You’ve probably come across several packing lists talking about what to bring along for your journey to Ghana. While different sources say different things, there are some must-haves that you cannot do without.

We’ll guide you through some of the most important packing essentials you should consider taking along for your trip back to Ghana.

The Basics

Let’s start with some basics. Some things are easy to forget, and you wouldn’t understand how important they are until you don’t have them. We’ll be looking at souvenirs, luggage, entertainment, medicine, cosmetics and technology. They are all needed for a number of reasons. For example, souvenirs.

The Souvenirs

If you have friends and family here, you don’t want to skip this one. It is common practice in Ghana to bring back gifts to friends and family to punctuate your return and establish your arrival. It is also a communal gesture inviting friends and family to share in the joy of your travel, through the giving and sharing of gifts.

Chocolates and other snacks are staple souvenirs but you can ask those you are visiting what they would like you to bring. That usually works best for everyone.

Luggage

The type of luggage you use probably didn’t come to mind as essential. But it makes be the difference between having all your belongings intact or having your valuables picked from slashed or damaged parts of your suitcase – if it arrives at all.

We recommend getting a brand new, solid suitcase with a coded lock. This feature offers added security and often acts as a deterrent to theft since tampering would be noticeable and handlers could be traced. Of course, if you already own a strong, safe and sturdy suitcase that keeps your items safe, there may be no need to get a new one.

Speaking of luggage, let’s talk about clothes and footwear.

Clothes & Footwear

Since we’re narrowing down on packing essentials, all you need are a few casual clothes for outings and staying at home, and two formal outfits. This prepares you in case you are invited to a formal gathering during your trip.

The casual clothes are optimal for exploring the cities and keeping up with their fast pace.
Be sure to bring along sneakers or sandals. Anything suited for walking.

Hats and scarves, depending on your preference are also recommended due to the heat.
It wouldn’t hurt to throw in some swimwear too.

What about entertainment?

No one should have to deal with boredom on their vacation, and proper planning helps to avoid that. It’s in your best interest to consider your interests and take some form of entertainment with you as packing essentials.

If you’re neither a gamer nor a music enthusiast, take along a book if you enjoy reading. Have your Netflix or Amazon Prime account paid for in advance before coming.

Bring a Roku Box or Google Chromecast to use on your smart TV so you never miss out on digital streaming services you opted into.

And if you can, bring a portable WiFi device – and a power bank too. Internet connectivity and stable electricity in Ghana are not ubiquitous.

Alternatively, staying refreshed and in good health is another crucial thing to be aware of when packing. We’ll talk about that briefly.

Let's talk Cosmetics

Bringing a skin moisturizer is a crucial packing essential.

The weather in Ghana is hot and humid and your skin deserves to be rejuvenated and protected against the heat. Take note of the labels on what you buy to ensure the SPF rating is around 30 or above.

This greatly reduces the damaging effect of UV rays on your skin. Any product including vitamin A, E, C, and D are highly recommended. The same goes for creams including glycerin and (a lot of) shea butter.

Medicine & Health Insurance

As spoken about in our previous article 7 tips to prepare yourself for Ghana, packing medicine and preparing your health insurance are packing essentials.

On the Ghanaian pharmaceutical market, you may not have your prescriptions available due to import and FDA restrictions.

Should you have any allergies or preexisting conditions, be sure to bring the required medication along.

Also, look into health insurance options or packages that cover travel in case you need to access healthcare services while in Ghana.

Identification

As with all travel, it is a good idea to keep some form of personal identification on you. Travel documents may be a bit of a stretch for safety reasons, since they contain sensitive information that includes your travel history and status.

Instead, we recommend getting a tourist’s driver’s license or using digital copies of your passport or any valid ID to ensure that you can access the places you need to go, upon arrival in Ghana.

Technology

An additional tip is to bring along your hard drives and flash drives, in case you have any items you would like to share with your friends and family during visits.

And if you so happen to be a digital nomad or freelancer with a flexible work schedule who wants to tackle some work at a poolside in East Legon, that tech would come in handy.

A rechargeable fan would definitely complete the whole poolside aesthetic, too.

Wrapping Up

We talked about the kind of luggage, clothing, souvenirs, ID, technology, medication, entertainment and cosmetics that are packing essentials for your trip in this article.

We hope it has helped answer some of your questions about preparing to come to Ghana. Feel free to share some of your recommendations with us in the comments as well.

Enjoy your adventure!

We’ll see you in the next post.