CategoriesPeople & Places By admin

Traveling to Ghana during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go

If you’re planning to travel to Ghana, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the global coronavirus pandemic.

The basics

Ghana reopened to international flights in September 2020. However, land and sea borders remain closed. All visitors must have proof of a negative test and take a further test on arrival.

What’s on offer

Ghana may be blessed with some of West Africa’s finest beaches, but it’s so much more than a place to sunbathe. Its coastal forts offer an unflinching insight into the slave trade which was run by the British from these shores. The rambling Kejetia Market, in Kumasi, in the southwest of the country, is said to be the largest in this part of the continent, selling everything from jewelry to footwear. In the north, Mole National Park is the ideal place to see some of Africa’s most famous animals, including elephants, hippos and warthogs.

Who can go

All visitors are now allowed into Ghana via Accra, as long as they have a negative test or undertake a second test on arrival at Kotoka International Airport.

What are the restrictions?

Unless they are Ghanaian residents who are returning to the country after having been away for one week or less, all passengers aged five and over must have proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure and also undertake an additional antigen test on arrival.
This costs $50 per passenger for Ghanaians and citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and $150 for everyone else, with results available within 30 minutes. Payment must be made online prior to boarding the flight to Ghana.
Ghanaian residents who have left Ghana for one week or less do not need to present a negative PCR test for departure, but still have to undertake the mandatory antigen test on arrival.
In April, Ghana began digital verification of Covid-19 test results, to combat the circulation of fake results.
Anyone testing positive on arrival will immediately be transferred to hospital for further assessment. Non-residents required to isolate in a government health facility must do so at their own cost, while for Ghanaians the cost will be covered by the state.
All passengers must complete an online health declaration form and may be asked to do so again on board before landing.

What’s the Covid situation?

Ghana had registered 96,317 cases of Covid-19 and 796 deaths as of July 5.
The US has moved Ghana to its Level 1 travel advisory, putting it among the world’s lowest-risk destinations, where travel is permitted and full vaccination is advised.
Source: CNN Travel
CategoriesLeisure By admin

Ghanaian dishes you should never miss out while you are in Ghana

Food is a big part of the Ghanaian culture with so many foods eaten by different ethnic groups. There are so many delicious foods to be enjoyed in Ghana. As such, experiencing and experimenting with local traditional foods provides an education of the Ghanaian culture. If you are ever in Ghana, these are some of the delicious delicacies you can try out. 

Jollof Rice

This dish of rice is prepared with tomato sauce and rice cooked together and can be served with meat or fish. The rice cooked together with the tomato sauce turns orange when cooking and is a national favourite eaten by many Ghanaians and can be found in most restaurants or dished out by street food vendors at affordable prices.

Waakye

This  is another food made from rice and beans that Ghanaians love. The rice and beans are cooked together and served with other sides such as fried plantain, gari (grated cassava), spaghetti, tomato stew, shito (sauce made with dried fish and shrimps) and avocado. This dish is mostly eaten as breakfast and is delicious when eaten hot. 

Banku & Tilapia

You can practically smell the grilled fish being grilled on the streets of Accra. The tilapia is spiced then grilled to perfection. It compliments  banku, a mix of fermented corn and cassava dough, and very hot pepper with. diced tomatoes and onions. Banku is one of the main dishes loved by Ghanaians and you can’t miss it when you visit Ghana. 

Fufu & Soup

This is one of the popular dishes recommended to any visitor to Ghana. This dish is mostly eaten by the people of Ashanti region and Eastern region of Ghana. Fufu is served with different types of soups like Palmnut soup and Light soup (made with garden eggs). If you are not a vegetarian, you can order for some goat meat, beef or fish to enjoy the full experience that comes with the food. Fufu is made by pounding a mixture of boiled cassava, yam and plantains into a soft sticky paste to go along with aromatic soup you choose to eat it with.

Tuo Zaafi

Northern Ghanaians love their Tuo Zaafi which is prepared with grains like maize while the soup is prepared with healthy green leaves (dawadawa and ayoyo leaves) and  herbs and meat. The most eaten soup with Tuo Zaafi is the Ayooyo soup. Tuo Zaafi is similar to banku but has a different preparation method. Tuo Zaafi is loved by Ghanaians as it is nutritious and has a lot of health benefits.

Kenkey & Fried Fish

Kenkey is also made from corn which is similar to banku but is made by moulding fermented corn dough into balls and wrapping them around dried corn leaves, which are then boiled. Banku is served with hot pepper sauce, fried fish, octopus or shrimps. This is a very spicy dish so prepare yourself for an eye watering experience.

Boiled Yam or Plantain with Stew

Another dish you should try when in Ghana is this delicious local Ghanaian food. It consists of boiled yam or plantain with kontomire stew (cocoyam leaves), garden eggs stew or the famous palava sauce (made with vegetables and agussi). You can enjoy this meal with koobi ( salted fish) or boiled eggs and some ripped avocado.

Source: https://protour.africa

CategoriesTips & Tricks By admin

How to tour Ghana on a low budget

Touring in Ghana can be expensive or cheap depending on your plan or budget for your trip. For a tourist to tour on a low budget, the tourist needs to consider their accommodation, meals and how much they want to spend on transportation.

Spending on a low budget helps tourists save enough money to do other things like book an extra tour, buying souvenirs  at tourist sites and involving themselves in other tour activities. Tourists can make their tour operators aware of their budget when booking a tour so that they can help them book based on their budget and what they can afford.

To tour on a low budget, you should consider booking your accommodations in hostels, motels, airbnbs or other cheap hotels. Accra has many of these types of accommodations you can look out for. You can visit TripAdvisor or Booking.com for great recommendations on some cheap accommodations you can consider.

To save money on transportation, you can opt to use the infamous commercial buses in Ghana called ‘Trotro’. They are very cheap even though it can sometimes be a hustle getting from one place to another. If you are looking to travel in more comfort, you can try Uber, Bolt or Yango which are relatively cheaper than taxis. If you ever decide to use taxis, make sure you have your bargaining cap on to get the best price for your trip.

For meals, you can try local chop bars or even some street foods which are very popular among locals in Ghana because they are cheaper and sometimes tastier. There are also a few restaurants like Chop Shop and Dimaensa which serve local dishes at affordable prices.

It is important for tourists to spend on a low budget, especially if it is  their first time in the country they are visiting. You can always ask your tour guide for other recommendations that would suit your budget.

Source: https://protour.africa