A trip to Ghana takes you to the part of West Africa that was once known as the Gold Coast. The country has much more to offer than natural resources, because in no other part of Africa is there so much original, magical and mystical, exotic, history and scenic diversity as in its west and especially in Ghana. In addition, in Ghana, a former kingdom, you will find a multi-faceted culture with around 100 ethnic groups and correspondingly different beliefs. Diversity, which is also expressed in the flora and fauna of the tropical rainforest. Best to explore at Mole National Park, Owabi Conservation Area, and Boufom Wildlife Sanctuary. However, the landscape of Ghana also has savannah, which dominates in the center and in the north, wide sandy beaches and mangroves in the coastal area, the Ashanti highlands, the Akwapim-Togo chain, in which Ghana reaches its highest point at around 900 m above sea level, and the Volta Basin as an independent and largest natural area. At the mouth of the Volta, in particular, you will also encounter culture: in the form of fortresses and castles from the colonial era, which are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as are the Ashanti buildings. Also worth a visit, both culturally and historically, is Accra, the capital of Ghana, or Kumasi, the historic capital of the Ashanti, which is best known for the Living Museum, in which goldsmiths, sculptors, weavers and potters can watch the traditional production of their goods and which also bears witness to the fact that Ghana to this day has its rich
Bissagos Archipelago
Guinea-Bissau is located in West Africa on the Atlantic, between Guinea in the south and Senegal in the north. The country is full of natural beauties with tropical jungle landscapes and dreamlike, partly untouched islands. The Bissagos Archipelago, which consists of 88 islands, is one of the numerous natural beauties on the Atlantic Ocean. About a third of the islands are inhabited. In 1996 the whole archipelago was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The southern islands of the Bissagos Archipelago are now a nature reserve. About 33,000 people live on all islands together. The traditional economy is based on the cultivation of rice, fishing and the extraction of palm oil. Tourism has so far only played a subordinate role on the Bissagos Archipelago.
An island with tourist potential is Bubaque with its fine sandy and clean beaches. Bubaque is regularly approached by ferry from Guinea-Bissau’s capital, Bissau, but it is still very unspoilt. The Bissago people live on Bubaque and live from agricultural self-sufficiency and fishing. One of the natural beauties of the area is the Orango Islands National Park, which is located in the west of Bubaque and with its mangrove and palm forest landscapes is home to a unique fauna. Hippos and crocodiles live here in the salt water. Another national park worth seeing with rare animal species such as red boars and chimpanzees is the national park of Cantanhez.
If you want to visit the archipelago or the country of Guinea-Bissau, you should consider that the infrastructure is hardly available or developed. Vacationers should heed the travel advice of the Foreign Office, as the political situation in the region is always unstable.
