Ghana The Travel Show

Coming up at 6am, Breakfast, with Jon Kay and Sally Nugent.

But first on BBC News, The Travel Show.

This week, celebrating Ghana's 60th birthday.

I'm drinking to the country's independence.

Boxing is massive, they love it here.

And meeting some of its cutest residents.

I am amazed how much banana a little monkey like that can eat.

I could be in any of the big, lively west African capitals,

but I've come to one country that is celebrating a very

NEWS REEL: The name Gold Coast passes, long live Ghana.

60 years ago in 1957, the British Gold Coast broke away

It was a peaceful transition, and Ghana's independence,

the first to be declared in sub-Saharan Africa,

inspired other states to do the same thing.

Today, it is seen as a largely peaceful entry point into this

The simple strife and terrorism that affects some of its neighbours

And by the way, Ebola never crossed the Ghanaian border.

As it plays a crucial role in the country's colonial past.

This is Jamestown, and it's the first place that the British

came to when they arrived here on the Gold Coast.

And while relics of that time still dominate the skyline,

Jamestown's managed to carve itself a little sporting niche.

For some reason, these few streets have churned out champion

Ghana's produced seven world champions, and most of these

On Sunday evenings the streets become packed.

Makeshift rings are set up and people come to

What is it about Jamestown, why do you create such good boxers

The main is, we have the boxers, the musicians and the dancers.

This is great, but they look very young to me,

Sometimes you see their parents, their parents have been

Many families here see sporting glory as a quick

How much does the anniversary of independence, the 60th year

In Jamestown, we really like each other, people on the streets, happy.

Each and every one has to enjoy themselves because it is very happy

for them to see their 60 years, so everyone has to celebrate.

This is Osu, it is a commercial district, and if ever

you were looking for a taste that symbolises Ghana's independence

It's a celebration of the independence movement

and specialises in a drink that has got a unique connection to 1957.

This drink is called akpeteshi, which means the almighty,

It utilises cane spirit, which is in our local slang for...

When the British were colonial authorities here in Ghana,

prior to dependence it was outlawed, it was deemed as unfit to drink,

Do you mind if I try some on its own?

I can feel the heaviness of that and it is spicy! It is spicy. Do you

feel this is like a symbol of gunmen independence? I believe it should be

the criminalised by Ghana's president. He actually passed

legislation to make the consumption of it legal. So that definitely gave

the liberty to indulge in their own, content -- to consume there on. Look

carefully and you can see signs of this anniversary year everywhere.

Not least in the art world, which has used 1957 as a source of

inspiration and reflection. This is a really powerful piece of work.

This stands at the mausoleum of Gardner's independence leader and

argues that Ghana is still not properly read of slavery and

colonialisation. It just exists in a different form these days. The thing

that really hits me is you just can't stop looking at all of their

faces. They've all got individual expressions of pain and it's quite

sobering, actually. Ghana was right at the centre

of the slave trade until it was It's most powerful remnants lie

a few hours east of here, in the old colonial capital

Cape Coast, which is where I'm going next, in that most African

of transport options. So this is a bit interesting,

travelling in this tro tro They haven't got any

regulated stops, they just In London.

In the UK. Yes, the way they do

it is very, very nice. A sunny and beautiful spot

now, with palm trees A far cry from the traffic

and chaos of Accra. And at its heart lies

this imposing castle. This place looks beautiful

on the outside, but inside it's got It's estimated that in total,

around 11 million people were taken All along this coastline were forts,

where men, women and children would be held in miserable

conditions, before their dangerous Yes, the men were

separated from the women. This dungeon was designed

for 1,000 people. They stayed here for about

three months on average. Occasionally they were let out to be

fed, and also to crack stones A few years ago, during restoration

works, archaeologists took up and examined some of

the materials on the floor. So they left a small portion of it

here, to probably tell the rest So this is made up of faeces,

blood, decomposed bodies, clothes, food, vomit, sweat,

urine and many materials that So this is, this is

the product of human despair. Yes.

And toil. And if they survived their stay

in the dungeons here, then it was through the door of no

return, ready for loading Between the harbour and the ship,

one of them might have decided not to go, so he would just

jump into the ocean, Wow - because they were

all chained together. They were all chained together

and they were all drowned here. Either they wanted to escape

or just to commit suicide. And this is after being held

captive in the dungeons? After being held captive

in the dungeons for what, It's your 60th anniversary

of independence. Yes, for over 400 years we have

struggled in slavery. We have struggled in colonialism,

we have come out as a nation stronger than before,

and so we see it as an experience So people can get courage

in whatever they are doing, whatever level they are,

they can rise up through the ashes, use the ashes as

fertilisers to grow. Words of hope from a man whose job

brings him face to face with unimaginable horror

on a daily basis. If he can be optimistic,

there's inspiration for us all. The Travel Show, your essential

guide where ever you're heading. Welcome to the slice

of the show that tackles your I'm here at St Pancras station

in London, where the UK's rail connection to continental

Europe begins. First, an update on the new

rail link in Florida. Brightline, as the express

train service is known, is on schedule to connect down town

Miami with Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach from the summer,

with a high speed extension to Orlando International Airport

following next year, cutting the journey between the two

cities to just three hours, compared with the driving time

on a good day of four hours. Next, Henry is travelling

to the city of Cadiz in south-west Spain, but he's flying

into the British possession of Gibraltar, and wants to know

how to travel onward. "Can we take a rental

car across the border, or is it better to cross into Spain

on foot and hire a car Henry, it's a delightful journey

from Gibraltar to Cadiz, which I have made many times

and it's very straightforward. From the airport, simply head

straight to the Spanish frontier. It's a two minute walk -

just simply aim away from the rock. You will find yourself

in the town of La Linea, and five minutes from the border

there is a bus station. If there's no imminent

departure direct to Cadiz, hop on any bus to the city

of Algeciras, where you will find Iceland is the impending destination

this summer for Angela, and for thousands of other

travellers attracted by the proliferation

of air links to Reykjavik. "Where is the best

place to change money?" In Iceland, but only

a little at a time. The Icelandic krona is a minority

currency, and the spread - that's the difference

between buying and selling rates - is wide, meaning a poor

deal for travellers. So sign up for a card with no

fees for overseas use, if you don't already have one,

and obtain a small amount of Icelandic currency

when you arrive, but rely on plastic Finally, Lynne says she likes

to plan well in advance, partly to give her time

to save up for her trip, but also something to look

forward to, and she asks... "I want to go away this December,

ideally after Christmas but in time Somewhere hot, with

beautiful beaches." A Caribbean island, South Africa

or India would meet those criteria, I've just checked flights

from London to Barbados in the Caribbean, and travelling

between Christmas and New Year for a week, the fare

is already over ?1,500 So, if you want something

a little closer to home, I strongly recommend Egypt

for guaranteed winter sun For example, at the resort

of Hurghada, you can stay for a week, all-inclusive,

for around ?800 - less than $1,000 - and that includes your

flight from the UK, Whether you're looking for sun

or snow, I'm here to help. Just e-mail us and I will do my very

best to find you an answer. From me, Simon Calder,

the global guru, bye for now and see I'm travelling through Ghana

on a mission to have a good nose around the country, that this

year celebrates its 60th This definitely isn't the easiest

of places to get round. The rainforest is not accessible

and there aren't many hotels or places to stay, but what it lacks

in amenities it makes up It's just, it's so beautiful out

here and there's so many About four hours drive north

of the second city of Kumasi lie a set of caves that I'm told show

off Ghana's wildlife This is one of the hardest

treks I've done. They are almost seven,

eight, nine thousand. In fact, some estimates put

the total number of bats inside the Buoyem caves

at between 15 and 20,000. They have been shut

to tourists for a few years Now these concerns are gone

and the caves are open again, if you have got

the stomach for them. But if you're keener on the kind

of wildlife that makes you smile, rather than shriek, you want to head

to the twin villages The people here have forged

a unique relationship Amelia, who has lived around

here for her whole life, I am amazed that how much banana

a little monkey like that can eat! That monkey must have eaten

at least ten bananas. The villagers here believe

these monkeys are sacred. The cheeky Mona and the

black-and-white Colobus, which is slightly more aloof,

but with good reason. Declining numbers through habitat

loss means they're currently listed There can't be many places left

where you're virtually You can see the black-and-white

ones up there. They will just watch us,

but they won't come to us? No, they won't come

to you because they are not friendly like the Mona monkey,

the Mona monkey who will just come to you, but the black-and-white,

they won't come, because they depend or leaves and insects,

so they won't come to you. Harming either species is strictly

forbidden under local law, which means these villages

have become a sanctuary. In fact, the monkeys

here are loved so much, that once they die,

they are given a proper burial. Here the monkeys belong to the Gods,

so the villagers have to stay If we harm or punish them,

you have the same punishment from the Gods, so you have to stay

with them peacefully, and that is why the monkeys,

they are unique from other That's it for now, join

us next week, when... Rajan heads for Jerusalem,

to visit the place said to have been Christ's burial chamber,

newly re-opened after extensive This is, for Christianity,

the most important place Quite an incredible

experience to be here. But in the meantime,

you can keep up with us on social media, or visit our website,

but for now, from me, Ade Adepitan, and all

the Travel Show team here in Ghana,