Tourist Sites in the northern region

Mole National Park

Mole National Park is 's largest wildlife refuge. The park is located in northwest Ghana on grassland savanna and riparian ecosystems at an elevation of 150 m, with sharp escarpment forming the southern boundary of the park. The park's entrance is reached through the nearby town of . The Lovi and Mole Rivers are ephemeral rivers flowing through the park, leaving behind only drinking holes during the long dry season.[2] This area of Ghana receives over 1000 mm per year of rainfall. A long-term study has been done on Mole National Park to understand the impact of human hunters on the animals in the preserve.

The park's lands were set aside as a wildlife refuge in 1958. In 1971 the small human population of the area was relocated, and the lands were designated a national park. The park has not seen major development as a tourist location since its original designation. The park as a protective area is underfunded and national and international concerns exist about poaching and sustainability in the park, but its protection of important resident antelope species has improved since its initial founding as a preserve.

The park is an important study area for scientists because of the removal of the human population from within the park allowing for some long-term studies, in particular, of relatively undisturbed sites compared to similar areas of densely populated equatorial . One study on the resident population of 800 elephants, for example, indicates that elephant damage to large trees varies with species. In Mole, elephants have a greater tendency to seriously injure economically important species such as Burkea africana, an important tropical hardwood, and Butyrospermum paradoxum, the source of shea butter, over the less important Terminalia spp.

Recently, honey made from flowers in the Molé National Forest has become the region's first fair-trade commodity. Nearby, villagers harvest the honey using traditional, non-invasive methods, and have partnered with a Utah-based company to sell the honey as a health and wellness supplement in the US.The program was co-founded by Ashanti Chief Nana Kwasi Agyemang, who hopes to re-ignite local interest in the honey and eventually export it to other countries in Africa.

The Larabanga

is a mosque, built in the Sudanese architectural style in the village of Larabanga, Ghana. It is the oldest mosque in the country and one of the oldest in West Africa and has been referred to as the " of West Africa". It has undergone restoration several times since it was founded in 1421. The (WMF) has contributed substantially to its restoration and lists it as one of the 100 Most Endangered Sites. The restoration works have revived the knowledge of mud-plaster maintenance.

The mosque has an old , believed by the locals to have been given as a gift from heaven in 1650 to Yidan Barimah Bramah, the at the time, as a result of his prayers. The mosque, built with mud and reeds, has two tall towers in pyramidal shape, one for the which faces towards Mecca forming the facade on the east and the other as a minaret in the northeast corner. These are buttressed by twelve bulbous shaped structures, which are fitted with timber elements.

The mosque is located in the Islamic town of Larabanga, close to Damongo in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region of Ghana. The town is situated about 15 kilometers north of Damongo, and 4 kilometers south of the Mole National Park entrance.

According to a legend, in 1421, an Islamic trader named Ayuba had a dream while staying here, near a "Mystic Stone", instructing him to build a mosque. Strangely, when he awoke, he found that the foundations were already in place and he proceeded to construct the mosque until it was completed. There is a belief that he left instructions that he should be buried close to the mosque and that after three days, the baobab which would shoot up on his grave was to be preserved from generation to generation. The baobab tree next to the mosque today is reputed to mark the site of Ayuba's grave. The townsfolk of Larabanga supposedly depend on the leaves and stem of this baobab tree for healing of ailments.

Unlike situated in urban settings in West Africa, the Larabanga Mosque is comparatively small. Rural mosques, like Larabanga's, were usually conceived by a single marabout and loosely based on styles seen elsewhere such as in the Great Mosque of Djenné. In order to achieve a physical resemblance to the architecture used elsewhere, the Larabanga Mosque had to incorporate large buttresses in order to compensate for the poorer quality of building materials. Larabanga is one of eight ancient and highly revered mosques in Ghana and is also the oldest. It is a place of pilgrimage and is considered the Mecca of West Africa.

In the 1970s, a mixture of sand and cement was applied to the external faces of the mosque with the intention of protecting the mosque from wind and rain damage. However, this treatment resulted in substantial damage to the building as moisture became trapped in the walls built of mud and started a deterioration process of the structure, with termites infesting the wooden supports under humid conditions. This resulted in part of the mosque collapsing and during the repair work it caused some distortions of the structural elements and the exterior of the mosque.

Like other mosques in Northern Region of Ghana, Larabanga Mosque is built in the traditional Sudanic-Sahelian architectural style, using local materials and construction techniques. The mosque is built with mud and reeds, and measures about 8 metres (26 ft) by 8 metres (26 ft). It has two towers in pyramidal shape, one for the mihrab which faces towards Mecca forming the facade on the east and the other as a minaret in the northeast corner. In addition, 12 buttresses of conical shape on the external walls are strengthened by horizontally-aligned timber elements. The architectural style is also known as "flat-footed adobe architecture". All the structures are given a white wash. The mosque has an old Quran, believed by the locals to have been given as a gift from heaven in 1650 to Bramah, the Imam at the time, as a result of his prayers. The local community has also been supported in a handicraft and tourism project to generate funds not only for meeting the maintenance expenses of the mosque but also improve the economic conditions of the

Paga Crocodile Pond

Bolgatanga which is very close to the Burkina Faso border has this famous pond filled with some of the biggest crocodiles in the world. According to history and some myth, one of the ancient crocodiles of this pond saved the life of the first man who settled in the area, by leading him to the pond to quench his thirst from a long journey.

After that incident, the man declared the pond be sacred and the crocs should be treated as royals. Up till now it's a taboo to harm or kill these reptiles. It is believed that the oldest crocodile is about 85years old. Crocodiles are wild creatures but not the ones in Paga. These crocodiles coexist with humans and their friendly interactions with humans baffle the minds of many tourists including myself. It is also believed that the soul of every native of this village has a corresponding crocodile in the pond. According to reliable sources, the death of most of the important personalities in the town coincided with the deaths of some of the biggest crocs in the sacred pond.

Paga crocodile pond sanctuary is visited by millions of travelers from all parts of the globe. There are trained tour guides who performs some exercises before the crocodiles come out of water. A small fee is charged to buy the chicken for the show.

It’s so beautiful how this works and you wouldn't want to miss anything so make sure you have your camera ready for the show. This is where you have your closest encounter with crocodiles. Two things normally happen. First, the Guide whistles a tune, and this excites them and makes them come out of the water and then waves a live fowl in the air for it to come to the dry land. Secondly, he rewards the croc with the fowl and then you can touch, caress or even "sit" on these reptiles. The only place on the planet where you can pose for your memorable photos, sitting and holding the tail of some of the biggest reptiles in the world. These crocodiles are harmless and friendly but please take extra caution as anything is possible. Nevertheless, nobody has ever been reported hurt or killed by these beautiful lizards since its inception. There are other side attractions like the Slave market, the Kukula mystery dam and Natural game reserves.