I really hated to leave the Kempinski, but around 2:00pm I ordered an Uber and headed over to the bus station. Yes, I planned to take public transport on a 200km (124 mile) journey from Accra to Lomé via Aflao, the border town dividing Ghana and Togo. While it did not work out according to plan, I still had quite the adventure…
Overland Journey: Accra, Ghana To Lomé, Togo Via Aflao Border Crossing
First, great thanks to Jason Around The World for his report on the same journey. He’s not one to mess with public transport, but gave me great insight into the trip, which helped eliminate much of the uncertainty.
I love first class flights and five star hotels, but I’m not particularly pretentious when it comes to ground transport. I figured taking a bus or shared van from Accra to Aflao, the Ghana border town, would be easy enough.
Traffic was horrific getting to the bus station, even though it was less than a mile from the hotel (and less than $1 on Uber). I could have made better time walking, but it was an unbearably hot afternoon and I was traveling with luggage.
Accra has many bus stations, but I headed to the Intercity STC Tudu Bus Station. These appeared to be government-operated buses and there was published service from Accra to Aflao.
I was the only white guy there…literally, me and hundreds of people looking at me like I was crazy. Everyone watched as I went up to the ticket window and inquired about the next bus to Aflao. I was told to sit down and wait…one was coming.
Ok. I had cash ready to pay for a ticket and according to the website, it was only 34 Cedi (about 6USD).
So I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
An hour passed. It was now after 3:00PM with rush hour approaching.
The Taxi Negotiation
When I asked if there was an update about the bus, I was met with a shrug.
The touts were getting aggressive. A couple guys around me picked up on the fact I was trying to get to Togo and began aggressively trying to hawk me their taxi service. They wanted 1,000 Cedi (170USD) to take me to the border.
I burst out laughing.
Uber wanted 162 Cedi (27USD) for the ride. It really wasn’t to save $20 that I wanted to take the bus…it was more for the experience. But time was wasting away, rush hour coming, and I was finished waiting (a luxury that I do not take for granted).
I probably could have negotiated a better deal, but I showed them the Uber price, told them I’d give them 180 Cedi (30USD) and started walking away.
They took the deal…I’m sure they got the better end of the bargain.
I looked back, somewhat sad. All the people who were waiting for the bus would still be waiting for the bus. Since I had purchased the whole car, I decided to invite another passenger along. Why not if the front passenger seat would just remain empty? You should have seen the look on his face. He didn’t speak English, but his beaming smile was better than any gratitude he could have expressed.
We took off…and hit horrific traffic. For miles. For hours.
At one point the driver tried to bypass stalled traffic by off-roading through a trash-filled, vacant field. I chuckled as about a dozen other cars followed him. We hit construction at one point and rather than slowing down he accelerated through it.
It was one of those rides.
The 200km journey took five hours.
Once we reached Aflao, the other passenger bailed and I was left alone with the driver. He spoke very little English, but I asked him to take me all the way to border…the touts at the border are supposed to be horrific and I did not want to deal with them.
I paid him in the car (and yes, I did tip him), we shook hands, and I bolted out for the border outpost before doing something I really should not have done…
To Be Continued.
This story is part of my An African Adventure As The World Shut Down trip report.
Matthew,
These trip reports are fascinating. They are certainly not the usual first class seat review or luxury hotel report. Keep these coming, the suspense is fun!
Thanks for reading Gary!
This is great! I assume there was no lounge to review at the bus station?
Lol. That would be correct!
You crazy. The key to driving east is to get past the Tema roundabout intersection before 330-4pm otherwise you might as well add 2 hours to your trip. Same with Mallam Junction and driving west.
I couldn’t bear to leave the Kempinski any earlier! Next time, I’ll fly! 😉
What a decrepit bus station. Why these countries can’t invest in some simple infrastructure is beyond me.
Yes, a lot of patience is required. Done it Peru/Chile, S.Africa/Mozambique, Bolivia/Peru, Georgia/Armenia, and Laos/Thailand. Best if you can get the driver to take you across the border since he often knows the officers and talks their language. VERY happy to see you doing these kinds of journeys. Keep trucking!
Matthew, thank you so much for your wonderful articles. I always look forward to reading your reviews. Just seeing the picture of your taxi driver off-roading near the notorious Kpone Junction traffic, just beyond the newly constructed Motorway Rounabout, reminds me of own experience at that very place. I just got back from Accra and stayed on the Afloa road. My daily headaches was getting pass that very junction your taxi driver off-roaded. Very good article. Looking forward to the rest of your experience.
Thanks BJ and thanks Abdul for the kind words.
You double crazy. Crossing that border at, I guess, at 9 pm?!
Dare I say this sounds like a lot of fun?
Matthew, thank you so much for your wonderful articles. I always look forward to reading your reviews. Just seeing the picture of your taxi driver off-roading near the notorious Kpone Junction traffic, just beyond the newly constructed Motorway Rounabout, reminds me of own experience at that very place. I just got back from Accra and stayed on the Afloa road. My daily headaches was getting pass that very junction your taxi driver off-roaded. Very good article. Looking forward to the rest of your experience.
While every day can be an adventure and flying in the front of plane is fun these are the types of adventures you will remember forever. Very cool!
I thought the Ghana Togo border is still closed. I’m going to Ghana in 2 weeks and I want to visit Togo for 2 days. Is it possible?
This trip was in March 2020.
The land border is still closed for normal traffic, but permits are available from the Office of the President for special needs.
Comments from Matthew would be interesting about how he communicated with the man who intended to go by bus but got a free ride.
What shouldn’t have Matthew done, the end of the article reads. I would NOT have taken a photo of the border area. That is asking for trouble, in my opinion. I also try not to travel to unfamiliar places and systems at night. For example, I have never been to Pueblo, CO but the system (USA) is familiar so ok. I do not like to arrive in India at midnight but that is often hard to avoid. The solution is to fly to Singapore, rest and reduce jet lag then go to India, arriving wide awake and not sleepy eyed in India.
You guessed it Derek!
As for communicate, I must say I didn’t communicate with him again once he sat down in the front seat beyond saying goodbye when he got off in Aflao.
Interesting but what I didn’t write clearly is how you convinced him to go with you. In English? Just offered him a ride? Not a woman because she might think you’re a rapist?
Your sense of adventure is admirable, Matthew, but do you ever fear for your safety – especially with a wife and two small children at home?
How do you gauge risk in situations like this, especially when you stand out and no one else speaks English?
Most speak some English in Ghana, a former British colony. It just so happened that my driver and the other passenger did not speak much (or did not let on they spoke much).
But I have been in places where English is not widely spoken or understood and you just sort of roll with it. I don’t worry about death and generally just take reasonable precautions like not flashing money or pricey electronics out. I tend to dress down when I go on these sorts of trips. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
I once made a trip that I did not adapt well. It was in Hungary. I did not speak Magyar and was intimidated because the language is not similar to English, German, French, or Russian. It was a 24 hour trip. Instead, I went hungry in Hungary. I ate the food that I brought. I did not speak a single word in that country. I even slept in my car. I had not a single human contact except seeing people on the street. I am not like that anymore.
Let’s hear the rest of the story! You have piqued my interest! ;0
Well as someone who did that kind of trip many times, you couldn’t describe that experience very well. Thank you for reminding me the old days. Again keep them coming, I can’t wait to read more of that experience. I want to know what happen at the custom. Your experience at Aflao, Ghana side and Togo side, the difference between both sides, restaurants experiences, how friendly are they? Also what do you think about the beaches in both sides.
Thanks Matt!
John F. We do speak good English in Ghana, the reason why the driver he picked didn’t speak English was because he is french. If Matthew have asked him he would have known. He his togolese
Are the land borders closed in Ghan
Yes. Except for special circumstances.
Well done Matthew for great article, can I pick some of your articls for my website , then will give you the credit. Traveltimeafrica.com I am in Ghana
I thought that land borders were closed during the covid 19 pandemic