Ghana - Precautions

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Travel Tips From Our Members
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Kumasi, Central Ghana, Ghana
In general Kumasi is a very safe and accessible city for travellers. It has Bureau de Change everywhere as well as a security guarded Barclays ATM for accessing money. Internet cafes are easy to find as well. Must sees are the Central Market- an amazing expanse of tinned rooves, get lost in the labrynth of meat, shoes, cloth and spices- you will love it. Also, the Cultural Museum and the Asantehene's Palace. I don't recommend the Zoo- it is overpriced and under cared for. It was depressing if anything. Try the amazing street food- the koko(maize meal drink) and roasted plantain at the Trotro station especially, the food at Lonely Planet recommended restaurants is overpriced and made me feel elitist and excluded. If you are missing your dairy products, which it is likely you will if you are a Westerner then Vic Baboo's Cafe is good for fruit smoothies that you can trust. Women, expect to be grabbed ta when winding your way through the pressing crowds on the street, don't take it as a threat. Keep your money mimimal and close by you at the Trotro station. Alway always greet someone on the street before asking for directions. Give to beggars, the locals do. Take a trotro when t you can, the prices are set and they are way more fun. Shared taxis are also reasonable. If you take a private taxi be prepared for a haggle- keep it lighthearted. Kumasi isn't as bad as Accra for this though. When I was there, there were incidents of taxi drivers stealing bags/purses etc., but just be alert, most are just trying it on.
Accra, Eastern Ghana, Ghana
Wow!  At the market (you'll know the one) bring cedes to barter all goods locals will sell as you browse and shop.Is not lie Cote d'Ivoire, where they will crowd you for favors.  More of a British-style way of doing things/English speaking nation here.  Extremely great bargains to be found, but DO NOT SETTLE FOR THE FIRST PRICE GIVEN OR LISTED!  Make a deal, don't be suckered.Keep your fanny pack in the front, and don't show all your money at any one time.  A really good time can turn into a very tragic time in a couple of seconds.As with anywhere where you are unfamiliar, bring your own toilet paper.
Accra, Eastern Ghana, Ghana
be carefull on car parking frot off airport in Accra, planty tieft!!!
Cape Coast, Central Ghana, Ghana
Cape Coast is a beautiful sea-side town, with a coast dotted with the ruins of slaving fortresses. It has a rich but painful history, and is well worth visiting. If you go I definitely recommend taking a tour of at least one of the slave castles. The guides tell a heart wrenching story, and you can almost feel the weight of the stones' history weighing down on you.A tip tho, watch out for overzealous vendors. As in a lot of urban locals in Ghana, they prowl tourist attractions and will descend on westerners in a swarm.
Accra, Eastern Ghana, Ghana
Be very careful wandering around after dark, women travellers will get asked for marriage by local guys, local traders will insist you buy from them but do not be offended, its only salesmen, bartering is a way of life and good deals can be found everywhere.
Accra, Eastern Ghana, Ghana
Women are often asked for their cell phone numbers by men with the promise of being "flashed". This is local jargon for "call". There is no harm in giving a number because they don't usually call you but it's better to give a fake one anyway. Also, it's common for men to ask to be your friend and they don't get put off if you tell them you have a partner. Better to just banter or change the subject.
Cape Coast, Central Ghana, Ghana
Beware the beach rastas collecting donations so that their soccer team can buy uniforms, or the soccer team they coach.  The first person who approached me I was genuinely sorry I was on such a tight budget I couldn't afford to donate anything, the 50th person in 2 days....  
Elmina, Ghana
When I went to Elmina Castle two local men approached me as I walked in wanting to chat, asking me my name, where I was from etc.  When I came out they had a shell for me that they had written "Welcome to Elmina Castle Jen from Australia" which they wanted to give me as a gift.  I gave it straight back to them at which point they insisted they wanted no money for it- they then pulled out a sheet asking for donations for a soccer team and became quite aggressive, naming the price of the shell etc, when I said I didn't have any money to donate.  Most people are lovely but it is worth exercising caution around very touristy areas.  At the very least you will be asked to donate to an extraordinary number of soccer teams!
Aflao, Eastern Ghana, Ghana
While crossing the Ghana/Lome border at Aflou is fairly straightforward (not too many hassles etc) beware the people who hang around borders waiting for tourists.  I had men demand money for pointing out the immigration sign (which I was already walking towards), demand money for speaking to me and fight over which taxi I was going to get in once I was across the border.  In the end I had five men holding various parts of my body and bags and pulling me in various directions all yelling!  It can be fairly intimidating, but survivable!  Also watch out for the taxi drivers- I was told the correct price before I got to the border and the taxi driver agreed to the amount I stated but when we got to the final destination he told me that was the price per seat and because I was the only person in the taxi I had to pay for the other 3 seats as well!  He got reasonably angry when I refused to give him 4 times the going rate...