Accra

Accra is where Ghana works out its contradictions in public: highlife bars beside colonial forts, tech offices a turn from open-air markets. It rewards people who like cities on their own terms rather than a tidy sightseeing checklist. Give it a couple of days even if the coast is why you came.

Fly into Kotoka International Airport (ACC); a taxi or Uber to Osu, Airport Residential or Jamestown takes 30-60 minutes depending on traffic. From Kumasi, STC and VIP buses run through the day and take 5-6 hours; from Cape Coast, buses and tro-tros out of Kaneshie take about 3 hours. From Tamale the bus is 9-12 hours, or about an hour by domestic flight.

Uber, Bolt and Yango are cheap and easy in the city core; expect 15-45 minutes for most cross-town trips. Tro-tros reach everywhere for a few cedis but need some local knowledge. For a day linking Jamestown, Osu and Labadi, hire a car with a driver (roughly GHS 500-900 a day) instead of chaining rides.

• Plan movement around traffic, not distance: avoid 6:30-9:30am and 4-7pm where you can, and treat any cross-city trip as double the map estimate.
• Carry small notes and coins. Tro-tro mates, market sellers and small kitchens rarely have change for GHS 100 or GHS 200 notes.
• Dress for heat and humidity, but keep a light layer for aggressively air-conditioned offices, malls and buses.
• Street food is often the best value in the city; eat where the queue is local and the food is turning over fast.