Journey Information to Accra, Ghana

For Abena Boamah, the CEO and founder of Hanahana Beauty, she’d normally associated splendor with taking care of oneself. “Splendor for me was a lot more about getting clean and looking presentable,” she tells me over Zoom. “Showering, employing lotion, building guaranteed you happen to be not ashy.” Even in her 20s, when Abena grew far more intentional about her glance, her regime however remained fairly nominal. “I by no means did as well substantially. I just emphasis on my pure splendor shining by and using products to greatly enhance that,” she says. It’s the very same ethos that’s driving her pores and skin-care line: “Hanahana is all about the small issues we can do for ourselves,” she suggests. “It is really not expressing that you should not use make-up or everything like that. Do what you want, but you ought to begin by having care of your skin and by having care of your overall body.”

Abena splits her time concerning Chicago and Ghana, wherever she sources the elements for her moisturizing shea butter overall body creams. When asked if she discovered a distinction between the partnership American ladies had with magnificence as opposed to the connection Ghanaian gals had with attractiveness, Abena suggests that for the reason that of the web, you will find a ton of overlap when it comes to magnificence trends and standards in the two international locations, but at the end of working day, she does truly feel like there’s a better target on organic natural beauty in Ghana. “But I consider, all round, folks are currently being much more intentional about what they place on their skin,” she provides. “I assume anytime Black folks, specifically Black ladies, are getting care of them selves in an intentional way, it can be a form of resistance.”

Ghana’s locale on the coastline, its relaxed way of daily life, and its vibrant social scene have turned various of its cities—more exclusively, Accra—into a significant journey destination. Under, Abena walks us by some of her preferred natural beauty and wellness places, from a yoga studio to a full-company all-natural hair salon, the finest locations to grab a chunk, and exactly where you should stay when you get there.

Photo: Courtesy of Abena Boamah

When Abena tends to make the trek to Ghana, she opts to hire absolutely furnished destinations, considering the fact that she’s generally there for a very long period of time of time. If you happen to be in the exact same boat, or you would just desire a residence about a hotel, she recommends staying in Chado, a neighborhood in the funds metropolis. “It truly is a little bit more residential, but it truly is extremely clean up,” states Abena, “and has some of the yummiest nearby meals spots, like White House. They have the greatest kebabs,” she adds. Get a spot in the vicinity of the beach front if you can. “The breeze is so awesome if you have obtain to a rooftop,” claims Abena.

Image: Courtesy of Kempinski Hotel

If you’d instead remain in a hotel, consider Kempinski Resort—the five-star hotel is section of Accra’s burgeoning Gold District. The luxury lodging’s 269 rooms are lined with modern-day variations of standard Kente fabric, and the lodge is also home to a Resense Spa, a yoga studio, and a thoroughly equipped health club. But the true star of the exhibit is the Instagram-worthy rooftop infinity pool which is bordered by picket cabanas and lounge beds.

Photograph: Courtesy of Abena Boamah

One particular of Abena’s favored areas to keep in Ghana is Zaina Lodge, a Safari lodge found inside of Mole National Park, the country’s largest purely natural sport reserve. It can be a 45-moment flight and a short travel absent from Accra, but it truly is nicely worthy of the excursion. “It really is truthfully so beautiful,” states Abena. “I stayed here a pair several years back with my close friend Siraad [Dirshe], and it was these types of a luxury encounter.” There are 25 rooms on the residence, each with a personal balcony, an indoor shower, and an out of doors shower. Sustainability is also emphasised at the lodge—local shea butter is applied to make the soaps and lotions, it operates on LED lights, and there’s a solar-driven h2o procedure.

Picture: Courtesy of Abena Boamah

This position is so excellent, Abena nearly failed to want to spill the information: “The Scorpio in me needed to preserve it a mystery,” she suggests, “but if you get to Axim [the town where the resort is located], conserve up your coins and go here—the views are worth it.” The lodge sits on the beachy shores of a personal island surrounded by 24 acres of jungle and forest—almost just about every room has an ocean view, and you will find a non-public seashore for attendees.

This is just one of Abena’s go-to places. “Each time I’m in Accra, I get a therapeutic massage from Sicily, the founder of Contact of Essence,” she suggests. In addition to massages, the wellness heart also features facials, entire body scrubs, manicures, and pedicures. Just after your assistance, you can buy a drink or a snack off their CBD treats menu, like a CBD-infused lemonade.

Abena’s also a substantial fan of Bliss Yoga. She recommends taking a class with the founder, Nana, an expat who made a decision to ditch a high-tension occupation in New York Metropolis for a happier and calmer existence in Accra. The studio provides courses in all kinds of yoga, from vinyasa to hatter, as very well as meditation and lifestyle-coaching sessions.

Photo: Courtesy of The Lotte

The Lotte, a extremely curated shop situated in Accra, is known for its inventory of luxurious goods ranging from colorful clothes traces by African designers to eclectic and special house decor. They also have a large assortment of products and solutions from Ghanaian elegance brands—there’s a wealthy system butter from Nokware, extremely-moisturizing encounter oils from R&R Luxury, and pigmented lip glosses from S.O. Aesthetic.

Picture: Courtesy of The Store

Eyetsa Lorraine Ocloo was elevated in Germany, but she returned to Ghana to open up a retail outlet that would be extra than just that—it would be a collecting place, a group center. She succeeded—it’s tough to place The Store Accra into a single one class. There are natural and organic splendor merchandise, like hand creams created from neighborhood shea butter, an eclectic selection of luggage and garments from designers in the location, a tiki bar, and a hairstyling salon in the back again.

Image: Courtesy of Twist & Locs Salon

When you can find fundamentally a hair salon on every corner in Accra, there are types that stand out among the rest. Twists & Locs Salon was the very first comprehensive-support normal hair salon in Ghana, offering everything from braids and twists to hair cuts and deep-conditioning procedure. And if those choices were not more than enough for you, there is certainly also spa companies at the salon’s two locations. Right after you get your hair finished, you can get your eyebrows threaded or decide for a rapid pedicure.

Photograph: Courtesy of Abena Boamah

Come for the seaside, remain for the seafood. Abena’s stayed at Busua Beach front Vacation resort in the previous, and section of the attractiveness, is Auntie Florence. She’s not her genuine aunt, of class, but Florence owns a restaurant that sits seaside. “Her cafe has these wonderful eco-friendly walls,” claims Abena, “and she tends to make the best grilled lobster.”

Photograph: Courtesy of The Republic Bar and Grill

The Republic has a very little little bit of a thing for all people. The bold pink partitions of the bar are lined with postcards and photos. Once you are within, you can buy a drink built from neighborhood alcoholic beverages, or you could head back again out and lounge on the outdoor wood deck and take pleasure in the dwell songs. The meals selections are great much too, and the menu options vegetarian dishes. “They have the very best curry goat and cassava fries—so tasty,” claims Abena.

Photo: Courtesy of Abena Boamah

At this restaurant and sporting activities bar, a further a single of Abena’s favorites, you’ll discover classic Ghanaian food stuff like fufu, jollof rice with a facet of meat or fish, omotuo soup, and fried plantain. The restaurant has an uncomplicated and peaceful outdoor ambiance with a live band on the weekends. It is really a chill hangout place if you want to capture up with a pal or view a video game of soccer.