• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Ask Scott
Travel Codex

Travel Codex

Your Resource for Better Travel

  • Subscribe
  • Credit Cards
  • Reviews
  • Guides & Tips
  • Award Travel

Cash Only in Accra, Ghana and Africa in General

by Brad
Last updated January 2, 2019

Now that I was finally in Africa, I had one short night to relax in Accra, meet up with friends, and then head up the coast to the site of the wedding.  After my extended layover in Lagos, I was one of the last to arrive at the hotel in Accra, but it was good to see some familiar faces after a long trip to get here.

Independence Arch

Great photo of Independence Arch in Accra by George Appiah from Flickr

More socializing than sightseeing in Accra

I didn’t really take time to explore Accra for the short time I was there.  After arriving late, and a little bit of socializing, I went to sleep.  The next morning, I had ideas of going to see some of the sights of Accra, but unfortunately I didn’t make it. Too much time catching up with old friends, which was obviously a good thing.

Accra lighthouse

Accra Lighthouse which I did not get to see up close.  Photo from Flickr

A group of us needed to get some local currency, Ghanaian Cedis.  Some of the more major hotels in Accra take credit cards, but almost everywhere else outside there is cash only. Many places take US$, but the rates are poor.  

After breakfast at the hotel, a hotel van full of visitors (obruni in local slang) heading into the city center looking for an ATM.  There were a few banks with ATMs in a small area, so we dispersed to various ATMs.  There are ATMs in larger cities, and if that is not available, many places have a currency exchange.  The best rates are for larger bills like $100s.  

Huge Sale: Lindblad Expeditions Galápagos Cruise From $5,000
Trending
Huge Sale: Lindblad Expeditions Galápagos Cruise From $5,000

The van full of obrunis definitely drew attention of the locals, but it wasn’t like some places.  The sales pitches were persistent, but not too annoying. Since English is so widely spoken here, someone like me could have a whole conversation with most locals, which was kind of fun.  While waiting for the ATM, I enjoyed talking to the guy trying to sell me sunglasses while I was wearing some of my own.  It took some convincing, but he eventually got the hint I didn’t need another pair.

Finding an ATM

This was my first trip to use my Schwab ATM card. Of course this does not assess ATM fees for withdrawals foreign or domestic.  This is something I’ve read about on Flyertalk before, but I took Wanderlusty’s post for me to finally make the jump.  I definitely recommend it for getting cash abroad.

After we had cash, we explored the area a little bit, and did some shopping. Then returned to our hotel where we were meeting a van to take a group of us to the site of the wedding, in Cape Coast.  It was only a hundred miles or so, but traveling overland in Africa isn’t like traveling on interstates in the US.  Even though Ghana has a pretty well developed road system for West Africa, the trip was more of an adventure than we planned on.  

Other posts about my Africa trip:

  • A Trip of Firsts
  • Initial thoughts on my trip to Ghana
  • United 787 Dreamliner BusinessFirst from Houston to Lagos 
  • An extended layover in Lagos Nigeria and a flight on Africa World Airways 
  • Cash only in Accra, Ghana, and Africa in general (this post)
  • The drive from Accra to Cape Coast with a van full of wedding guests
  • A stay at the Ko-Sa Beach Resort, Cape Coast, Ghana
  • Exploring history of the slave trade in Cape Coast
  • A flight on Arik Air and a longer layover at  Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos
  • United 787 Dreamliner Business First from Lagos to Houston
  • 1share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Read This Next

  • an airplane wing in the air
    Review: Arik Air, Accra to Lagos
  • a group of people sitting in a bus
    Road trip from Accra to Cape Coast in a van
  • a bus parked in a parking lot
    Travel to Kakum National Park and Being the Only Obruni on the Bus to Accra

About Brad

Brad is a frequent traveler, based in Milwaukee. He typically travels in around 200,000 miles per year, much of it for business, and often in economy. This blog focuses on experiences and tips from the perspective of a frequent business traveler trying to maximize value. In addition to frequent work trips, he uses miles and points for even more travel with his wife and young child.

Primary Sidebar

Over 100K+ Followers

Subscribe to updates from Travel Codex

none

Learn to how to find the cheapest awards.

Search Now

none

Transfer points to get more value.

See Options

none

Compare credit cards to earn more miles.

Explore Offers

Contact

If you have a question or would like to make a press inquiry, please contact:

Scott Mackenzie
Editor in Chief
scott@travelcodex.com

For updates:
Subscribe to RSS
Subscribe to Apple News

Privacy Policy


© Travel Codex, LLC All Rights Reserved.


Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Travel Codex with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.