Accra to Ayensudi
After three frenetic days acclimatising in Accra, I was itching to escape the cacophony of city life for something with a bit more serenity; the small fishing village of Ampenyi turned out to be the perfect tonic. Ampenyi lies about 200km west of Ghana’s capital and after an arduous six-hour journey on the bus to get there, the sight of the small fishing village, and its vista of stunning beaches and Gulf of Guinea backdrop, was a joy to behold.
The village itself sits about 3km from the main Accra-Takoradi highway, and if you are coming by public transport, you should alight at Ayensudu Junction. I made sure to share my travel intentions with the bus driver before we departed Accra, as there are no set stops along the route, so you need to let him know when you’re getting off.
Ayensudi to Ampenyi
The roadside town of Ayensudu was teeming with activity, but there were plenty of taxis available adjacent to the fruit sellers, who took me in a shared cab down to Ampenyi. With nine people squeezed into the dinkiest of cars (three in the front, three in the back, and three children either on laps or tucked tightly into papooses), we heaved off towards the village.
The side roads in Ghana are very poorly maintained, and after half an hour of manoeuvring craterous potholes, and chugging through sections of muddy unpaved road, we eventually arrived at our destination. I was staying at the charming Charlestina beach resort on the farthest boundary of the village; the hotel grounds are delightful, satiating me with a sense of tranquillity and calm that I had been hungering for since long before arriving in Accra. You can read my review of the Charlestina resort here.
In front of the resort is Ampenyi’s idyllic beach setting which stretches out along a large sandy crescent bay, and is dotted with rows of colourful, rickety fishing boats; a perfect location for reading books, drinking beer and scoffing plenty of tasty Ghanian food.
Fast Facts
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- Cost of bus from Accra to Takoradi = 85 cedis – note that there are only two buses on weekends – 5am and 1pm.
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- Buy your bus ticket from the SDC Bus terminal in Circle, Accra
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- Ampenyi is 187km from Accra. The bus took about 6 hours – there was a lot of stopping and starting due to people intermittently disembarking along the route.
