Many tourists who visit Ghana for the first time are always excited to share online what fascinated them the most about the country. While some may have an idea of what to expect due to the circulating hype about Ghana being the gateway to Africa, in the media, others keep an open-mind, visit and experience the people, places and cultural shock first-hand.

Arriving in Ghana  

Not minding the heat, because Ghana is indeed hot, what many tourists visiting Ghana for the first time constantly mention is how serene and peaceful it is to exit the airport into the country. You’ll definitely hear things like “the people are very welcoming”, “everyone has a smile on their face” and “people are ready to help you when in need”.

Urgh, everything is so slow

Many tourists visiting Ghana seem to have a hard time adjusting to how slow paced the people and the system can be. Food wait times, service and other little yet urgent things can be off putting to anyone new to the system, although a few tourists mention enjoying the relaxation that comes with the country’s dynamic. Many argue this behaviour is very bad for business, however, Ghanaians encourage tourists to take a beat, and enjoy Ghana. 

Ghanaians will kill you with “Please”

“Yes please”, “No please”, “I’m coming please” and many more. If you go online now, you’ll definitely find one tourist or another sharing their experiences interacting with Ghanaians living in Ghana. They find the idea of the Ghanaian people ending every sentence or phrase with please, quite fascinating. Ghanaians, on the other hand, do it because they believe it’s courteous and it’s all they’ve known. It is a culture in schools, institutions and even amongst peers to accord respect, much like the use of only the right hand and not the left which is seen as insulting.

The use of the local dialects, first, before English

Ghana’s official language is English, however tourists get quite surprised when Ghanaians interact with them in the local languages or dialects, Twi, Ga, Ewe etc. before switching to English when they realise you’re not Ghanaian. White people may get a pass, but anyone from Africa or abroad and looks dark, like the people surely has had this experience. 

The Roadside economy

When foreigners visit Ghana, they get very shocked at the swam of vendors walking through traffic, selling basic things like water, chocolate, plantain chips to bizarre things like puppies, bicycle tires, phone accessories etc. While the country has a thriving market system, some vendors still prefer to haunt down customers they may lose if they are within the market space. 

Sundays are special days, holidays too 

Ghana is predominantly a christian country although it has a growing number of muslims here. So it’s very typical for Ghanaians to adhere to the Sunday “sabbath” to attend church service, relax and spend time with family. However, to the visitor in Ghana who may need to conduct business or visit some local places, they may find that just a handful of shops are open – the same goes for public holidays in the country. 

Are you a first time visitor in Ghana, share with us how you’re finding the country so far.