غانا

Sleep

There are many wonderful places to stay in Ghana. There are many options including lavish hotels or more rustic places to stay. Cheap, decent hotel rooms can run as low as GH₵300. A better room can go as low as GH₵100. For high-end hotels, prices are higher than a comparable hotel in the USA.

For longer stays (a few months) it is possible to rent a house. Houses for rent are advertised in local newspapers and also in those places frequented by expats - Koala supermarket, Ryan's Irish pub, etc.

Stay safe

The standard emergency number for police, fire and ambulance is 112.

Ghana is a very safe, stable country with relatively low crime levels compared to other West African countries. Take sensible precautions but be assured it is quite safe.

Male homosexuality is illegal. While prosecutions are rare, there is widespread targeting and extortion of vulnerable people and anyone suspected to be gay or queer. Female homosexuality is legal. In 2021, Ghanaian police charged a group of LGBT activists with "unlawful assembly" and for "advocating LGBTQ activities", which is not illegal.

Cases have also been reported of people snatching mobile phones in the streets. Avoid using your mobile phone out in the open.

Accidental gas tanker explosions, including occurrences in heavily populated residential & industrial areas throughout the country, have been a recurring problem, with eight such cases in 2015–2017.

Stay healthy

Chloroquine-resistant malaria is widespread and you must take sufficient malaria protection including mosquito avoidance, mosquito repellants, and chemical prophylaxis. Yellow fever vaccination is required for entry into the country.

Get vaccinations against hepatitis A & B, cholera and typhoid fever if you are planning to travel within the country.

There is a very high risk of meningitis in the northern third of Ghana which is a part of the Meningitis belt of Africa. This applies especially during the dry windy periods from December to June. A polysaccharide vaccine is available for Meningitis types A, C, Y and W135.

Although the AIDS/HIV rate is lower than other sub-Saharan African countries, do not have unprotected sex! Also you should avoid contact with still freshwater as there is a risk of schistosomiasis.

Some restaurants will approach high health standards, but be prepared to pay for this. Smaller restaurants, often called "chop bars," will likely not meet these standards.

Because of the tropical climate near the coast, travellers will need to stay hydrated. Bottled water is available everywhere. Voltic Water has been a reliable brand over the years, but do check to make sure the seal has not been broken.

Drinking water from the tap is not generally considered to be safe, so choices include plastic bottled water (e.g. Voltic, 1.5 L, c. GH₵1.00), boiled or filtered tap water, and "pure water" sachets. These sachets are filtered and come in 500 mL. porti…

Respect

Do try to pick up on respectful practice (such as not eating or offering with your left hand), but in general Ghanaians are quite accepting of tourists getting it wrong. Greetings are very important. Ghanaians are not forgiving of people who do not take time to greet others. Sometimes greetings come in the form of a salute accompanied by a "good morning" or "good afternoon". The expected response is the same (a salute with a "good morning or afternoon"). Inquiring how the person is doing is also a good idea.

The Ghanaian hand shake is a typical handshake, quickly followed by the snapping of thumb and middle finger. The technique will be introduced to you the first time you shake hands; it will take you by surprise as it involves sliding your hand down the other persons hand, taking their middle finger between your thumb and middle finger as they take your middle finger between their thumb and middle finger, then snapping your finger together as they do likewise. It is unique. Smile, make new friends, and give them a Ghanaian handshake: they will smile and nod!

Travellers are not expected to dress like you are a Ghanaian, but if you are attending a significant event, dress appropriately to convey respect. This could mean wearing black (or black with red), modest clothing to the funeral of an adult, but a brightly coloured dress to a wedding. As a country with many traditions, it may be best and simplest to ask your hosts what will be most suitable. For example, the preferred…

Connect

Telephone and postal services can be unreliable within Ghana itself but international post, at least to and from Accra is reasonably reliable (approx a week either way to the UK for example). Ghana Telecom (later re-branded Vodafone) is the most widespread landline phone company, but is not yet entirely reliable or widespread. There are three voice-and-data mobile network operators operating in the country commercially: MTN, Telecel, and AT. MTN and Telecel have 2G GSM (including EDGE), 3G UMTS (including HSPA+), and 4G LTE coverage in the regional capitals and other major cities. AT may start operating 4G services. Coverage is good in the urban areas, and is increasing in the rural areas and along major highways. MTN is likely to have the most coverage. The three mobile phone networks have GSM 900/1800, and UMTS 900 (Band 8)/2100 (Band 1) in common. However, while buying a SIM card (~GH₵10.00), you are expected to present a certain type of ID card (not a visa) issued in Ghana in order to register (activate) it. ID cards of the required type may be issued to resident foreigners (at an initial fee that's fixed at US$120, the card is valid for one year), citizens, and refugees. The Government of Ghana planned to cause an alternative where foreign passports could be used instead (to activate the SIM card for a month) to be implemented, however, the alternative might not be implemented, so you may be required to have a foreign SIM card and a suitable roaming plan in order to make…