I stayed at the Tumi Hostel – it’s all about the clothes (and the cat)

First of all this is a great hostel. Its not in the center of town but its easy enough to get to places using either uber or the local shared taxis.

One huge advantage is its proximity to the Kumasi Mall. The huge supermarket will take care of any cravings you have like yellow cheese, pringles or cadbury’s chocolate to name a few. Well maybe not!

With that said the main reason to stay here is the wonderful initiative supported by the hostel to train local women in dressmaking. You can either select a garment from the ready to wear rack. or, choose your own material and have something custom made.

I did both. My seamstress was also called Angela and she made me a skirt and a matching bag in literally 30 minutes. Total cost including the material was about $10. She told me it took her 1 1/2 years to become fully proficient.

So a bit about the hostel You can either stay in a dormitory (I did for one night) or have a private room with your own bathroom. The dorm is about $12 and the private about $35. There is no air conditioner but the fan helps a lot.

There is a fabulous breakfast included with fresh juice, eggs and the bread rolls are delicious. Check the board next to the kitchen to see what is being served for dinner. For only 20 cedi ($4.00) you can have a delicious vegetarian dinner..

The other main attraction here is the very friendly cat. Tinyteddy ended up having a thing with him.

Tinyteddy’s feedback: “What a load of cobblers. The cat was both gracious and respectful. It’s not like we were hanging out all day together, however we did have a couple of long chats about love and life. He’ll know what I mean. I did like the sewing room and the clothes were gorgeous. I would have loved a little outfit but we only though about it afterwards”.