48 Hours In Accra

Accra, the best cocktail there is. The foremost representative of the multiple worlds Ghana has to offer. Although myopic, to some sections of the outside world, Accra is synonymous with Ghana. Little wonder that Accra is one of the most known and marketable facets of Ghana. The influx of people in the city at the back end of December is expected to be massive. Hence, with an average of two full-on days being spent in Accra with the notion of moving on to explore what the other regions have to offer, take a look at two possible routes to have a swell time in Accra.

You would want to be out of the blocks bright and early to make the most out of your 48 in Accra. This is the perfect time to be an audience to the myriad aromas sifting through the air. If you want to feel like a Ghanaian at this juncture, you should probably join a waakye queue. Luckily, most waakye stalls have a hausa kookoo and bofrot stall nearby to complement them. These breakfast buddies are street favorites and make up a vital arm of Ghanaian traditional food culture. After your waakye or kookoo, you should make your way to Oxford Street, Osu; Accra’s most cosmopolitan section, to do some shopping for things you never knew you needed. The flood of stalls is enough to see you strolling almost senselessly unbeknownst of time.

Still in Osu, you have to do Kukun’s Café and Bar, in the Nyaniba Estates, for lunch/ brunch. Kukun is a relatively new multipurpose space that suits all the characters in Accra. Its café and bar section provides a comfy space, with a blend of communal and private seating area in a pseudo rustic setting. The meals do well to take your taste buds on trips around the world. After being filled up, you may head over to the historic W.E.B DuBois Centre for Pan-African Culture in Cantonments for a muchneeded trip down memory lane about Pan-Africanism and black culture in general.

When the sun sets, Frankie’s ice cream parlor has an expansive range of ice cream flavors worthy enough to be a companion while you are reflecting on the pan African knowledge gained earlier. You may indulge in Frankie’s food menu as well if the need presents itself. To crown your night, Bloombar will be the place to go for consummate cocktails and pristine vibes under bright lights in an open space.

The unwritten laws of vacationing and touring have a good-breakfastbuffet statute in there somewhere. In Accra, hotels usually have the best breakfast buffets. Your best bet for an embarrassing wealth of variety will be the Accra Marriott Hotel inside the Airport City district. Mirroring the global success of Marriott International, Accra’s branch is providing top-class hospitality services – and their A-game does extend into the culinary facet. After that, head over to the Gallery 1957 inside the renowned Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel and be serenaded by a multiplicity of thought-provoking art pieces. Gallery 1957 is a classy, well-lit art gallery that presents leading artists working across West Africa and the diaspora.

In Accra-Central, not far away from Kempinski, lies the Centre for National Culture or the Art Centre, as it is fondly referred to. The Art Centre is a market that stocks tangible connections to Ghanaian culture and history. Walk through the maze of stalls, while being hassled by eager vendors, and you will find beads, baskets, carvings, sculptures, antiques and many souvenirs and gifts that represent Ghanaian culture. On the other side of town, Legon Botanical Gardens awaits you with a different kind of serenity on offer. Greenery supported by water bodies and animal sighting is just the type of setting you want to be enveloped in. There is also an option to turn things up a notch with canopy walks, rope courses, and other fun outdoor activities.

With the potency of the breakfast buffet weaning off, an early dinner will be the right move. Make your way to East Legon, one of Accra’s most multifaceted and upscale districts. Starbites’ East Legon branch will be a wise choice to satisfy any craving at all. You will be faced with a sizeable continental menu from which every meal is a real charm. Cement your night by grabbing a seat at Accra’s flagship center for live music, +233 Jazz Bar and Grill in North Ridge. +233 is the best for a reason. They cancel out the notion that jazz is for older folks and the evidence is in the dynamism of the crowd on each night.