Sights and Sounds
Walking Through History: Experiencing Ghana’s Slave River and the Door of No Return
The air grows quiet as you approach the narrow path leading to the Slave River at Assin Manso, a suburb near Cape Coast Castle.
Palm fronds sway softly above, and the distant rhythm of the Atlantic Ocean drifts inland. Here, beneath the Ghanaian sun, visitors stand at a place where history breathes through the landscape.
The Slave River, where enslaved Africans were once forced to bathe before their final journey across the ocean, flows gently today, its calm waters reflecting the surrounding forest. Standing by its banks, the silence carries stories that stretch across continents and centuries.
From the river, slaves are kept in the dungeons for months before they walk through the infamous Door of No Return, the final exit through which countless captives were marched onto waiting ships bound for the Americas and the Caribbean.
What was once a passage of heartbreak has become a powerful site of remembrance, especially for descendants of the African diaspora who travel here seeking connection with their ancestral past.
Where Nature Meets Memory
Despite its heavy history, the setting itself is strikingly beautiful. Tall trees frame the winding path to the Slave River, and birdsong fills the humid coastal air.
The river’s slow current glints in the sunlight, creating a peaceful contrast to the painful memories tied to it. Visitors often pause quietly along the water’s edge, absorbing the gravity of the place while reflecting on the lives that once passed through here.
Guided tours provide context that transforms the visit from sightseeing into a powerful learning experience.
Local historians recount how captives were brought from inland communities, confined within the castle’s dungeons, and eventually led to the river for what became known as the “last bath.” Afterward, they were marched through the Door of No Return toward ships waiting offshore.
Nearby, travelers can explore the castle’s courtyards, stone corridors, and dark holding chambers, each echoing with the layered history of the transatlantic slave trade.
Cultural ceremonies, especially during remembrance events like Emancipation Day, bring together visitors from across the world who come to honor the resilience of their ancestors.
A Place to Remember, Reflect, and Reconnect
Visiting the Slave River and the Door of No Return is not simply about observing history—it is about feeling its weight and recognizing its global impact.
Many travelers leave with a deeper understanding of the African diaspora and the enduring strength of those whose stories began here.
Standing at the ocean-facing doorway where the Atlantic horizon stretches endlessly ahead, visitors often pause before turning back toward land. That moment — the symbolic return — reminds us that while history cannot be changed, remembering it keeps the voices of the past alive.
Sights and Sounds
Mind Craft Camps Accra Turns School Holidays into Adventures in Creativity and Discovery
For children, a school holiday is an invitation to explore, imagine and play. For parents, finding activities that keep young minds engaged while providing a safe, supervised environment can be a challenge.
In Accra, Mind Craft Camps offers a way to bring both needs together, turning school breaks into opportunities for creativity, discovery and practical learning.
Organised by Cheeky Monkey Club, a provider of holiday camps in Ghana’s capital, Mind Craft is a multi-activity, outdoor-based programme built around invention literacy and skill development.
Its approach gives children room to enjoy their holidays while engaging in imaginative activities designed to encourage curiosity and new skills.
The camps run around school holidays throughout the year, with the summer programme taking place from July through August. Sessions run from 9am to 3pm and welcome children aged three to 12, offering families a structured option during the long school break.
A key feature is the way children are grouped according to age. Participants aged three to five, six to eight, and nine to 12 are placed in separate groups, allowing activities to be suited to their different stages of development.
This arrangement helps ensure that younger children and older participants can engage with programmes appropriate to their abilities and interests.
Located in East Legon and Cantonments, Mind Craft also offers parents flexibility when planning their children’s holiday schedules. Depending on availability, families can choose drop-in sessions, half-day or full-day attendance, bookings for the entire summer, or weekly packages.
Fees are charged in Ghanaian cedis, with options starting from GH₵100, making it possible for parents to consider different arrangements based on their schedules and budgets.
By combining outdoor activities, supervised play and skill-building, Mind Craft Camps presents school holidays as more than a pause from classroom learning.
They become an opportunity for children to experiment, make discoveries and develop their abilities while enjoying the freedom of play.
Step inside Ninano Korean and Japanese Restaurant, and the atmosphere offers a welcome escape from the familiar.
With its distinctive wooden interiors, freshly prepared sushi and traditional East Asian dishes, the restaurant brings a taste of Japan and Korea to Ghana, creating a dining experience that has attracted both international attention and expatriate diners.
For Japanese and Korean nationals living and working in Ghana, Ninano offers familiar flavours far from home.
For other diners, it presents an opportunity to explore two celebrated Asian culinary traditions under one roof.
Japanese cuisine takes centre stage through freshly prepared sushi and udon noodles. Thick and satisfying, udon is a Japanese wheat-flour noodle commonly served in a hot broth, offering a comforting alternative to lighter dishes.
Sushi, meanwhile, provides a fresh, carefully prepared option that has helped the restaurant gain recognition beyond Ghana, including a feature on Japanese television.
Korean food brings a different character to the menu. Bulgogi, a popular Korean dish whose name translates roughly to “fire meat”, features thin slices of beef or pork marinated before being grilled.
Its savoury, richly seasoned flavour makes it a natural companion to the restaurant’s Japanese offerings.
Yet Ninano’s appeal extends beyond the food. Live music adds to the atmosphere, while large-screen televisions occasionally show live sports and other events.
The bar serves cocktails, wines, soft drinks and Japanese and Korean favourites, giving guests another reason to linger after their meal.
Service and ambience also contribute to the experience. Previous diners have praised the speedy service and quality of the food, describing the restaurant’s wooden setting as an environment that can momentarily make them feel as though they have travelled beyond Ghana’s borders.
Ultimately, Ninano offers more than a menu of Asian specialities. It provides a meeting point for familiar tastes and new discoveries, making it a distinctive destination for sushi lovers, Korean food enthusiasts and anyone seeking an East Asian dining experience in Ghana.
A child searching for their first picture book, a university student hunting for a prescribed textbook or a reader hoping to find their next favourite novel can all begin their search at the same place: EPP BookShop at Legon City Mall.
Located at 7 Lagoon Street, off Giffard Road, the Legon branch brings together books for different ages, interests and stages of learning.
Its appeal lies in the range of titles available, making it a useful stop for families preparing children for school, students pursuing higher education and readers looking beyond the classroom.
From a Small Accra Shop to a Growing Book Business
EPP Books began in 1991 as a modest bookshop in Accra, occupying a space of no more than 20 square metres.
Over the years, it grew into a chain with branches across the West African sub-region, expanding its reach beyond its original location.
That journey reflects the continuing need for accessible books in homes, schools and educational institutions.
For many learners, textbooks and supplementary readers are essential tools, while novels and self-help books offer opportunities for entertainment, personal growth and discovery.
Books for Different Stages of Life
At the Legon branch, the selection spans preschool materials, children’s readers, school curriculum books, secondary-school textbooks and university-level titles. Customers can also browse bestselling novels and books on personal development.
EPP BookShop serves both retail and wholesale customers, giving individual readers and organisations options for purchasing books. If a particular title is unavailable on the shelves, the shop can also arrange to order it.
For residents, students and visitors in the Legon area, the branch offers more than a place to buy reading materials. It provides a practical starting point for the search for knowledge, whether that begins with a child’s first schoolbook or a reader’s next literary adventure.
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