Country Information
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa renowned for having the warmest, friendliest people. It borders the Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.
Ghana’s Coastal forts bear witness to the harrowing history of slavery, with the Gold Coast serving as the main trading gateway of African slaves.
Ghana was formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory. In 1957 Ghana became the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992.
Today, Ghana is considered one of the safest places in Africa, with some of the friendliest people on the continent. Ghanaians are traditionally very welcoming people and they pride themselves on the peaceful state, with very low crime rate, which the country has maintained since independence.
Accra is Ghana’s capital city and is estimated to have a population of around two million. Accra is a large, sprawling city that is developing very fast. It is situated on the coast, with a port and several beach hotels where tourists may stay, and like any African Capital it is large, dusty, energetic, dirty, busy, and yet charming and unique!
Time
Ghana’s time zone is the same as GMT.
In Africa, time is not a priority like it is in much of the western world – there is a saying that Africa works to ‘Africa Time’, which basically means you must exercise a lot of patience! If a boat is due to leave at 12pm, don’t be surprised if it still hasn’t a couple of hours later… keep an open mind, and arrive ‘expecting the unexpected’.
Free Time
Getting There
You will need to fly in and out of Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana. Upon arrival you will be met by a programme representative who will transfer you to your accommodation, in preparation for your orientation.
Please Note: You must arrange your flights to arrive into Accra before 9.30pm or after 8am. If you arrive outside of these times, then there will be a private transfer cost of £60, payable to Real Gap before departure.
Climate
Accra is very humid and hot all year round. In Ghana, the rainy seasons are from April to June, and during September and October when the skies cloud over and it rains maybe twice a day, in a quick but very heavy downpour. Throughout the year, the maximum temperatures are 30’C, and the humidity is constantly high at about 80%, though bearable with some light winds. Dry dust storms and intense heat are usually in January/February after which the rains come for a few months and cool things down considerably.
Climate Chart for Accra
| Month |
Average Sunlight(hours) |
Average Temperature(°C) |
Average Precipitation(mm) |
Wet Days (+0.25 mm) |
| Min |
Max |
| Jan |
7 |
23 |
31 |
15 |
1 |
| Feb |
8 |
24 |
31 |
33 |
2 |
| March |
7 |
24 |
31 |
56 |
4 |
| April |
7 |
24 |
31 |
81 |
6 |
| May |
7 |
24 |
39 |
142 |
9 |
| June |
5 |
23 |
29 |
178 |
10 |
| July |
5 |
23 |
27 |
46 |
4 |
| Aug |
5 |
22 |
27 |
15 |
3 |
| Sept |
6 |
23 |
27 |
36 |
4 |
| Oct |
7 |
23 |
29 |
64 |
6 |
| Nov |
8 |
24 |
31 |
36 |
3 |
| Dec |
8 |
24 |
31 |
23 |
2 |
Please make sure that you check the climate chart for the months you are travelling and pack your kit accordingly, in regards to temperatures etc!
