Several international airlines, including Ghana International Airline,
operate regular scheduled flights from Ghana to major cities in North
America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
PASSPORT Required by all.
VISAS Visas
are required by most non-residents except ECOWAS nationals. Ghana
Missions and Embassies abroad will assist in issuing individual as well
as group visas.
Health Requirements Yellow
fever vaccination required by all exept infants under one year.Please
do not forget to bring your health Certificate which shows that you
have a yellow fever vaccination. You are also advised to consult your
doctor well in advance of your visit so that you may begin the usual
anti-malaria treatment.
BUSINESS HOURS 8.00 - 12.00 noon 13.00 - 17.00 hours Banks - 8.00a.m - 2.00 p.m 8.00 - 3.00 p.m. Fridays
Climate Bounded
on the South by the Atlantic Ocean and on the West by La Cote d"ivoire,
the East by Togo and the North by Burkina Faso. Ghana is a tropical
country. The South Western part is located within the warm wet forest
zone similar to the Amazon. Accra, the capital, is located in the dry
equatorial cones. Kumasi is in the wet savanna. It lies between 4� and
11 � North at the equator and has a coastline of 540 km.
Northern Ghana has a range season from about April to October. The rest, of
the year is hot and dry, with temperatures up to about 38�C. In
Southern Ghana the rains last from April to June and again from
September to October. Generally temperatures are between 21 - 31�C. The
rains are usually restricted to specific times each day during the
rainy season; they are not continuous throughout the day.
Packing the Right Clothing Since
the climate is warm and tropical all year round be sure to pack light
washable cotton clothing and casual wear. Do not forget your sunglasses
and comfortable walking shoes. There are no restrictions on what men
and women may wear. Slacks and shorts for both sexes are permissible.
Electricity If
you are bringing along any electrical appliances, they should operate
on or be adaptable to 220 / 240 volts. Electric outlets in Ghana accept
either 3pronged, or sometimes 2-pronged. British or Continental
European type plus or converters.
Money/Currency Ghana's
currency is the cedi which comes in denominations of GHC 50, 20, 10, 5
and 1. Coins come in denominations of 1 GHC and also 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p
& 1 pesewas. Foreign currency can be freely exchanged at any
Forex Bureaux in the country.
Apart from Forex Bureaux, some
commercial banks also exchange foreign currency. Banks are normally
open from 8:30 am to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Some banks also
operate on Saturdays from 09:00 - 14:00 GMT . Most large commercial
banks will also have automatic teller machines located outside and
available during and after hours. Most will take VISA and a few other
check cards.
Traveller's Cheques All
banks and Forex Bureaux accept Traveller"s Cheques although the rate of
exchange may be slightly lower than for cash transaction.
Credit Cards The
most widely accepted credit cards are Visa and Mastercard. These cards
are accepted in major hotels, restaurants, banks and businesses . Your
card may be used for payment at most all airlines, leading hotels and
major supermarkets. However be cautious when using your credit to avoid
fraud.
Tipping Tipping
is permitted in hotels, restaurants, etc. It is rarely added to the
bill. Whenever it is not added the quality of service should dictate
your generousity to the waiter, taxi driver, porter, tour guide, etc.
Hotels Ghana,
offers a wide range of hotel accommodation for her growing economy and
tourist industry; cosmopolitan, metropolitan, district town and country
hotels and park lodges of varying comfort, elegance and convenience.
Ghana"s hotels are classified according to the international
star-system with 5-star as the highest and one-star being the minimum
international acceptable quality. In addition, there are local budget
hotels with minimum standards of sanitation and comfort. Hotel License
is issued by the Ghana Tourist Board and displayed at the hotel
reception.
Communications Most
major hotels also have business centres which provide secretarial and
courier services. You can make long distance telephone calls within the
country. Collect calls to the USA, Europe and Asia are also available.
USA direct dial is 019900 and UK is 0194.
Entertainment Most
cities and towns have facilities for night life such as cultural
centres to theatres, cinema houses, discotheques, pubs, street cafes
and casinos. Consult your hotel reception for what is on and where to
go.
Medical facilities Modern
private and public hospitals and clinics are available in all cities
and big towns. Tourist should contact travelers' medical insurance
companies to cover any medical contingencies while away from their home
countries.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS Emergency (general) - 999 Fire - 192 Ambulance - 193
Hospital - Korle Bu - 021-665401, 021-673033-34 -Ridge - 021-228382 -37 Military hospital - 021-776111-5l -SSNIT Hospital - 021-776787 -Tema General Hospital - 022-302094, 022-302695 -Accra Psychiatric Hospital - 021-228688 -Nyaho Clinic - 027775341 - Lister Hospital - +233 21 812 325, +233 21 812 326, +233 244 313 883 - Omni Health Services.
Barbers and Hairdressers They are available in Salons and most hotels.
Laundry Available in most hotels.
Drinking Water Safe but it is advisable for visitors to use bottled drinking water which is available for sale in hotels and super markets.
Restricted Areas for Photography and Filming The Christianborg Castle, Osu (i.e seat of Government), High Commissions / Embassies and Military installations.
Kotoka International Airport Kotoka
International Airport (KIA) is located in Accra. It is the major entry
point to the country and is accessible from any part of the globe. KIA
also has FAA approval for Category 1 in Safety and Security Oversight.
Currently it is served by 22 carriers with over 170 weekly passenger
aircraft movements to more than 36 international destinations worldwide.
Ground Transport: To and From KIA Although
most people travel to the airport in their private cars, taxis and
hiring cars are available at the airport for travellers� convenience.
Public Pool Taxi There
are other taxi services from point to point at fixed charges per
individual passenger. This allows other passengers to join in the same
vehicle. You can also charter taxis at negotiated rate.
Car rentals There are car rentals companies registered by the Ghana Toursit Board which offer car hiring services.
Airport lounges
Departure Airport
departure lounge is located after security control. Facilities include
a Duty Free shop, restaurant, bar and a seating area. Ghana Airways has
the �Akwaaba� lounge for its first/business class passengers.State
Protocol Lounge is for use by Senior Government Officials/Diplomats and
V VIP�s.
Arrival State Protocol Lounge again available for use by the previously mentioned personnel�s.
Greetings 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 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 A
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. When you are shaking hands with a number of people, start from the extreme right and proceed towards the left.
Use of the Left Hand The
left hand has limited functions in Ghana. In fact the use of the left
hand for certain activities is considered an anathema. That is one
reason why, when our men wear traditional cloth, we throw the fabric
over the left hand. In particular avoid receiving or giving,
gesticulating in speech, waving at a person or pointing things out with
the left hands.
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 giving something (e.g. your guide book, camera,
souvenir etc.) with the left hand.
Palace Etiquette Our
chiefs enjoy receiving foreigners and interacting with them. There are
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 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 chief, for that matter communication at
the royal court is a three-way affair through a spokesman (linguist)
called "Okyeame" who replicates the conversation. The visitor faces the
Okyeame and delivers his message to the chief. The chief gives his
reply or response to the Okyeame who renders it to the visitor. It is
that simple and interesting. This has been our practice from time
immemorial.
N.B. Normally, visitors to our palaces have to make
customary offerings of friendship to their royal hosts. This consists
entirely of drinks: Aromatic Schnapps, Gin and or money, the amount and
quantities depending on the size or enthusiasm of the group.
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