Welcome to the World      

      Search | Sitemap | Advertise | Text Version

There are Ghana Airways flights from Kotoka Airport in Accra to almost every country in West Africa, as well as flights to New York and London. The airport is also served by several major western carriers. The US$20 departure tax is payable in cedis or in US dollars.

Ships connect Tema, 25km (16mi) east of Accra, with ports in Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and South Africa. By land, there are buses, taxis, tro-tros (minibuses) and pickup trucks that run between Ghana and Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo. Border formalities for travellers with visas are usually minimal; greasing a palm or two may speed things up. Watch your pockets at crowded border posts.

Money & Costs

Currency: Cedi (C)

Meals


• Budget: US$1-3

• Mid-range: US$3-10

• Top-end: US$10 and upwards
  
  Lodging
  

• Budget: US$5-15

• Mid-range: US$15-35

• Top-end: US$35 and upwards

Ghana is among Africa's costlier destinations, though travel here is still very cheap by western standards. Travellers intent on stretching their cedis to the limit can easily get by on less than US$10 per day, staying in decrepit hotels and eating all meals from street vendors. A moderate hike in standards might bring the total to US$20 per day, including comfortable bedding, running water and regular restaurant meals. Luxury items like air conditioning and fine French cuisine are available only in the big cities, and you should plan on spending at least US$50 per day for the experience.

The best currencies to bring to Ghana are US dollars, French francs, deutschmarks and British pounds; other currencies - even Canadian dollars and Japanese yen - exchange at extremely unfavorable rates. There are foreign exchange bureaus (Forex) in all the major towns and cities, but many outside Accra won't accept traveller's cheques. Forex bureaus tend to give better rates for large-denomination bills than banks do, but otherwise bank rates are slightly better. A few banks give cash withdrawals against Visa and MasterCard, minus a commission and a fee for the approval telex. In theory, all branches of Barclays Bank (but most reliably in Accra and Kumasi) give cash advances against Visa and MasterCard, but charge a hefty commission for their trouble.