Ghana

This new, thoroughly updated ninth edition of Bradt's Ghana remains the only dedicated guidebook to this beguiling country - and the most comprehensive source of travel information about it. One of West Africa's few English-speaking nations, the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence and the world's second-largest producer of chocolate, Ghana is friendly, safe and inexpensive, making it an ideal destination for first-time visitors to the continent.

Ghana is a country more about experiencing the unique and authentic than ticking off a series of boxes. Although smaller than the UK, it is rich in little-visited national parks, forest reserves, cultural sites and scenic waterfalls, and is blessed with bleached-white beaches and lush rainforest along 550 kilometres of Atlantic coastline.

Written by Philip Briggs, arguably the world's most experienced guidebook writer, and updated by a travel writer specialising in Africa, Bradt's Ghana guidebook provides everything you need to know to plan and enjoy your trip. Its coverage ranges from inexpensive opportunities to see wildlife to cultural and historical aspects, from the solemnity of the slave dungeons at Elmina's UNESCO-listed castle to villages near its remote and sparsely populated northern border with Burkina Faso.

Twenty-two chapters across five regional sections are complemented by extensive background and practical information, plus a fully illustrated wildlife chapter. With Bradt's Ghana, you can explore the popular Cape Coast or the Ashanti region, marvel at elephants while on a walking safari in Mole National Park, join locals aboard an aging steamer plying Lake Volta (the world's largest man-made reservoir, no less), enjoy creativity at the high-profile Chale Wote Street Art festival or party night-long in the glittering Osu district of the national capital, Accra.

Fresh elements of this edition include Winneba's Pan-African Heritage Museum, Zimmaziwo Snake Village, several waterfalls, Sesiamang Sisi Stone City, Mim Bour Mountains, Wariyanga mud mosque and the Sankana Chief's Palace. No matter what your interests are, this new, ninth edition of Bradt's Ghana is an unrivalled companion for everyone from first-time travellers to Africa to seasoned explorers and those spending prolonged periods in the country.