Transportation to Kumasi is 3D and takes about 3 hr. I stayed in the guesthouse just next to the STC terminal. A dorm bed in an 8 bed dorm is 8D, a single room only 9D, double 14D.
Here I met some Flemish people (like myself) so I hooked up with them for a couple of days. Lake Bosumtwi was really fun and the water is incredibly hot in the shallow parts. It's very scenic and on holidays there are lots of locals splashing (they can't swim!)around, but I imagine it could be boring if you'd do it on yourself. 2D entry fee for foreigners.
I was really dissapointed by the Kumasi fort (stupid museum and guide on par) and the cultural center. To see the famous sword in the nearby hospital, the hours are really restricted (15.00 - 18.00hr) and I didn't even bother to go to the palace. The market on the other hand is huge and crowded!
To Tamale costs 10D with STC, 6D with other companies, and takes 7 Hr, and isn't an exciting town. A single room in the catholic guest house costs 10D.The bus to Larabanga leaves officially at 05.00hr, but between 6 and 7 is more realistic, and costs 6D. Buy your seat the day before and make sure ythey write your name on the passenger list, which counts in case of a double booking, as happened to me. You reach Larabanga after only 2.5Hr (not 5-7hr as roughguide says!!!).
When you get off the bus, you will be surrounded by wannabe guides. Just ask for the Salia brothers and they arrange a guided tour for 2D, including the mosque but not th 'mystery stone' (apparantly another 2D, but I skipped that one). Ask your guide about the processing of the Karite fruits into butter and bodycream! The walk to Mole Nat Park is less than 1 hr, and then 20 minutes more to the Motel.
The prices in the Motel have gone up considerably!!! 12D for a dorm bed and 35 for a double room. Paying with credit card or dollars, exchange rate: 1$ = 1D Guided walks are 3D an hour and take 2 hours, but looks like there is no limit on the number of tourists in the group.
The first (afternoon) walk I was alone with two young volunteers and we saw lots of wildlife: warthogs, monkeys, baboons, different kinds of antelopes, crocs and a huge monitor lizard, but no elephants...
The next morning it was drizzling a little and the guide didn't show up. I let the reception call him, and he told me there would be no guided walk because his uniform would get wet!!! So I took off alone (with GPS and compas and stuff) and when I reached the lake, about 7 elephants entered the lake and starting bathing and playing, about 20 meters away from me, no words to describe that feeling!!! On the lookout at the hotel, about 40 tourists where looking at the same scene from like 300 meters distance...
At noon, another troop of elephants just walked in on the hotel grounds and started grazing and you could get as close as 5 - 10 meters on some moments (when there was a fysical barrier to protect you from those dangerous and wild animals!) and even baboons and warthogs didn't hesitate to visit the pool area of the hotel, especially after dusk.
For the afternoon walk, 15 tourists showed up, and although there were 3 guides present, the whole group had to go with 1 guide. I decided that was too much and went out by myself again, but didn't see anything different from the previous day.
In my opinion, Mole Nat Park is just a must see for every visitor in Ghana and I'd place it on a West-Africa highlight list!!!
The bus back to Tamale leaves at 4 AM and costs 3.5D and takes about 5 hr to reach Tamale.
