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The Gold Cost, Ghana
Not many think of the Gold Coast when they picture a trip to the African continent, however, Ghana is a destination that’s not to be missed. Within a week’s time, you can comfortably complete a tour that visits the main sites and destinations along the Southern coast of the country – an area rich in history and culture.
International flights will arrive and depart in the capital, Accra. From here, you can take a short flight to Takoradi, a port city that’s been booming in recent years, particularly since the discovery of oil off the coast. A half-day city tour will provide you with a sufficient orientation, so from there I would recommend scurrying up the coast to the town of Elmina. This one is my favorite – a fishing village that’s both picturesque and gritty; charming and though-provoking. The harbor is a congested tangle of colorful fishing boats and rigging, once all of them return with the day’s catch. The streets leading to and fro are humming with activity, a thin layer of dust and smoke from nearby cooking fires filling in around the people and market stalls. The nearby Elmina Castle sits atop a short hill above it all – a majestic and sobering presence. This was once used as a final holding place for captured Africans before they were shipped overseas and sold into slavery. While you can tour the inside, I recommend traveling up the coast a bit further to the Cape Coast Castle instead - in my opinion, it’s the better of the two (and one tour into this heartbreaking past may be enough for most). The experience is not to be missed though. This is a chance to step into the history you’ve studied from afar – to stand in the dark and stuffy dungeons, imagining the experience and conditions these people went through. It is beyond words.
