Take the chance to step inside one of Africa's greatest retail traditions on this Kumasi market tour through the city's monumental market. After all, there's no better way to experience the culture and community of Africa than at a busy local market!
If you didn't already know, Kumasi lays claim to possessing the biggest open air market in West Africa, meaning this is the place to shop, mingle, taste, bargain, and indulge. Just to be sure you're ready to go full-local, your experienced local guide will let you in on some local bargaining secrets and tips, and run through proper etiquette as well (hugely important!).
Once you hit the market, stop for a second to take in the wide variety of items being traded, some of which have come in from all over Africa. It's pretty impressive, if you think about it.
As you tour the market, pause to visit the enterprising people who take scrap metal and recyclable materials and transform them into works of art, jewellery, and other useful products. Saving waste from landfill by reusing commonly discarded materials is a burgeoning industry throughout Africa, and this is the ideal place to see the talented people who make a living from this special craft.
Continue making your way through the market, catching sight of items like long strings of colourful beds, vibrant fabrics, and delicate handmade slippers and shoes. Feel free to stop and chat with vendors, and if something catches your eye, don't forget what your guide taught you at the beginning of your market tour!
An absolute must in the Kumasi market is the food section, so don't miss it! From mounds of fresh produce to live animals, this is nothing like shopping at a supermarket or mall back home! Piles of yams, fresh meat, buckets of fragrant spices, bubbling cauldrons of stew, and wagons of bananas mixed in with crowds of people make the food section a full scale assault on the senses! Before heading out, be sure to try some local delicacies and take snapshots of the impressive array of fresh produce.
With your senses in overload we'll finish the Kumasi market tour and bring you back to the centre of town, leaving you with some local tips on what to do in Kumasi during the rest of your stay.
Join the fun loving people of Ghana on this nightlife tour that takes in the pubs, clubs, and bars of colorful Kumasi. Colloquially known as the heartbeat of Ghana, Kumasi is an interesting city full of culture, life, and beauty, so it's the perfect place to experience Ghana nightlife for your own!
Start the party by meeting your friendly Urban Adventures guide who, as a Kumasi local, is the perfect person to introduce you to this bustling city. Hop aboard a shared taxi and be transported to the infectious rhythms and cultural flair of Kumasi's nightlife. Watch a live cultural band perform, and then enjoy the contemporary rap beats known as 'hiplife' music. Ghanaian 'hiplife' is a heady fusion of hip hop, rap, dancehall, and reggae styles and has taken West Africa (and the world) by storm.
Continue your Kumasi nightlife tour by visiting more local pubs, where there is enough time to immerse in the local culture. Chat to the Kumasi locals, learn about their lives, and share a little about yourself too!
Next up is a bit of live entertainment at a local sports club. West Africans are known for their love of dance, and Ghanaians are no exception - so why not hit the dance floor for a final spin before the tour ends? Having a dance may just may be the best way to break down barriers, have a laugh, and mix with people. Dance the night away and let loose on this truly unique and authentic local experience.
Join your local guide and set off for a market visit for some bargaining lessons amongst the colorful produce. Take the time to learn a little about bargaining, as well as the various uses of spices and other key ingredients in local and national cuisines. With markets playing an integral part in modern African life, be sure to soak it all in, wander the market aisles and discover what's on offer. After the market visit, meet up with an experienced local home cook to learn how to prepare a delicious, traditional Ghanaian feast. With a variety of tribes all coexisting within the country, there are many different influences present in the cuisine of Ghana, so this experience promises to be both informative and supremely tasty.
Take your first steps towards mastering Ghana's cooking style by learning how to cook one of the staples of Ghanaian food known as wakye. This simple yet filling meal of beans and rice, flavored with spices, is considered a local delicacy and is a hit with vegetarians. Also on the menu is koose, a snack made from fried beans, which is a popular street food with locals and travelers alike. Don't forget to indulge in your new Ghanaian cooking prowess by sampling your culinary creations!
With a full stomach and a range of new cooking skills ready to use in your own kitchen back home, your Kumasi food tour comes to a close. Keep this experience in your back pocket - you never know when you might want to break out the wakye back home!
Step into the mystical, magical world of voodoo on this fascinating Kumasi Urban Adventure. The voodoo religion has existed in West Africa for centuries, built on a backbone of song, dance, and ritual.
Dive right in with a visit to a voodoo priest who will teach you about the traditional religious heritage of voodoo in Ghana. As a guest of the priest, you will learn about the significance of certain dances as well as the usage of herbs and roots in the treatment of disease and illness.
The forces of nature are considered integral to the voodoo faith, so trees, rocks, plants and even rivers, are seen as important elements of voodoo. Herbal tonics, creams, and tinctures are often prescribed by the priest after diagnosis and are reported relieve anything from fevers to migraines, burns and even more serious illnesses. As an interactive cultural tour in Kumasi, there's plenty of opportunity to ask questions or even receive a private consultation if you'd like. Don't be shy!