Society Travel Guide: Ghana

I’ve stood on white sands in the Caymen Island, ridden through the blue mountains of Jamaica. I’ve stayed in resorts on the Gold Coast and toured the Inner Harbor in Sydney Australia. The avenues and boulevards of New York City bring excitement; the beaches and seaside resorts of Bermuda are soothing to the soul. But my HEART……my heart ACHES for AFRICA.

Sometimes I wonder what the terms “history” and “lineage” mean to people who aren’t black or brown. This isn’t going to be a history lesson or some deep diatribe into race and relations. But I want you to understand how much the contintent of Africa means to me personally. Off-the-top you can MISS ME with the whole “grand rising king” / Kente-cloth wearing movement that some ascribe to back in the states. Africa deserves WAYY more respect and understanding than this American-prescribed fantasy projection. I actually have a real disdain for this idea and notion but we’ll talk more about that later. Right now its about the REAL. How the people move, how life feels and shakes in Ghana.

Establish Home Base, Chase What You Think, Trust What You DONT Know

As with any travel destination, its imperative to touchdown and get settled with your accommodations. Now Africa isn’t anything new to me, before this trip I had been to the motherland 3 times. But this was my first experience in Western Africa; say anything north of Botswana / Zimbabwe. In America we have our ideas of difference’’s between states, say the way New Yorkers say cold weather is “brick” or Florida cats call good trees “crip”. Every location and place has its cultural mannerisms and approaches. But Africa is a beautiful mix of people and cultures on a deeper level. Its not just about the geographic location of communities, but you also have to account for the customs and differences that come with tribal heritage. The experience you will have in southern regions of Africa may TOTALLY differ from those in Western or Eastern Africa. For this portion of the trip we were staying in Accra, which is the national capital of Ghana. The stay was short, only about 2 days, but we made it worthy. Hands down best place to stay in the city in my opinion may be the Movenpick hotel. You may find a resort or BNB style option, but the Movenpick has great central location, awesome food options and one of the largest pools i’ve ever seen in person. So its important to establish home base. Ghana may be a destination that is a bit more spread out; it may take some time or inside info to figure the best place to lay your head. But don’t let that discourage you.

Chase What You Think

This piece of advice is called “chase what you think”. This is your opportunity to be the treasure-hunter in foreign lands, the traveler in search of a pre-determined goal. For us, this was the slave castles located on the Gold Coast of Ghana. About a 3-hour drive each way from the hotel, my uncle (who had met us in Ghana at the hotel), Otis and myself rode with the hotel driver through small towns, bumpy roads and what seemed like x1000 police checkpoints. Landing in Ghana you immediately get a sense of all I can describe as intensity. The people come in vast beautiful shades of brown, the air is thick, and traffic is MOVING. So en-route to the slave castles I realized this was a TOTALLY new experience in my global rolodex. As a kid I had done the posh areas like Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, In 2015 I had a ball in Gangsters Paradise (Gauteng Province, Johannesburg South Africa). But riding through the towns outside of Accra and arriving at the beachside areas in Elmina, Ghana was surreal. Ancient slave castles dating back to the 1400’s, seaside fisheries packed with men whose faces read grit and determination; there is a mystic aura of survival and hustle that envelopes this country. So my first recommendation is follow your own ideas initially. Make some plans, go in search of some exotic experience or new learning that can only be had in far corners of the globe. The slave castles at Elmina were a life-changing experience for me, one of which I will reserve to speak on within a later article. So as much as I preach to just lose yourself and remove your inhibitions, its okay. Make a plan and see what new arrives along the way.

Trust What You Don’t Know

This is where it really gets interesting. After having spent time and roamed around…..Ghana is definitely a “there is more here than you know” type situation. The social reservations that come with being an American tourist in a place such as Ghana would usually relegate one to your usual attractions such as the resort / hotel or maybe even the stadium conference center where Meek Mill, Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, T-Pain and other artists have performed. But like any respectable International Social Klub member does, I got in good with the locals. Again without going too deep, racial relations are different in Africa. To have brown skin does not carry the same weight of discrimination as it does in America. People are more open, likely to converse and generally "kick the shit” with you. The Movenpick hotel has a great pool, restaurant and bar area. For all means you really woulden’t have to leave the property to have a decent time. For single bachelors………get your SWERVE ON! I’m going to keep it short and cut-dry. It’s all available for you. Right in the lobby / bar. And trust me…they are CHOOSING! Wish I could tell you all the details but what happened in Ghana is going to STAY IN GHANA. My brother and I acquired some lovely tour-guides who showed us a great time around the city. The mall is cool; go be amazed at the value of American currency while shopping for some keepsakes. Take a second to get some local food, especially if you take the time to travel towards the coast where you can get some amazing seafood. One of the greatest secrets about Ghana and Accra is the nightlife. There is an artform to using unconvential resources to construct hospitality / entertainment experiences. Go to one of the many venues or a beachside club such as Pleasure Beach. You might not find over-the-top interior design or cutting-edge VIP / audio systems, but you are going to plunge into the depths of a community that knows exactly how it wants to vibe, how it wants its music to sound; and they are going to ensure they make it happen their way. Ghanaian’s have a super hustle, but its relaxed and happens on their time. So this last recommendation is to let go. If you want to be impressed you are going to have to show some trust in the PEOPLE around here. You’re not going to go out and find spots that in a physical sense are more glamorous than say a Miami or LA.

But really thats the entire point here. If' you’re the type of person who needs the high-profile lights and stars all the time then I can’t rock with you in the first place. I have to stay connected to ground-base; i’ve dedicated a lot of my life to humanities and people. Staying with your pulse on the people and the streets is what keeps me on the forefront of culture. Honestly Ghana probably isnt a destination that majority of tourists would even travel to unless they have an urge and sense of openness towards differing cultures. Sure the roads might be hellish and you might feel awkward from the intense sense of people wanting to stop and engage with you everywhere; but its all in the game. May the nights be long and the mornings longer. I wish upon you romance like I’ve experienced; but hope it finds you devoid of the breakup where your vacation heartthrob educates you on how this relationship comes with a bill not just feelings of emptiness and sadness. Baby this is ALL IN THE GAME. So give yourself a chance. To lose yourself. Give Ghana a chance. Never know how much it will give, take or leave you.