Busua Beach, Takoradi, Ghana

Thursday, March 6 (Independence Day):

Tega and I took a trip to Busua Beach, which is located about four hours west of Cape Coast. Halfway there it started to storm, and it continued to storm after we reached our destination. Tega and I searched in the cold, wind, and rain for a place to stay. Every room of every guesthouse was booked. 

It did not look good. 

Eventually the owner of a small bar/guesthouse on the beach found a place for us. She charged us $4.00 USD per person per night. We had no electricity or bathroom (there was a bucket in the corner of the room in case we had to pee in the middle of the night). But we made do (sneaking into hotels to use their facilities!)

This picture of Tega and I was taken right after we raced through the rain with our luggage to the next taxi-

Friday, March 7 - Saturday, March 8:

Our days at Busua were spent on the beach. Tega and I befriended a woman from Kentucky, who is in West Africa doing research for her Ph.D. in ethno-musicology. The three of us stuck together for the weekend and she was great company. 

Busua offered activities like drumming workshops and surfing lessons, but we were content watching fishermen work, exploring the city, and playing in the water. We also enjoyed delicious and cheap food. Fresh mango and avocado. Egg sandwiches for $1.00 USD. And lobster for only $4.00 USD!

Friday night was the first night of the music festival. It was your typical dance party on the beach (but with contemporary Ghanaian and Nigerian music). There were many young people from all over the world, as if every international student or volunteer in Ghana came to Busua for the weekend. I'll be honest, it was strange to see so many white people congregated in one place!

The highlight of the night? Tega participating in an impromptu dance off. She stole the show!

Live bands performed on Saturday from the afternoon until 10pm, but this was interrupted by another storm. Tega, Ty-Juana (the researcher I mentioned earlier), and I found shelter at a nearby restaurant. We had so much fun hanging out there that we lost track of time and missed the rest of the festival. 

Here are some pictures of where we hung out all weekend-

Black Star Surf Shop. Surfing was a popular activity at Busua. 

Chess on the beach anyone?

I saw the fishing process up close and it was really fascinating! It takes a lot of muscle and teamwork. 

We spent a lot of time hanging out at this restaurant, called Coconut Dream. 

Coconut Dream as seen from Black Star Surf Shop. 

Beach entertainment. 

From the rooftop of a nearby resort. 

The little town of Busua, as seen from the rooftop. 

Another rooftop view. 

The beginning of Saturday's entertainment. 

Florence Restaurant, where we spent a lot of time and ate a lot of egg sandwiches. This is also where we got the lobster.

Florence Restaurant was also where we escaped the rain on Saturday... As you can see, due to the roofing style and open walls, it wasn't the greatest protection from the wind and rain.

Sunday, March 9:

We left Sunday afternoon full of salt, sand, and sun. I lost my travel sunscreen, my sunglasses, and my hair tie that day, causing my journey back to Cape Coast to be not so pleasant. 

I recommend Busua to anyone traveling in Ghana. The beach is nice, the food is good, and if you are willing to shell out the cash, you can even get private surfing lessons!