When to go to Ghana?
While travel in Ghana is possible all year round, it is wise to keep in mind that in August the roads tend to become impassable due to heavy rainfall. By staying on the main paved roads, however, you will have no trouble getting around. Also, from the point of view of weather and terrain, the end of the rainy season (roughly from mid-September to the end of November) is undoubtedly the best time to enjoy the beauty of Ghana. Moreover, since forests and rivers have been abundantly watered during the wet season, the visit of the national parks is even more interesting: these superb spaces are then endowed with a new green carapace. Thus, the Wli waterfalls for example, generously fed, are sublime in October! It is also the period of the harvest and the blooming of the cotton fields.
The beginning of the rainy season is not an unpleasant time either. If the tropical showers of June-July, as brief as they are powerful, already quench the dry and thirsty soils - in one night the lands are covered with a fragile down of greenery announcing the wet season -, they do not hinder the visit of the region. The roads and tracks are easily passable and the rivers are already swelling. As much as possible, one should avoid the months of February to April: the hot air is almost suffocating and the visibility is bad because of the sands and the dust carried by the harmattan (December-February).
Guide de survie harmattan
Between December and February, Ghana is swept by the harmattan, a northeast wind that comes straight from the Sahara. Very hot during the day and rather cold at night, it blows in gusts reminiscent of the sandstorms of the Sahel, leaving the places where it passes covered with a layer of dust and sand. On the other hand, the advantages of the harmattan are the scarcity of mosquitoes and the record time it takes for your clothes to dry! Here are some tips for surviving the harmattan in Ghana.
Stay hydrated. During the harmattan you will probably sweat less but don't let that fool you: it is essential to hydrate regularly! This will keep your skin healthy. Also remember to moisturize your lips (and your body in general), which tend to dry out during this season: shea butter, almond oil and other balms will be your best allies!
Increase your vitamin C intake. The thermal oscillation can be more than 20°C between morning and afternoon during the harmattan: the temperature can indeed go from 8 to 30°C! The combination of these drastic temperature variations with humidity and dust favors the appearance of diseases. Boosting your immune system can therefore be useful.
Dress for the harmattan. The thermal variation induced by the harmattan will force you to have adapted clothes at hand! Also remember to cover your face (mouth and nose) if you are going to be outside for a long time and exposed to the wind.
