Thursday, October 16, 2008

Paradise Found in Ghana...Again!

Akwaaba! I truly hope that our repetitive accounts of an assortment of Ghana's finest and utterly deserted beaches and resorts do not become mundane or tiresome for the one or two readers who may have hung on to this point. Of course, these spots are neither mundane nor tiresome for us, so we'll just carry on sunning, frolicking and snapping shots, if it's all the same to you! This latest batch of family photos was captured at Till's Beach Hotel at Gomoa Fetteh, west of Accra, in case you're puting push pins in your map of Ghana. It is worth noting bluntly and right out front, that this was by far the cleanest and most accessible stretch of beach we have seen to date in Ghana.

Our latest discovery happened (you may be delighted to hear at this point) after being shunned at a rather posh resort called White Sands. We drove for about an hour and a half (approx. 89 minutes of which was spent getting out of Accra) to be told in an almost-sympathetic tone that the resort was for members only. Their version of pity amounted to a consolation offer of 25 Ghana Cedis a head (yes, that's a whopping $150.00 Canadian!), so we almost-gracefully declined and zipped around the corner, quite literally, to Till's. We were not to be disappointed on this day as our plans broke in the most extraordinary way.

They did not charge us for entry, but that may be because we ate at the restaurant, which was pretty darn good and had children's meals. The service was excellent all round and the view from the restaurant (pictured above) was stunning. There is mini-golf, life size chess (Clear Lake style!) and outdoor ping pong and checkers. They were generally kid-friendly and we'll likely return soon as the ocean was manageable, even with the kids. The picture of Cohen and Bronte does capture some of the force of the ocean in these parts and the older two are pretty aware of the danger. This may have something to do with our hyperbolic attempts to instill terror into their swimmer's hearts. Materia generally plays it safe, but the following picture will offer a glimpse at the growing concern that is Cuyler "Superpower" Land as he breaks for the wake. As soon as each wave knocked him squarely on his "little swimmer" diaper, he bounced back up, giggling like a drunken sailor with a crush, ready for the next hit. Carmilla and I took turns grabbing him by the pants and hoisting him to his feet, at once faithful pub bouncers for our little saltwater swilling ruffian.

I said to Carmilla that it was the first place I could imagine us (affording to) spend a week at. We halfway considered a spontaneous overnight but that is a bit tricky with the clan in tow and while the rooms were both reasonably priced and stylishly appointed (each with a private balcony opening to a view of the ocean), we headed back to Accra to "enjoy" the traffic. While you may resent us for gloating, please at least give us credit for sharing this location--the temptation to keep it all to ourselves was difficult to resist. Now you know!

2 comments:

Joanne said...

Absolutely beautiful Ryan! Thanks so much for sharing. It's great to know what you guys are experiencing!

Ryan Land said...

Thanks for reading!