Happy New Year! Wishing joy and prosperity for everyone!

And more of God’s blessings too!

After what seemed like a decade (it literally was) I ventured back home to the motherland and explored home properly for the first time. And did I explore! Ghana will always be a second home for me, somewhere to chill and reset. But this time I made the effort to traverse and see the beauty of the landscapes, buildings and scenery.

I’ve been to Ghana many times in my life, but majority of those trips were in my younger years and under the authority of the parents (sigh lol). Journeying to Ghana for the first time by myself was a whole different experience for me, almost like visiting for the first time!

Thanks to my amazing family out there, I had the chance to venture out to some beautiful places, and whilst there were to many sites to document in this blogpost, I’ll be highlighting the key places I went to.

Black Star Square/ Independence Arch

First stop on my tour was Black Star Square (Independence Square), a public square known for annual independence celebrations and other national events. It’s always something I’ve seen in pictures and videos but never explored so I knew I had to set my foot there.

I was amazed at the wide space that was there and the open air that we were met with. To top it off, at the back of the square was a beach so it offered the perfect breeze to the scorching Accra heat. We spent a few minutes there taking pictures and videos before crossing over to Independence Arch (it’s literally across the road!)

Independence Arch is a monument to Ghana’s Independence struggle. It is a beautifully erected arch with the words ‘AD 1957 Freedom and Struggle’ referring to Ghana gaining its independence in March 1957. I guess I can relate it to Marble Arch in London or Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but with not that much historical significance (or beauty!)

We spent some time taking more videos and images as you do before climbing up to the top of the arch where you will be able to see an aerial view of the whole of Accra. A beautiful sight to see, would definitely recommend visiting!

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park

Shortly after, we headed over to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park & Mausoleum. A museum dedicated to celebrating the life of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his wife Fathia Nkrumah. Before you even walk into the museum you are greeted with this beautiful sculpture of him with the words ‘osagyefo’ meaning redeemer which he was hailed as.

I loved how the museum had a personal touch to it throughout. As you were ushered in you were greeted with his car that he drove in as well as more self portraits of him.
When you go outside you are greeted with an amazing statue of him before entering into a small museum behind where you get to learn more about Dr Nkrumah. The museum included artefacts such as his piano he used, the clothes he wore and personal items from his bedroom.

I’ve been to many museums in my lifetime, and by far this was one of the most breath-taking museums I have set my eyes on to date. The architecture, precision and design of the whole park is only something I can say has to be seen with the naked eye. Words does not do it justice.

Aburi

Aburi is a town in the eastern region of Southern Ghana. About a 40-50 min drive from where we were staying. We took a drive out at night to a hill where we could see all of Accra lit up and it was truly a sight to see. The hill is actually a part of a hike trail where visitors could climb up early in the morning and get palm wine along the way before making it to the top of the mountain to see the beautiful scenery of Accra. Lush!

Aburi is also home to the Aburi Botanical Gardens, a beautiful garden with tall palm trees along the walkway and a range of different tree species in various areas of the garden. The day we went happened to be a festival day so was more packed then usual. Nevertheless, it was so relaxing to walk through the gardens and experience the cool breeze of the air whilst doing so.

Aburi exceeded my expectations. It is much calmer, quieter and relaxing than the hustle and bustle of Accra at times. Definitely a place I will be visiting again next time!

Elmina Castle

One of the last tourist places I visited was Elmina Castle which is located in the central region of Ghana. After driving past the beautiful cape coast beaches came this stunning castle which was along the side of the sea. As I was admiring the structure and architecture of the building, I was reminded of the heavy history I was about to encounter as the castle became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic Slave trade.

We had an amazing tour guide who took us through each of the rooms including the female and male slave dungeons, the governors’ quarters and the infamous ‘ Door of no Return’ which slaves would go through to enter the ships and never return back to their homeland. A lot of people mentioned that the castle has a heavy atmosphere when you are walking through, and that I could sense. I had to remind myself that although what happened at the castle was unspeakable, the castle remains erected as a symbol of what our ancestors went through, a lesson that history should not repeat itself.

This brings me to the end of this blogpost. A time was definitely had in Accra, and I am grateful to God that I could learn a lot about the history and culture of my motherland.