Anyone been to Ghana

and would like to give a report of any kind?

Was there in 2006 for 2 weeks - accra and across the coast to just beyond Cape Coast

Lovely people - jovial, relaxed, sociable - easy to meet guys BUT the level of expectation is massive - these people after all are incredibly poor. So from the moment you make contact on the net before u arrive, they are already assuming you will be their lucky lotto lifeline. They "love" you before they even meet you - and the stories about their poverty and hardships really gets a bit boring on holiday - the bottom line is we all know they are poor and opportunities to improve are few and far between, but to have to listen to these stories non-stop makes me very uneasy. As such, once they "get" a white gay foreigner they are extremely possessive and, as all the guys seem to know each other, moving from one to the other is not appreciated and is another source of potential problems. They get extremely jealous and that's when hassle can start.

I had no major problems as such (I had been warned about the possibility of Police coming to the room, I had been warned of thefts from the room etc), and as I said Ghanaians are very friendly people, but it really wasn't a relaxing holiday, as you are always trying to think ahead and worry about what will happen next. Also it is scary - no matter who you meet, you can be sure they know everyone who dips into the gay world! That is the other thing to keep in mind - these guys are generally not "gay" as we know it - they are just hustlers in the main who are straight and have cleverly seen the possibility of getting some cash.

So my view of Ghana is very strange - i loved it in one way - it was totally unlike any African country i had visited before (the low level of blatant street crime and the hot guys), but at the same time as soon as i was sitting on the plane to go back to London I felt I needed another holiday! Another minor downside is the food - pretty grim frankly.

Sob stories for money or posessions are common - in fact a lot moreso than the cliche sick buffalo theme! In Thailand, guys seem to accept "no" much easier than Ghana - in fact Ghanaians just go on and on and on and on I found - slightly tedious when u r on a holiday. I was also left with a real sense if helplessness - to them as a young white european who got on a plane to fly to their country and was staying in hotels, i was loaded - they have no concept at all that my cash-flow has limits - and the feeling that you end up disappointing so many people didnt leave a pleasant after-taste.

Worth a visit though as every human has a different expereince. I would definitely go back one day, but I think if it is the black thing I wanted, i would fly to brazil instead - a lot more fun and a lot less headaches.

[Marsilius]

Thank you for an excellent report.

I don't suppose that you know anything about gay life in The Gambia, by any chance?

I havent been to The Gambia since 1999 so my information is probably out of date - in many ways easier than Ghana - because of the economic reliance on tourism (and to its credit The Gambia has an excellent tourist infrastructure which Ghana does not), the boys behave in a less clingy and needy way. They are used to plane loads of package tourists flying in for 2 week breaks, and a white person is therefore less of a rarity. I am not sure about now, but then it was very difficult to bring anyone Gambian to your room (this isnt the case in Ghana). Back in 1999 there were a lot of very hunky Sierra Leonean refugees - in fact the tour guide who worked for The Gambia Experience - the company I booked with was living openly with one of these! I think UNHCR have sent most of these refugees back now but i am sure a lot remain.

Hotel staff can be very "friendly" and that bypasses the need for them to try and get past security (they just come and see u when they have free time or after they finish their shift). Some guys have good contacts with the hotel management and they become regular features around the hotel pool - maybe under the guise of being a part of the poolside entertainment (eg playing pool volleyball etc). Again, if these guys havent found themselves a bikini clad female, you may be in luck! Walk along the beach beyond the lobster-coloured 2 week package tourists lying collapsed on their towels and you will meet nice guys - i just never feel comfy doing anything out in the open!! you may be different. One serious drawback to The gambia is the number of single women who go there - it is very common to see relatively elderly women with gorgeous young Gambians in tow. And of course these women are often not there for a quick fling but looking for "love" - so it is tough competition! (Good luck to them though - I think it is great to see a grey haired widow flushed with joy believing love has found her again!)

Banjul the capital is very small compared to accra but has a lovely atmosphere. Going by boat upriver is wonderful.

Lovely people - unlike Ghana, great and inexpensive food in lovely restaurants is easily available. The usual scams - but this happens throughout the developing world - be alert and street wise and you will be fine.

I would rush back to The Gambia before Ghana actually, and I noticed that a number of boys there have started using gay dating sites online (something the ghanaians are expert at!!!) - I have chatted to a few guys in the Gambia and they are in my opinion a lot less pushy than their Ghanaian counterparts. The one plus side of Ghana is the fact you will not see many white tourists whereas they fly in by the charter flight in The Gambia.

[Marsilius]

Very useful - thank you so much once again!