out of it.
The airport was okay. I have always liked the fact that I can change my Naira to Cedis directly. That’s something you can’t try in most countries. And the first thing I was buying was a SIM card.
Mobile/Internet
See, I can’t do without the Internet. The first thing I’m buying in any country is a SIM card with some internet package. I bought an MTN SIM card. Maybe because I was more familiar with MTN. But that was a big mistake. Coverage was not great everywhere. Especially in my hotel room. 2.5GB on the MTN Internet bundle was 40 Gh¢. That’s roughly N3500. I guess going for Vodafone would have been better.
ATMs
If you’re going to Ghana for the first time, you need to know there are not as many ATMs in town like there is in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen as many ATMs in West Africa like Nigeria. So, my ultimate travel tip is to always have your money. Everything you will need! Pay in cash ALWAYS! You don’t want your bank to screw you over. Change your naira at the airport, and only then continue venturing to the best dive location.
Hotel
I stayed at a 3 Star hotel called, The Royal Richester Hotel(directions). It was pretty decent. At $165, (now about N50,000) a night, it was worth it.
The hotel staff was also really nice.
Places to visit
I am sorry, staying two days doesn’t really cut it. There are so many places to visit. However, if you were like me who had work to do at East Lagon and lodged at East Legon, you would be quite limited as East Legon is largely residential. I spent most of the night at Osu.
The Monsoon
The Monsoon(directions) is on Oxford Street. They have a really lovely Sushi Bar. Their Margaritas didn’t feel so great though.
The Republican Bar
They had a live band with largely African music and a conga player. There were a lot of expatriates there too. You could just sit outside, watch the band perform, order your food etc.
Thai House
Ghana has a lot of Thai food places. Thai House(direction) was one place I went. I also heard Pad Thai has good Thai food too.
Like I mentioned earlier, two days in Ghana is really too short to have a fair feel of Ghana. Ghana is very restful, especially if you live in Lagos, Nigeria.
Any recommendations on the best airline to Ghana from Lagos?