Mole Hotel, Ghana

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This is probably the best place to stay for at least one night to get the full experience of Mole National Park. This is the case, mainly because there are really no other options that fit the bill for most travelers. If you are going to visit Mole National park there are options to also stay in Larabanga or a homestay in Larabang or Magnori. But for Mole Motel it is all about location, location, location. This hotel is located inside the confines of the park and on a hill overlooking a watering hole; it is also steps from the Park Headquarters where the walking safaris will start each morning an evening. The other options may be more affordable, offer better one on one service, and provide more of an opportunity to get to know the communities around the park, but they all have downsides. The Salia Brothers establishments are in Larabanga which makes the logistics of getting to Mole Park difficult and expensive, the same is true for a home stay in Magnori which is also outside of the park.

So now that we have decided that Mole Motel is probably your only option for a convenient and practical place to stay to experience Mole, what should you expect? For the price (which is more than most places in Ghana) you may expect a little more than some of the other places you have been staying on your trip, don’t get your hopes up though. The rooms are basic but comfortable and relatively clean, the same can be said for the hotel in general. One of the major issues is that they seem to be constantly plagued by water issues, and the showers will be hardly running or not running at all, and this seems to be a frequent problem. Other people’s complaints usually have to do with the low level of service provided and the higher priced lower quality of food. The service and the food were not that great but I did not feel that it was as bad as people make it out to be. Maybe it comes from peoples expectations with the price.

The things people love are of course the location, there is also the pool and the outdoor restaurant. The pool area and restaurant area are on the edge of the hill overlooking the watering hole below, it makes for beautiful sunset dinners and you can also swim throughout the heat of the day but keep an eye out for potential wildlife. The pool was clean and in good service when I was there, I have heard this is not always the case though. The open air restaurant is nice so you can enjoy the views and stay a little cooler, but there is a problem with this, there are a group of baboons that frequent the hotel grounds and are not shy about jumping on a table and sharing your meal with you. This can be quite amusing the first time it happens. The staff usually come running out with sling shots to scare them away, just don’t leave anything unattended on the tables.

The good news is that there is talk about another option being built near Magnori, this is being done in partnership between a European company, our partner tour company in Ghana, and Magnori village. It is going to be a world class safari Eco-lodge and will provide a great alternative if you are looking for one.