THE ACCRA SPORTS STADIUM

The Ohene Djan Sports  Stadium  is a multi-use 40,000 all seater stadium  in Accra, Ghana mostly used for association football matches.  Orignally known as the Accra Sports Stadium, the stadium was renamed after Ohene Djan, Ghana’s first director of sports in 2004.

This renaming was quite controversial and was opposed by many of Accra’s  Ga community who felt that a prominent  Ga should be given the honour since it is a centrepiece  of downtown Accra. This went on until june 16, 2011, when the name Ohene Djan stadium was reverted back to its former name “Accra Sports Stadium” without any official announcement and it has ever since remained so.

The stadium was rebuilt, upgraded and modernised to meet FIFA standards in 2007 as a form of preparation  to host some of the matches in the 2008 African Cup of Nations. The final project  was inaugurated in October 2007 with a four -nations tournament  that Ghana won (The Zenith Cup).

Tha Accra Sports stadium also serves as the home of one of Africa’s most popular clubs, Hearts of Oak as well as Great Olympics. But Ghanas National team matches are sometimes played there.

The stadium is also designated for the hosting of programs, concerts and shows of larger audiences, such as the Mavado  and Samini show in 2012, The Guiness Big Eruption Concert where Akon, Whiz Kid and other local artistes gathered on one stage, Ghana Praise Festival by Rev. Dr. Billy Graham and the recent African Worships with Sonnie Badu.

                                NATIONAL ALL BELIEVERS ALL NIGHT AT THE STADIUM

BEACHES IN ACCRA

Have you ever wondered about the number of beaches we have in this our beautiful little country, Ghana, in West Africa? Ghana faces the Atlantic Ocean and is therefore endowed with 540km of dazzling, sandy coastlands of which Accra is not left out. These beaches are neighbourhood popular tourist destination and are mostly public.

 There are several beach resorts in Accra. Some of which are Labadi Pleasure beach, La Palm Royal beach, Kokrobite beach,  Prampram beach, Mighty beach, Sakumono(Titanic )beach,  Bojo beach, Ada Foah, Next Door beach, Akuma village beach, Korle-Gono, Ave-Mariabeach, Osikan and Tawala beach. This is just but a few of the many beaches in Accra that beach combers and lovers could definitely visit.

These beaches are famous for water sports like swimming, sailing, fishing, boat cruising, relaxation and relief from stress while enjoying the breeze from the sea. These beaches attract hundreds of people from all over the country especially during the weekends.

 Again, these beaches come with drinking spots lined up at the shores and often provide entertainment late into the night. These beaches also serve as a home for reggae lovers and Rastafarians. Athletes, Keep-fit clubs and footballers are not left out.

In short, there is no best time to in Accra, Ghana, to visit the beach as the temperature is always hot. Thanks to the affable nature of people in Ghana, the beach has become a fascinating tourist destination for all. If you prefer soaking tropical in nature, then, stick to the beaches.

SHAI HILLS RESOURCE RESERVE

Shai hills Resource Reserve is situated in Doryumu in the Dangme West districtt with Dodowa as the district capital and north of Accra. It is made up of largely of savanna covered plains. The reserve is about 17kilometres from Accra. It covers an area size of 52 square kilometres and is made up of 5 hills with the highest at 290metres.

MAP OF SHAI HILLS RESOURCE RESERVE

The reserve consists of striking and attractive range of rocky hills set in the middle of expansive and open grassland plain. The reserve is fenced to prevent animals from staying out. There are beautiful scenic views across the Accra plain from the top. There are close to 31 mammals, 13 reptiles and 175 bird species. The baboon troop at the entrance can be amazing, but be cautious because they love to snatch your attended personal belongings.

The reserves wildlife is best viewed very early in the morning. One can travel through the park in a 4x4 vehicle or on foot with an armed escort from 6:00am to 5:00pm. Game viewing, hiking and bird watching are some of the activities that go on at the reserve. Kob, antelope, guineafowls, baboons and francolins are among the wildlife that can be found at the Shai.

In addition, one could also enjoy the pleasure of visiting Obonu tem and Se yo caves on the Hioweyo and Sayu hills (the Shai people’s ancestral caves).  These caves were used by the Shai Kings until the end of the 19^th century as defensive caves in times of war due to the abundance of great stone rocks, a tunnel -like opening and over hangs. Nearby is the Dodowa village, where a refreshing forest hike to a fetish shrine and the 250ft Tsenku waterfalls is possible.

A memorable day can be spent walking through the cool dry evergreen forest to the caves. It is opened to all at anytime throughout the year but becomes a bit uncomfortable and difficult during the rainy season.

OSU OXFORD STREET

Accra’s Oxford Street is widely considered as the city’s most globalised. The name Oxford Street is partly a creative and a fantastic projection of popular desire. Rather, it lies in the neighbourhood called Osu RE and is part of a much longer road,
Located about 3 kilometres east of the central business district, Osu is a district in Central Accra, Ghana, known for its busy commercial, restaurant and nightlife activity. It is bounded to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, west is the Independence Avenue, Ring Road separating it from the northern district of Labone Outstanding to its establishment as a settlement to the south is the Danish Colonial Fort of Christiansborg in the 17th century. Osu offers a mix of houses dating from the early 20th century thus both low-rise apartment blocks and detached houses to modern office towers.

Location of Osu Oxford Street

The main thoroughfare, Cantonments Road also known as Oxford Street features large supermarkets and appliance shops, and is renowned for its food joints and lively night life.

Oxford Street is a popular hangout especially on the weekends and holidays. It is a hot spot for lovers and a great place to entertain the whole family on special occasions. If you like clubbing or drinking there are loads of places to choose from(Citizen KofiEntertainment Center, Cave Lounge, Tantra night club, Baze Lounge and Bar, Don'sPlace, Ryan's Irish Pub & Restaurant, Makumba night club, PiccadillyCasino, Venus Cocktail Bar, Duplex, Calabash night club) Depending on the style of  music atmosphere and crowd you prefer. Osu has something for everyone.

 

As you enter the Street from the north end, you are immediately struck by how crowded it looks, with both vehicles and people, many large commercial buildings, and a abundance of huge billboards advertising everything from telecommunication networks (MTN, TIGO, VODAFONE, AIRTEL) to airlines, (Emirates, Starbow, City link).You are also confronted by a range of features exclusive from high streets everywhere in the world and yet with a decidedly mixed local character. Electronic goods stores(CompuGhana, Somoviosion,Infotech) abound, so do jewellery stores, boutiques (Monte-Carlo), along with the offices of major cell phone companies (Samsung), Koala and Lara Mart is also on Oxford Street, while the huge edifice to American fast food retailing that is KFC opened recently to add a further international dimension to the food offerings on the Street.  Several large Chinese restaurants (Tsing Tao, Noble Chinese Restaurant, Peking Restaurant, and Dynasty) and other high-end restaurants (Papaye, Bella Roma, Frankies, Mr. Biggs, Moonsoon, Osu Food Court, Container, Xigis, Osu Blue Gate), hotels (Penta Hotel, Okera Inn) internet cafes, forex bureau, and a large and luscious Italian-themed ice cream parlour make this commercial stretch a visitor’s dream and the local dispossessed’s a mouth-watering nightmare. The oxford street is also known for organising shows and events especially at night such as street carnivals, naming ceremonies, beauty pageants and others.

The oxford street also provide a wide of African fashion, arts and accessories ranging from bags, shoes, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, dresses, artefacts and so on.

The Osu-Oxford Street attracts people from all spheres of life. From rich to the poor, citizens to foreigners, young and old. Oxford Street is a bustling place packed with nightlife and excellent shopping by day and has something to offer everyone. Oxford Street is a great street to come to and will be even greater during festive occasions. Towards the end of every year, there is a big carnival and is opened to all.

THE BLACK STAR SQUARE

The Black Star Square formally known as the Independence Square is the second largest square in the world after the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. It is a public square in Accra. The Black Star Gate, Independence Arch, The Liberation Day Monument, and the Memorial to an unknown soldier, are all part of the Independence Square. Close to it is the Accra Sports Stadium, The Asomdwe park (the final resting place of the Late President Prof. John Evans Atta Mills) and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. The square has a capacity of over thirty thousand seats for spectators (30,000) thousand seats for customers

The Independence Arch which is part of the Black Star Square contains monuments to Ghana’s independence struggle, the Black Star Gate and the Liberation Day Monuments.

The largest and much participated national spectacle and display of colours takes place in the  Black Star Square on independence day. On this day, each of the government services is represented in full ceremonial dress, that is the Armed Forces, Airforce,  Navy, Police, Firemen and selected schools and colleges parade in front of the President and invited world leaders as well as over thirty thousand (30.000) spectators every 6^th march.

The Liberation Day Monument is also a monument in Accra located at the Black Star Square. It stands in honour of several veterans of the Burma Campaign, during the Second World War where they fought for the British Empire.  After returning to Ghana, some military men protested peacefully and were on their way to the Christiansburg Castle, the former seat of the government when they were eventually shot to death.

Every tourist or visitor is at liberty to take pictures of buildings but might not be permitted for close up shots of the Independence Arch with the exception of those with official permission.

                                             

TOURISM IN GHANA

  A BRIEF BACKGROUND                


Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure, or business purposes. It is also the temporary short term movement of people to destinations outside the place where they live. Tourism does not necesarrily mean travelling to a particular place but also includes all activities undertaken during the stay. The World Tourism Organization (W.T.O) defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes". Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. Tourism is dynamic and competitive industries that require the ability to constantly adapt to customers changing needs, wants, and desires as the customers’ satisfaction, safety and enjoyment are particularly the focus of tourism businesses. 

                                                 
 Tourism is important, and in some cases, vital for many countries. It was recognized in the Manila Declaration on World Tourism of 1980 as "an activity essential to the life of nations because of its direct effects on the social, cultural, educational, and economic sectors of national societies and on their international relations." Tourism brings in large amounts of income in payment for goods and services available. It also creates opportunities for employment in the service sector of the economy, associated with tourism. Tourism is a service industry. These service industries include transportation services, such as airlines, cruise ships and hospitality services, such as accommodations, including hotels and resorts; and entertainment venues, such as amusement parks, casinos and theatres.

It can be domestic, inbound or outbound. Inbound tourism refers to non residents travelling into the county. Outbound tourism refers to residents traveling to another country, while Domestic tourism refers to residents of the given country traveling only within his/her country. There are several categories of tourism but I am more concerned with Cultural tourism, Eco-tourism and Leisure tourism.

Leisure is time that is spent doing what you enjoy when you are not working or studying. Leisure tourism includes a holiday with leisure activities such as relaxation, reading, walking on the beach, taking a scenic drive, swimming, visiting places of interest and local attractions, and visiting friends and families and so on. An example is the beach along the coasts of Ghana.

Cultural tourism sometimes referred to as heritage tourism is division of tourism concerned with regions cultures specifically the lifestyle and history of the people; their art, architecture, religion and other elements. Cultural tourism includes festivals, museums, theatres and others. This is one of the most popular types of tourism and it attracts large number of tourists from different parts of the world.

Eco-tourism is a responsible travel to natural (unspoilt) areas that conserves the environment and improves the well being of the people. The purpose of eco-tourism is to educate the traveler about natural destinations, provide ecological conservation and awareness to benefit economic development, the political empowerment of local communities and respecter for the local culture. Here, the individual can now experience the natural way of life surrounded by natural circumstances. Example is the Kakum National Park