POV: it’s Japa season and everyone is looking for the best country to move to. In this post, I’m going to break down my experience of living in Ghana. In case you didn’t know, Ghana is in Africa and in case you didn’t know again, I am a Nigerian Creator currently ...

It is quite surprising, the number of people still willing to travel in a pandemic and to me, if you’re going to do it, you better do it right.

I happen to be one of those people that did it right by travelling to Ghana so here is all you need to know to make your trip a reality.

Travelling To Ghana In A Pandemic: All You Should Know

Documents

The two most important documents you need before travellings are your international passport and yellow card.

Your international passport is a given, I renewed mine in 2019 at the Ikoyi Passport office for N40,000 (it was fast-tracked, so I got it the next day).

For a yellow card, you have to pay a visit to the Ministry of Health at the airport road(Ikeja). I also did this for the first time in 2019 and I paid N2,000 for it.

The yellow card is a document that certifies that you are free of yellow fever and in some cases, tuberculosis. This document is compulsory for every traveller from an African country, visiting another.

The process is pretty straight-forward as you have to make payment online, here’s the website: https://yellowcardnigeria.com/users/adduser before going for the test.

I recommend that you go early because the crowd increases, but then again, it’s a pandemic so the crowd wouldn’t/should not be a lot.

The collection process is also simple, I remember I came back for mine the following day.

Book Your Flight

I hope you’ve secured a date and locked it in your calendar and with an airline. For African countries, I have only used AWA Airline to travel.

Their flight and process are pretty affordable and convenient. Here’s their site for your booking: https://www.flyafricaworld.com/

COVID-19 Test

Now, this is the hail mary. For the total of my trip, I did four COVID-19 tests, watch the process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3r1s0oJr3k&t=3s

I had my first test taken a day before I left, my flight was in the morning so I went early. Results are sent/taken between 24-48hrs after the test is done.

Here is the process:
1. Register on Lagos Biobank: https://covid19.lagosstatebiobank.com/home
2. Select a clinic of your choice
3. Make payment- it costs N50,000
4. Get assigned a clinic and a date
5. Get tested
6. Receive result

FYI: You need to print out your Negative COVID-19 result as a part of your documents to show at the airport.

IMPORTANT: As an effort to ensure that travellers get tested, some countries have the COVID-19 test on arrival method and Ghana is one of them. This means that you would need to make payment at the airport before you can get tested.

At the time I travelled, this test cost $150 however, there has been some speculation about it being reduced to $50. Also note that you would be required to show your cash at the airport before you get boarded, so withdraw some dollars.

Once you are cleared at the airport, you only need to take another test 24-48hrs before your departure date and another 7 days after arrival to Nigeria. Don’t forget to read the instructions on the site and also upload your test results here: https://nitp.ncdc.gov.ng/onboarding/homepage in order to receive your permit to travel.

AirBnB/ Accommodation

My favourite part! I love me some beautiful houses.

Here is a tour video of the apartment I stayed at during my stay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ssBy8U2G04&t=166s

So if you do not have someone hosting you, you should definitely look into getting an AirBnB as you can find apartments within your budget.

Cost Of Living

I have lived in Lagos for almost 3 years and I can say that nowhere is this expensive, so trust me Ghana’s cost of living isn’t high.

For the most part, I ate the foods ordered in bulk from a vendor on Instagram that makes Nigerian dishes, here’s her page: https://instagram.com/tastypotghana?igshid=ixkap1xk8sa7 And also stocked the fridge with some snacks, so I was good.

FAQS

Do They Practice Social Distancing?

This is dependent on the establishment you walk into and also your personal practice I would say. However, your facemask has to be on every time you step outside, else you might be arrested.

Are The Restaurants Any Good?

I didn’t do a lot of restaurant hopping on this visit but I know in comparison to Lagos, there aren’t as many restaurants. And out of the handful you may find, only a few have a social media presence, so it was pretty difficult deciding on what their menu was like.

One of the restaurants I visited was Bistro22, and I highly recommend.

How Did You move Around?

UBER!

Did You Get A Ghanaian Phone Number?

Yes, I did but I really didn’t have to because I know someone who lives there. I think it depends on you.

What Does The Night Life Feel Like?

Crowded. It feels like everyone wants to go out but one of the few places I enjoyed being at was Allie Bar, you should try their pork and yam chips.

Is The Airport Really As Beautiful As People Say?

Darling, yes it is. It is absolutely gorgeous and obviously well maintained.

Well, that’s it and I hope you found this piece helpful. Do read more on my travel experiences here: https://goldgerry.com/2020/09/26/all-you-need-to-know-about-ikogosi-warm-springs-resort/

Why You Should Visit Ikogosi

1. 2020 has been a mess and you deserve a break
2. A beautiful tourist attraction
3. It is so quiet and way more peaceful than being in Lagos
4. It is both perfect for Work or just Me time
   
   Editor’s Pick: https://goldgerry.com/2020/09/20/review-my-farm-city-experience/

All You Need To Know About Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort

1. Transportation
   
   I left for Ikogosi Warm Springs from Lagos state and bordered a cab at Ojota park for N4500. It was a Sienna car with two people on a roll. If you would be leaving from anywhere other than Lagos, you should look for a cab heading towards the west, Ibadan is the closest city to Ikogosi.
   The cab stopped me at Aramoko bus stop, where I was able to get a bike for N500 to the resort.
   
   P.S: The ride from Aramoko to the resort is at least 30 minutes and if you are not comfortable with bikes, you should definitely get a taxi. It is also a hilly road so be prepared.
   
2. Distance
   
   My cab left at 6:50am and we arrived at the nearest bus stop to Ikogosi Warm Springs at 12:15pm. it is approximately a 5 hours ride, so pack some snacks and have your music/movies ready.
   P.S: There were multiple checkpoints on the road at least every 20 minutes after we passed Ibadan.
   
3. Accommodation
   
   Since Ikogosi Warm Springs is a resort, there are two categories for the accommodations and they are:
   a) Executive
   b) Deluxe
   I stayed in a deluxe room for N12,500 per night.
   Every room comes with a mini fridge, an aircondition and a standing fan, and there’s also a shower in the bathroom.
   
4. Food
   
   I had gone to a grocery store a day before my trip, so I got a lot of chocolates, cookies and sweets…mostly for the road and in between meals but guess what? They finished on day 2.
   A plate of food at Ikogosi Warm Springs ranges from N1000 to N1500 and their kitchen offers from eba, soups, rice, eggs, plantain, etc. A bottle of water is N100 and a Chivita juice box cost N1000. So in a day, I spent at least N3000 on food.
   
   Personally, I am wary of eating at just anywhere so I had prepared to eat little to nothing at the resort and honestly, the food isn’t great. So if you are just like me, make sure you are packed up on snacks, bread, and juices from home.
   
   P.S: The kitchen takes at least 2 hours to prepare food so call in early.
   
5. Electricity
   
   Since my stay here I haven’t seen NEPA light however, they turn on the generator at 7:00pm and turn it back off at 7:00am. The guy who also attended to me said they leave it on for later if they have a full house which consists of about 20 guests upwards.
   
   The latest the generator has been left on in the morning is 10:00am
   
6. Wi-Fi
   
   There is no Wi-Fi at the resort.
   I however use an MTN network on my phone and it worked on 3G and my router worked just fine as well. My network disappears entirely when at the poolside by the way, so keep that in mind.
   
7. The Resort

Aside from the deluxe and executive rooms, there are other attractions at Ikogosi Warm Springs and they include:
a) Swimming Pool
b) A Tour Guide
c) Serenity
d) Hills and Valleys
e) Warm Springs
f) Arinta Waterfalls is 20 minutes away (talk about killing two birds with one stone)

Some reviews if you may https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g8588726-d5960380-Reviews-Ikogosi_Warm_Springs_Resort-Ikogosi_Ekiti_State.html

Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort has got to be one of the best places I have experienced in Nigeria. The resort would definitely look/function better if it is taken care of with some repairs made here and there. It is a clear example of what most tourist sites in Nigeria look like today- abandoned and forgotten.

However, I would definitely still come back.

I think it is a great spot for a group trip or maybe just wanting to get away for a few days. Be sure to take hid of my tips and you would have a beautiful stay.

I would be uploading a tour video of the Warm Springs on my YouTube channel, please subscribe to get notified – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJjwgIX5eEU_Tk0QOTVkMyQ

If you would like to pay a visit to Ikogosi Warm Springs and not sure how to, then please reach out to me on thegoldgerry@gmail.com for assistance.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you found this helpful.

Love,

Gold.