Introduction
Unfairly dubbed ‘Africa for beginners', Ghana is a rapidly modernising destination; take a Ghana holiday to discover the wealth of natural attractions and historic sites available to enchant the visitor.
Accra is the main centre and capital of the country; see the Makola Market, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and the National Theatre before taking in the bars and clubs with their dynamic music scene.
Kumasi is the ancient capital of the Ashanti civilisation and you can still see the ruins of the Manhyla Palace and the Royal Mausoleum to get an impression of how they lived.
For a sense of the country's colonial past, explore the Gulf of Guinea, dotted with sandy palm-fringed beaches such as Busua, Anomabu or Kokrobite and attractive lagoons, overlooked by faded trade and slave castles. Cape Coast is one of the largest European castles; a poignant reminder of the country's place in the slave trade, today it contains Ghana's best museum. Nearby Elmina is also worth a visit.
The Volta region has been radically altered by the creation of the Akosombo Dam but still boasts a large amount of rainforest. Wildlife spotting though is best at Mole National Park, home to elephants, roan antelope, hartebeest, lions, leopards and hyenas or Kakum National Park, where you can encounter 800 species of bird whilst walking through the forest canopy, 333m above the ground.
