Mole National Park Ghana – Everything you need to know

Do you know there are multiple places in West Africa to experience an authentic Safari? Well, there is and one of them is Mole National Park Ghana – home to over 600 African Savannah Elephants.

This was the sole reason I travelled from Accra to Ghana’s north – to track as many Elephants as possible. This is a detailed guide to visiting Mole National Park Ghana, how much to budget and how to make the most of the adventure.

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How to get to Mole National Park Ghana

There are 2 ways to get to Mole National Park from Accra:

1. Fly to Tamale
   • You can do a day trip from Accra – fly into Tamale at 6 am on Passion Air or Africa World Airlines (it’s an hour’s flight) for $70 return then drive 3 hours to Mole in the Savvanah Region. Once you get to the park, do a 2-hour nature safari to see Elephants and Antelopes and have some breakfast before flying back to Accra on the 5 pm flight.
   • Spend a night or more in Tamale and fully enjoy Mole. This option allows you to do a longer Safari.
2. Drive 12+ hours from Accra to Mole (this isn’t advisable because of safety).

Budget for Mole National Park Ghana

If you’re on a budget but still want to experience a Safari, Mole is where you need to go. Compared to East & Southern African Safaris this is very pocket-friendly.

The entrance fee to Mole is 46ghc ($4) per person and you can either rent a 4×4 jeep for 400ghc ($35) for 2 hours (you can split this cost with other travellers in the vehicle) or go on a walking safari (this cuts out the jeep fee).

A compulsory fee on both the walking and driving safari is the ranger/ guide fee. It costs 24ghc ($2) an hour for the morning safari and 40ghc ($3.5) hourly for the night safari (tip them at the end).

Places to stay in the Savannah Region

1. Zaina Lodge: this is West Africa’s first luxury safari lodge located inside Mole Mole National Park. Staying here is an experience in itself with opportunities to have close encounters with the Elephants.
2. Mole Motel: this is Mole National Park’s very own lodge. Staying here makes it easy to see all the animals at your convenience.

Everything to know before booking a Safari in Mole National Park Ghana

Opening times in Mole National Park Ghana

Mole has several different Safari times you can pick from. They have morning safaris at 7 am and night Safaris from 6 pm which you have to pre-book and they last for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 6 hours.

Animals you see on Safari in Mole National Park Ghana

On the 2-hour safari, look out for antelopes, elephants, exotic birds and some warthogs. On the 6-hour safari, you’ll go deeper into the forest and see wildebeest and buffalo.

The rangers believe there to be a few leopards living in the national park but there hasn’t been a sighting in years. However, if you go on a night safari, you may be fortunate enough to spot one.

Best time in the year to visit Mole National Park Ghana

It’s best to visit Mole during the dry season from November to March when there is little to no rainfall. During these months, you have a better chance of seeing Elephants (it’s possible to go and unfortunately not see any Elephants). I went in April (the start of the rainy season) and saw 11 Elephants.

Tips for your first safari

• Wear long trousers and shoes that have good grip.
• Carry a bottle of water with you and remain hydrated because the sun will be scorching.
• Carry sunscreen and re-apply every 2 hours.
• Remain patient: safaris are a waiting game.
• Watch out for the baboons, they are the thieves of the jungle (they stole my bag and ran into the forest, my driver went in to retrieve and and fought off a family of them).

This park is 100% a bucket list activity and was the perfect first safari (for budget girlies like me).