Rating: 
Summary: Some thoughts on Briggs' Second edition, guide to Ghana...
Review: In that this follows a number of other reviews of Philip Briggs' "Ghana--The Bradt Travel Guide" (second edition), there may be a "coals to Newcastle" aspect to my comments. I found the first edition, recommended by a Ghanaian friend, very helpful on a trip to Ghana in February of 2001. I've since bought the second (updated and expanded) edition, and find it as readable as the first, as well as continuing to give a reasonable level of detail about getting around, places to stay, and things to see. There are some pet items that in my view would have warranted mention, such as the universities in Cape Coast and Kumasi, but it's not reasonable to expect everything about a country to show up in 354 pages. Having worked in Ghana years ago, I was not starting from zero when picking up Briggs' book. I had also been checking with a few Ghanaian friends, and had been looking into websites. Maybe that's the main point to make: No single source of information, even a very good guidebook such as this one, can be entirely complete and up-to-date. From the U.S., at least, your visa application may be your first encounter with Ghanaian bureaucracy. Unless you live close to the embassy in Washington or the consulate in New York, get started at least two months in advance. Once in Ghana, you'll need to get adjusted to some third-world realities. Those used to North American and European infrastructure and scheduling efficiency may have to remind themselves that things really will typically take longer, that power and water outages can be frequent, that transportation will not always be fully predictable, and that breakdowns should not be a surprise. Get on the road early whenever possible, make sure that you fill that bucket in the bathroom promptly on arrival, and keep a flashlight handy. Ghana is not, in short, the sort of "autofocus" vacation area that we may tend to expect, but instead qualifies as your "grittier, more economical, more authentic African experience". Keep in mind that if you have travelled all day and arrived somewhere hot, sweaty, dusty and grimy, that your initial impression of a destination will probably not be as favorable as it will be a day later, once you have had the chance to clean up, rest up, and get calibrated to the place. Ghanaians pointed out to us, and our experience verified, that transportation functions more efficiently in southern and central Ghana than it does further north, and one should plan accordingly. Philip Briggs' guide to Ghana will definitely help in that planning.
Rating:
Summary: Some thoughts on Briggs' Second edition, guide to Ghana...
Review: In that this follows a number of other reviews of Philip Briggs' "Ghana--The Bradt Travel Guide" (second edition), there may be a "coals to Newcastle" aspect to my comments. I found the first edition, recommended by a Ghanaian friend, very helpful on a trip to Ghana in February of 2001. I've since bought the second (updated and expanded) edition, and find it as readable as the first, as well as continuing to give a reasonable level of detail about getting around, places to stay, and things to see. There are some pet items that in my view would have warranted mention, such as the universities in Cape Coast and Kumasi, but it's not reasonable to expect everything about a country to show up in 354 pages. Having worked in Ghana years ago, I was not starting from zero when picking up Briggs' book. I had also been checking with a few Ghanaian friends, and had been looking into websites. Maybe that's the main point to make: No single source of information, even a very good guidebook such as this one, can be entirely complete and up-to-date. From the U.S., at least, your visa application may be your first encounter with Ghanaian bureaucracy. Unless you live close to the embassy in Washington or the consulate in New York, get started at least two months in advance. Once in Ghana, you'll need to get adjusted to some third-world realities. Those used to North American and European infrastructure and scheduling efficiency may have to remind themselves that things really will typically take longer, that power and water outages can be frequent, that transportation will not always be fully predictable, and that breakdowns should not be a surprise. Get on the road early whenever possible, make sure that you fill that bucket in the bathroom promptly on arrival, and keep a flashlight handy. Ghana is not, in short, the sort of "autofocus" vacation area that we may tend to expect, but instead qualifies as your "grittier, more economical, more authentic African experience". Keep in mind that if you have travelled all day and arrived somewhere hot, sweaty, dusty and grimy, that your initial impression of a destination will probably not be as favorable as it will be a day later, once you have had the chance to clean up, rest up, and get calibrated to the place. Ghanaians pointed out to us, and our experience verified, that transportation functions more efficiently in southern and central Ghana than it does further north, and one should plan accordingly. Philip Briggs' guide to Ghana will definitely help in that planning.
Rating: 
Summary: Ghana's best guidebook
Review: During the six months I spend in Ghana as a volunteer, this guide was my Bible. It told me where to sleep, where to eat and how to get there. I found it's information seldomly inaccurate and the price indications (in spite of the constant devaluation of the cedi) were good enough to choose which hotel or restaurant to go to.
It's true that the style of writing is not the most common style for a travelling guide because of the long, unpractical, not matter-of-fact sentences. But the author also has a lot of humour, which makes it a pleasure to read. This might come in handy if you have to waite for a few hours!
If you're only travelling through Ghana during your journey through West-Africa (for which it's far too extended), you can just stick to the Lonely Planet, but if you stay any longer, I can recommend the Bradt guide. (If nothing else, it certainly has the most maps of all the guids that cover Ghana.)
Rating:
Summary: How can you not like this book?
Review: I read the review that Andrius Uzkalnis wrote, starting with "author meant well.." and I was totally shocked. Somebody who is writing hardly understandable comments on a book, accusing the author of writing "Long sentences and chaotic structure of thought make reading a painful and irritating exercise." I'm a native Dutch and English has never been my strongest subject, but I always fully understood what author Philip Briggs wrote. I'm a member of a volunteer-travel-organisation for people that want to travel to Ghana and we recommend the guide to all volunteers. During the months I travelled in Ghana, I also found a few minor mistakes, but never ones that were misleading. Okay, the guide never warns for corruption, neither the author denies that it might occur. On markets there are different prices for tourist as for locals (as in many other African countries), but it has never reached the level of corruption. Maybe some people might have had a negative experience, but please do not try to blame somebody else. In the beginning I even used the 1st edition of the guide, while the 2nd is much better though, and I haven't met anybody that agreed with the assumption of this above mentioned reviewer. Maybe people might have personal financial interests in Lonely Planet, but for Ghana I can only recommend The Bradt Guide!
Rating:
Summary: Briggs details an often difficult country
Review: In anticipation of my first trip to Africa and more specifically, Ghana, I decided that having a guide on hand would make the trip easier and less stressful. I traveled with a group of eight students from the U.S., none of whom had researched the country or had any idea what they were getting themselves into.
After purchasing Phillip Briggs' book I began thumbbing through and highlighting places of interest. I read his synopsis of the country and learned enough information based on that to educate my fellow travelers. Throughout my six weeks in Ghana, I used his book on a daily basis. From restaurant suggestions to tourist attractions to detailed directions in an often mind boggling setting, Briggs was right on the money and made our trip much easier. While he sometimes failed to emphasize the road hazards (i.e. the Baobeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary whose dirt path stretched for endless miles and whose potholes almost toppled our van.), that was our only complaint. Phillip Briggs definitely made my trip to Ghana an enjoyable one. I'm anxious to get back and see even more of the places he describes.
Rating:
Summary: An essential Book!
Review: Living in Ghana for 7 months would have been impossible without this book (or its predecessor) to help me. Packed with information that is easy to read, set out clearly and in not to small a print! This new edition has accounts by people who have lived or visited these places to give you another take on things. Phillip Briggs writes with enthusiasm and because he has actually been to these places and stayed there for some time he is familiar with the way of things. My book was falling apart by the time I left as it had been used, thumbed through and taken so many places. I will definately be using Bradt travel guides whenever I go away again.
Rating:
Summary: Ghana - a useful guide and introduction
Review: Philip Briggs' book covers an area that is only covered elsewhere in West African regional guides and therefore fills an important gap in the market. It contains a great deal of useful general information and advice, and presents Ghana and Ghanaians as the welcoming country and people they are. I visited Ghana for 6 weeks last year following a gap of 27 years since the 1970s when I lived and researched in the country for four years. This book ably brought me up to date with details on developments, accommodation, road conditions, the developing tourist industry, prices etc which helped to make my trip less daunting and much more pleasurable. There were a few gaps and points that needed up-dating in what was the first edition of the book, but key advice on the condition of roads, availability of accommodation was accurate and invaluable. I would strongly urge anyone considering a trip to Ghana that will take them outside of Accra to equip themselves with this book and get the most from their trip. I would also urge them to go to Ghana before it becomes too much on the tourist trail so that they can gain a real understanding of the problems and pleasures of life in that country.
Rating:
Summary: Ghana - a useful guide and introduction
Review: Philip Briggs' book covers an area that is only covered elsewhere in West African regional guides and therefore fills an important gap in the market. It contains a great deal of useful general information and advice, and presents Ghana and Ghanaians as the welcoming country and people they are. I visited Ghana for 6 weeks last year following a gap of 27 years since the 1970s when I lived and researched in the country for four years. This book ably brought me up to date with details on developments, accommodation, road conditions, the developing tourist industry, prices etc which helped to make my trip less daunting and much more pleasurable. There were a few gaps and points that needed up-dating in what was the first edition of the book, but key advice on the condition of roads, availability of accommodation was accurate and invaluable. I would strongly urge anyone considering a trip to Ghana that will take them outside of Accra to equip themselves with this book and get the most from their trip. I would also urge them to go to Ghana before it becomes too much on the tourist trail so that they can gain a real understanding of the problems and pleasures of life in that country.
Rating:
Summary: The Bradt guide rocks my world!
Review: The Bradt guide was indispensible during my 2 month stay in Ghana. While there were some inaccurate prices quoted, Briggs did explain in his introduction that these prices fluctuate with a currency as weak as the cedi and therefore this was expected. I found the book to be immensely useful and accurate. I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Ghana for any length of time and I eagerly await the 3rd edition.
Rating:
Summary: Essential for backpackers in Ghana
Review: This book is an essential read for anyone travelling in Ghana, I could not have survived without it and had to rescue it from the hands of many other envious backpackers. It aided me to get the most out of my 2 month trip, helping me find places I would otherwise have missed and I was confident I could rely on it to find accomodation where ever I went. This book helped me to see what an amazing country Ghana is!
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