The magic of the road trip

Hitting the road for the perfect trip is honestly my favourite way to live. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are other equally exciting thrills of life but there is nothing quite as liberating as hopping in a car with some snacks, fun tunes, a map and a hotel booking.

If there’s great company, better still!

My favourite part of taking a road trip is the freedom of movement it provides.

That confidence that you are out there, free; in the middle of nowhere but you would soon enough touch base.

Need to stop for food? Can do. 

Want to take a whistle-stop to see something unique? You got it.

 Have you been driving for too long and need to take a break?

No problem. 

My other favourite, favourite part - talking to locals, checking up on how different they look while they check up on how different you look! It can be fun.

There is freedom in deciding which route you take - direct or scenic - and the decisions you get to make along the way that truly make it your adventure.

You can discover everything our lovely Ghana has to offer by exploring the open road.

In recent times in Ghana, the Heritage Caravan has offered hundreds of folks the opportunity to be part of a real road trip.

Thankfully, this weekend, they embarked on another voyage to clear 14 regions in eight days.

The Heritage Caravan ends with the feeling among participants that it ended too soon.

On account of the varied places and experiences one would always hear a participant or two say, ‘This is my first time in the North’,

‘This is my first time riding on a boat’ and ‘I have never felt the skin of a crocodile before’.

All such first achievements were chalked up on the Caravan simply because folks braved up to hit the road. 

I believe I qualify to say that for successively pulling this off, year after year, the organisers deserve a national award.

At the least. Bussing nearly 200 people and crisscrossing the length and breadth of Ghana is a huge, huge operation.

The amazing thing is that the CITI Team do it with a quiet efficiency and panache.

Their operational teamwork involves every staff you possibly know at CITI FM and CITITV; be it their freshest intern, admin staff, field reporter, newscaster, or CEO Sammens himself.

The selflessness and the energy to serve is incredible.

When one sees them in the video clips entertaining others and having fun, it wouldn’t occur to you that during the trip, these CITI Staff are the last to eat and the last to go to bed.

By the time you wake up the next day, they are already up and going!

The increasing participation of “Abroaders” and the high rate of repeat travellers attest to the satisfaction derived from this annual expedition. This is commendable as a lot goes into researching and planning the itinerary.

Dear Reader, if you are thinking about taking a road trip this year, let me help convince you that the experience will be rewarding.

After selecting your destination, you start with these actions.

•    Pre-booked hotel/bed + breakfast accommodations

•    Road trip directions from your departing location to your destination with pit stops along the way

•    An itinerary for your destination with personalised recommendations

If it’s a small group, it wouldn’t be fair for just one person in the group to do all of the planning when the rest just come along without putting in any effort.

Each member of your travel party may have different interests, which should be discussed ahead of time so the stops on the trip are things that everyone wants to do.

With a little teamwork, it will be smooth sailing.

With any road trip, it’s all about communicating with one another and setting boundaries.

Give each other space when needed—you don’t need to be on top of each other.

For me, when I’m travelling I’m always thinking about what stories I’m going to tell my close family and friends.

A road trip with someone you love is a great way to get to know them better and see them in a way that maybe you didn’t see before.

Travelling to beautiful sights and camping is always more fun when you have someone to share it with.

No matter which way your road trip is, there is going to be a journey of self-discovery and learning more about places and other people.

As much as roadtrippers want to see the sights, they also want to taste the local food.

For the foodies out there, that’s what their trips revolve around.

 They’re known for finding the best restaurants, seeking out underground spots, and trying cuisine that they can’t get back at home.

 Make some stops for some local snacks too.

Another great part of the road trip experience is seeing different places that you may never have otherwise.

Or seeing them again in a different way!

Call me if you need help.

It’s a new year.

Let us hit the road!

Kofi.akpabli@gmail.com