This is absolutely untrue. Visa on arrival is available for pretty much every nationality PROVIDED you have the right paperwork from your local sponsor. I have personally sponsored >300 people for VoA over the last few years (flying on pretty much every airline including BA and Delta), including a few FT members, so I do know what I'm talking about here.

Or he could get mugged at the Lome border like I did and have a less than spectacular time there. Sure, I eventually got my money back, but I wasn't all that impressed with the area following that incident.

long weekend
 

"""If he gets a long weekend free, he should go to..."""
I expect that he will make the time to explore, that's the reason that he choose to spend an entire semester. It should be a great adventure. Thanks for the suggestion.
I know he would love to hear more.

Is there anything special he should know about how to handle money (how can I send it to him as he needs it)? Recently people have said not to use credit cards. Safety

We will both read all the info we can but it would be great if people with first hand experience in Ghana would be willing to share practical suggestions about what not to miss, what to watch out for, and this is how it's done...

Thanks Again

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I've been living in Accra for almost 7 years now. I can also give you my details as an emergency contact in case you or he need anything.

"""Or he could get mugged at the Lome border like I did"""

I hate that that is part of traveling, and I would like to learn how to take all logical precautions.

I suggest your son buys a local mobile chip as soon as he arrives in Ghana (they sell them in baggage claim even before you clear customs!). They are very cheap and you can find out the best prepaid calling plan from their websites before he arrives. The biggest operators are Vodafone (vodafone.com.gh), MTN (mtn.com.gh), Airtel (africa.airtel.com/ghana/), Tigo (tigo.com.gh) and Expresso (www.expressotelecom.com).

He should have an unlocked GSM instrument with him before he arrives to take advantage of this. Prepaid Blackberry service is available with unlimited domestic 3G data and tethering from Airtel for only 35 cedis/month. That can be very useful for both phone and internet needs. Vodafone has some good packages for international calling if he intends to call the USA a lot. MTN has the best 3G coverage though throughout the country.

Did you search this site for "ghana"? There are a number of other threads, mostly in the Africa area. You might pick up a few more bits of information and even find some more new friends.

Travel guides? An armload from your local library for a free start, and then buy your favorite ones from Amazon. Lonely Planet is my usual choice, but there are lots of other good ones.

Telephone/email communication while he is there? My granddaughter (when a year in Germany) communicated via Skype and text messaging. (funny - B747-437B below was thinking along these lines also, but with more specific info to offer - we both sent at 7:38)

Mileage tickets are fairly scarce. If you find something, nail it immediately. They don't last. If you aren't finding something right now, keep trying. Both on-line and via phone.

Romelle

Get a bank account here that doesn't charge foreign exchange fees. He can use the ATM card there and use that to easily access cash as needed.

And I'll second the suggestions that B747-437B offers up. He was quite helpful during my visit last August.

Further to this, do not (repeat NOT) rely solely on the ATM network in Ghana for cash. There are ATMs located throughout the city but the backbone network has a bad habit of failing when you need it most, usually on weekends. I always carry enough cash with me (USD works best - it is easily convertible and the $100 bills have a good value:size ratio) when around town just in case the ATMs are dead.

You may have found this already, but just in case:

travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1124.html

Also, www.ricksteves.com has lots of good advice under Travel Tips.

Romelle

I agree that ATMs are the best way for you to send him money. Just send him off with an ATM card and he can withdraw cash when he needs it in Ghana or nearby countries. There are plenty of ATM machines. Credit cards are less commonly accepted so it is better for him to just withdraw cash and use cash.

Schwab has an ATM card that charges no fees and reimburses any fees charged by the ATM's bank.

Not just that - unless you pay the extra fee to expedite the visa, they will sit on it and not process it in any reasonable amount of time. So to be sure, send it well in advance, and pay the extra money.

hmm... my daughter went there last year and managed just fine with ATM only for 2 months. You want to make sure you get some money out at the ATM in the airport itself, and not to wait till the last minute to withdraw more.

I could not agree more. Living in Ghana is somewhat different to the experience of those who travel there for business, never move far away from the 'Western' hotels except to be transported to their offices.

Ghana is a fantastic place to live but you must be aware that some things (like ATM's) are fairly new to the country and not reliable.

Unless you are in a major Hotel your credit cards are useless, Ghana is a cash society. Once you leave Accra it is surprisingly difficult to obtain cash or even exchange it for local currency.

if travelling is part of the plan, make sure that it includes the Slave castles at Elmeina or Cape Coast and the Canopy walk at Kakum Forest. There is a great hotel to stop for lunch on the way to the forest, (Hans Cottage Botel). The Crocodiles are very friendly (it is where the Crocodile farm featured on the film 'Live and Let Die' was filmed).

As with the offer from B747-437B, please PM me if you need any other advice, or another contact in Ghana

Enjoy

Stuart

The ATMs at the airport are the most likely to be out of cash since they don't restock them between Friday and Monday. I can't remember the last time I arrived on a Sunday and found any of them functional.

If you desperately need to withdraw from an ATM, the Accra Mall food court has a range of ATMs from about a dozen banks next to each other. At least one of those usually works. It is conveniently located en route from airport to Legon for the OP's benefit.

If heading in towards town, the StanChart ATM at Opeibea House and the new ezi-Cash ATM at the Airport Shell are the most convenient ones to the airport. There are also Ecobank and Stanbic ATMs at Silver Star Towers and I think a new Barclays ATM at the Holiday Inn.