Sights and Sounds
Kotoka International Airport: The War Runway That Became West Africa’s Gateway
If you’ve ever arrived at Kotoka International Airport, you know the drill. You’re tired, you’re hot, and you just want to get outside and smell the Accra air.
The immigration line is long. Your luggage may or may not have made it. And somewhere behind the glass, someone is stamping passports with a pace that suggests they have all the time in the world. If you’ve ever arrived at Kotoka International Airport, you know the drill. You’re tired, you’re hot, and you just want to get outside and smell the Accra air.
But here’s something to think about while you wait.
The ground beneath your feet wasn’t always polished terminal floors and duty-free shops. Back in the 1940s, this was a military operation. British forces needed a strategic position during World War II, and Accra’s location made perfect sense. So they built an airfield. Not for tourists or business travelers. For warplanes.
Fast forward to the 1950s. The war ends, the world changes, and air travel starts becoming a thing. That military runway slowly transforms. By 1956, just before Ghana gained independence, the airport underwent a serious upgrade and a name change: Accra International Airport. Suddenly, Ghana isn’t just watching the world from afar. It’s connected to it.
Then comes 1969. The airport gets renamed again, this time to honour Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kotoka, a figure from Ghana’s early political years. His story has layers, like most history does, but the name stuck. And so did the airport’s importance.
Today, Kotoka moves millions of people. Families returning for Christmas. Business travelers chasing opportunities. Strangers are coming to see what this country is about. The military runway is long gone, buried under decades of expansion and development. But it’s still there underneath, part of the foundation.
Read Also: Cantonments: Why Accra’s Posh Neighbourhood Still Carries a Soldier’s Name
So next time you’re waiting at baggage claim or sitting in departure lounge traffic, remember this. You’re not just passing through another airport. You’re standing where warplanes once parked. You’re walking through a piece of the story.
Welcome back. Or welcome for the first time. Either way, the ground you’re on has seen things.
Sights and Sounds
From Wli to Tagbo: Discover the Waterfall Trails That Define Ghana’s Volta Region
In Ghana’s Volta Region, the journey is just as rewarding as the destination. Here, waterfall hopping isn’t simply a day trip—it’s an invitation to experience some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes, where forest trails, mountain scenery, and cascading water come together unforgettably.
Among the region’s many natural treasures, Wli Waterfalls stands apart. Tumbling nearly 1,600 feet from the cliffs of the Agumatsa Wildlife Sanctuary, it is the tallest waterfall in West Africa and one of Ghana’s most celebrated attractions.
Reaching the lower falls requires a scenic 40-minute walk through lush vegetation, with butterflies fluttering overhead and birds providing a constant soundtrack.
For more adventurous hikers, the steep two-to-three-hour climb to the upper falls offers dramatic views and a quieter encounter with nature.
But Wli is only one chapter in the Volta Region’s waterfall story. The equally captivating Tsatsadu Falls, tucked within the mountain communities near Liati Wote, rewards visitors with peaceful surroundings and refreshing pools after a moderate trek.
Nearby, Tagbo Falls offers another distinctive experience, where a gentle forest walk leads to a striking cascade framed by dense greenery.
Together, these waterfalls reveal why the Volta Region has become one of Ghana’s leading eco-tourism destinations. Each trail introduces visitors to thriving forests, welcoming rural communities, and landscapes that remain remarkably unspoiled.
For international travellers, waterfall hopping provides a chance to discover a side of Ghana often overshadowed by its bustling cities and historic coastline.
For Ghanaians, it is a reminder that some of the country’s greatest treasures lie hidden among the eastern highlands, waiting to be explored one trail—and one waterfall—at a time.
Sights and Sounds
The Twi-Dubbing Revolution: What Ghana’s Love Affair with Foreign Telenovelas Says About Local Storytelling
One of Ghana’s most remarkable television success stories did not begin in a studio in Accra. It arrived from thousands of kilometres away—complete with elaborate weddings, family feuds and endless cliffhangers.
Yet what transformed these imported dramas into a national obsession was not where they came from, but how they were retold.
For many Ghanaians, the memory is instantly familiar. A dramatic scene appears on screen, but instead of Hindi, the actors speak fluent Twi. Mothers pause their evening chores, taxi drivers debate the latest betrayal, and hair salons turn up the television so everyone can follow the unfolding drama.
Somehow, stories produced for audiences in India suddenly felt as though they belonged in Kumasi, Accra, or Sunyani.
The phenomenon began in the early 2010s when Ghanaian television stations searched for affordable but engaging programming. Indian, Mexican, and Philippine telenovelas offered gripping plots and large episode catalogues.
The real breakthrough, however, came when broadcasters invested in local-language dubbing.
Rather than translating dialogue word for word, Ghanaian voice actors and scriptwriters adapted conversations into expressions that resonated with local audiences. Proverbs replaced literal translations.
Humour reflects everyday Ghanaian life. Arguments sounded like family disputes overheard in neighbourhood compounds. The result was something far more powerful than translation—it became cultural adaptation.
Series such as Kumkum Bhagya gained devoted followings, proving that audiences respond as much to emotional authenticity as they do to familiar settings. Characters became household names, and fictional families were discussed with the same passion reserved for real-life celebrities.
The popularity of Twi-dubbed television also demonstrated the remarkable flexibility of language. It showed that storytelling can cross continents when adapted with care and cultural understanding.
Viewers were not simply consuming foreign entertainment; they were experiencing stories through a distinctly Ghanaian lens.
Yet the success of these productions raises an important question about the country’s creative future.
If Ghana possesses the talent to reinterpret international dramas so effectively, could that same creativity produce original television series capable of captivating audiences both at home and abroad?
The country’s film and television industry already has the ingredients: accomplished actors, skilled voice artists, compelling oral traditions, and generations of storytellers.
The enthusiastic audiences showed for dubbed dramas suggest there is an equally strong appetite for locally produced stories that reflect contemporary Ghanaian life while maintaining the emotional intensity viewers have come to enjoy.
The legacy of the Twi-dubbing era extends beyond entertainment. It proved that language is more than a communication tool—it is a bridge between cultures.
It also reminded broadcasters and filmmakers that audiences value stories that feel emotionally familiar, regardless of where they originate.
Perhaps the next television phenomenon will not begin with an imported script waiting to be translated. It will begin with a Ghanaian story, told in a Ghanaian voice, and shared confidently with the rest of the world.
Sights and Sounds
How Accra’s Artisan Shopping Tours Are Giving Visitors a Taste of Ghana’s Creative Spirit
Most travellers leave a destination with a suitcase full of souvenirs. The lucky ones leave with stories behind every purchase.
That is the promise of Accra’s guided souvenir shopping tour, an experience that transforms a simple shopping trip into a journey through Ghana’s thriving creative economy.
Instead of wandering unfamiliar markets or guessing which handcrafted items are genuinely local, visitors are introduced to the city’s artisan culture with the guidance of someone who understands both the products and the people behind them.
The experience offers flexibility from the outset. Travellers can choose a fully chauffeured tour that takes care of transportation throughout the day or opt for a “Meet Me There” package for those who prefer to make their own way to the starting point.
Whichever option they select, guests are welcomed with complimentary Ghanaian chocolate and a refreshing local drink, setting the tone for an outing that celebrates the country’s craftsmanship as much as its hospitality.

For many international visitors, shopping in Ghana can be both exciting and overwhelming. Accra’s markets and artisan centres are filled with colourful textiles, hand-carved wooden sculptures, beadwork, leather goods, woven baskets, jewellery, and contemporary African fashion accessories.
Without local knowledge, however, it can be difficult to distinguish handmade treasures from mass-produced imports or to understand the cultural stories behind each item.
A guided shopping experience bridges that gap. Visitors gain insight into traditional craftsmanship, the symbolism woven into many Ghanaian designs and the techniques that have been passed down through generations of artisans.
Every purchase becomes more meaningful because it carries a connection to the maker and the community where it originated.
The tour also reflects a growing shift in global travel. Increasingly, tourists are looking beyond famous landmarks in search of authentic experiences that support local businesses and create lasting memories.
Rather than collecting generic souvenirs, many travellers now seek products with cultural significance and a clear sense of place.
For Accra, this trend presents an opportunity to showcase one of its greatest strengths: creativity. Ghana’s capital has become a dynamic centre for art, fashion, design and entrepreneurship, where traditional craftsmanship comfortably exists alongside contemporary innovation.
Guided artisan tours introduce visitors to that creative energy while encouraging responsible tourism that benefits local makers.
The tasting element adds another layer to the experience. Ghana is one of the world’s leading cocoa producers, making locally produced chocolate a fitting introduction to the country’s agricultural heritage.
Pairing it with a traditional local beverage creates a warm welcome that appeals to the senses before the shopping even begins.
In the end, the most valuable souvenir may not be the handcrafted basket or beaded necklace tucked into a travel bag. It is the understanding that every item tells a story—one shaped by Ghanaian culture, creativity and the skilled hands that keep those traditions alive.
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