By: Karl Furlong
When the world started to shut down in March of 2020, Gordon Laar knew it spelled trouble for the Mole Motel. The motel is situated in Mole National Park, in the north of Ghana. It sits half a world away from Washington DC, but decisions that impact the travel plans of American tourists directly impact the financial wellbeing of the people that rely on the park.
Following the lead of countries around the world, Ghana locked the doors in March of 2020 and the National Park followed suit. Unfortunately, when the park reopened in July of the same year, visitors remained scarce. It would be another few months before Ghanaian tourists started to venture north to see the park’s sites. Another year would pass before Americans and Europeans started to return in earnest.
The impact of the pandemic is easy to see. Hot water is not available, working lightbulbs are scarce, the rooms aren’t especially clean, and at least half the menu items are unavailable at the restaurant.
The signs of wear are everywhere, but the motel is still charming – if you can get passed the slightly dirty pool deck, mismatched broken patio chairs, and the somewhat spotty running water.
That said, it is absolutely worth a visit. After all, I saw an elephant, and that counts for a lot.
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Laar’s number one priority is to bring back all the staff that were let go when the motel shut down. They are back to 90% and he’d like to bring the remainder of employees back as soon as possible. The additional staff should help reduce the two-hour wait time for dinner, and perhaps the rooms will get a proper cleaning between guests.
Sorting out the motel’s problems isn’t likely to happen soon, but those shortcomings don’t take away from the experience. Mole National Park is a magical escape from Accra. The motel is perched on a rise and every room looks over a seemingly endless tree canopy. Bushbucks and Warthogs wander the grounds competing for the uncut grass, baboon and red monkeys scurry about looking to snatch food from unaware guests. Down the hill is a watering hole frequented by one of the six hundred elephants that call the park home.
And let me tell you about the elephants!
After a sweaty night in a dark room, I took a cold shower and headed out with a ranger in search of the park’s African Forest Elephants. We tracked one for a few miles through ankle–deep water and knee-deep grass. Pushing our way through the dense underbrush for an hour, we followed the broken branches and the massive footprints he left in his wake. When we finally found him, he was busy consuming what looked like an entire tree.
Standing in the wet grass and staring at this elephant wandering through his natural habitat was an experience I will never forget.
So yes, the parks facilities may have seen better days, but walking through the bush with a ranger and getting the see the park’s inhabitants up close is worth it (just make sure to pack a flashlight, a towel, and maybe one or two energy bars if you go!)
