Wanderlust Ghana Shares Inspiration Behind Epic Ghana-to-UK Road Trip

Wanderlust Ghana says their daring quest to travel from Accra in Ghana to London in the United Kingdom (UK) by road, was fueled by an inherent desire to defy the norm and try new things.

In an interview a year on, a member of the group said this drive had led some of them to try things like climbing Mountain Afadjato, Kilimanjaro and bungee jumping.

“We have been travelling to the UK always by plane and we are adventurous… We have the drive for such things,” Kwadwo Saka Addo Mensah told Opemsuo Radio’s George Addo on the sidelines of a visit to the Manhyia Palace Museum on July 24, 2024.

Wanderlust Ghana rose to global popularity last year when they embarked on a remarkable journey from Accra to Ghana, covering 10,000 kilometres by land to raise awareness about the digital literacy gap in Ghana and Africa and raise about $17,000 in support of that.

They started the expedition of driving from one continent to the other from Accra on Sunday, July 23, 2023, and ended their journey in London by Sunday, August 6.

He said a lot of preparations went into the trip.

“We did a lot of research and got intelligence before we started.”

Aftermath
In the aftermath, Saka said they have garnered not just nationwide recognition but are known worldwide.

“We get swamped with fans wherever we go even when we want privacy. We are unable to drive the cars in town due to the popularity we’ve gotten. It’s generally good.”

The group of twelve is not prepared to end these kinds of adventures now. They intend to carry on so far as they have life and the funds.

“We won’t stop now. We started way before you heard about us. We pray for life and money.”

Impact
The group believe the adventure did not end as an adventure but has left its mark.

Most importantly, Saka touched on the inspiration it has given to young people about things they intend to achieve.

“It has proven to people that aims can be achieved. When we go to schools we emphasize the need for planning, believing, and striving because that enabled us to fulfil this.”

Additionally, he said it has brought Ghana into focus with many people around the globe altering their vacation itinerary to include the West African country.

“It has brought a lot of attention to Ghana. We were all over the news and it gave us some traction. I know people from South Africa who came only to see us.”

It has also enhanced the relations of the group with Wanderlusts.

GTA Relations
Wanderlust Ghana also spoke about their partnership with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).

This, it said would enable them to easily get visas.

As part of this relationship, the Authority would leverage its impact to promote domestic tourism.

It is in this spirit they are on a one-week tour across the country. Already, they have been to Kumasi, Takoradi, Ada, Ho, Dambai and Bolga in a journey that started on Sunday, July 21, 2024.

No Room
On interactions about avenues to join their group, Saka said there was no room for expansion.

According to him, the nature of the tasks they undertake would be impeded if the group expands.

“As of now, we don’t need people to join us. What we are doing doesn’t call for crowd…It will be cumbersome to admit more people.”

However, what they can do to help is to guide persons who intend to form a similar group.