THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE PERFECT BREAK Accra for visitors and the best of Ghana 2013/14 2013/14 www.timeout.com/accra SPECIAL 5th EDITION ACCRA FOR VISITORS and the best of Ghana Special 5th Edition THE TOP ISBN 9781905042845 Restaurants | Bars | Shops | Hotels 9 781905 042845 67 Highlife legend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley at +233 Contents Features Out and about 7 City Beat 25 Sightseeing 60 Arts & Film 71 Hotels News and views Accra’s unmissable The best of It’s an exciting year sights and museums Ghanaian art for hotels in Accra – 10 Calendar see where to stay Our pick of Ghana’s events 33 Bars, Pubs and 64 Children 11 Weekend fun Clubs How to keep the kids 77 Trips Out of The perfect 48 hours Where to join Accra’s amused... and cool Town non-stop party Cape Coast, Elmina, 15 Photography 66 Music Kakum National Park, Focus on Africa 39 Restaurants Where to hear the Lake Volta and more Eat up some of Africa’s soundtrack of Accra 18 Food fight finest cuisine 85 Directory Accra’s best dishes 68 Sport 85 Getting Around 49 Shopping Follow boxing, football 86 Resources 22 Benin & Togo Hunt down the best of and polo or make a Take a road trip east 87 Emergencies Ghanaian design splash in the pool 88 Central Accra map Published under the authority of and in Maps Luis Benitez, www.e-cartografia.com Anita Ibru 22-23, White House 27, Shutterstock collaboration with Time Out Group Ltd London UK. Marketing Director Michel Kouassigan cover, 11, 18-19, 25, 30. The name and logo of Time Out Group Ltd, Administration and distribution Printers Wyndeham Grange, (01273 592 244) 251 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7AB. The Sloane Company While every effort and care has been made to Published by The Sloane Company UK +44 (0) 20 7813 3000 Time Out Group ensure the accuracy of the information contained Directors Marcel Kouassigan, www.timeout.com Chairman/Founder Tony Elliott in this publication, the publisher cannot accept Michel Kouassigan International Managing Director Cathy Runciman responsibility for any errors it may contain. All Editorial International Editor Chris Bourn rights reserved. No part of this publication may PO Box AN 10060 Editor Daniel Neilson International Art Director Anthony Huggins be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, Accra-North, Ghana Deputy editor Ben Lerwill International Consultant Will Salmon or transmitted in any form or by any means, Tel: + 233 244 090 351/2 Contributors Ruth-Ellen Davis, Cat Scully and all Contributors & photography electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or Fax: +233 302 970155 the contributors to previous editions Daniel Neilson, except: establishments own 9, otherwise, without prior permission of Time Out. www.timeout.com/accra Design 33-35, 41, 49, 50, 54, 72; page 8 (illustration by © Copyright Time Out Group Ltd 2013 [email protected] Art Director johnoakeydesign.co.uk Amy Blackwell, lower photograph David Severn), ISBN 9781905042845 Time Out Accra for visitors and the best of Ghana 2013/2014 5 City Beat Soul music Ghanaian musicians are becoming recognised across the world thanks to innovative musicians such as Jahwi and enthusiasts inspired by Accra’s beats. Ben Lerwill investigates The homegrown talent... Jahwi’s paintings have been The two 22-year olds behind the the music is just so ingrained in “Each song sort of breathed itself exhibited everywhere from South project, Gabriel Benn (aka Tuesday people’s blood, in their everyday into being,” says Jahwi, the Accra Africa to Australia, and given the Born) and Ollie Smith (aka Ollie lives. Ghana is somewhere musician whose debut full-length right exposure his album has the Twist), have so far released two EPs we love.” album, Ancient Soul Cries, gives as potential to reach a similarly wide under The Busy Twist name, with Friday Night EP is out now on clear a picture as any of the kind of international audience. At a time an album set to emerge soon. Soundway Records inventive underground music when so much street-level music They’ve collaborated with currently coming out of the city. Its seems throwaway, Ancient Soul various Ghanaian musicians. So how blend of laid-back beats, Ghanaian Cries has a more mature sound than did two young Brits, childhood Five more to patois, firebrand subject matter and most. “It sounds dark sometimes,” friends in London from the age of layered instrumentation draws on a he says, “but its main objective 10, come to be working with the know about mix of different genres – from rock is healing.” locals in West Africa? and reggae to afrobeat and hip-hop Ancient Soul Cries is out now on “I had a placement teaching R2Bees – and touches on everything from Maddrenegade Music English in Ghana a few years The duo won the main prizes at the war to sex. Jahwi himself, also a ago and met so many talented 2013 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards photographer, poet and painter, has ...and the London boys musicians,” explains Gabriel. Fuse ODG been a well known name on the local inspired by “When I got back A British hip-hop artist of Ghanaian cultural scene for years. Tellingly, he Ghana’s beat It sounds home, I persuaded Ollie descent who has collaborated with draws his song-writing influences At time of writing, the dark, but we should go out to Wyclef Jean from a whole host of sources. “My video for Friday Night record them. We M.anifest first encounters with music were – a high-tempo tune by its main formed such a tight A rapper of real pedigree with a CV hundreds of vinyl records that my London producers The objective is unit with the musicians that includes work with Damon father had collected over his travels. I Busy Twist – has healing out there that we Albarn and Erykah Badu began DJing his parties from the age clocked up close to realised there was Kaakie of six – it was a disco and funk era, 40,000 views on YouTube. It’s not really something in it. The Busy A female dancehall-reggae singer but some of the most influential hard to see why it’s popular. The Twist was born from there. We’ve from Accra, named Ghana’s best new forces in my music are people like music merges Ghana’s tropical hustle been going back and forth from artiste in 2013 Fela Kuti, Nina Simone, Sizzla with flavours of the UK bass scene, Ghana for the last three years.” Sarkodie Kalonji and Bob Marley. I could sing while the video itself, shot in Accra, And what is it about the sound of A rapper hailing from the coastal Redemption Song before I could captures the shuffling, goodtime vibe Ghana that inspires them? “It’s the town of Tema, nominated for a speak English.” of the capital in the sun. energy, the vibrancy, the way that MOBO award in 2012. Time Out Accra for visitors and the best of Ghana 2013/2014 7 Ghanaian Edmund Kugbila now playing for Carolina Panthers Reading up in Ghana Surf’s up Cat Scully investigates the ever-growing literary What better place to movement in the West African country learn to surf than arving its way out of the ‘West along the laid-back CAfrican literature’ hold all category and emerging as a genre west coast of Ghana in its own right, Ghanaian fiction has received due credit in recent British national Brett Davies (aka years with young authors taking Mr Brights) has devoted his life to the reigns from the likes of Kofi surfing. After leaving a top rung job Awoonor (This Earth, My Brother, at the head office of Rip Curl 1971), Ama Ata Aidoo (Our Sister several years ago, he decided to Killjoy, 1977) and Ayi Kwei Armah take the plunge and open up his (The Healers, 1979). Ghana’s new own surf school in Ghana (the generation of writers includes second love of his life). As a poets, successful bloggers, formally trained surf coach and authors of young adult fiction, lifeguard, it means surfers can’t crime fiction and strong be in better hands to try out contenders on ‘recommended new Ghana’s exhilarating waves. novelist’ tables in bookstores Taiye Selasi Beginners to advanced are across the globe. welcome, as are children, with Probably this year’s most from her writing that Ghana is a boards and equipment naturally talked about novel of this realm is key source of inspiration. Take for provided. The school has been so Ghana Must Go, by Taiye Selasi. It instance her poem ‘Orange Juice’ successful since its inception last leaves readers with plenty to chew which describes a person’s dying year that Mr Brights is opening a on, with its unusual narrative style wish to enjoy the taste of fresh second school in Accra at and complex characters. The orange juice “from oranges that Kokorobite. Bookings are taken via intelligent Ms Selasi has certainly are yellow/Not orange, Oranges the website with prices on enquiry. stepped into the literary world with from the forests of Ghana/Grown Kangaroo Pouch Beach Resort, a grand entrance (her fan base wild in cool shade/And careless Busua Beach includes Toni Morrison and beauty’.” (www.mrbrights.com). Salman Rushdie). The story Making waves in young adult Surf lesson at Mr Brights Open everyday 6am to 6pm. revolves around a Boston family of fiction is Sophia Acheampong, six – the mother Nigerian, the whose Growing Yams in London father Ghanaian – whose (2006) depicts a Casket culture mixed up lives repel and 14-year-old Ghanaian girl, retract like a rubber band.