Mole National Park
Ghana's largest savanna reserve, where you can go on walking safaris to see elephants up close; the Larabanga Mosque, one of West Africa's oldest, is nearby.
Mole National Park lies in the West Gonja district of the Savannah Region in northern Ghana. Established as a reserve in 1958 and upgraded to a national park in 1971, it covers about 4,577 square kilometers and is Ghana's largest wildlife reserve. The park is mainly Guinea savanna and dry woodland, with around 600–800 African savanna elephants. It is also home to more than 90 mammal species, including waterbuck, bushbuck, roan antelope, warthogs, baboons, green monkeys and crocodiles, along with over 300 bird species. It is one of the easiest places in West Africa to see elephants.
The climate has distinct wet and dry seasons. November–April is the dry season, especially December–April, when animals gather around the waterholes below the escarpment at the park headquarters. This is the best time for safaris, but the days are hot, and harmattan dust winds blow. May–October is the rainy season: vegetation is lush, animals are scattered and the park roads are muddy.
Most visitors base themselves at the Mole Motel on the escarpment. Ranger-led walking safaris and jeep safaris run in the early morning and late afternoon. From the viewpoint, you can watch elephants come down to the waterhole and see the sunset. Nearby Larabanga village has a mud-brick mosque said to date from the 15th century, and the mysterious Mystic Stone. To the southeast, the Mognori Eco-Village offers dugout canoe trips and a taste of rural life.
Getting there: from Tamale, the largest city in the north, about 150 km away, the trip takes about 2.5–3 hours via Damongo. There is a daily bus (Metro Mass), or you can hire a car. Tamale has domestic flights to Accra. Plan 2–3 days.
Notes: park entrance and safari fees must be paid in cash, and accommodation should be booked early in peak season. Yellow fever vaccination is required, and malaria prevention is essential. On safari, wear dark clothing and closed shoes, and do not feed the baboons.
Top sights
- Mole Walking Safari – Walk across the savannah with an armed ranger. From the water holes below the escarpment, you can often see herds of African elephants bath…
- Mole Escarpment Viewpoint & Waterholes – The escarpment viewing deck at Mole Motel looks out over two waterholes and endless savannah. From your seat, you can watch elephants wade…
- Larabanga Mosque – A Sudano-Sahelian mud-brick mosque said to date from the 15th century, with a white earthen wall and a tower with timber beams protruding f…
- Larabanga Mystic Stone – A mysterious boulder beside the road in Larabanga village. Legend says it kept returning to its place when moved, so the road had to be rer…
- Mognori Eco-Village – A community ecotourism village on the Mole River, with canoe trips for birds and monkeys, shea butter making, herbal medicine and drumming…
- Konkori Escarpment – A sandstone escarpment running through the north-central part of the park, with clear separation between the woodland above and the grassla…
Where to eat
- Mole Motel Restaurant – A long-established motel restaurant on the cliff at park headquarters, where you can eat peanut soup while watching ele…
- Zaina Lodge Restaurant – The restaurant of a luxury camp inside the park, facing the waterhole and an infinity pool. The chef prepares Ghanaian…