A Ghana Getaway- Zaina Lodge
A Ghana Getaway - Zaina Lodge
Welcome to Zaina Lodge, a unique little getaway you never would have expected! Located only 2.5 hours West of Tamale, you are soon in the heart of Mole National Park.
This was going to be a jam packed work trip, but when I learned we’d be in Northern Ghana, I started looking at the possibility of Mole National Park. At the time I wasn't sure if I'd be traveling solo, but either way I was hoping to make it happen.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Book a shuttle from the Tamale or Accra airport
Book a driver - you can contact Zaina for assistance
We were lucky to be traveling with a local missionary, (Sherri) who has been living in Ghana for 12 years and had a car. It was the perfect getaway for all of us and allowed for each of us to refuel. For Sherri, she finally got wifi good enough to download more Netflix!
After the short drive from Tamale, we arrived to the Zaina front gates. We really had no idea what to expect and were greeted with a lime drink and a scented cold towel. We were then escorted to our "glamping" style room which overlooked Mole Park.
We laid by the pool all afternoon and literally soaked up the African sun. For each meal we were given two meal options. I have to admit, I was skeptical since we'd been eating local dishes all week, but the meals were phenomenal!
THE SAFARI
The next morning we loaded in an open top vehicle and went on a driving safari around Mole Park National Park. It wasn't long before we saw monkeys, wart hogs, and varying deer. We were even served a cute little coffee picnic on an overlook. Follow my Instagram travel story to see more behind the scenes.
The whole time, the safari guides are trying to find us elephants...and boy did we find them!
I had actually forgotten a piece of my drone, so we changed our route making us run into a small herd of elephants. One of the smaller elephants seemed to pose in the middle of the road.
We watched from the road as they threw dirt, crunched trees and walked side by side. It was the best ending to our morning safari!
After our safari we came back to a wonderful spread of breakfast overlooking the park. The staff had heard of our elephant sighting and were so excited for us.
A few hours later, the elephants came to the watering hole below the infinity pool. I couldn't believe it! I was able to fly my drone from the pool deck and capture footage of them drinking.
If you check out the Zaina Lodge Instagram, you'll see the animals at times even come up to the pool area.
Zaina truly felt like a secret Getaway in Ghana. If you are already planning a trip to Ghana, you should consider visiting this little slice of heaven.
Please leave some love below and feel free to ask any questions.
- Tara
TARA SHUPE
Tara Shupe is a Humanitarian Photographer and Video Storyteller, constantly traveling with a camera attached to the hip and a notebook in her pocket. With over 10 years of experience in the field, Tara approaches each story intimately with a hope for inspiring others to think beyond their comfort zone.
The Captain of our military escort was very into selfies, so I had promised him a photo with my camera, which of course led to most of the unit, but it gave me a chance to play with my newest lens: The Petzval 55 Mark II