Mole National Park

Our final mission before Sky left for home was to see more African wildlife so we made our way to Mole National Park via night stops in Kumasi and Tamale. Mole is a huge attraction up in the northwest of Ghana, far enough from the coast to go from humid tropical rain forest vegetation to the drier and hotter savanna woodland. Riding the bus on the dirt road out to the park really felt like being in "Africa" and getting ready for a safari. Finally getting to Mole, (which involved a lot of hassle and fighting in Larabanga, the junction town before it) we were not disappointed. There is a single hotel complex inside the park where most people stay. A little pricier than we are used to but so much cheaper than the national parks in southern and eastern Africa. The hotel sits on a little ridge overlooking the park and a large watering hole that attracts all the animals in the dry season, the end of which is now. In the park they do guided walks so you can get up close to whatever you can find. The main highlight is usually a couple dozen meters from the elephants as they head to the water hole. Really the best part is that you don't even have to go anywhere or do anything to see it all, it just comes to you. It was possible to just hang out in the swimming pool as troops of baboons and other monkeys would walk by or start stealing food off your table. Sit at the poolside tables and you could watch the elephants, crocodiles, warthogs, different antelopes and numerous birds hang out at the water hole below. And for two days that is pretty much what we did; watched wildlife and worked on our tans.
Transport is a little slower than we'd hoped out here so rather than try to rush around the country it was decided to come back to Big Milly's to hang out a few days more before seeing Sky off. Some of our friends were still there, while others we'd made in Cape Coast and Mole had gotten there ahead of us too. Fun fun again.
Ammon