The great escape - Enjoying a cheap vacation

This is an article shared by one of my friends at Jumia Travel, it is quite interesting...

The great escape - Enjoying a cheap vacation

It's coming to the end of a summer to remember, my vacation in Ghana was the perfect getaway I always dreamt about.  For tourists and visitors to Ghana, there are several destinations to unwind in the major cities, especially Accra, Koforidua, Takoradi and Kumasi.

Just two months back I looked at my savings and believed I was going to be holed up in my apartment watching National Geographic while eating pizzas.

I was lucky to have a colleague at work put together a vacation strategy which would allow me travel to exotic locations on a shoestring budget. It took us careful planning and some financial discipline on my part to pull it off.

Just looking at the travel brochure of the beautiful Accra beaches, tourist attractions and enchanting safari wild life, I had doubts about making this trip.

Unlike most people who dream of exploring exotic destinations in Africa and later call it off for fear of its expense, I was able to make my vacation a reality.

I have listed below most of the tips that helped me book cheap hotels and save money on my visit to Ghana.

Setting your daily spending budget

The first advice I got before taking off was to do some research, figure out a reasonable spending limit and stick to it at all cost. This might mean forgoing some luxury, staying in hostels, cooking your own meals and using public transportation.

Most Safari brochures I saw only listed luxury, yet I was able to book cheap Accra hotels for less than $35 (100 Cedi).

Instead of shopping in the Accra mall I bought most of my Groceries in the popular Makola market. I found out that by eating out at local restaurants and staying away from the Luxury restaurants it wasn’t so difficult having a daily budget limit of $150.

Book hotel room and flight in advance

Just after completing your research, it would be wise to start making your reservations. Search for flight and hotel deals for your location.

Also ensure the hotel booking website specifies if the hotel provides facilities such as Air conditioners, mini-bars, WIFI and Jacuzzi’s. Hotel rooms with such facilities are on the pricey side, you would better off with basic hotel rooms.

When booking your flight it is better you avoid taking off or arriving during peak periods of Fridays and Saturdays; tickets are more expensive then.

Shared accommodation and Service apartments

Shared serviced apartments are gaining popularity in some parts of Ghana. Just when I thought I was making amazing savings with hotel deals, I discovered AirBnb in Ghana was cheaper.

Tourist and expatriates who intend staying longer share apartments in the city. Some of these apartments have facilities for cooking, entertainment and bathtubs.

Some of the hostels offered a common room, a comfortable bed and restaurant.