Ghana is famous for being one of the friendliest countries in the world but the friendliness is not apparent until one is through Kotoka International Airport in Accra. The preparations and formalities to be endured are rather more than the seasoned holidaymaker has become accustomed to in visiting destinations in Europe and Asia. For those willing to plan ahead and take early action, however, a visit to Ghana can be an absorbing and memorable experience.
To enter Ghana, visas or entry permits are needed by visitors from all western countries. Application must be made at least two weeks before the date of travel. Visitors also need to be vaccinated against yellow fever at least ten days before traveling. Although Ghanaians are by nature very friendly people, officials at the embassies and high commissions, and above all at the immigration desks at the airport, have had all the friendliness trained out of them, so one is well advised to be careful to comply with all entry requirements.
Ghana has a hot and humid tropical climate with major and minor rainy seasons, and it is advisable to take care to choose a suitable time to visit. In December and January a hot dry wind blows south from the Sahara desert. Ghanaians dislike this season because it dries the skin but many Europeans prefer this time of year because of the long sunny days with cloudless skies but a pink haze from the Sahara dust in the atmosphere. Temperatures are high but the low humidity renders the heat less oppressive than at other times of the year. This is the best time of year for those who like to be on the beach or at the swimming pool but the sun is fierce and pale skin needs the highest level of protection.
For those who like to travel to see more of the country, the gap between the rainy seasons in July and August is the best time. Skies are overcast and temperatures, though still high, are at their lowest range in the annual cycle. It is best to avoid the rainy seasons, March to June and September-October, and in February the rising humidity in advance of the rains produces the most uncomfortable conditions of all. But take these guidelines with a note of caution, although they are based on the experience of more than a quarter of a century, no two years are exactly the same, even in the tropics, and in recent years variability seems to have been increasing, perhaps due to global climate change.
Ghana has much to offer in the way of tourist attractions, from treetop walks in the tropical forest near Cape Coast to the craft villages of Ashanti Region, the Mole Game Reserve and picturesque mosques in the Northern and Upper Regions and the famous crocodiles at Paga on the border with Burkina Faso. It is all well worth the hassle over the visa and vaccination for those who can stand the heat.