Ghana: Information for Travellers
Capital: Accra.
Languages: English; more than 50 tribal languages, including Dagbani, Fante, Twi, Ewe and Ga.
Predominant Religions: Animist, Christian, Islamic.
Time Zone: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
Telephone Codes: 233, country code.
Electrical Power
Electric Power is 230V running at 50Hz. The Plug types used are :
Round pins with ground – view
Rectangular blade plug – view
MONEY
Official Currency: 100 pesewas=1 Cedi
Current Exchange Rate: Today’s Exchange Rate
The Cedi is far from stable and fluctuates against foreign currencies daily. Bank rates are slightly lower than those obtained from Forex bureaus. Barclays Bank will accept visa and mastercard for cash advances. Unused local currency can be re-exchanged on proof of authorised exchange, and visitors are advised to retain all currency exchange receipts.
BANKING & BUSINESS HOURS
Banking: 08:30 – 14:00 (Monday to Thursday) 08:30 – 15:00 Friday.
A few banks in the larger cities are open from 08:30 to 12:00 on Saturdays
LOCAL TIME
Ghana has the same time as that of GMT
TRANSPORT & GETTING AROUND
Air:International Flights
From UK: British Airways
From USA: Afrinat International
Domestic Flights
Domestic flights are available on military planes out of Accra airport to Kumasi and Tamale.
Rail: A slow but fairly comfortable railway system connects Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi
Public Transport:There is a fairly efficient bus services connecting the major cities in Ghana. A minibuses service (called tro-tros) also operates in the country connecting smaller towns and urban areas, these are often overcrowded.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
1st JanuaryNew Years Day
6th March Independence Day
1st May Labour Day
4th June Revolution Day
1 July Republic Day
1st DecemberNational Farmers Day
25th DecemberChristmas Day
26th DecemberBoxing Day
Moveable holidays:Good Friday and Easter Monday
Related Travel Information
Madagascar: General Information for travellers
LOCAL TIME
Madagascar is 3 hours ahead of GMT
VISAS & IMMIGRATION
All visitors must have visas, except citizens of some African countries. Proof of return ticket is required. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months from departure date. If you are arriving from the African continent you must have a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
MONEY
Official Currency: Malagasy franc
Travellers cheques can be exchanged at banks and most the large hotels. Credit cards are accepted at the major hotels. It is advisable to take with you foreign currency in US Dollar as generally air travel
Shopping in Ghana
Andinkra cloth, wooden stools, dolls for fertility and other magical purposes, real or simulated gold weights, wood carvings, ceramics, jewelry, brassware and oware game board are some specialities of Ghana. Custom-made coffin is a unsual stuff which your eyes can catch. In choosing your specialized coffin, the tradition is to select something that represents you, or something you always wanted but could never have. (Businessmen might choose a Mercedes-Benz-shaped coffin; fishermen might choose one carved to resemble a big fish.)
You can look for kente cloth, an expensive material worn on ceremonial occasions. The colorful geometric patterns have historic
Zambia : Travellers' Tips
In the near future the information below will be incorporated into the relevant Travel Advice Notice and the Tips will cease to exist as a separate entity.
-Get adequate travel insurance including medical insurance.
-Check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice before travelling.
-Make a point of checking out local laws and customs and respect them.
-Beware of pickpockets and opportunist car thieves.
-Take medical advice on pre-travel vaccinations and anti-malarials.
-Ask before taking photographs.
-Ensure you know the validity of your visa and don't overstay.
-Leave a photocopy of your passport and travel
General Advice to travellers
Due to the civil war, internal security procedures are tight. Travellers should carry identity papers with them. Street crime is not a major problem in most Angolan towns, but armed robberies and attacks on travellers on roads outside the main urban centers are on the increase.
Angola has three main ethnic groups, each speaking a Bantu language: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, and Bakongo, 13%. Other groups include Chokwe (or Lunda), Ganguela, Nhaneca-Humbe, Ambo, Herero, and Xindunga. In addition, mixed racial (European and Africa) people amount to about 2%, with a small (1%) population of whites, mainly ethnically Portuguese.
Climate in Ghana
Variation between day and night temperatures is relatively small, but greater in the north, especially in January, on account of the harmattan. Climatic differences between various parts of the country are affected by the sun's journey north or south of the equator and the corresponding position of the intertropical convergence one, the boundary between the moist southwesterly winds and the dry northeasterly winds. Except in the north, there are two rainy seasons, from April to June and from September to November.
In the north squalls occur in March and April, followed by occasional rain until August and September,
