Accra is one of the friendliest, most accessible cities in Africa for an exchange: English is the official language, the University of Ghana at Legon is highly regarded, and Ghana reputation for peace and hospitality is well earned. It is a fast-growing coastal capital with a booming arts, music and food scene, and it sits at the heart of a country packed with beaches, castles and national parks. December festival season is world-famous.

• English is the official language, so studying and daily life are straightforward.
• The University of Ghana (Legon) is one of West Africa leading universities.
• Detty December brings diaspora crowds and huge festivals like AfroFuture.

Osu, and especially Oxford Street, is the nightlife spine - bars, live highlife and Afrobeats, and street food late into the night. Labadi Beach hosts reggae nights and drumming, and the arts scene around Jamestown and events like Chale Wote keep things creative. The party peaks in Detty December when the diaspora returns. Ghanaians are hugely sociable, so you will be folded into groups quickly.

• Osu Oxford Street for bars, clubs and street food after dark.
• Sunday afternoons and reggae nights at Labadi (La Pleasure) Beach.
• Plan for December festival season; ask the Studcasa Accra group which events are on.

Accra ranges widely - budget roughly 600 to 1,000 euros a month, though imported goods and upscale Osu spots can push it higher. Local food from a chop bar costs a couple of cedis, while Western restaurants cost many times more. Rent varies hugely by area, and ride-hailing is your main transport expense. Living local keeps it very affordable; living Western does not.

• Eat at local chop bars (jollof, waakye) for a few cedis versus pricey Western restaurants.
• Budget for daily Bolt or Uber rides - cheap individually but they add up.
• Imported goods in Osu supermarkets cost far more than local markets like Makola.

Options range from University of Ghana halls and nearby hostels at Legon to private flats in East Legon, Osu, Cantonments and Labone. Many exchange students share a serviced flat or a hostel room; arrange something short-term first, then find a longer let once you know the city. Use trusted contacts, agents and Facebook groups, always view in person, and clarify whether power (and a backup) and water are included.

• University of Ghana hostels at Legon put you closest to campus and other students.
• East Legon, Osu and Cantonments for private flats; check for a generator and water storage.
• View before paying and use trusted agents; the Studcasa Accra group flags reliable landlords.

Most people get around by tro-tro - cheap shared minibuses that run fixed routes with a mate calling the stops - but for ease and safety most exchange students rely on Bolt and Uber, which are plentiful and inexpensive. Yango is another ride-hailing option. Traffic is heavy, so build in time, and agree taxi fares before getting in if you hail one on the street.

• Use Bolt or Uber for reliable, cheap door-to-door trips - the default for most students.
• Try a tro-tro once for the experience; learn the hand signals and route calls.
• Budget extra time for Accra notorious traffic, especially around rush hour.

The University of Ghana at Legon is the country flagship - a large, leafy campus in north Accra strong across the humanities, sciences and social sciences, and the usual exchange destination. Ashesi University, in the hills at Berekuso, is a highly regarded private liberal-arts institution, and GIMPA and UPSA cover business and public administration. Teaching is in English, and the academic calendar and pace may run more formally than you are used to.

• The University of Ghana (Legon) is the main and best-connected exchange campus.
• Ashesi University near Aburi is prized for liberal-arts teaching but sits outside the city.

This depends entirely on your nationality. ECOWAS (West African) citizens don't need a visa; almost everyone else, EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, does. You apply for an entry visa (or e-visa) at a Ghanaian embassy before you fly, using your university admission letter, proof of funds and a mandatory yellow-fever vaccination certificate. No yellow card, no entry.

The entry visa only gets you in; to stay a full semester you convert it to a student residence permit through the Ghana Immigration Service after you arrive, usually with your university's help. Start early, both embassy processing and the permit paperwork are slow and bureaucratic. Photocopy everything and keep spares.

• Yellow-fever certificate, mandatory, checked on arrival
• Entry visa / e-visa, apply before you fly (most non-ECOWAS nationals)
• Student residence permit, arrange after arrival via the Immigration Service
• Proof of funds + admission letter, needed for the application

Ghanaian food is a highlight: jollof rice (defend it against Nigeria at your peril), waakye (rice and beans) for breakfast, banku or fufu with soup, and spicy kelewele plantain from street vendors. Red-red (bean stew with fried plantain) is a vegetarian win. Eat at chop bars for the real thing and cheapest prices, and grab produce at the vast Makola Market.

• Try jollof, waakye, banku with tilapia, and kelewele from street stalls.
• Eat at local chop bars for authentic food at a fraction of restaurant prices.
• Explore Makola Market for produce, fabric and the full sensory experience.

Legon and East Legon in the north are green, upscale and close to the University of Ghana. Osu is the lively, central nightlife-and-restaurant hub; Cantonments, Labone and Airport Residential are the smart, leafy embassy districts. Historic Jamestown by the sea is the old town - gritty, artistic and full of character - while Labadi is the go-to beach neighbourhood.

• East Legon for proximity to campus and a comfortable, upscale base.
• Osu to be in the middle of the food and nightlife.
• Jamestown for history, street art and the annual Chale Wote festival.

Ghana rewards weekend travel. Cape Coast and Elmina, with their sobering slave-trade castles and the Kakum canopy walkway, are around three hours west. Ada Foah, where the Volta meets the sea, and the surf beaches of Kokrobite and Busua make great escapes. The Aburi Botanical Gardens in the hills are an hour away, and the Wli waterfalls and Volta region reward a longer trip north-east.

• Cape Coast and Elmina castles plus Kakum canopy walk (about 3 hours west).
• Kokrobite and Busua for surf and beach weekends; Ada Foah for the Volta estuary.
• Aburi Botanical Gardens in the cool hills, an easy hour from the city.

Sort out reliable power and water when you rent - ask about a generator and storage, as outages (dumsor) still happen. Buy a local SIM (MTN is the biggest) and load mobile data and mobile money on arrival. Dress for real heat and humidity, carry small cedi notes for tro-tros and stalls, and drink sachet or bottled water rather than tap. Above all, return the warmth - a greeting goes a long way here.

• Get an MTN SIM with data and mobile money in your first days.
• Carry small cash for tro-tros and street food, and stick to sachet or bottled water.
• Check for a backup generator and water storage before signing any lease.