I help first-time and infrequent travelers create memories of a lifetime with custom, stress-free itineraries. I've visited 26+ countries and lived abroad for 4 years; I've made the mistakes so you don't have to.
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[FIRST NAME GOES HERE], The first thing I do when I land anywhere.
Published 13 days ago • 5 min read
Reader,
Tuscaloosa (my hometown) is hungry for African food. I see the Facebook posts all the time from people asking where to find African food. Even my students ask me about fufu, and I love that they know what it is. Social media is making the world smaller.
Everywhere I travel, I make it a point to try the national dishes. Food connects you to a culture. Every dish offers a taste of its traditions and its people.
Not just through its flavors, but through how it’s prepared, served, and eaten. For example, before enjoying fufu and soup in Ghana, you wash your hands in a bowl brought to the table.
Additionally, Ghanaians eat only with their right hand. They reserve the left hand for personal hygiene, so using it to eat is considered disrespectful.
Learning these customs is part of the travel experience. You’re not only tasting the food, but you're participating in the culture. 🇬🇭
Foodie Travelers
I don't know about you, but when I first land anywhere, I try to find good food to eat. When I landed in Accra, Ghana, at Kotoka International Airport, I was ready to dive into the culinary scene.
My first stop was the airplane restaurant, La Tante DC10 Restaurant, or known locally as The Green Plane. Even though it is no longer in operation, I will never forget my first dining experience in Ghana. I had grilled beef with jollof rice.
Today, Ghanaian jollof rice is one of my favorite dishes. If you know, Ghanaian jollof rice and Nigerian jollof rice are a controversial topic, but I'm gone to stand beside mines. LOL!
La Tante DC10 Restaurant
Additionally, I visited my fair share of chop bars in Ghana. (Btw, chop simply means "to eat" which derives from West African Pidgin.) I tried fufu (pounded cassava and plantain), banku (fermented corn and cassava dough), konkonte (dried cassava powder paste), and omotuo (rice balls). I still love rice balls to this day.
Light soup with goat meat, salmon, and fufu
And the street snacks:
Kelewele: Spicy, deep-fried plantain chunks seasoned with ginger, garlic, salt, and hot peppers.
Kenkey: Fermented maize dough wrapped in corn husks or plantain leaves and boiled.
Kosua Ne Meko: Boiled eggs topped with a spicy pepper sauce.
Ghanaian snack food is so good that even the New York Times is writing about it.
Food Nostalgia
If you can get past the presentation, the taste will blow your palate away. OMG! The fresh spices they cook with: ginger, garlic, onion, pepper. All of the foods are prepared with fresh ingredients, which makes them taste even better.
At every corner, you will be hit with the aroma of spices and food made from scratch. That is the base of Ghanaian dishes...fresh ingredients.
Have you ever smelled a certain food and been taken right back to the first time you tasted it?
Well, be prepared for food nostalgia when you get back to the States. You're going to be looking for Ghanaian food everywhere. Each time you smell the aroma, it'll take you back to the first time you tasted the dish. Then you will have to share that experience with everyone you encounter. And that is the true essence of creating a memory of a lifetime.
The Essence of Ghana Tour
A few of you told me: “I would love to go to Ghana, but I only have a week off work.”
I heard you, so I built a couple of 5-day options.
The 5-Day Essence of Ghana Experience is short enough to fit your schedule and full enough to change you.
Choose your dates:
🏡 Explore Ghana, then be home for Thanksgiving (11/19 - 11/23)
🇬🇭 Spend Thanksgiving in the Motherland (11/23 - 11/27)
I'm looking for two couples, or four friends who finally stop saying “one day.”
Your investment: $1,750 per person, excluding flights.
Reserve with a $500 nonrefundable deposit, or split it into two $250 payments (the second is due within 30 days to confirm your spot), or speak to me about a personal payment plan.
The remaining $1,250 is due October 4, 2027.
Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna are available at checkout, subject to eligibility and approval. Payments can also be sent via Zelle, Cash App, or Apple Pay.
Waiting for the perfect time is how “someday” becomes never. Fall 2027 will come either way. The only question is whether you’ll be at that table in Accra or still wishing you were.
I learned the hard way that drinks at Cancún Airport can be expensive. It wasn't $30, but if my memory serves me correctly, mine was about $20 a pop!
Here’s what to know before you go:
Mini alcohol bottles are allowed in your carry-on. Each bottle must be 3.4 ounces (100 mL) or smaller and fit comfortably in your one quart-sized liquids bag alongside your other liquids. Alcohol over 70% ABV (140 proof) is prohibited.
Save your bottles for your destination. Onboard, you may only drink alcohol served by the airline. Airport rules also determine where you can consume alcohol before or after your flight.
Flying internationally from Atlanta? You can purchase alcohol at Duty Free Americas and have it delivered to your departure gate before boarding. Carry it with you to enjoy at your destination, following the destination’s customs allowances.
P.S. Four seats. Reply with the word GHANA, and I’ll personally hold the conversation with you today.
📘 Building your credit for travel? My credit guide ($8) walks through exactly what I used to qualify for cards that fund trips like this — grab it here.
Sometimes, a new chapter begins around a table with an unfamiliar dish and people who become part of your story.
Wherever you travel, go curious, bring your appetite, and give yourself permission to experience something new.
Until next week,
Chalanda Michelle ✨
Stress less. Travel more. Create memories of a lifetime. ✈️
Disclosure: Some links are affiliate or referral links. If you apply, open an account, or make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive compensation or rewards at no additional cost to you. Please review the terms, fees, and eligibility requirements before applying.
I help first-time and infrequent travelers create memories of a lifetime with custom, stress-free itineraries. I've visited 26+ countries and lived abroad for 4 years; I've made the mistakes so you don't have to.
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