Ghana Local Customs

  Cemetery in Big Ada
by SanBa
 
  • Cemetery in Big Ada
      Cemetery in Big Ada
    by SanBa
  •   Local Customs
    by grets
  •   Local Customs
    by grets
  •   Local Customs
    by grets
  •   Local Customs
    by grets
 
Great Prices, Great Rooms
hotels.com We Know Hotels Inside And Out. Click or call now: 1-800-914-6835
Great Rooms. Great Rates.
Travelocity Hotel rooms at up to 50% off. 

Sponsored Links

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Witchcraft

by grets

Witchcraft really does exist in Africa. It is part of everyday life. Witchcraft is something that usually happens during a period of your life when you are experiencing problems and you need some extra strength. A few people are born with it, and may not even know that they are possessed by evil spirits. Others are born with the curse through family ‘inheritance’. Then there are the cruel and lazy people who seek out witchcraft because of jealousy or resentment. Witchcraft is described as ‘the use of certain kinds of alleged supernatural or magical powers.’ In Ghana there are two types of witchcraft: The healer who treats diseases, originally described as "one who diagnoses and cures maladies caused by witches". They consult the spiritual world for their solutions; although they can cause both harm and good if they so wish. Secondly is the evil witch who will cause harm in the community...

Tip Photo
The Calabash

by grets

The so called calabash container is named after the calabash tree. It is the fruit or gourd which is used to make the containers so widely used throughout Africa (and other parts of the world), and is one of the earliest cultivated trees in the world grown not for food but for utilities. The fruit is hollowed out and dried and it is used for cleaning rice, carrying water and also just as a food container. Small gourds are used as bowls to drink palm-wine (see Off the Beaten Path tips for more details). It is also used to make certain musical instruments.The calabash is considered sacred, and will not be thrown away, even if damaged.

Tip Photo
Waste not, want not

by grets

The Ghanaians are masters at recycling. We think we are good in the West, but we are just playing at it compared with these people! Look at these sandals for instance, they are crafted out of used car tyres!

Tip Photo
Baby carriers

by grets

In Ghana you never see mothers pushing their babies in pushchairs or prams like you do in Europe, they are carried on their mother’s back in a piece of cloth draped tightly around her waist, with just the baby’s head sticking out.

Tip Photo
Modern Day Slavery

by grets

This is a very emotive subject and one which I hasten to add, we saw absolutely no evidence of whatsoever. Unfortunately, it does go on though. Quoting National Geographic: West Africa is one of the areas that are the most exploited by criminals who sell people into modern-day slavery. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), some 200,000 children are trafficked out of western and central Africa each year. UNICEF defines child trafficking as the transportation and exploitation of unwilling or unknowing children, often for slave labor or sex work.Please note that the children in the photographs are nothing to do with the text and just happened to be by the side of the road in a village where we stopped.

Tip Photo
Wash day

by grets

Running water is scarce in rural Ghana, so many people will go to the river to wash themselves and their clothes. Picture one shows ladies doing their laundry in a stream a few miles along the coast from Accra. Photo number two is of children having fun whilst also washing their bodies.Pictures three and four are of women washing their clothes in water brought from the well in buckets, near Domongo in Northern Ghana. The clean clothes will be either spread out on the ground to dry or hung across any suitable nearby bushes or trees.

Tip Photo
Waste collection

by grets

We saw these little carts carrying out waste collections in a couple of villages along the route, and found them really fascinating. What a great idea! Beats the large, cumbersome waste collection carts found in the west!

Tip Photo
African Handbags

by grets

Women in nearly all the rural areas, as well as many urban cities, carry a huge bowl like this as their ‘handbag’. It can hold anything and everything – vegetables or meat bought in the market, water from the well, firewood, washing for the river ‘laundry’, good to be sold at the market or goods bought at the market. The options are endless.

Tip Photo
Scarifiation

by grets

Many rural villagers will make distinguishing marks on their young children to show which ethnic group or village they belong to. These marks are made with a knife and are a permanent reminder of their cultural heritage and give them a sense of belonging as well as making it easy for others to see where they hail from.

Tip Photo
Electricity

by grets

In a lot of places, electricity is ‘optional’. Many better establishments have their own generators, which is very helpful, as the power supply is not always reliable. There are frequent outages, and often surges and dips in the electricity supply. Sockets are three pin type, either the traditional Ghanaian style or the more modern British.As you can see from picture two, the health and safety standards are not the same as back home.

Tip Photo
Local traditions and culture in Ghana

Top 3 Hotels in Ghana

Labadi Beach Hotel  Accra

 4 Reviews and 86 Opinions  Labadi Beach hotel on the eastern side of Labadi beach is the most expensive hotel in Accra. Walk-in... 

 Hotels in Accra

Elmina Beach Resort  Cape Coast

 25 Opinions

 Hotels in Cape Coast

Desertrose lodge  Western Region

 0 Opinions

 Hotels in Western Region

65 Hotels in Ghana
 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
Travel Highlights

The Place

Reviews and photos of Ghana attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Ghana sightseeing.

Experience Ghana
Local Customs: Cities in Ghana
  1. Accra Local Customs
  2. Kumasi Local Customs
  3. Cape Coast Local Customs
  4. Mole National Park Local Customs
  5. Tamale Local Customs
  6. Elmina Local Customs
  7. Lake Bosumtwi Local Customs
  8. Senya Beraku Local Customs
  9. Obuasi Local Customs
  10. Ada Local Customs
  11. Gnani Local Customs
  12. Damongo Local Customs

More Cities in Ghana

 

Popular Regions in Ghana

Greater Accra Region Local Customs  Central Region Local Customs  Ashanti Region Local Customs  Northern Region Local Customs  Western Region Local Customs  Upper East Region Local Customs  Eastern Region Local Customs  Volta Region Local Customs 

More Regions in Ghana

Questions and Answers

Raskent profile photo

Q:  I'm planning my trip for Ghana for next year and I'm want to bring some food items such as can foods. Is it ok, and if so is there... 

rashepard profile photo

A: Why do you want to carry can goods? You can go to a number of grocery stores in Accra. Although I have carried some specialty items, the Accra airport does not usually... 

Read 2 Replies

postQuestion_button

Click here for best deals for Ghana

Save up to 50% off Hotels Everyday
Expedia.com Photos, Reviews and the Guaranteed Lowest Prices
Great Rooms. Great Rates.
Travelocity Hotel rooms at up to 50% off. 
Great Rooms, Great Prices
Hotels.com Low Rates Guaranteed!  Click or Call an Expert at 1-800-45-HOTEL
Great Rooms. Great Rates.
Travelocity Hotel rooms at up to 50% off. 

Sponsored Links