Mognori Eco-Village is a small community-run tourism village on the edge of Mole National Park in the West Gonja District of the Savannah Region — about 30 km from the park's main gate at Larabanga, and roughly 5 km from the Murugu junction on the Damongo–Mole road. It is one of the finest examples of community-based ecotourism in Ghana: the village sits in the "catchment" buffer zone of the park, and the people of Mognori — Gonja by ethnicity, with strong ties to the Larabanga and Murugu communities — run the tourism themselves rather than handing it to an outside operator. The signature experience is the **canoe safari on the Mole River** (a tributary of the White Volta system). You glide in a dugout pirogue poled by a local guide along a quiet stretch of river fringed with riverine forest — a habitat quite different from the open savannah woodland of the park itself. Expect to see birds in abundance (kingfishers, herons, egrets, hornbills, bee-eaters), monkeys such as green vervet and patas, and with luck hippos and crocodiles in the deeper pools. The guides are trained local men who know the river and its wildlife intimately, and the trip is usually paired with a **guided village walk**: shea butter processing, traditional drumming and dancing, the local mosque, and a look at daily Gonja life. Practical points worth knowing: - **Getting there:** most visitors base themselves at Mole Motel inside the park and arrange the Mognori excursion through the park's tourist office or directly with the community tourism committee; it's typically a half-day trip. - **Best season:** the dry season (roughly November to April) is best for wildlife viewing and easier river access; by late dry season the river can be low, so canoe trips may be shortened or suspended. - **What to bring:** sun hat, water, binoculars, a camera, and cash for the community fee and guide tips — there are no ATMs nearby. - **Etiquette:** dress modestly for the village walk, ask before photographing people, and remember the fees go straight into community projects — schools, water, and guide training. The deeper significance is the model itself. Mognori shows how a village next to a national park can earn from wildlife instead of resenting it — the same logic behind Ghana's Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs). As the Akan say, *"Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a, yenkyi"* — go back and fetch what you forgot; Mognori is Ghana going back to fetch the old truth that the land can feed the people who protect it. If you're planning a Mole trip, Ananse can help you sketch a full itinerary — Larabanga mosque, the park's walking safari, and the Mognori canoe — just say the word.