Ghana is one of the first African nations to gain independence as early as 1957. Since then the country has governed itself and adopted the pan-African colors as their flag. Today the country is visited by almost a million tourists yearly and has one of the best African football teams. There are many nature parks, and monuments in Accra to visit.

Traveling info

All visitors traveling to Ghana are required to have a valid passport. Entry requirements vary depending on visitors nationality. Citizens of some African nations are exempt from visa, meaning that they may freely visit the country. Citizens of the remaining countries depending on their nationality may obtain a visa on arrival, online or in a consulate, embassy or a mission. Visitors who wish to drive in Ghana can do so using their national driving permit. Although an international driving permit is not required, it is recommended as it will come in handy when dealing with the local police or when renting a vehicle. Those who use IDP must know that the document is only a translation of the original driving permit and cannot be used alone without the original driving permit.

Traveling hazards

Primary roads are generally paved and well maintained. However, some side roads within major cities and many roads outside of major cities are in poor condition. The road from Accra to the central region tourist area of Cape Coast continues to be the site of many accidents. Travel in darkness, particularly outside the major cities, is extremely hazardous due to poor street lighting and the unpredictable behavior of pedestrians, bicyclists and farm animals, particularly goats and sheep. Aggressive drivers, poorly maintained vehicles, and overloaded vehicles pose serious threats to road safety. Another hazard is pedestrians who intentionally bump vehicles and pretend to be hit. They then attempt to extort money from the vehicle occupants. Scams of this nature most commonly occur in congested urban areas. Visitors who wish to drive private vehicles should equip themselves with a dash camera to decrease the risk of money extortion. The safety standards of the small private buses that transit roads and highways are uncertain. Travelers are encouraged to consider this when making travel arrangements.

Environmental hazards

There are many dangerous animals in Ghana and despite the fact that giants such as the African bush elephants roam the country, they don’t come close in danger they pose to creatures which are much smaller. Apart from ever-present mosquitoes which carry diseases such as Zika and malaria, there are many different insects which can be deadly. The likes of tsetse fly or the black fly carry the sleeping disease or black river blindness which both can be deadly if not treated. Guinea worms and roundworms are present in Ghana and are some of the nastiest parasites known to mankind. Whilst guinea worms can be removed physically with tweezers, the roundworms cause many deaths among African infants. Ghana is home to many wild and poisonous snakes that have caused many deaths, especially in the rural and farming areas. Some of these venomous snakes found in Ghana are the viper, cobra, rattlesnake and the brown short snake. Surviving a bite of a venomous snake often depends on the proximity of the nearest hospital or the response of the nearest emergency services. Although lions may be found in the country they are very few in numbers around Ghana and are considered critically endangered. Hippopotamuses can be found in the rivers of Ghana. These are the largest land animals second only to Elephants. Despite their docile look these animals are fiercely territorial and will attack even crocodiles. They are responsible for many deaths across Africa every year. There has been only a single reported shark attack in Ghana however many attacks could have potentially gone unreported. Crocodiles in Ghana are often mistaken for the Nile crocodiles which are among the most aggressive croc species however there are no Nile crocodiles in Ghana. The west African crocodiles inhabit the rivers of Ghana and despite still being dangerous, they are much more docile than their eastern cousins.
The country is most exposed to risks from floods and droughts, particularly in the Northern Savannah belt. There are also risks related to coastal hazards, including storm surges and coastal erosion as well as landslides, earthquakes, pest infestations, and wildfires.

Health hazards

There is a yellow fever outbreak in Ghana. All travelers are required to be vaccinated against yellow fever and have proof of being vaccinated. There are other vaccines however none of these are required and are only recommended. These are the routine vaccines aka MMR vaccines, hepatitis A and B, typhoid, meningitis and rabies vaccines. There is, unfortunately, no vaccines against Malaria and Zika. Both of these are transmitted through mosquito bites, therefore, using mosquito repellents and mosquito nets is advised. There is also medicine on prescription against malaria which should be available to anyone after consulting their local general practitioner. In the past two decades, great improvements have been made in Ghanaian access to improved drinking water sources, which now reaches about 90 percent of the population, although only 75 percent of rural inhabitants. There has been a persistent lack of access to improved sanitation facilities which are available to less than 20 percent of the populace, although this figure has been slowly increasing. Even though Ghana is relatively wealthy, health care resources in remote areas can be very poor. Extra precautions must be made before making a trip. The country has very limited local private health insurance, so arrangements must be made before travel.
In case of an emergency dial 193.

Crime

Street crime is a serious problem throughout the country and is especially acute in Accra and other larger cities. Victims of opportunistic and violent crime are more likely to be targeted based on perceived wealth or perceived vulnerability. Walking alone is not advisable, especially after dark and in poorly illuminated or isolated areas, as this may increase the risk of being targeted by criminals. Opportunistic crimes targeting motorists and passengers in vehicles are common. Criminals may exploit unlocked car doors or rolled down windows to steal belongings from vehicles in traffic. Thieves and armed robbers have targeted motorists using ruses in order to extort money; such incidents have increasingly occurred in parts of Accra and commonly occur in congested urban areas. Property crimes against foreigners remain a concern, especially residential burglaries and vehicle theft. There have been burglary attempts against expatriate residences, but perpetrators generally lack the sophistication required to overcome home alarm systems and static security guards. Travel to tourist and historic areas of the country is popular and generally safe; however, armed robbery does occur and is especially common on rural roads; some cases have been accompanied by violence. There is no risk of terrorism in the country however ethnicity based crime occurs and concerns mainly white visitors, however, most of such crimes involve non-violent crime such as petty theft. Drugs offenses are taken very seriously in Ghana, in part due to the country’s growing drug problem. Bail is not granted for those caught with drugs of any kind and being in possession of even small amounts of marijuana can result in prison sentences of up to five years.

Summary

Despite the fact that Ghana ranks among the wealthiest west African countries it is still missing a lot of public facilities and efficiency in public services. There are many attractions in the country however there are also many dangers tourists should prepare for. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
https://ghanahighcommissionuk.com/passports/visaapplication.aspx
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/ghana