A Soft Haven in Accra: My Afternoon at Yena’s Nest
When I stepped through the gate at Yena’s Nest, I felt like I was walking into someone’s home. It felt that way, because I was.
There was no stiff reception desk, no forced smiles, no sense that you were just another passing guest. Instead, Yena and her husband, K.K., welcomed me like an old friend who’d come back after a long journey.
I had come to learn more about this little bed and breakfast (B&B) tucked inside a quiet Accra neighborhood, but I left with so much more than notes for an article. I left with a reminder that true hospitality isn’t just about sheets and pillows and breakfast buffets. It’s about people. It’s about a woman who treats every traveler like an unexpected cousin, a friend, family, and who quietly shows us that home can follow us anywhere in the world.
A Dream Rooted in Wanderlust
Over tea in their cozy living room, the kind of space where you automatically sink in and start talking about life, Yena told me how this place came to be. She spoke about her love for travel, her hunger to see the world – the same spirit that made her buy the house before even telling K.K. She laughs about that now, but you can feel the quiet pride too.
Together, they turned this building into a soft landing spot for travelers from every corner. Each piece of furniture, every warm touch, says: Stay as long as you like. You’re family now.
Not Just a Bed
What sets Yena’s Nest apart isn’t just its tidy rooms or its convenient location, though both are true. It’s the way Yena herself is woven into every stay. She cooks. She chats. She’ll babysit your child so you can slip away for an hour of freedom. She might even teach you how to stir up a proper Ghanaian stew, right there in her open kitchen.
When guests arrive, she tells me, they stop being “guests.” They become an extension of her family. And you believe her, because you can feel that this is not a marketing tagline. It’s how she lives.
Where Stories Gather
One of my favorite moments came when she spoke about her guests’ stories – the families with young children, the missionaries from Korea, the solo wanderers seeking a peaceful corner of Accra. Some find their way here after searching for Airbnbs online; some, she says, simply knock on the door and hope for a room.
She laughs about gently turning away the kinds of guests who are looking for an hour stay. “That’s not us,” she says firmly, with a protective smile. “This is a home.”
More Than the Bed and Breakfast
Yena’s Nest is just the beginning. They’re dreaming bigger: a campsite near Wli Waterfalls in the Volta Region, a hostel for budget travelers. Even her farm where she’s learning to coax rice and coconuts from the land, feels connected to her vision of giving people somewhere to belong.
A Place I’ll Return To
I left Yena’s Nest with my notebook full, but my heart was full too. I came to spotlight a guesthouse. I left with the warmth of people who believe in taking care of strangers like family. That’s the kind of story I want my readers to know. That’s the kind of place I’ll return to. It’s the kind of place I’ll take you along with me, page by page.
If you ever find yourself in Accra, craving more than just a bed for the night, find your way to Yena’s door. She’ll open it like she’s been waiting for you all along.
