After an eventful first day in Kumasi, Ghana, I set out the next morning to explore the famous craft villages in the area! Come with me as I enjoy an authentic Ghana street food breakfast and go on an unforgettable West African craft village tour in Kumasi, Ghana!
My morning began with a drive out of the city to Ahwiaa, a large craft village north of town, with my guide Isaac from Jolinaiko Eco Tours. Ahwiaa is famous for its woodworking and is the perfect place in Ghana to buy handmade souvenirs.
Just to get out of the city, it would take us more than an hour. The traffic there can be very heavy. We passed through an extension of the Kejetia Market, the main central market in town. We also passed by motor shops selling spare car parts and lots of tires.
I also noticed lots of preachers on the sides of the road. There were lots of them in Kumasi. Then, we arrived in Ahwiaa!
We stopped by some vendors on the side of the road, who made a Nigerian dish called egusi. It comes with mashed, boiled plantains, yams, and peanut soup. But because it would be another hour before the food was ready, we headed into the market and would come back later. There, we came across a vendor sanding a Hear No, See No, Speak No Evil wood sculpture of the three wise men. There was another making a board for a board game.
Inside the first shop was a painted Three Wise Men carving, elephant figurines, masks, giraffes, hippos, fertility dolls, carved stools, and much more. One of the elephants was made from teak but had metal plating on its head.
There, I bought a beautiful mask with the Ghanaian flag colors for my assistant and a gorgeous stool for one of my best friends. Together, they cost 200 cedi, or about $40 USD. They’re the perfect kinds of gifts to buy for the people in your life!
Further on, I visited another craft shop with a ton of masks. I had to be conservative with what I bought though, because I could only fly with two checked bags. I couldn’t take anything too big.
As I browsed, I found some green and red elephants and some musical instruments, and then checked out a third shop selling more animal figurines, masks, and more.
The next shop was full of bright, colorful masks, including animal masks. Some of the masks are used in nocturnal rituals! I found a mask that I loved and negotiated down to 100 cedi, or about $20 USD. The vendor also sold items like an ebony lion, some hippos, and lots of necklaces!
I was getting pulled into every shop because there was so little tourism. There were so many colorful crafts in the next shop. I saw chairs and stools, canes, animal figurines, and more.
Then, I went outside to watch the artisans craft their goods! One man was carving a stool, while others were making part of a shoe, a board for a game, a cane, and more. I love supporting the local craftsmen when I travel.
I watched a man cut, design, and apply some metal plating to a mask. Then, I visited another shop and saw come completed versions of the masks being made outside. They start at only $20 USD!
Then, we headed back to the food vendors selling egusi, plantains, yams, fish, and beef. I’d felt a bit sick earlier that morning, but now I was feeling much better and ready to eat! I washed my hands and dug in!
The egusi was super tasty and full of textures, and was almost like scrambled eggs, but made with vegetables, seeds, and herbs. The greens in it reminded me of spinach or kale.
The yams were very dense and soft, almost like cassava. The food wasn’t spicy at all but was full of flavor. It also came with a boiled egg and was full of delicious, red palm oil.
The beef was also fantastic. While the boiled plantains weren’t my favorite, I still enjoyed them. The red palm oil was my favorite part!
In all, our food cost 25 cedi, or about $5 USD. I gave the vendor an extra $5 because she let me film. What a way to end the morning! Huge thanks to my friends at Jolinaiko Eco Tours for bringing me to have a Ghana street food breakfast in a West African craft village near Kumasi, Ghana! For more things to do in Kumasi, Ghana, check out my experience.
I hope you liked coming with me to eat an authentic Ghana street food breakfast in the craft village of Ahwiaa near Kumasi, Ghana! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures around the world!
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