by Thad Ulzen-Elwin International Tours
country in the world and that nobody visits Ghana once. Anyone who
has visited Ghana only once has either decided to stay or is desperately
trying to get back there!
It is home to St. George’s Castle (Elmina Castle) which was the first
large European style building in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the first of 34
Portuguese constructed Elmina Castle in 1482. Columbus is reputed to have sailed twice from Lisbon to
Elmina in prior to his mistaken “discovery” of America in 1492. In 1637, the Dutch took control of the
castle, which had by then become a focal point of the rapidly progressing Trans -Atlantic Slave trade.
Elmina functioned as the capital of Dutch Guinea for 264 years until the British take-over in 1872. 11.2
million Africans were captured in from points north and east and bound for the perilous journey to the
Americas and the Caribbean. Sadly Ghana has many “gates of no return”.
Elmina has become a Mecca for Africans in the Diaspora who have become increasingly interested in
the history of their ancestors before they met the harsh fate of slavery in the Western Hemisphere.
Ghanaians are resilient people and live knowing that, for everyone who was forcibly exported, those left
behind lost a son, a father, a mother, daughter, a sister, a grand child, a wife, a husband and so on.
They welcome Africans in the Diaspora with open arms and take people to various sites of our shared
but painful history.
It is no accident that Ghana has been at the forefront of the Pan - African movement since it began over
100 years ago. It is the only country in Africa, which grants Africans in the Diaspora a legal means to
live and return permanently to Africa. It is home to the largest African- American community outside of
the United States.
that of the liberation of Africans
from colonial rule but it is also
home to beautiful golden
beaches, waterfalls, game parks,
rainforests, cities, and fishing
and farming villages. In two
weeks one can visit the coast,
then Kumasi, capital of the old
Ashanti Empire and further
north the seat of the even older
Dagomba state with its rich
culture awaits. Time stands still
if you attend a Durbar of chiefs
or a traditional festival with their
vibrant colours, spiritual
drumming, graceful dances.
If you like the hustle and bustle of the city, the capital, Accra, a city of over 2 million people, is full of
excitement, nightclubs, restaurants and much more. It is the safest city of its size anywhere! Here, you
can visit national monuments, the national theatre, the largest and most colorful crafts market anywhere
and the W. E. B. Du Bois Centre, named for the African-American civil rights leader who lived, died
and was buried in Ghana.
Accommodation exists for any taste and budget, from hostels to luxury hotels and resorts. Food is either
traditional or western. Ghanaians love red peppers! I’ve never forgotten my great-grandmother’s spicy
soups. As a child, I lived in at least 8 Ghanaian cities and towns. At the age of 12 we left Ghana for
Zambia and later lived in Lesotho, and Kenya. I have visited more African countries than I can count
but still return to Ghana twice every year because, as my late father used to say “Ghana is the center of
the world”. This is not only a fact of emotion or one’s soul but geographic fact as the Greenwich
meridian and the equator meet in its territorial waters.
If you want smiling faces and interesting places, Ghana is just the place for you! Ghanaians are known
for their kindness and generosity. When lost travelers ask for directions, they should not be surprised if
they are personally escorted to their destination. There are many reasons Ghana is called the “Soul
country of Africa”.