Inside Accra - Hidden Gems vol. 3 by Eeva + Cool Giveaway for Travel Lovers
Giveaway alert! I wrote in my last blog post that there would be a really nice giveaway opportunity for travel lovers in the next post, and here it is! We have partnered with GPSmyCity app to giveaway ten (10) one-year subscriptions for our readers for FREE (value $18.99). The winners will have unlimited access to the app’s 6,500+ self-guided walks and travel articles offline, with no data usage, in over 1,000 cities worldwide. I really like the idea behind this app and will also get to try it for the first time in a couple of days, as I’ll spend a few hours touring Lisbon before continuing my way to Ghana.
So to participate, just leave a comment below this blog post between June 2 - 9, 2018 with what is your next dream destination. We will select 10 winners randomly - Good luck!
What to do tonight? What to do on weekend? My Finnish friend Eeva lives in the heart of Accra and knows what’s up in the city. Let's take a look at her favorite places for dining, clubbing, shopping and much more! This is indeed interesting for me too as I haven't been really exploring that much of the modern side of Accra.
So, here we go:
Market Place
1. There's a nice little Saturday Market organized once a month in Goethe Institute located right next to BFS Visa Center. There both locals and expats sell jewelry, clothes, arts, cosmetics, bakeries, sausages, books and much more. The prices there are a bit more expensive than in local market places but the products come with a different twist and you can hardly get them from anywhere else.
Restaurants
2. Buka is an authentic restaurant in Osu serving Ghanaian and Nigerian dishes in a bit finer way than the local chop bars. A great place for visitors willing to taste local foods easily and safely. There are tables both indoors and outdoors, and the price range is from 40 to 50 Ghs. Yummy.
3. Zion Thai serves delicious tastes of Thailand in Osu. The restaurant is small and cozy, and invites passers-by in with it's atmospheric night lights. Please give a try to their pineapple rice with some green curry! Zion Thai’s meals cost in average 40 Ghs.
4. & 5. Urban Grill is a fine dining restaurant with patio and bar located in the 2nd floor of the modern Stanbic Heights Building in Airport City. Wine glasses and polished cutlery are set on the tables in this metallic and fancy looking place. The food is obviously more expensive than in average eateries, the price range is from 70 to 200 Ghs. For those looking for something more casual there's another restaurant called Coco Lounge downstairs that has a menu with hamburgers, pizza etc. You will spend fro about 30 cedis+ for a meal here.
6. Japanese Santoku serves always fresh and delicious food with style. Eeva tells that this place never lets one down. So whenever you feel like having some sushi for dinner just head to Villagio next to Accra Mall to enjoy yourself!
Clubs & Bars
7. Carbon is a night club just one floor up from Urban Grill. It’s specialized in different types of cool cocktails. Don’t miss out the Open Mic evenings on Thursdays!
8. Twist serves fancy, expensive cocktails in Labone. The best time for clubbing here is on Fridays, starting from midnight.
9. Skybar is a fine rooftop terrace bar with a great view over Accra. Cocktails, food and nice atmosphere - yes - but people come here especially to enjoy the scenery. Loc: Villaggio.
And the best pre-party spots in Accra..?
10. Republic in Osu is a vibrant street bar know of it’s lovely sobolo drinks! Republic has live bands performing on Wednesdays (20Ghs entrance fee) and on weekends the stage is dedicated for DJs (entrance fee 20Ghs). One can hear Republic’s Karaoke Tuesdays from a far distance. Osu’s loudest place, but in a good way!
11. Osikan in Jamestown is a beautiful bar with a sea view; a good choice for easy-going get-togethers with friends on weekends.
Beach Resorts
12, 13. & 14. Till's, Blue Diamond and White Sands are fancy beach resorts with an hour drive away from Accra. Just pack your swimwear and go for a mini vacation for a day or two! The last two have pools, and White Sands is accessible only for the club members except on Saturdays when the resort is open for public.
Clothing Store
15. Eeva’s favorite clothing store Springfield is located in Palace Shopping Center in Spintex. This Portuguese store has nice, urban clothing lines for both women and men.
Hospitals & Clinics
16. Akai House Clinic is a small clinic with fast, high quality services in Cantonments. The prices are more expensive than in average clinics but the service there is worth it!
17. Lister Hospital in Airport Hills is a very neat, high standard hospital with the latest medical equipment and devices.
18. If you end up in an accident and you need first aid services fast, surgery or other major treatments and operations you should get directly to Korle Bu hospital.
Dental Clinics
19. Platinum is a new dental clinic with very good, skilled staff. Loc. Airport Hills
20. If you want a super professional to take care of your teeth, you should contact Dr. Dennis at Beaver Clinic. You’ll witness great results but get ready to also pay accordingly. Beaver is located in Airport City, close to Marina Mall.
Festival
21. Chale Wote street festival in Jamestown offers a colorful experience for visitors with its multitude, skateboard ramps, graffiti, street bars and gigs by local artists once every year, in August. There are street vendors selling and exhibiting a great variety of hand crafts, arts, clothes etc. This festival is free and open for everyone. An event worth experiencing if you don’t tend to panic in crowded places!
Grocery Store
22. MaxMart is an English grocery store around “37”, right opposite the Golden Tulip Hotel. From there you can get EVERYTHING you need! There’s a bakery and meat, fish, cheese and dairy departments with wide and always fresh selections. MaxMart has also a lot of options for special diets. Prices here a slightly more expensive than e.g. in South African Shoprite grocery stores.
--
Accra is a city with striking contrasts. Majority of the low income population have never even thought of walking into these places mentioned in the list while for others malls and rooftop terraces are part of their daily living. I am grateful to have the chance to see, experience and understand the realities from both perspectives!
And many thanks to Eeva for her tips, and for our get-together in Urban Grill on that rainy Saturday night when the electricity at home almost got finished, our drinks were too bitter but still Accra by night got us all smiling! Mmmmwah!
Love,
Hanna
PS I would love to hear your own experiences and thoughts of the places recommended in this post! Did Eeva miss something important that I and our readers should know about?
PPS Don’t forget to comment your next dream travel destination below to participate in the GPSmyCity giveaway opportunity.