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 Seasons:     Dry & Hot - November 1 – April 1
                     Rainy, but beautiful - April 15 – August 1
                     Mild & accommodating - August 1 – October 15
 
The seasons will in part dictate what you should have on any trip to Ghana.  The most pleasant time to be in Ghana is during the mild and rainy seasons.  The weather is quite agreeable, and sometimes even cool at nights, especially in the mountains.  The dry season can be quite a challenge as the sun is its hottest and the availability of most seasonal crops are limited.  Nonetheless, Ghana has its appeal all year round, just as long as you are prepared; you will be able to maximize your enjoyment.

The following checklist is suggested, while some items might be relevant to the season:

  • Mosquito repellent- Citronella is the best known, natural repellent.

  • Rain coat & boots- Particularly in the rainy season.

  • First aid kit- should include something for bruises minor and extreme, for example, golden seal, tetanus protection, fever relief, diarrhea relief, artesunate, Echinacea, extra repellent, & gauze. (Everything, minus herbs,    is available in homeopathic medicines.)

  • Pocket knife- You will find yourSelf buying many fruits on the road that you might want to cut with your own knife

  • Flashlight & candles- Power outage is almost frequent in some areas, and only a problem if you aren’t prepared

  •  Sweater- Between May and November it definitely gets cool in the evenings, especially in the mountains or by the beach

  • Iodine water purifier- should you be forced to compromise your water source, it is convenient to have water purifiers.

  • Portable radio- Always good, far more entertaining than local t.v.

  • Transformers- for any electrical appliances ex. Camcorder, radio, etc.

  • Walking sandals and mountain boots- You will get your share of exercise.

  • Long pants- It is the tropics, but the evening can be horrible without long pants, given the mosquitoes

  • Beach shoes- Good to have, especially for the children

  • Disposable items- by all means you will have many things (clothing, etc) that you no longer use and may consider giving away.  Fill a bag and bring them, that same bag can be used for crafts when returning.  We are set up to distribute to worthy foundations.  

Note: Power is delivered at 220 volts.

Suggested Reading:

  • "Of Water and the Spirit"- Malidoma Patrice Some (Burkina Faso)

  • "Two Thousand Seasons"- Ayi Kwei Armah (Ghana)

  • "The Healers"-Ayi Kwei Armah  (Ghana)

  • "Guide to Ghana"- Philip Briggs (USA)

  • "Quick Guide to buying land and investing in Ghana"- J.A. Gerald (Ghana)

Pay Attention to Customs

Welcome to Ghana and to our West African sub-region. We are happy to let you know something about ourselves to enable you relate more positively to us for our mutual happiness and education.

 Ghana our country is a very safe and comfortable cultural melting point. We like laughing and making friends, especially with travelers since we are also involved with wanderlust and travelers` tales. From what our visitors insistently tell us, we are also very hospitable.

 Like many other people of the world community, we have our own code of social and moral ethics based on our spiritual conceptions of the cosmos and hierarchy in society. We shall like you to know them and observe them.

 Greeting is an important social function that marks an open heart and mind. It also expresses one’s concern for the other. Refusing or failing to greet another person may indicate that you either harbour ill-will or do not care for the other’s welfare. Do not forget that the smile is also a form of greeting. Please make an effort to pick up some of our simple vernacular greeting forms and win our hearts over.

 Handshake:

 Kindly remember that the handshake is a popular way of greeting in Ghana, especially among males. When you shake hands, please apply the same hand pressure as is offered. Do not crush a weaker person’s arm out of its socket.

 When you are shaking hands with a number of people, start from the extreme right and proceed towards the left.

 Do not use the Left Hand:

 The left hand has limited functions in Ghana. Infact the use of the left hand for certain activities is considered an anathema. That is one reason why when our men wear the traditional cloth, we throw most of the fabric over the left shoulder to limit the freedom of the left-hand. In particular avoid receiving or giving, gesticulating in speech, waving at a person or pointing things out with the left hand.

 If you are naturally left handed, it is not your fault and it is no offence. But you can avoid public embarrassment of complications by keeping something (e.g. your guide book, camera, souvenir etc) in the left hand. This will keep it “trapped” for sometime.

 Dressing:

We Ghanaians set much store on dressing. We consider it respectful to dress decently for social functions and especially for visits to our palaces. It is considered disrespectful to attend such functions and especially for visits to our palaces in crumpled dirty clothes, unkempt hair etc.

 Our folks are also not very happy to see a woman or lady dress in shorts or trousers. When sitting in the presence of eminent people or elders do not sit cross-legged. Visitors are held in very, very high esteem in our society and we expect that you exhibit an acceptable standard of dressing and decorum.

If you are wearing a hat or cap, please remove it when speaking with an elderly person. That shows your outward respect for our traditions.

Palace Etiquette:

Our chiefs enjoy receiving foreigners and interacting with them. We have already told you about dressing to the palace. There are other etiquettes that you need to observe. When you are invited to greet a chief or the King, for example, move up towards him and stop short at a point from where he is seated, stop and bow. He may graciously invite you to come for a handshake.

On formal occasions, we do not speak directly to the King, or a Chief, for that matter. Communication at the royal court is a three-way affair through a linguist (spokesman) called Okyeame who replicates the conversation. The visitor faces the Okyeame and delivers his mission statement to him, then the Okyeame delivers it to the Chief. The Chief gives his reply or response to the Okyeame who renders it to the visitor.

Taking Pictures:

We expect you come to Ghana with a camera and loads of film. You can take pictures for free, since memories are forever. You may seek permission from the individuals or groups to take pictures. We shall also be most grateful that you do not take pictures of people in the nude or even lunatics. That will be a disgrace.

Thank you for reading, your friend in Ghana,

Kwesi Baako

 


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