The following update information relates to chapter 17 of the Bradt Guide to Ghana:
I spent six weeks in Ghana last summer volunteering with i-to-i. One objection I have is about getting to Mole National Park from the Damongo Junction. I know you advised to “Forget it!!!” but I had an extremely easy time doing this last July and know many other people who’ve successfully done it too. We were on an STC bus from Accra and simply asked our driver to drop us at the junction. There is a police checkpoint right at the junction and if you ask the officer on duty (the one when I was there was different from the one several of my friends asked when they tried this, but they were equally friendly) he’ll help arrange transport to Mole. Our bus dropped us off at around midnight and we were on our way (after some tough negotiations since there was little competition for the drive at that time of night) at most an hour later. We got charged an exorbitant amount for a tro-tro ride (probably about 7 cedis each for four people, I really can’t remember) but it saved us from having to go all the way to Tamale and when we got to the Mole Hotel, they let us check in that morning for that night, saving us the expense of an extra night’s accommodation in Tamale as well as another STC bus ticket. We then slept for a couple hours, did the park tour, and went right back to sleep, it was perfect! Again, I highly recommend getting off at the Damongo Junction. It took a group of our friends slightly longer to find a ride but that was only because they negotiated harder than us. If you’re willing to spend more than 50 cedis, you’d almost be guaranteed to find a ride for any size group of people. We also were able to ride in the back of a truck from Larabanga to Wa the next day rather than wait possibly hours for a tro-tro to come by, something else I recommend doing if the weather is good. Colin Chazen, March 07
TAMALE- Sod getting the bus to Mole, they have ridiculous timetable and it’s really uncomfortable. Hiring a car and driving with a full number is the way to go. I think you can get much more out of the visit if you have your own transport. The Mole park hotel was the worst hotel we staying in on our whole trip. An overpriced, inedible-food-serving disgrace! But the elephants and other animals were unmissable! I’m also not convinced about those Salia Brother in Larabanga, I got the distinct impression they had been seriously corrupted by their position in the community and the positive write up in your book. Leah Dike, March 07.
I know you must pass through Larabanga to get to Mole National Park, BUT JUST DO THAT,(pass through). The mosque is interesting and very tempting, but you will not appreciate the “tour”, people will crowd you, asking for money-for the mosque, the village, for the Imams, the school football team, it was, even by local standards, brazen. This town could be staging area for one of the country’s best attractions, but they are completely clueless. Sam Kalter, March 07
The motel inside Mole National Park has changed its number for reservations. One of the numbers is 233-244-316-777. Why they have an Areeba line is a bit of a mystery: reception on this network is virtually non-existent within the park. I also wanted to weigh in on the Larabanga debate. I have visited 17 African countries – not even half of the continent, but still enough to have experienced many different versions of a “warm welcome” – and I’ve never experienced anything as appalling as the reception we had at Larabanga. We stopped on our way to Mole and were immediately surrounded by about 15 boys looking to be no older than 20. We were traveling with Ghanaians who had visited the mosque before and even they were wary about getting out of the car. We were told that the boys could tell us the history of the mosque and show us around. We said no, as we’d heard stories from other travelers about Larabanga’s aggressive hustlers. We asked if we could just walk around. None of us had a camera. When we returned to the car, a man with a never-used white receipt book appeared demanding 20,000 cedis each for having looked at the mosque. He carried no identification and there was no sign suggesting there was a fee simply for LOOKING at the mosque. After several minutes conversation, during which the man insisted it was law to pay for seeing the mosque and we insisted we hadn’t taken any pictures or received any information that would warrant paying – time during which so many begging children and teenaged boys pressed against the car, one of my fellow travelers became alarmed – we finally said we would meet them at the supposed visitor’s centre. We instead kept driving to Mole, glad to be out of the place. Minutes after we’d arrived at the Mole motel, the man with the receipt book showed up and demanded that we pay! He had actually chased us on a motorbike. We explained again and again that we hadn’t realized we had to pay to even look at the mosque and that if we’d known we never would have gotten out of the car. He demanded 100,000 cedis from us, claiming this was the cost of the Peace Corps project and that he would report us to the police and the district assembly if we didn’t pay. After nearly an hour of this man ranting at us and shouting at us, we finally offered him 40,000 to go away. After another 15 minutes, he finally wandered off. I cannot urge you strongly enough to make it clear that there are other mud mosques in the Upper West region where the people are just as eager for tourists dollars and that they can be visited with far less hassle. Far, far less hassle. This is not a project that should be supported until the people listen to the advice that NGOs and development groups have been urging them to accept: that they must offer something in return for their demand for money. Until they organize themselves, Larabanga is a place best avoided. Karen Palmer, May 07.
Opening this summer in Larabanga there will be a community ceramics workshop. The workshop is open to the public and also sells its wares there. Traditional pottery and sculpture will be on display and visitors are invited to learn how it is made. The workshop is run by people from the whole community and some of the profits go back into the community to fund such things as schools. The workshop is on the eastern outskirts of town on the road to Tamale. Britta Fluevog, June 07.
Mole Park was a wash-out (ok, I knew that Ghana is not famous for game parks). Our park-guide C.D. (who’d been doing this for 13 years) took us on 2 walks, showing us kob, waterbuck and elephant, but knew nothing of birds or plants. So we went out birding with Zach Wadeh (mentioned in your book) who indeed was/is good (alas, he’s now the national taxidermist and travels around the country giving conservation talks, so he’s not often there and/or available for birding walks). We’d also booked a 2-hr gamedrive ($90), hoping to see more game inside the park (walks take place only at the edge, just below the Mole Motel ridge), but – apart from some hartebeest and 1 duiker – saw nothing else. Verdict: overpriced and not worth doing. NOTE: park guides and -drives have nothing to do with the lodge, guides have to be booked at Park HQ (just up the hill), or one walks at 6 a.m. to the HQ and hires one of the guides sitting there waiting, while 2 cars with driver (normal 4×4s, not specialised game viewing vehicles) are available for hire from a private operator (a park guide has to be taken along) in front of the motel. Ilse Mwanza, June 07
Tamale – Picorna Hotel – got blasted by disco noise till 4 a.m. on a Fri; muezzin gets going at 5; market across the hotel at 6, i.e. avoid on weekends – good location for walking to town-centre. Tamale arts market – forget it. Ilse Mwanza, June 07
Here are some updates for your account of Tamale. Tamale population is now at least 350,000. The “noteworthy facet” and chief source of danger in the city centre is not bicycles but motorcycles. The Gulkpe Na’s palace is not “low-key,” it is a civic disgrace. I do not know what palace your correspondent found a few kilometers to the north, but a visitor could go to the Zo-Simli Na Palace on the Kumasi road SW of the city centre. It is modernized but entirely traditional in layout; a resident guide will explain its organization in exchange for a contribution to the Zo-Simli Na Scholarship Fund. Gariba Lodge is mostly for high-flyers passing through. The best local hotel is the Mariam, near the south end of Education Ridge; it has a good restaurant but no regular entertainment. There are many new, small lodges and other hotels, several built in 2007 in preparation of the All-Africa Cup, January 2008, for which some of the matches will be played in the new, beautiful, Chinese-built stadium near the Mariam. “Swab” restaurant should be Swad, an Indian term corresponding to the management, but neither here nor in Relax Lodge will you get recognizably Indian food. I recommend Lady Sweets restaurant on the Bolga road just past the metropolitan Assembly; very pleasant outdoor dining. There is a private forex, on Hospital Road just past Barclays Bank, on the opposite side. It is also easy to change US dollars, though at a slightly lower rate. Excellent traditional entertainment is put on by Youth Home on Waterson Road. They rehearse every weekday and offer instruction in drumming and dancing. Wyatt MacGaffey, July, 07.
I visited Kalpohin and it is a wonderful experience for travelers. Thanks to Walisu, a very young, educated and knowledgeable guide who lives with his mother in the village, I could see within few hours the life style of the entire village, what they make for living, sit in their round houses, meet and talk to the adults and kids, buy beautiful souvenirs of their own production and most of all… felt free to use my camera as much as I wanted without asking. Walisu made his village a sort of a ‘scansen’ and the profits are shared with the villagers. He is a wonderful guide, providing you even with the water during the tour if you run out your bottle. The most important is that he brings tourists to the village. Besides what they see and learn, they buy their products, helping this way the locals not only financially but to be more creative. Grazyna Krewin, July 07.
You wrote that at Mole they always talk about but never have followed through with the ranger’s promise of overnight excursions. I was very surprised therefore when we met a group of people one afternoon armed with rucksacks, roll mats and mosquito nets for their overnight camping experience in the bush. Our group also decided to do this trip with a ranger the following night. We were told we would be spending a night camping outside in the African bush so we could fully appreciate the nature and wildlife in Africa with a bush walk to and from the campsite. Setting off near 5, we walked for 10km down what must be the busiest dirt track in the whole of Mole which was obviously used as a main road for drivers and therefore the only wildlife we saw was the hundreds of midges buzzing round our heads the whole way down the long dirt track. We finally arrived at our outdoor camping site to discover we were actually going to be sleeping in bare concrete buildings which we found out seemed to be the crowded home of what felt like every living bat in Africa! The two rangers promptly disappeared into their bat cave almost as soon as we arrived though first lighting a few damp logs that emitted a thick choking smoke which was our “camp fire”! Not quite sure what to do we retired to bed where we spent a night wondering why the hell we didn’t pay for the rabies vaccine with hundreds of screeching bats moving above us! At five in the morning we awoke and were taken again by the two rangers back down the long 10km dirt track back to the motel. Here we tried to ask for money back (they charged 11 new Ghana Cedi whereas a motel room only cost 
when the ranger turned from being a seemingly good natured man to a raging lunatic shouting and waving his gun around which was the moment we decided to pay the full price and return alive to the motel room! So overnight excursions now do happen, although unsuspecting Westerners looking for a fun night camping will not be getting what they expected! Sarah Davies, Aug 07.
Tamale: The worst guesthouse experience I had in Ghana was in Tamale – the Central Guesthouse was absurdly overpriced (240,000 cedis for a double room, which is approximately £13 and about twice as much as I paid anywhere else for better quality), the staff were unhelpful, it was very noisy in the morning and there was no electricity. The Al Hassan proved to be a much better deal, with friendly staff, a functioning fan and costing about half the price. Josie Prynn, Sep 07.
Mole National Park: Although we were told on arrival at Mole Motel that it was full, we persuaded them to put extra mattresses in the dormitories. The dawn walking safari was good, with opportunities to see elephants, baboons, kob, water buck and bush buck. Disappointing however was the night safari we thought we were going to get: a group of us arranged to be taken by 2 guides to a camp site 9km away from the motel, where we would get a better idea of the park, away from the noise and lights of the motel. However, the campsite turned out to be a group of bat-infested concrete huts and it was apparently too dangerous for us to walk or camp anywhere else, so it didn’t feel like much more than a more expensive, less comfortable alternative to the motel. Also, driving through Larabanga with a brief stop to look at the mosque turned out to be quite an ordeal, due to the huge number of would-be guides surrounding you and talking at you the whole time. I couldn’t enjoy the mosque or look at it properly as the distraction of all the hassle was too much. Josie Prynn, Sep 07.
Mole Motel in the Mole National Park. Well, if you want to see elephants, this is where you go. The rooms are great – spacious & clean. The food is good. The pool is refreshing. And you can meet people from all over the World. Gorham Bowler, Sep 07.
Larabanga was nothing short of horrible. when the bus stopped there on the way through to Mole we were accosted by about 8 men in their early 20’s trying to sell us things, expecting us to give them our Ipods, money, food and anything else that they could have got their hands on or asked for. it was really quite intimidating and we couldn’t even walk away because they were on the bus blocking both exits. Carl Johnson, Jan 08.
We were not impressed by the Al Hassan Hotel. we arrived late in Tamale and found it, 3 girls asking the bank watchmen next door where it was, with smirks on their faces they told us. A few metres later on we came across a drunk woman pole-dancing around a lamp post. We proceeded into the hotel and met the polite guys on the desk. Looking at the room and seeing the other ‘guests’ it wasn’t hard to deduce it’s a brothel!!! I’ve stayed in a few brothels in Africa, but wasn’t going to subject a 12yr old to it! The rooms were filthy, smelly & bathrooms were down the corridor which with it’s ‘clientele’ ruled it out immediately for us! We ended up in Las Hotel, which was ‘fine’ nothing to write home about in terms of the rooms but clean and a great Chinese restaurant upstairs which went down well after a 15hr tro-tro ride from Busua/Takoradi. Chloe Grant, Jan 08.
Bus from Tamale to Mole; 4hrs late – well it’s Africa, no problem but it was seriously overbooked. We had some guy decide to sit on us as he was one of 10 or so without a seat number, it wasn’t a pleasant trip. Chloe Grant, Jan 08.
Mole Motel; the food is overpriced and nothing amazing. The staff are friendly, they did have our month old reservation (for Christmas day) which was a great relief! The bush walks were good but not as informative as I’d like to have heard. The horror, after being told not to drop litter, was the first sighting of animals behind the staff quarters, warthogs, baboons & monkeys all fighting over the mound of rubbish that just lies behind. It was disgusting and made a mockery of what we’d been told not to do! There was an injured monkey nearby, damaged foot, I suspect by a can or something in amongst the rubbish! Chloe Grant, Jan 08.
If you fly with Citylink from Accra to Tamale, don’t be surprised if the plane, upon take off, announces its intention to drop off passengers in Kumasi. The time this adds to your flight is minimal since passengers bound for Tamale stay on the plane, and no one else joins in Kumasi. Cost one way $150. includes a bottle of water and a meat sandwich. There is an informal cartel being operated by the taxi drivers at Tamale Airport and some of the taxi drivers take a very hands on approach to getting women in their taxi – worth being ready for. Bargaining hard helps but they’ve pretty much got you over a barrel as there are no tro-tro’s and only a handful of drivers. Abigail Herron, Mar 08
Drivers are keen to take you by taxi’s to Mole from Tamale, and with patience, you can still get there for $60. Keep camera equipment wrapped tightly on this journey as the auburn dust has a way of getting into those nooks and crannies. Indeed, blondes may arrive at Mole as red-heads! Abigail Herron, Mar 08
Mole Motel has the most spectacular views. The girl’s dorms are full of cockroaches but the chalets ($45) seems to be roach free. The rangers don’t know much about birdlife or plants but will be able to spot the larger animals for you. “DK” is particularly recommended. The area is amazing and a real highlight. An alternative to the steep Mole Motel is the staff canteen, large sign by the rangers station where walks begin. Here the friendly cook is happy to prepare local meals, including vegetarian, for half the cost. Soft drinks are much cheaper here too. Several guides from Larabanga will make themselves acquainted with you when you arrive at the Mole Motel, some able to arrange day trips to Wechiau for up to 6 people for $100 including petrol and driver but excluding entrance to the Hippo Sanctuary/boat fee. It may be worth watching for wandering hands from one of these guides if you are female. From all accounts the hassle level in Larabanga remains sky high. So much so, I didn’t hang around there. Abigail Herron, Mar 08
I am so happy I contacted Walisu Al Hassan. (phone – 024 3822633, email – alwalisu@yahoo.co.uk) We all had a memorable experience in Walisu’s hometown of Kalpohin. The Cultural Exchange Program (costing 10 Ghana Cedis per person) gave us an opportunity to watch a woman spin thread out of cotton, try our hand at pottery making (without a wheel), and observe the production of shea butter (I even helped). By the time we got to the last activity, smock production, it seemed like every child in town was watching with us. That was a memorable part of the experience. We also splurged for a drumming and dancing presentation. Those of us who were brave were asked to join, in costume. By then, the entire village had formed a joyful circle around them. Apparently, our dancing was amusing. We also had lunch there. We had seven in our group, and this was a highlight of our trip for all of us. This experience is what travel should be. Instead of exploiting or disturbing the locals, Walisu has found a way to honour them and celebrate their culture. Walisu is doing this to help the people of his village find a way to earn some income from traditional activities while sharing them with the world. As a result, everyone in Kalpohin was welcoming. We saw a very different culture. We took a lot of photos. We made a lot of little friends. (We went on a public holiday, so the children had the day off from school.) Walisu is also available for hire as a tour guide. After meeting us at the Tamale airport and spending half a day with us in his village, he took us to another village, and then we were taken to Mole National Park. We went on safari the next day. Walisu arranged for us to have the most experienced guide, and Walisu came along with us. In the afternoon, he escorted us through Larabanga to see the mosque. Although we were still pestered by the locals for money and sweets, we did not have to worry about getting out of there safely. I would probably not do it again, but our guide and driver assured that we were kept safe. Walisu sells products from his town. We purchased shea butter and pots. Thread and smocks were also available. We were all very happy to have Walisu escort us around Northern Ghana for two days. He arranged everything, including the vehicle and driver, and he met us at the airport with a printed copy of our itinerary for each of us. It was very impressive. We all would recommend Walisu and his Cultural Exchange Program. John J Maggio, Mar 08.
The first place I really went to was Mole National Park, and getting there was very easy and trouble/hassle free. The STC for Tamale tends to sell out fairly quickly, as there are still no night services from Accra to Tamale, so it is best to buy the seats a couple of days in advance. I would emphasise the heat and sweatiness of Alhassan in Tamale, although at 7Ghc for the night, you get what you pay for. the singles could easily take 2 people, whilst the doubles could hold 4 people, making the value for money still there despite the heat. As for Mole Motel, I thought it a very pleasant and relaxing place to stay, and at 8GHc for the room in the dorm it was exceptional value for money. the other rooms are triple – 30Ghc, double – 36Ghc, and suite 45Ghc. the food is reasonably priced for somewhere so remote and in a place of such beauty, a good meal for about 6Ghc. in all, coming from Accra, I spent about 110Ghc including transport, so it can be done on the very cheap if necessary. The only problem I had was whilst in the dorm, I had some money stolen from my bag. A couple of guys turned up late at night, stayed in the dorm, and then left at 3.30am before the bus to Tamale left. i discovered money missing soon after they had gone, and reported it to security at the Motel, but he was not interested at all, because he was also getting the MM bus!!! He told me that i would have to report it to reception and fill in a form (we were stood in reception whilst he told me this), but that it wouldn’t be staffed until at least 6am. When I told him that now I only had enough money to get to Tamale and a cash point (i actually was able to get to Kumasi in the end to do this), and that if i didn’t get this bus, i had no money to stay, he was simply dismissive, and therefore there was nothing I could do but get the bus!!! The other thing I would strongly recommend NOT going from Mole to Accra in one day. leaving at 4am, we finally got into Accra about 11.30pm after breakdowns, storms, and generally just waiting 3 hours for a tro to fill! it would have been much better to have stopped in Kumasi, which is easy to get to from Mole, changing at Damongo Junction. Steve Medley, Apr 08.
On the way to Mole, I passed straight through Larabanga, as was suggested by people in the update, but I got the impression of it being very friendly. we stopped there for a little while, but even the Obruni getting off the bus didn’t get any hassle from anyone, it was just a quiet peaceful village. Some people I worked with in Ghana actually came back to Larabanga having really enjoyed their stay, and stayed with the Salia Brothers working in the community school that the brothers run. Although this should be verified by them if they email, i think that the negatives of the latest update should be countered as I now regret not visiting the village. Steve Medley, Apr 08.
TAMALE- Chartering a taxi as soon as you step off the STC bus is not a good idea. We arranged a driver to take us to Larabanga (which cost us $90 after heavy negotiating) and it was the sketchiest experience we’ve had–right down to taking a taxi to get to his taxi! The taxi offers can be overwhelming, but it would be worth it to gather your bearings before making any commitments. Melissa Vasey, July 08.
LARABANGA- Salia Brothers seems to have a negative reputation as of late, and I don’t know why! We phoned in advance when we realized we would arrive well after dark–our taxi was met on the road and we were served a meal almost immediately. Even though it was the beginning of the rainy season, we had a very pleasant sleep on the roof (although the blankets were a bit damp.) We were even allowed to keep our belongings in a room, with the understanding that we’d make a mad dash for it if it rained. Other travellers who stayed in a room on the same night, however, complained of a rather poor sleep due to the heat. Melissa Vasey, July 08.
Just wanted to send in a quick commentary that may be of concern in relation to Mole Motel in Mole National Park. I travelled there the other weekend with a large group. We have reservations but when we arrived late in the evening, after our Tro-Tro broke down, they informed us that our reservations have been lost or were never made. This happened to countless couples and groups that came after us during the weekend. We were forced to pay a large amount to sleep in mattresses on the dorm floor for the evening since there was no transportation at such a late hour to take us back to the neighboring village. It seems this is common practice at this location as I have heard similar complaints from other travellers as well. Travellers who arrive earlier in the day did not seem to have the same problem. Giving a warning to travellers to arrive during the day or to call once they reach the neighboring village to ensure that their Motel reservation is still in tact would be helpful. Allyson Roy, July 08.
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