Kumasi Transportation

We had not tour group, but we were frequently lucky enough in Ghana to come up with a local "friend" who was typically willing and able to spend all day and night with us. That's the hospitality of Ghana, and West Africa in general. Nothing was demanded, while at the end a sort of good Christian pleading might come up if one is too slow to recognize the value of the host's work. But, your guides were never a financial burden at all, and they took us to places we wouldn't have found on our own. In Kumasi, the easiest mode of transport was by taxi. Our friend had no alliances with anyone, really, and waved down any cab. He bargained for us, and we never paid hardly any money to get around this relatively spread out city.

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The most comfortable way to get to Kumasi is by STC-bus. STC is the most reliable transport-company in the country and has a lot of comfortable, air-conditioned busses. These busses connect all the major cities in the country. From Kumasi, busses go to almost all cities in the country, like Accra, Tamale, Takoradi, Cape Coast, Tema, Bolgatanga, and also to some destinations outside of Ghana like Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Abidjan in Ivory Coast.

The busses are more expensive than the Tro-Tro connections, but still very cheap for Western standards. From Kumasi to Cape Coast costs 75.000 cedis ($ 7,50), to Accra is the same price and to Tamale the price is 110.000 cedis.

Tickets should be bought in advance, up to a week before the trip. If you try to buy them on the day of travelling, or even a day before, you have big chance of being too late. ticket can only be bought at the STC-station in central Kumasi at Prempeh Road.

Although the centre of Kumasi is quite small and can easily be done on foot, it can be nice to take a taxi, especially when you have a lot of heavy luggage with you. When you arrive at the STC-station or Tro-Tro station, lots of taxi-drivers with attack you immediately to offer you a ride. Before you get in: be wise, and discuss the price first.

A taxi-ride within the city centre should never cost you more than 20.000 $ 2,-. Shorter rides shouldn't even be more than 10.000. But the driver will try to take more money from you, especially when you're an "Obruni", a White Man. Therefore it is wise to try to follow how you are driving when you have a map: make sure the driver doesn't drive too far to get more money from you.

When a taxi had to take me to an hotel, and he didn't know the directions, he drove me around for 45 minutes without having aclue where he had to take me. When he finally ended up where we had to be, he asked me to pay 80.000 cedis! Of course, I didn't give him more than 20.000.

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The cheapest way to get to Kumasi by public transportation definitely is by going by Tro-Tro. This is a small mini-bus that connect almost all bigger and smaller towns and cities around Kumasi with the city. A Tro-Tro is a mini-bus that is packed full of people untill there really is no place left. In a small bus, at least 18 people are packed in. And it only departs when it is completely full.

But, the biggest advantage of a Tro-Tro is that it is very. very cheap. for one hour you pay about 10.000, or $ 1,-. For example, a 3 hours trip from Kintampo to Kumasi costs 32.000 cedis.

In Kumasi there are several Tro-Tro (or Lorry-) stations, with all their own destinations. To know where you have to be to get somewhere, it is the easiest to just get into a taxi and ask the driver to drop you off at the right station.

The nicest thing about a Tro-Tro ride is what you see on the way, both inside and outside the mini-bus. On the pictures: A man sleep all the while and banging his head against everything around him. And the other picture: A goat packed under the seat in the Tro-Tro, with its head between the legs...

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Travel by road between Accra and Kumasi takes approx 4-5 hours. Main coach companies, like V.I.P., with large vehicles are normally quicker and a lot more comfortable than the Tro-Tro's or the ordinary bus services.
Price from 30-60 GHC.

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There is a train connecting Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi. The train from Accra to Kumasi takes 10 hours overnight (not every day). Kumasi to Takoradi runs twice daily, and takes 7 hours.

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Taxis in Kumasi are colorful, old cars. They are cheap, but remember to settle the price before before you start.

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Tro-tro's, also called mammy wagons, is shared taxis or minibuses. They operate everywhere in Ghana and is the cheapest method of transportation.