h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I support the recommendation of Ghana as a place to visit. My wife and I (middle-aged English people) felt safe and welcome walking without restriction round Accra and other placea in Ghana. We used a bus to go inland to Ghana's second city Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti people, where we were put up by a local family (highly recommended) and made a number of trips. We then took another bus to Elmina (near Cape Coast, and with another 15th-century European castle) and spent an idyllic few days staying in our own air-conditioned "beach hut" before getting a taxi back to Accra.

Ghana is extremely cheap for anyone from Europe- we reckoned the exchange rate was "wrong" in our favour by a factor of 10, except if you stay in international hotels (which may well cost what you might expect in Europe).

Do however adjust your expectations to what is a different country. The buses are great, but don't be in a hurry (book your seat and then you may have to wait until the bus all seats are taken). Maps are hard to come by- why use a map when anyone will be happy to tell you the way? Don't expect to walk into a shop and browse anonymously- the Ghanain shopkeeper will expect you to engage with him or her. Taxis are very cheap, but find out what the rates are and make your bargain before you start- this way you keep friendly. And don't point your camera at anyone without their permission- quite reasonably, it'll probably be seen as rude.

Take time (we used three weeks, two of them in and around Kumasi) and keep your eyes and ears open, and you'll learn something of a country with its own distinct culture and humour and point of view.

As a bran-new member/researcher/whatever this is my first attempt at a reply, and I see it is to a four-year-old entry... my memories of Ghana are as follows. To be strictly PC, I suppose I remember Ghana very briefly, but as to the Gold Coast, I loved my stay there back in the 50s. Just one tour of 18 months, and I must report that the climate did knock the old nerves for six. I recall the 80,80,80 tag... 80 deg.Fahreheit,80 inch rainfall p.a. and 80 percent humidity! Met my present wife there, and we married on quitting west Africa for, initially, West Middlesex.
The Gold Coasters were a most friendly crowd of people, tolerant, laid-back. I regret never having gone back there, and I was pleased to read of your trips by public transport around and about.
Kumasi I visited but briefly, once, and my abiding memory is the rain which fell so promptly on cue around 4.17 each afternoon for a half-hour. The pint glass mug out of which I drank Accra Brewery's fine lager tickled me pink with its inscription "Stolen from the Hotel de Kingsway, Kumasi"
One more memory: at the AGM of the Cricket Section of the Accra European Club at the home of the UAC Managing Director, Sir Patrick Fitzgerald, he bellowed "Boy!" in stentorian tones. When the wizened office-holder appeared, even a thick, unsophisticated, non-PC 24 year-old cringed at "Pass beer for the White Masters" He probably threw-in "Chop-chop" or "Massa-Massa" to ginger the lad up. ... oh, dear, times past.!
On our first trip to South Africa, I buttonholed the SAGA rep in Cape Town airport and after a little interval, said, sentimentally,"Ah, Jeff, I sailed away from Takoradi in 1957: I come to Africa every 43 years" "Welcome to your third trip, Squire" As good a riposte as any I had from a Coaster.