r/ghana • u/Flat_Education_5257 • 18h ago
Visiting Ghana Trip with HS students from US
Hello!
I am bringing a group of high school students to Accra in January. There are 15 people total (12 students, 3 adults).
I am mostly struggling to find accommodation that is suitable for our group.
We've looked into hostels but a lot specify that guests need to be 18+
For both safety and financial purposes, we typically want queen beds per room if we go the traditional hotel route so we can put 4 students in each room. (Girls and boys have separate rooms of course). However a lot of recommended hotels seems to just cap out at a single king bed. Further, I'd ideally want them to experience Ghana more intimately instead of a chain hotel. Not opposed to a chain if there's a good option though!
We are struggling where to "home base". I've traveled to about 40 countries, but this is my first time anywhere in Sub Saharan Africa and my first time taking students on a trip of this magnitude. A lot of the neighborhoods feel amazing, but I just can't seem to commit to one that allows us the most flexibility. Ideally, I want somewhere we can walk around as the logistics of frequently going in and out of Accra with that many people just becomes more strenuous.
Any and all recommendations into places to check out would be amazing. If you have had students stay in a place and have experience, that'd be even better!
Thanks a ton in advance. I'm very excited for this trip and the impact it will have on my students and myself.
Note for any travel guides: we are a small HS and don't charge students to go on these trips. We cover flights and hotels and everything and make it part of the curriculum. Because of this, we are on quite a tight budget. I definitely am willing to potentially work with you, but I don't want to waste your time or undervalue your work. For the most part the planning falls on me, and single event guided tours of locations are about all we can afford to book rather than a person who arranges the entire trip for us. Thanks in advance, I appreciate the work you do to educate people on your beautiful country.
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u/UncleBudd Non-Ghanaian 17h ago
I would recommend getting Airbnbs. You can get big houses that could fit the whole group or individual apartments that can fit a few. There are tons of Airbnbs in Accra, whole apartment buildings where almost every apartment is on Airbnb. Its a lot cheaper and better value than hotels. If you want specific recommendations feel free to reach out.
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u/nanayawsuspence 17h ago
Hello, my name is Nana Yaw and I am a professional travel guide in Accra, Ghana. I can help you out. Can we talk more in DM.
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u/SouthernCharm-86 17h ago
inquire in travel groups. there are agencies that could assist ur group w this. i dont hv a rec tho. independently, airbnb maybe an option but its so inconsistent in accra imo. good luck!
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u/Flat_Education_5257 17h ago
Yeah I had started with an agency and a local contact in the city we live, but ran into it feeling very impersonal and unspecific. And they wanted to charge a couple thousand per student just to do all that and like... Tbh we are ballers on a budget 😂 so we are trying to arrange things ourselves in that regard.
Thank you! I appreciate the response.
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u/Phresh33 15h ago
I (from Chicago) have taken HS students to Ghana for the last 3 years. I have a reputable company that handles all the planning on the ground. Airport pickup, hotel accommodations, transportation, driver, excursion and touring fees, some meals and of course your guides. You’ll still have to deal with passports, visas, vaccinations and flights on your own but maybe I can assist with that also. (As far as giving you advice on how to get those things done). Go to my inbox and we can discuss if this is something you are interested in. 👍🏾
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u/Barkandyellow 15h ago
Have you tried liaising with some of the secondary schools in Accra? Try writing a letter to the administration of the boarding schools. I’d highly recommend Achimota school.
I remember back in high school we had international high schools students and they stayed in the school with us briefly.
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u/Flat_Education_5257 14h ago
Do you mean dormitory wise they stayed with you all? Like students were hosts for the international students?
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u/_Salamander_Sandals 9h ago
I understand your budget constraints, but I don’t recommend planning this trip on your own (especially if you’ve never been here before). Local guides will make the trip better in general, both in terms of explaining local culture(s) and customs and resolving any issues as they arise.
Accra is no longer a budget travel destination, and the accommodations you can get on a budget may not have modern conveniences like internet, A/C, etc.
Also, make sure you hire a bus to be with your group for the duration of the trip.
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u/Allornothingreddit 17h ago
Hi op, do you have a specific town/neighborhood you’re looking at?
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u/Flat_Education_5257 14h ago
I had seen Osu was where tourists usually book, but didn't know if it'd be more for like adults than kids. Don't know how the downtown of Accra is. I have read that it's not too walkable overall and that we'd need to rely on transit to get around to all the sites we are trying to see.
Not sure if I should split the trip and do like 2 days in Osu and 2 in Makola area or something.
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u/_Salamander_Sandals 9h ago
You can’t take local transit with a group that large. You’ll need to hire a 20 seater bus for the full duration of the trip.
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u/Quirky_Theme_3010 17h ago
You can get a 5 bedroom house for a month or bigger or 2 appartment in the same building but you have to get an agent first Don't send any money to anybody before you come here i can recommend somebody for you that's may help you
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u/DriverCareless6608 16h ago
I have a four bedroom apartment in Tema, which can accommodate you all.
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u/Competitive-Lab5351 13h ago
Hi op, how many days do you want to use the hostel for and a rough estimate of your budget please
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u/Best_Scar_4739 2h ago
https://expatlifeghana.com/lodge/. Check out Expatlife Ghana. They have everything you need
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