Accra City Guide: The Indispensable Companion

By Eric Maclean Ntiamoah Duah

Accra City Guide-The Indispensable Companion, is an updated version of The City of Accra- A Pictorial Visit, an essential guide with comprehensive and thoroughly researched information specifically designed for the needs of potential tourists, business travellers, students and researchers.

Written by a local host, this guide contains a comprehensive amount of information on the city, covering:

? History and contemporary culture and life of Accra

? Extensive coverage of the development of the city and its various suburbs

? Essential practical information on health and safety issues, transportation, communication, banking and currency exchange.

? Wide range of restaurants, and standard accommodations suitable for Kings, dignitaries and weary travellers alike

? Bustling markets, shops and various leisure destinations

? Historic landmarks and monuments

? Highlights of some of Ghanas unmissable tourist attractions like: Kakum National Park, and Ancient forts and castles of Cape Coast

? Beautiful, full-colour photographs and maps

? Directory of business services, leading organizations and government agencies

all packed in this beautiful guide to provide you with the essential information you need for your visit. AKWAABA!!! (Welcome!!!)

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477258910

Book preview

© 2012 by Eric Maclean Ntiamoah Duah. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/05/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-5890-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-5891-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012913398

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this guide, but changes are inevitable. The author and the publisher cannot accept responsibility for prices, schedules, addresses, telephone numbers, etc., that are constantly subject to alteration. Again, we cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, inconvenience, or injury resulting from the use of the information contained in this guide. The Explorer Travel Guides are updated biannually, and we would appreciate it if readers would call our attention to any errors, changes, or outdated information they come across by contacting The Explorer Travel Guide, PO Box AN 19081, Accra North, Ghana. E-mail: [e-mail]

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 A Bit about Accra

Chapter 2 Planning Your Trip

Chapter 3 Where to Stay

Chapter 4 Eating Out

Chapter 5 Exploring Accra

Chapter 6 Shopping in Accra

Chapter 7 Sports and Leisure Activities

Chapter 8 Enjoying Accra’s Nightlife

Chapter 9 Places of Worship

Chapter 10 Day Trips

Appendix

Picture Credits

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Inner-city green space and elegant rental apartments such as these

at the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange add to the beauty of Accra

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to the Ghana Tourism Authority for the wealth of practical advice and assistance they provided during the preparation of this edition. I would also like to thank the photojournalists at the Information Service Department of the Ministry of Information, especially Nana Kwasi Appiah, Charles Tetteh Adamnor, and Solomon Amartefio for providing us with some photographs featured in this edition. I would also like to thank Mr Edwin Sebastian Owusu Mensah, former Deputy Executive Director/Operations of Ghana Tourism Authority and currently the Director of Procurement and Special Operations, Ministry of Tourism, for his editorial advice, input and encouragement, and immense contribution to the day trip stories. Also, to Mr Emmanuel Mensah of Western Publication, Ltd., for his financial contribution towards the publication of this edition, and also to the staff of the National Archives, especially those in the Search Room, for their dedication and commitment to ensuring that the right archival materials were provided during research for this edition, and also to all those who contributed in diverse ways to making this book a success, I say thank you.

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http://www.theexplorerguide.ghanabiz.com.gh

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CHAPTER 1

A Bit about Accra

Accra, the capital of Ghana and one of the key international conference destinations in Africa, is a coastal town situated on the southeast coast of Ghana along the Atlantic Ocean on the Gulf of Guinea. It is Ghana’s administrative, financial, and major trading centre, with a population of about three million people from all races and cultures. Generally, there is little manufacturing; however, the city can boast of high-class luxury shops, beautiful tree-lined avenues, vibrant traditional markets, museums, historical monuments, sandy beaches, fine commercial and government buildings, and perhaps the finest public university in West Africa. The city, serving as the national capital, attracts more people than any other town in the country, and it is one of the best business centres and the most in-demand student destination on the west coast of Africa. The city’s streets are filled with charming shops and markets full of goods for people of all income levels. There is an incredible variety of restaurants and bistros to satisfy every taste and every budget and plenty of international standard hotels suitable for kings, dignitaries, and weary travellers alike. The city’s beaches are a delight to pleasure-seekers, and its nightlife is incredibly vibrant with casinos, taverns, and nightclubs. Transportation is diverse and plentiful, and the telecommunications network is very efficient. Generally, the people are very sophisticated, and their hospitality is just unsurpassed.

A Brief History

The city was founded by small groups of the Ga people, who are believed to have migrated from the Yoruba land in the south-western Nigeria to the southern plains of the present day Accra. It is generally believed that they first settled at the fishing village of Ga Mashie (Old Accra) and Osu, the former outpost of the Danes. Ga Mashie, or old Accra, consists of two separate towns—Ussher Town, formerly Dutch Accra, and James Town, formerly British Accra. The first settlers were primarily attracted by the region’s plain fertile land and survived mostly by hunting, fishing, and farming. However, the arrival of the Europeans created a new opportunity for them, and some of them turned out to be skilful traders and astute negotiators. Accra originated as a trading post for the Europeans in the early sixteenth century, which resulted in the building of fortresses dotted along its coast. The British built James Fort in 1673, named after the Duke of York who was later James II, the brother of King Charles II (1660-1685). James Fort now serves as a prison. The Dutch built Ussher Fort, formerly Fort Crevecoeur, in 1649. It became a British possession in 1868 and was subsequently renamed Fort Ussher. It still stands but is in ruinous condition except for a small portion near the southern gate which is serving as a museum. The Danes built the Osu Castle, also known as Christiansborg Castle, in 1661; it presently serves as the seat of government of Ghana. The land on which the Osu Castle was built was first occupied by the Swedish in 1657; later it fell to the Danes, following the seizure of the Swedish trading lodges in 1659 by General Heinrich Caerlof. He was a Dutch commander who had switched from Dutch to Swedish and later to Danish service. After the seizure, the Danes officially acquired the land from the local chief and built a stone fort to replace the earthen lodge built by the Swedish. They named it Christiansborg (Christian’s fortress) after King Christian V, who was at that time the king of Denmark.

The Europeans built these fortresses to further their trading activities with the local inhabitants, the Ga and other migratory tribes from the interior. The Portuguese were pioneers in this trade, and it is believed that they were the first European traders to build a trading lodge at Osu on the site where Christiansborg castle is situated around 1578.

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James Fort

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View of Ga Mashie

Practically speaking, the Ga served as middlemen between the Europeans on the coast and various migratory tribes from the interior. They first traded with the Portuguese in particular, who were the first Europeans to discover the Gold Coast (now Ghana), in gold, ivory, spices, and kola nuts often in exchange for cloths, liquor, firearms, and a variety of implements. With the discovery and colonization of the Americas and the establishment of plantations in those newly-discovered lands in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, slave labour to work on these plantations was in extremely high demand. This ushered in the infamous transatlantic slave trade, which the Portuguese pioneered. The slave trade became very lucrative and soon overshadowed the trade in all other commodities. This prompted other European traders, including the Dutch, the British, the French, the Danes, the Swedes, and the Germans, to join in the trade. Ships which had been used to transport gold, ivory, spices, and kola nuts from the coast of Accra to Europe were now used to transport human slaves to the Americas. The slave trade flourished and created wealth for the Europeans and the local middlemen. However, it also created hostility, tribal wars, and insecurity among the locals and the Europeans