Ko-Sa has for years been the worst-kept secret of Accra’s expat community. Though rather too far west of Elmina to capitalise on the town’s tourist traffic, it is usually booked out months in advance. This is no mystery: Ko-Sa is simply the best-run resort in its class, and its reputation precedes it. It’s also a great place to break the long journey west if you’re headed for the beaches around Axim.
The site is a typical tropical coastal garden, with sand and patchy grass underfoot and palms overhead, plus some denser trees and shrubs that attract plenty of bird life. Guests sleep in clean, colourful thatched huts, ranging in size from rudimentary dorm-style rooms to a two-double-bed en-suite cottage. Larger rooms have fans, but there is no air conditioning or hot water – though staying warm in Ghana is hardly a problem, and the heat of the sun keeps showers from being outright cold.
It is not quite Lou Moon’s natural harbour, but Ko-Sa’s beach is blessed with a small rocky outcrop that creates a calm patch of sea with fairly tame currents. As long as it is relatively rubbish-free – something over which the resort has little control, though its litter-pickers do their best – it is very swimmable, even for children.
The heart of Ko-Sa is its spacious split-level restaurant. With a high ceiling, colourful lights and furniture, an open kitchen and a vivid mural on the bar, it’s great for taking a break from the sun during the day and chatting over beers at night. Food is excellent – the African-spiced lobster is the stuff of legends, and could give any seafood dish in the country a run for its money. Breakfasts include hearty pancakes packed with fresh fruit, cornflakes with fresh milk, and big bowls of delicious granola. You’ll never want to leave.
