Last December, I spent several hours stuck in traffic at Anyinam. A journey that usually took me about six hours became an eleven-hour nightmare. By the time I arrived, I had exhausted both my patience and my playlist.
The prospect of making that journey in two hours is enough to make me reach for my toll money in advance. But amid all this excitement, I have one condition. And it concerns a matter of considerable national importance: fufu.
Let me explain.
In the early days of building a travel business with my friend, we spent much of our time brainstorming, chasing opportunities and doing the legwork ourselves. We organised events and travelled around Obuasi and neighbouring towns to invite stakeholders and win support.
One such outing took us to Bekwai. After hours of moving around, we stopped at a local eating place popularly called “Mpamprom”—under the bamboo.
The setting alone was an invitation to stay. It was peaceful, shaded and pleasantly removed from the day’s demands. Judging by the cars parked there, quite a few people had already discovered what I was about to learn.
The food was a delight, but the atmosphere completed the experience. There was something about sitting there with a bowl of local soup that made the affairs of the world feel temporarily less urgent. Our subsequent trips to Bekwai acquired an additional attraction.
Years later, after the business had grown and we had moved to Accra, my cousin Nii introduced me to another discovery during a return journey on the Accra–Kumasi road: a food stop known as Abossey Okai.
I had travelled that road countless times without noticing it.
A beautiful tree spread its branches into a generous canopy. Beneath it, kitchen stools and tables were neatly arranged. The aroma of soup filled the air, while a small bar offered assorted appetisers. As we approached to order, I discovered that the soup pots contained enough variety to make choosing a serious assignment.
Again, the setting was as memorable as the meal.
You could build a modern restaurant with polished floors, comfortable chairs and an impressive menu, and still struggle to recreate that feeling. The shade, the stools, the open air and the unhurried pleasure of eating all belonged together.
Places like Mpamprom and Abossey Okai are attractions in their own right. They give us something to look forward to along the way. On some days, the thought of a good bowl of fufu is enough to make me choose the road over a flight.
So, to the designers of the new expressway, here is my plea: make room for these experiences.
As you plan the rest stops and modern amenities, provide safe, convenient spaces where local food vendors can serve travellers. Give us trees, shade and room to sit down properly. Let the people who have fed us along this route have a place in its future.
A faster journey should still leave room for the food, livelihoods and familiar pleasures that make travelling through Ghana special.
Build the expressway. Save us the hours. I will gladly pay my toll.
But please, do not forget our sacred fufu groves.
Otherwise, you will travel on the highway alone.
Ready to experience Ghana this December?
Explore See Ghana DMC’s December in GH: The Homecoming Experience and start planning your 10-day journey through Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi, from December 27, 2026, to January 6, 2027.
For more travel inspiration, tips, and destination stories, explore more on the Adansi Blog.
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