British Airways launches flights to budget African beach paradise – with dolphins off shore & £14 hotels
FOR Brits looking for a something a bit different from their next holiday, a new direct flight route could be just the thing they’re looking for.
New flights from British Airways have linked the UK with a country in Africa known for its beautiful beaches, amazing wildlife and cheap beers.
At the end of October, the airline’s first flight from London Gatwick to Accra in Ghana touched down to a warm reception, including dancers, drummers and a VIP delegation.
BA is now operating three journeys from Gatwick to the Ghanaian capital and three back, giving travellers more options for flight times and airports.
The flights between Gatwick and Accra fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
A fourth weekly service will be added to the route timetable from April next year.
BA also operates daily flights from London Heathrow to Accra and there are plenty of reasons to visit, including the beaches.
The country has a total of 539km of coastline, making it a great place to visit for anyone looking to chill out by the sea on their getaway.
Dolphins are often spotted in the waters off the coast, while it’s a popular place for surfers too.
According to Culture Trip, the best beach in the country is Labadi, where live music plays in the evenings as the sun sets over the shoreline.
They wrote: “Ghana’s stunning coastline, burgeoning surfing community and a vibrant beach culture are some of the amazing things to see and do on a day by the sea.
“Labadi beach found near Teshie in the Greater Accra region must be the most popular. It boasts of a large beach front with numerous seating spaces and umbrellas that bow to Accra’s warm afternoon sun.
“Each day at Labadi sees the sun set with diverse genres of music including folk dance rhythms, reggae nights and long night DJ sets.”
Those long beach front parties are helped out by the fact beers cost around 70p in Ghana, according to cost of living database Numbeo.
The country is also known for its fascinating heritage and amazing wildlife, with sights like Cape Coast Castle containing the Museum of West African History.
It details the story of Europeans in Africa and explains the dark history of the transatlantic slave trade, with maps of trading routes and objects that would have been traded for slaves.
Elsewhere, the Mole National Park is Ghana’s largest and most prestigious protected area.
It’s home to elephants, hippos, monkeys and crocodiles among many other species.
The park is quieter than other safaris elsewhere in Africa, but still has plenty of wildlife to spot.
One visitor wrote on TripAdvisor: “If you want a place where you can see animals, without having all the other tourists around, this is the place.
“So nice not to have 10 other jeeps around the elephants, and being the only two tourists going for a night safari.”
A night in Accra can be found online for £14 for two people.
Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances said: “With 11 direct flights, across two London gateways, we’re pleased to offer our Ghanaian customers a greater choice of products and prices.
“Overall, we’re doubling the number of seats between Accra and London, with 55 per cent more capacity next summer versus 2019.
“We are always looking at routes and regions where there is potential for growth and Accra is one of those routes and Africa is one of those regions.”
Meanwhile, Heathrow has launched 11 new routes this year.
And Ryanair has also launched flights to seven new holiday destinations.