Questions About This Trip?

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Entering Ghana as a U.S. citizen requires a valid passport and travel visa. Tourist/Visitor's visas are standard, but business, student, employment, volunteer, diplomatic and other types of visas are other options. Apply for a visa in person or by mail through the Embassy of Ghana in Washington D.C. Expect it to take three business days for processing, plus build in mailing time for the return of your passport with the visa stamp. If you're a procrastinator or somehow end up having to travel to Ghana with little or no notice, rush processing is available for an extra fee, Find all the info you need about getting the visa on the Embassy of Ghana website. 

For more information regarding US passport holders to Ghana:

 https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Ghana.html 

The only immunization you are required by Ghana to have is for Yellow Fever. All the others are optional, and at your discretion, so talk to your doctor or travel medicine clinician about it. The necessity or otherwise of the optional immunizations may depend on how long you intend to stay, and whether or not you plan to stray from the cities off the beaten path.

Malaria – The decision to take malaria medications is totally up to you.  But there is no getting around the fact that malaria exists in Sub-Saharan Africa. From the US you will likely be prescribed Lariam, which you start taking in advance of your trip, then during your trip and then for a few weeks after your trip. You’ll have to do your research to decide if Lariam is right for you, given the side effects and other issues. Another option is Malarone, a once-a-day medication that you take a few days before you arrive, every day during your holiday, and for a few days after you return. This medication is not associated with the vivid dreams encountered by a small number of Larium users.

Do not drink water from the tap ever. 

You can purchase bottled water from most any shop, or pure water sachets from hawkers on the street. A bottle of water is about .50 cents a liter and a sachet is about .3 cents a bag. Don’t buy water called “ice water” which is just chilled tap water in a tied plastic bag; the pure water sachets have undergone a filtration treatment and are produced in a heat sealed sachet. Good bottled water would be Dasani (a Coke product), Voltic and Aqua-In; good sachet water producers would be Ice Cool, Aqua-In, Voltic and Little Drops.  

Bring your own. Personal hygiene products are very basic here, so if you have a favorite, shampoo, deodorant, razor, shaving cream, make-up, cream, tampon, or pad, bring it, you will likely not find it here. Sunscreen and after-sun care products are also difficult to find, so it is very advisable to bring your favorite brand.

 Bring your prescription medicines with you. You can get basic medicines here at licensed chemists (drug stores), though the formulations may be different. Paracetamol (like Tylenol) and ibuprofen are sold in 10 pack blister packs for about .10 and .20,000 cedis, respectively. You can also get some brands that are well known in the U.S., like Tylenol, Advil, Maalox, Milk of Magnesia, Benadryl, etc., but you will pay dearly for them. Some items that are prescription only in the U.S. are readily available here without prescription; easily obtainable are albuterol inhalers, and allergy medicine like Allegra (called Telefast here) over the counter. Go to a reputable licensed chemist such as the those in Max Mart or at A&C Shopping Mall in East Legon.

The Accra Mall is near the airport with big South African chain stores like Game and Shoprite. Then there is also the Koala supermarket in Osu and the MaxMart supremarkets in Cantonments and East Legon. These stores stock many American and European products, at a premium price. Other stores that may be worth shopping at are Sotrec (in Osu) and Evergreen (Tema, Comm. 4). If you’ve got room in your luggage, bring your favorites with you. Outside of Accra, the opportunity to purchase imported items is limited to Kumasi. So if you are travelling, you may want to consider purchasing an ice box to bring some of your favourites with you. In the Accra Mall there is also an internet cafe, a pharmacy,  an Apple store, a cinema and bookstore. Also avaialable are electronics, mens and womens fashions (traditional and modern), baby items, footware, chocolates, colognes and perfumes. 

As part of your package, round trip airport transfers and ground transportation for tours will be provided.

We do not anticipate you to leave the group. However, in the event you do Accra has thousands of taxis, and sadly, not all of the taxi drivers are licensed to drive. Use your good judgment when hailing a taxi; does the car appear to be in good condition and clean inside and out, is the driver neatly dressed, does the driver speak English? Negotiate the price before you get in. There is no place within Accra that is very far from any other place in Accra. The issue is traffic. Accra’s infrastructure cannot support the number of cars, so traffic jams are not uncommon at any time of the day or night. Still, the cost of a taxi is very reasonable. Bear in mind that if a taxi driver believes you are a tourist, he’ll automatically assume you are rich. Whatever price he quotes, offer half of that and then find a happy medium. If you’re not happy with the price, wait for the next guy, remember, there are lots around. 

Many U.K.-based banks are here, including Barclays and Standard Chartered; local banks are Ghana Commercial Bank, Zenith Bank (from Nigeria) and other commercial banks. Most of the big banks have ATMs which give only local currency. Before you leave home, contact your bank or credit card company, regarding your ATM card to be sure it will work overseas and in case you need a special PIN number.

Credit Cards – Don’t use them. Sad to say, credit card fraud abounds in Ghana.  It happens all too frequently. Not even in the big hotels should you consider using your credit card. Convert traveler’s checks or use the ATMs, as cash is the best way to pay for your purchases. Only use your credit card at an ATM or a POS terminal, which are few and far between, anyway.

Cash, Traveler’s Checks and Foreign Exchange – Bring only cash or traveler’s checks to exchange into Ghana cedis. There are forex bureaus everywhere, and many of the big hotels have forex bureaus as well. Don’t allow an individual on the street to exchange money for you, even if he quotes you good rates… there’s a strong likelihood the money is counterfeit. Ghana Cedis – Currently, the exchange rate for $1USD is about ¢1.50GHS. Common Ghana Cedi notes include ¢50.00, ¢20.00, ¢5.00, and ¢1.00 notes along with ¢0.10, ¢05.00, ¢0.10, ¢0.20, ¢0.50, ¢100, ¢200  peswa coins.

Power & Electronics 

Ghana suffers from occasional power outages but it is getting better and many places have back-up generators. However, the power surges can damage electronics, so consider using a surge protector.

Voltage

Ghana uses 220V power (Type G) , so if you are bringing a blow dryer, electric shaver, laptop or any other electrical appliance, you may need to purchase a “step down” transformer. Some appliances have a 110/220 switch, which will work fine, all you need then is a small plug-in adapter that will accept your plug type. A “step-down” transformer can be purchased locally for about $10-12USD; and a plug in adapter will cost about $1USD.

Cell Phones

Check with your cellular carrier to see if you can roam while in Ghana. Alternatively, you can get a cheap cell phone here and SIM card for under $5 (MTN) that includes a SIM card and you can buy scratch-off phone cards for air-time credit from $1-20. You can also purchase "GT" cards to use in payphones or from land line phones, but these are few and far between. Phone cards are sold pretty much everywhere, including gas station shops, chemists, and at kiosks on the roadside.  Generally, it's easier and cheaper to buy a low end phone and SIM card here than to convert your home-based cell phone. 

Ghanaian workers appreciate your tips very much.  The average hospitality worker likely makes less than $2.00 per day; the tips supplement their salary.  If the service is good, and your needs are attended to promptly and efficiently, a tip or gratuity of 10% is exceptionally adequate.  

There is no need to tip by Western standards, no one here expects it, and it won't improve your service (though the next time you frequent the same venue, you'll likely see a free-for-all among the waiters vying for your table!).  If you really want attentive service, then consider "dashing" your wait person or hotel employee up-front.  With a few kind words on your part, such as, "Hope you'll take good care of  us " you'll be more likely to get better and more consistent service.