Activities in Cape Coast

At the market, you can find everything from fruits and vegetables to dry goods and spices.

If you use the kitchen we have at Jackie’s to make dinner, you'll find everything you need for cooking at the market! Every Sunday, they also have a clothing market where you can buy all sorts of clothes, bags, shoes, and so on.

Sundays are the big market day, so there is generally a larger selection of both food and clothes on Sundays, but also more people.

In the vicinity, there are a couple of affordable gyms one can make use of.

The ones that are used the most this semester are centered around the stadium, which is relatively large and has everything one needs for strength training.

There is no air conditioning there, but the ceiling fans help circulate the air a bit so it doesn't feel as hot. There is also a gym at the Ridge Royal Hotel that one can use. It can't accommodate as many people at once, but it does have air conditioning.

You can also sign up for a sport if you feel like it!

So far this semester has been all about tennis. We are a small group that has played with a local coach a couple of times a week. He's extremely skilled and incredibly nice! If there are several of you, it costs 50 cedi per person for each hour where you can borrow rackets and tennis balls.

It's also possible to join local football or handball teams for practice, but since the semesters in Ghana start later, the training sessions haven't fully started yet. However, if you're going to study in Cape Coast – talk to manager Michael if you're interested in a sport, and he will help you get in touch with coaches!

There aren't as many cafes similar to what we're used to from Norway (or Vietnam), but we've found one that's not too bad!

It's a bit more western-inspired and is a very nice place to sit and read or have a coffee (don't have too high expectations for the coffee), when you're tired of being at the hotel or at school. This one is called The Haven Workspace and is located on the second floor of a building right above Melcom (the supermarket).

In Cape Coast, you can also have clothes custom-made from fine, colorful fabrics. You can buy the fabric at the market, in the Baobab house or other places, and then you take the fabric to a tailor.

Feel free to ask the Ghanaian students if they know a good tailor!

If you buy fabric at the market, it costs 15-30 cedi per yard, and you need about three yards for a pair of pants/skirt. To have the garment tailored by a tailor, it costs between 50 and 100 Cedi per item, depending on what you want to have made and who is sewing it.

It is highly recommended to visit the Cape Coast Castle and take a guided tour there. It's an important historical site for Ghana and Africa's history which is incredibly exciting and important to learn about, even though it's a gruesome story.

We have also visited two local NGOs here in Cape Coast through Kulturstudier, which was also very nice and educational!

Baobab Children Foundation is a kind of boarding school for children from 12 to 16 years old who either have a physical disability, special needs in other ways, live on the street, or have dropped out of school.

At the Baobab Youth Training Center, they receive academic education and training in a practical field such as cooking, sewing, or carpentry. This greatly improves their prospects for creating a good life and escaping poverty.

Global Mamas is another NGO that focuses on supporting local women to become more confident in themselves, both economically and personally.

Through this organization, they get jobs in the store they own, in administration, or as seamstresses.

They have a strong focus on being environmentally friendly, and are a fairtrade organization. Global Mamas sells lots of nice clothes, jewelry, and creams/soaps in their store and also offers courses in cooking, dancing, drumming, and batik (creating patterns on fabric). They are definitely worth a visit!

Oasis is a cozy restaurant located right by the sea and serves good Western food. When one starts to get tired of the local cuisine, this is the perfect place to go for a pizza or burger.

On weekends, they also have drum and dance shows with Afrimuda Acrobatics Foundation which are worth catching!

They are incredibly skilled and create a safe environment for young boys and girls who need it. Oasis is also a nice place to have a drink if one wishes.

At Ridge Royal, they have sunbeds, a nice pool, and a gym. You can either pay 50 Cedi per visit or purchase a monthly pass for 200 Cedi, which can be used for both the pool and the gym.

We often go here on weekends to swim and relax by the pool! They also have a restaurant where it's nice to have lunch.

If one wants to get away from Cape Coast for a weekend, there are several options for that!

Earlier in the semester, a large group traveled to the coastal town of Busua, a bit further west in Ghana. There are great opportunities for surfing, going out to a bar, or just relaxing on the beach. Busua is located about 4 hours away from Cape Coast.

Accra, the capital of Ghana, is also a nice place to go if you want a bit more city life and a larger selection of cafes and restaurants.

One can take the local bus, which takes between 3 and 5 hours depending on traffic, and it costs around 100 Cedi.