How to get from Banjul to Kumasi
 

Hey everybody,

as my trip is approaching there are still some urging questions left I was hoping to find some answers here.

I will be going by car in mid December from Morocco to Gambia via the coastal road. I understand that most of the track is tarred so I m hoping to get there nice and easy :-)

As my final destination is Kumasi I am not sure yet how to proceed from Gambia. On my way to Gambia I will be traveling with a person who is doing the trip for many years now. So the plan was to sell the car in Gambia and then get to Ghana as quick and cheap as possible.

I am thinking about catching a flight, although I didn´t find any affordable connections from Banjul/Dakar to Accra.

Is there ships/ferries going from Gambia to Ghana ? Does anybody has some prices ?

The last option would be to continue on land and go through Bamako and Burkina Faso to Ghana but I am a little concerned about the current situation in Mali. Also, I did not arrange Visa for neither Burkina Faso nor Mali.


I would be happy for any advice on how to proceed from Gambia considering my situation.

Christian

If you don't get answers here, ask on the Lonely Planet Thorntree Africa branch. Try to narrow your questions a bit.

I've flown between Dakar and Accra, between Bamako and Accra, between Bamako and Abidjan, plus a few routes I've long since forgotten. Airlines in West Africa come and go regularly, so you need current information. It's never been cheap, so if that's what you're hoping for.....

I've also traveled a variety of routes overland, but visa rules change almost as often as airline routes, and there've been a few civil insurrections and wars in the past decade too. Generally, it's always possible to get some sort of visa on arrival in Bamako--by air or land. Recently, visas on arrival in Burkina have been pathetically expensive, but I've heard that's changed again.

Were I you, I'd wait until I arrived in Dakar, find an agent and ask. These things are usually far easier to work out on the ground with someone who already knows the answers and options. Dakar, Bamako and Accra are all air transport hubs, so it shouldn't be too difficult (cost aside). Be aware your agent won't know the visa rules or costs for your passport.

Otherwise, do what everyone else does: take local transport (buses, taxis grandes, tro-tros) through Guinea or direct to Bamako, then via Burkina Faso to Ghana. It's a nice trip, in parts. Expect to spend about a week on the road, and to be worn out by the time you arrive--spending a couple of weeks or a month will make a fine journey.

Sorry, but asking about ferries is just silly.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Hey Mark,

thanks for this very informative answer. I also thought it will be best to deal with the further route once we get to Dakar. Just wanted to get some information beforehand to get an impression about the possible options.

Also, I thought that one might get better prices when booking in advance but in this jungle of small airlines of which little show prices on the Internet I m better off asking someone who knows when I am there.

Maybe the word ferry was the wrong term. I was wondering if there is any ship connections between Dakar/Banjul and Ghana. It may sound silly but I imagine that going by some cargo ship may be an easy way to get to Ghana while avoiding visa problems and critical countries on the way. Just an idea.

Greetz, Christian

I passed through southern Mali via Guinea back in June, Bamako was fine despite the troubles in the north. Stayed at the Sleeping Camel and collected my Burkina visa in less then 24 hours.