Makola market, in Accra's busy downtown, includes a large boulevard and several alleys full of fabric shops with goods such as wax-print pagnes, as well as embroidered and beaded cotton and tulle for special occasions. Look for wax prints from Ghana Traditional Prints GTP and the Akosombo Textile Company, which issue a wide range of new designs annually. Another source for such fabric is Woodin, an upscale fabric store with outlets in Osu and at the A&C shopping mall in East Legon, selling a variety of shiny patterned cottons, batiks, and ready-made clothes.
Kaneshie Market is both a transit centre and a great place to shop, offering a very wide variety of mostly traditional goods and items. It is a source for food and household items; beads, hair salons, shoes, handbags, and beauty products, and fabric shops.
For curio shopping, the National Cultural Center, known popularly as the "Arts Center" near the Independence Square is an overwhelming but well-stocked option. Smaller curio markets can be found around the city.
Wild Gecko (near the Tetteh-Quarshie Interchange, off the Kwame Nkrumah Motorway Extension sells a variety of crafts, upscale curios, furniture, and batik clothing. Be sure to check out the extensive collection of Christmas ornaments, including Adinkra symbols carved into dainty souvenirs. Down the dirt road from Wild Gecko are further several smaller but well-stocked pottery and craft stores.
For a more modern shopping experience, options include:
The Accra Mall (http://www.accramall.com), off the Liberation Road
The A&C Shopping Mall (http://www.aandcmall.com), East Legon
Palace Shopping Mall, situated on the Spintex Road
Shaaba Shopping Mall, off the Motorway Extension
