I lived in Accra for a year and a half and in that time I relished the opportunities to escape city life to learn what else Ghana had to offer. Weekend trips in Ghana are the perfect way to leave work behind and explore the country in small bites. There were seven weekend trips I loved that were relatively easy to arrange from Accra. Here are my favorites, in no particular order.
Wli Falls
I loved this place so much I wrote an entire post about it. You can read more about it, and see more photos, here. This is a great long-weekend trip. We stayed at Wli Water Heights Hotel, which is an easy 20 minute walk from the trail head. We walked about 40 minutes to the lower falls on our first day and then hiked the 4-6 hour trek to the upper falls on the second day. There isn’t much of a night life happening in the sleepy town, so we brought cards and a portable speaker.
I won’t write a “things to do at Wli Falls” section because there’s really one reason to drive this far – go hike to the waterfalls. It is stunning and you won’t regret it. If you don’t fancy yourself as “active” or “in shape,” don’t worry – you should still go! It is a really comfortable 40 minute walk to the lower waterfall. In my opinion, the lower falls is perfect in the late afternoon because as the light cuts through the small water droplets in the air, it forms a rainbow cutting across – you can see it really well in the photo above.
Cape Coast
Cape Coast carries a reputation for being a lively city, known for strong educational institutions, a busy fishing community, and two forts that were notorious hubs for slave trade in Ghana. This should be near the top of everyone’s list because of its cultural and historical role in Ghana’s development.
Getting there
I left Accra after work on a Friday evening to arrive in Cape Coast after dark. The drive took about 3 hours and 30 minutes with a bit of traffic leaving Accra.
Getting to and from Cape Coast is pretty straight-forward. There is a Ford station (a van stop where people catch Ford vans along the coast) in Accra that will take you directly to Cape Coast. The benefit of these vans over tro-tro (public transport van) is they are nicer (read: more likely to have air conditioning) and they don’t make a ton of stops along the way so you’ll get there faster. From the Ford station in Cape Coast, you can negotiate a taxi to wherever you need to go.
Where to stay
We stayed at an Airbnb on the beach, but for anyone considering a trip, I recommend Oasis Beach Resort. A stay there can cost from $6.50 to $15 per person, depending on the room option you choose. Locating an Airbnb after dark on the back roads took us a bit of time, whereas showing up to an established guesthouse in a well-lit part of the city where you can order dinner and a drink as soon as you drop your bags seems a bit less stressful.
Day trip from Cape Coast to Kakum National Park
It would realistically take 1.5 hours to get to Kakum from Cape Coast. I highly recommend a day trip to Kakum National Park on the way to or from Cape Coast.
The main attraction at the park is the canopy walk, which is 1,000 feet in length and separated into 7 walkways. The canopy walk was designed by a couple of engineers from Canada and opened in 1995. If you like adrenaline, then you’ll enjoy stepping from the swaying bridge onto the tippy platform surrounding each connecting tree. If you don’t like heights, you’ll be happier keeping your feet firmly on the ground – and there are other things to do. There are trails through the park; our guide knew a lot about the wildlife and was particularly happy to name every tree we passed. On the way back down we were offered raw cocoa, which was a bit sour and very bitter, but fun to try nonetheless. At the entrance to the park there are shops with local crafts, though much of what is sold there reflects the same style of craft available in Accra.
Things to do in Cape Coast
- Take a tour of Cape Coast Castle.
- Walk along the coastline.
- Drive 30 minutes and take a tour of Elmina Castle.
- Go visit Kukum National Park, walk across the canopy walk, taste raw cocoa, and learn about the trees and wildlife.
- See a festival (there are a few throughout the year, so you can see when they are occurring and time your visit accordingly.)
Lake Bosomtwe
Visit a million-year-old meteoric lake, which holds the designation of UNESCO biosphere reserve for its ecological diversity? Yes.
Getting there
Lake Bosomtwe is in the Ashanti Region, just south of Kumasi. We opted to take the bus from Accra, which I don’t regret because it was about $7, but it ended up taking twice as long as it would have to fly to Kumasi and then catch a taxi down to the Lake.
We left for the VIP bus terminal around 2pm on a Friday. VIP and STC are the major bus companies running to and from Accra. Anyone reading this who has spent more than 24 hours in Accra is cringing right now, because trying to leave the city via major roads anytime after 12pm on a Friday is a goddam nightmare.
The large VIP buses tend to be a much more comfortable and safe option compared to taking a tro-tro (public transport vans that drive at the speed of chaos and stop all the time). The VIP buses make one stop along the way so that passengers can find a bathroom and food – actually I was very pleasantly surprised at how clean the rest stop on the way to Kumasi was!
We got off the bus after dark at the stop for Ejisu, a town along the road just before the major hub at Kumasi. We had to tell the driver to stop for us – I’m not really sure it’s a proper stop; he didn’t seem to have plans to let us out otherwise. From there, we located a taxi.
The guy had almost no fuel left, and had some contraption jerry-rigged in the trunk that I think was a make-shift fuel tank. It smelled so strongly – there must not have been a cap on the reservoir, though once we were in motion and the windows were open it became slightly more bearable. I think we were all secretly keeping an eye out to make sure this cloud of fumes, fabric and metal didn’t get anywhere near open flame; we were all very quick to notice a very distant brush fire. To make things more interesting, we stop to pick up another passenger (there was no room) who contentedly hopped in the trunk, right next to the tank. I had become accustomed to rural taxis while I was in Western Region, so I wouldn’t have been that surprised if the expectation was that we would all shuffle over and fit four people into the tiny back seat of the rickety car.
We had a reservation at Cocoa Village Guesthouse, which required us to follow a muddy dirt road along the lake’s edge for what felt like an eternity at 10pm. The road was wet and muddy and there were multiple instances where I was sure we’d resort to walking the remaining 3 kilometers of the trip. On the up-side, if that vehicle could make the trip, I’m confident almost any other car could as well.
Where to stay
Our stay at the guesthouse was a welcome reprieve from the business of daily life in Accra. The guesthouse had good food, decent coffee and was tucked into the woods far from city lights and noise pollution. As with most restaurants in Ghana, it’s usually a good idea to order lunch about 45 minutes before you want to eat.
There were hammocks, an elevated deck with a beautiful view of the lake, plenty of shade, a clean pebbly shorefront, and paddle boards (my favorite). The stars arrive in full force as the sun sets. It quickly got cloudy, but on a clear night this would be a perfect spot for star-gazing.
Lake Bosomtwe is one of 79 UNESCO biosphere reserves in Africa
The lake itself was formed by a meteor an estimated million years ago and it’s the only natural lake in Ghana.
We tried to paddle board the 10 kilometers across lake, but made it barely halfway before retreating back to the shade of Cocoa Village. In the center of the lake the water is so still that I felt like I was paddling through a viscose lake of kombucha with little chia-seed-sized bugs suspended, perfectly immobile on the surface.
There are 79 UNESCO biosphere reserve sites in Africa, and this is one of them. A biosphere reserve is “special places for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems,” according to UNESCO. That makes these sites a prime learning ground for practices that support sustainable development. Lake Bosomtwe was nominated and designated in 2016. If you want to read more about biosphere reserves, you can do that here.
Safe to swim
I swam a good amount and didn’t get bilharzia, aka schistosomiasis, aka worms. Don’t laugh – this is a very real concern if you plan to swim in still water in Africa. I know a lot of people who have gotten worms at some point – it’s not usually a big deal, though also not exactly a pleasant experience. I even know someone who picked it up at Victoria Falls, which has rushing white water. The worm is carried by fresh water snails, enters your body through your skin, and produces some unglamorous symptoms, e.g. blood in your poop – not cool.
Things to do at Lake Bosumtwe
- Paddle board, but make sure you carefully note where your guesthouse is so you don’t get lost… like I did
- Hike the trail up the mountain behind the guesthouse
- Read in the hammock
- Play a game on the lawn
- Go swimming
- Wake up for sunrise over the mountains across the lake
Nzulenzu | The Village on Stilts
Nzulenzu, or the Village on Stilts, is a beautiful place that has a tough relationship with tourism. The primary source of income for the village comes from tourist traffic, brought in by motor boats to tour the village. Homes are connected by walkways, which are clearly repaired and patched on an ongoing basis. Some walkways dead-end into nothing, indicating a future or past structure that doesn’t currently exist. There are a few classrooms used for young children in the village, but they tell us that the older children must row into town every day to attend classes. The village faces challenges including a build-up of trash, which is piled up on land behind the village, but is beginning to seep into the lake and crowd the water underneath the wooden houses. Villagers depend on income from tour groups to sustain a living, but in reality that means their lives become spectacle for a low cut of the profits collected by the government. That whole tour was a strange (and extremely privileged) reflection and realization for me about the ugly harm and luxury of tourism. I didn’t have a way to verify this claim, but one of the villagers mentioned that the village only receives 20% of the revenue that comes in from tourism – seems low to me.
If you plan a trip here, make sure it’s a long weekend. Nzulenzu is close to the Cote d’Ivoir border so getting there can be quite an adventure.
Where to stay
I stayed at Axim Beach Hotel, which has a beautifully kept property with huts sprinkled across a hill overlooking the ocean. Axim is a bit closer to Accra than Nzulenzu and has more lodging options so the best bet is probably to stay in Axim and take a day trip to the Village on Stilts.
If you want a secluded and indulgent getaway, I recommend staying at Lou Moon Lodge, which sits right on the edge of a small beach spit that juts out into the ocean. The property here is stunning and secluded.
Kokrobite
Kokrobite is a beach town just west along the coast from Accra. It’s a great overnight weekend trip if you need to escape the noise and bustle of Accra on short notice. This is probably one of the most accessible weekend trips to take from Accra because it’s about a 40 minute drive from Accra. I usually leave early Saturday morning and come back Sunday afternoon.
Getting there
The best mode of transport, in my opinion, is Uber. The strategy I’ve employed is to call an Uber on the app, then actually call the driver and let him know I want to go all the way to Kokrobite and that I’ll pay a nice tip. It’s best-practice to offer to tip because the driver will likely have to drive back to Accra with no riders. Also, good luck trying to take an Uber that far without agreeing to tip. I’ll then also get their phone number and see if they would like to come and pick me up again at an arranged time the following day. You can’t call an Uber (via the app) from Kokrobite so you’d need to arrange in advance. The alternative would be to catch a taxi from Kokrobite to the N1 junction and catch a tro-tro back into the city. I don’t do that because the savings isn’t worth the additional time of waiting and switching transport. With Uber, the 40 minute ride ends up costing about 50ghs (under $10) one way – so split that with a friend or two and it’s no-contest the best option. Or, if you have access to a car, you can drive. Both Big Milly’s and Kokrobite Gardens have secured parking lots.
Where to stay
My favorite place to stay is Kokrobite Gardens. The place is owned by a friendly couple who have perfectly curated this garden paradise right next to the beach. It takes 5 minutes or less to walk from the property down to the beach and the beautiful gardens provide an element of privacy and seclusion. They have rooms with AC, which is important to me – though if you don’t mind, then there are much less expensive rooms without. Kokrobite Gardens has a great menu and makes proper Italian coffee – yum!
Another good option would be to stay at Big Milly’s. I haven’t stayed there because I love Kokrobite Gardens, but the rooms look nice and the compound is well-kept.
Things to do
- On Sunday mornings at Kokrobite Gardens, the owner teaches a fantastic 90 minute yoga class. It’s tough, and I was sweating a lot, and I felt absolutely great afterwards.
- In the evening, walk down to Big Milly’s for a beer or cocktail.
- Late morning, walk to Dizzy Lizzie’s for a smoothie or a coffee and people watch on the beach.
- Take a surf lesson with Mr. Bright at Big Milly’s.
- Relax by the pool at Kokrobite Gardens.
- Go swim in the ocean.
Lomé
Lomé is the capital city of Togo, just east of Ghana. It is just barely over the border, but the French influenced culture, the city planning, and the clean beaches make it feel a world away. I went with a friend who has made the trip several times and has effectively achieved travel-guide status. She sorted us out by hiring a car and contacting a taxi driver she knows to pick us up after we crossed the border. I have also roughed it with public transportation in the past to get to the border. It’s far cheaper and pretty straight forward to take a Ford car from the station in Accra to the border and back.
You never know what you’ll get with the Ford car experience. The last time I took a Ford car to the border, there was a woman on board who thought she was possessed by Jesus and was hollering and ‘speaking in tongues’ for almost the entire ride.
Where to stay
We stayed at Pure Plage, which has a nice pool, a beautifully shaded garden on the beach, a spa, and great food. There are cheaper options in Lomé, but we shared a room for $15 per person per night. To me, that felt like a steal for the experience.
Things to do in Lome
- Visit the Fetish Market
- Go to La Croûte Dorée for espresso and cake
- Walk around Village Artisanal art market
- Swim in the pool at Pure Plage
- Walk around downtown Lomé
- Eat ice cream at Crazy Cream downtown
- Have a drink at King Upper Rooftop bar
Dzita
Dzita is an area of Ghana right along the coast next to the border with Togo. The drive is about 3.5 hours if you time it right. Don’t leave right after work because at that time a massive portion of Accra is also shuffling to the bus stops to catch a ride east. Then traffic will stagnate until Tema, which would have been 45 minutes drive on a weekend, but after work on a weekday you’ll be sitting on the road indefinitely. You’d not make it to Dzita until well after the kitchens close from dinner. So don’t do that.
When I embarked on this weekend trip from Accra with a couple of friends, we started out at the Ford station, which is a bus stop for old Ford vans. It’s a nicer than taking a tro-tro because there is usually air conditioning and the car won’t stop along the side of the road to stuff more passengers inside, and it’s cheaper than taking a proper bus. Also, since the Ford cars are smaller than the proper buses, you don’t run the same risk of waiting over an hour for the bus to fill.
We stayed at a place called Meet Me There in the Volta Region. It’s a non-profit lodge dedicated to improving sanitation and education in the local communities. The food is decent, the beach is kept clean, and the accommodation is small and cozy, but nice. The whole place is set in a colorful garden setting. If you pay a small fee, the owners will wake you up in the middle of the night if there’s a sea turtle hatching. Because they want to encourage local communities to participate in protecting the turtles, they will pay them to come and notify the lodge rather than to kill and eat the turtles. It’s win-win-win for the community, the wildlife and the tourists. This place is such a gem – so even though there isn’t a whole lot to do in Dzita itself, this makes my list for best weekend trips in Ghana.
Things to do in Dzita
- Walk on the beach
- Swim in the ocean
- Have breakfast and coffee on the deck that juts out over the water
- Walk to the markets in town for craft shopping
- Opt to be woken up to see the turtles at night
- Meet Me There arranges a bunch of activities as well!