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Exploring Traditional Bead Making in Ghana’s Eastern Region

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The road into Ghana’s Eastern Region rolls past thick green hills, roadside fruit stalls, and villages alive with colour.

Then comes the unmistakable sound: glass cracking softly beneath stone. In the bead-making communities around Krobo land, broken bottles are not waste. They are raw material for one of Ghana’s oldest artistic traditions.

Inside a warm clay workshop, women sort fragments of blue, green, amber, and clear glass into small bowls while smoke curls gently from nearby kilns.

A craftsman carefully fills handmade moulds with powdered glass before sliding them into a fire-blackened oven. Hours later, the pieces emerge transformed — shimmering beads streaked with colour, each one carrying centuries of cultural memory.

For the Krobo people of the Eastern Region, beads are far more than decoration. They mark birth, puberty, marriage, spirituality, and status.

During festivals and traditional ceremonies, layers of beads rest proudly around waists, wrists, and necks, turning the human body into a living archive of heritage.

Walking Through Ghana’s Living Bead Culture

Visitors to bead-making centres such as Odumase-Krobo quickly realise the experience is wonderfully hands-on.

Travellers can watch every stage of production: crushing recycled glass into powder, painting intricate patterns with cassava-stem tools, firing the beads in clay kilns, and polishing the finished pieces by hand.

The atmosphere feels deeply personal rather than staged for tourists. Children weave through courtyards carrying trays of beads while elders explain the meanings behind colours and patterns. Bright reds may symbolise strength or spiritual energy; blues often evoke peace, harmony, and love.

Many tours allow guests to create their own beads, an experience that slows time in the best possible way.

Beyond the workshops, the Eastern Region offers plenty to explore — from the forest canopy walk at Aburi Botanical Gardens to mountain views around the Akuapem Ridge and lively local markets filled with handmade crafts and fresh palm wine.

Why the Journey Stays With You

Traditional bead making offers something many modern travel experiences struggle to provide: a genuine human connection.

Travellers do not simply observe culture here; they sit beside it, touch it, and carry part of it home.

Long after leaving the Eastern Region, many visitors remember the glow of kiln fires at dusk and the quiet patience behind every handcrafted bead — small objects carrying stories far older than the roads leading to them.

Sights and Sounds

EPP BookShop at Legon: A Destination for Students, Families and Book Lovers

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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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Sights and Sounds

Where Beauty Meets Relaxation: Inside Niobe Salon and Spa in Accra

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In a city where daily life can move at a relentless pace, finding a place to pause, unwind and feel refreshed can be a luxury in itself.

At Niobe Salon and Spa, located within Accra’s African Regent Hotel, beauty and relaxation come together in a contemporary setting designed to make personal care an enjoyable experience.

Niobe operates across five locations in Accra, Ghana’s bustling capital, with a philosophy built around the belief that cultivating a personal style should be rewarding, relaxing and fun. Its guiding idea, that “beauty is a feeling,” places the experience of self-care at the heart of its offering.

Facial Treatments for a Refreshed Look

At the African Regent Hotel branch, the treatment menu caters to guests seeking specialised skincare and facial care.

Options include Elemis facials, CACI lifting facials, Biotec Elemis facials, microdermabrasion and peel treatments, as well as Dr Murad facials.

These services offer visitors a range of choices, whether they are looking to refresh their complexion, explore targeted skincare treatments or set aside time for a personal wellness ritual.

The variety also makes the spa an appealing option for hotel guests and Accra residents looking to incorporate professional beauty care into their routines.

The hotel’s location adds to the appeal, offering a convenient setting for visitors who want to combine a beauty appointment with a stay or other activities in the city.

Making Time for Self-Care in Accra

Niobe Salon and Spa welcomes clients during the week and on Saturdays, with Sunday hours listed separately.

However, its published schedules contain some inconsistencies, so prospective visitors should confirm opening times before making a trip.

For travellers discovering Accra or residents seeking a dedicated beauty appointment, Niobe presents an opportunity to step away from everyday demands and make time for themselves.

At its African Regent Hotel location, the emphasis is on more than appearance: it is about making the experience of looking after oneself feel restorative, personal and rewarding.

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Sights and Sounds

Calabo Playground Gives Accra Children Room to Play, Explore and Grow

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For children, a good weekend can be as simple as racing a friend, climbing onto a play structure or waiting excitedly for the next ride.

At Calabo Playground in East Legon, those small moments are at the heart of the experience.

Located on Mensah Wood Street, Calabo is a soft play and playground designed for children aged 3 to 10, giving families a dedicated space where young children can stay active, socialise and enjoy unstructured play in a secure environment.

One of the attractions is the chance to climb into a canoe and race against friends—a playful competition that can quickly turn an ordinary afternoon into a hunt for bragging rights.

Children can also explore a range of indoor and outdoor equipment, with activities including a sliding pool and train rides.

The playground is particularly suited to Accra families looking for something different from spending weekends indoors. School holidays also bring an opportunity for children to spend more time playing, learning and interacting with others.

Beyond the equipment, Calabo offers a setting for children to build confidence and friendships through play. Parents can also organise parties, while homemade snacks add to the family-friendly experience.

Entry is priced from GH¢30 per hour, making it an accessible option for families seeking a few hours of entertainment without committing to a full-day outing. Calabo operates on weekends and during school holidays, so families should plan their visits around those opening periods.

For visitors to Accra travelling with young children, Calabo offers a glimpse of the city’s family leisure scene. For local parents, it is a simple invitation to let the children run, race, laugh and play.

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