The hook
Ghana's largest wildlife refuge, a stretch of northern savanna where you can walk on foot with a ranger and, from the lodge's clifftop pool, watch elephants come to drink at the waterhole below.
01Why it's worth it
West Africa is not the safari heartland that the east and south are, but Mole National Park, in Ghana's far north, offers a genuine and unusually intimate taste of it. Its savanna and woodland support elephants, several kinds of antelope, warthogs, baboons, and abundant birds, and while the density and variety don't match the great East African parks, the experience here is distinctive: much of the game viewing is done on foot, on a guided walking safari with an armed ranger, which brings you closer and quieter to the wildlife than any vehicle and makes for an exciting, personal encounter. The park's headquarters sit dramatically on an escarpment above a waterhole, and from the lodge and its pool you can often watch elephants and other animals coming to drink below, a memorable, low-effort payoff. It is a long journey to the north of the country, but it rounds out a Ghana trip beyond the coast's history and rewards travellers wanting savanna wildlife in an accessible, relaxed setting.
02How to experience it
Base at the park lodge, and do a guided walking safari (the highlight) as well as any drives, timing visits to the waterholes where animals gather in the dry season. Watch for elephants from the escarpment lodge. It is a long trip north, best combined with the culture and towns of northern Ghana.