Top 4 Things to Do in Kumasi, Ghana
Kumasi is the major city in Ghana. It is located in the centre of Ghana’s Ashanti Kingdom. From nature and wildlife to great history and local food, here are some the greatest sites that tourists should visit while visiting this historic country.
1. Manhyia Palace Museum:
The Ashanti Kingdom’s history is represented in this airy museum. Otumfo Opoku Ware II opened it in 1995 to mark the silver jubilee of his reign. The Building hosting the museum dates back to 1925. It was built during the colonial era. It was a palace for Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I because of his return to his native lands as he was exiled in the Seychelles for many years.
There is much to discover in this great museum: life-sized effigies of past rulers, the origin story of the tribe centres on Okomfo Anokye, and his great sword site, a multitude of gold work for which is one of the landmarks of the Ashanti people, and many other great things.
2. Kejetia Market:
This great Ghana market spans a head spinning 11,000 stalls. It runs the gamut from kente, foodstuffs, sandals, batik, bracelets, beads, and second-hand clothing among other things. It’s the greatest way to see a part of the daily Kumasi life. It can be a huge and disorienting place, so you need a guide there.
3. The National Culture Centre:
The National Culture Centre is located a short distance from Kejetia Market. This popular place includes the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum of Ashanti history, library, bookstore, exhibition hall, and the popular eatery Kentish Kitchen serving delicious and locally made foods such as fufu and jollof. You can purchase some of the artworks made by local craftsman from there.
4. The Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary:
This Ghana sanctuary is the home to about 700 monkeys. This idyllic haven is the home to the high-dwelling, black-and-white Geoffrey’s Colobus Monkey, the lower living Campbell’s Mona Monkey and other species such as the Patas and Dinah Monkey but they are not resident. The monkeys are protected and seen as sacred by the locals in the nearby villages. That is why these locals fed and interacted with the monkeys all the time.
A 19th-century local legend tells the tale of a hunter told to protect the monkeys and an increase in his fortunes when the monkey number increased. In this vein, there is also a graveyard on the site where monkeys and priestesses are buried together. This reflects the sacred nature of the place.
Our other travel destination articles: Luxembourg City, Romania, Hong Kong, and Hawaii