We’ve all been seeing tons of travel content from Ghana light up our social media feeds lately. Ghana’s popularity has exploded among Black travelers, kicked off by 2019’s "Year of Return" and sustained by Detty December, a month-long celebration that draws crowds of partygoers to the capital of Accra. For first-time visitors to Africa, Ghana’s relative stability, natural attractions, and nightlife make it a perfect introduction to the continent.
I visited Ghana recently, spending two weeks exploring Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale, home to Mole National Park, the country's largest natural game reserve located in the northern part of the country.
Though you won't see lions, giraffes, or zebras at Mole National Park, you'll get up close with elephants, baboons, monkeys, and antelope in what I call a great "starter safari."
If you’re planning a visit to Ghana soon, here’s how to add a safari to your trip.
But First, Some Paperwork.
Before considering a trip to Ghana, be aware that U.S. citizens need a visa to enter the country. The costs depend on whether you need a single-entry or multiple-entry visa. You can complete the application online, and regular processing times are 15 to 20 days while the expedited service is seven business days, so apply early.
Travelers to Ghana will also need to get a yellow fever vaccine, which can be administered at a local health clinic.
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How To Get To Mole National Park
Most travelers from the U.S. will fly into Ghana’s capital city, Accra, which is where I landed after a connecting flight from New York where I had met up with my friends. Once we landed in Accra, we met our tour guide from Uprise Travel and spent the night at Roots Hotel which had a trendy rooftop lounge with a bird’s eye view of the city.
The next morning, after a breakfast of coffee and fresh fruit, we headed back to the airport for a quick one-hour flight to Ghana’s northern city of Tamale. From Tamale, we met another tour guide from Uprise Travel who drove us two hours to Mole National Park. If you don’t want to fly to Tamale, it is about a 10-hour drive from Accra, which can be arranged by booking a private driver or by taking a bus.
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Where To Stay
Mole National Park is the largest game reserve in Ghana, and there are only two options for staying at the park. The first, Mole Motel, is a no-frills motel with clean rooms, a large swimming pool, and impressive views of the park. My friends and I chose the second option, Zaina Lodge which is a luxury safari camp, and if you’re used to certain conveniences, I would recommend staying here.
Zaina Lodge has a gorgeous dining area that overlooks the savanna, pool loungers that surround an infinity pool, and cabins with outdoor showers, high-end linens, and private balconies. The food during our stay included a mix of Western and African dishes; there was oatmeal, bacon, and toast for breakfast along with dinners of goat pepper soup, fufu, and jollof rice.
What To Expect
We stayed at Zaina Lodge for three days, which gave us time to lay out by the pool, go on a pre-dawn walking safari, and enjoy a canoe safari where we spotted rare birds and visited a local village. The highlight of our stay though was the early morning safari. We rose before the sun and traveled deep into the wildlife park in a safari jeep. Treading quietly, we followed the park rangers to the elephant tracks etched in mud, and with bated breath, we watched as a herd of elephants slowly emerged from the leafy jungle, walking just steps from us.
Even if you decide to not take a jeep safari, staying in Mole National Park means you need to be pretty comfortable getting up close with animals because here they have free reign on the property.
Monkeys would often hang out by the pool and warthogs would gather in groups outside of our cabins. The larger animals like the elephants, antelope, and baboons stayed further from the lodge grounds, though we were cautioned that the baboons could smell our food and we were discouraged from taking anything from the dining area.
The lodge’s remote location meant that we sometimes lost power at night (which can be daunting sleeping in a cabin surrounded by wild animals), but the presence of armed park rangers also helped us feel safer. Being in the park was also quite peaceful. During our stay, we talked to a few other travelers—a Ghanaian family from London and medical students volunteering in the area— but for the most part, our visit was quiet compared to the bustling city life we left behind in Accra.
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Final Tips
Visiting Mole National Park deepened my experience in Ghana, and after my stay, I would recommend the safari for experienced or adventure travelers. There were times when we didn’t have any phone reception or electricity, and for some travelers, the experience might be a bit too far out of their comfort zone.
There’s also a bit of planning involved in getting to Mole National Park, and I highly recommend using a Ghanaian tour company like Uprise Travel who booked our flights and lodging and arranged for a driver to pick us up from the airport in Tamale and transport us to Zaina Lodge.
Three days were just the right amount of time to visit the safari park though you could easily extend your stay to a week or longer. If you already have plans to visit Accra, a visit to Mole National Park is a great way to experience your first safari.
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Featured image courtesy of Mariette Williams
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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This shift is a significant change for couples. Let’s face it: no one wants to be in a sexless marriage or relationship. But how can couples effectively confront the impact of fading physical intimacy on the overall health of their enduring partnership?
"I have found that many factors influence one's desire to dive, and it is often not a majority of just one thing. Most people assume that if they don't desire [sex], they are no longer physically attracted, but in my experience, that has little to do with it most of the time," explained Brittanni Young, LMFT, CST.
"Some of the heavy contributors that I see most often include excessive goal orientation towards orgasm, people not prioritizing their own sexuality, and the landfill of ‘should’s’ that develop from toxic sexual scripts created long ago in upbringing," she added.
Furthermore, these issues are not exclusive to any particular orientation, but it does manifest differently.
Young is a licensed marriage and family therapist, sexologist, and board-certified sex therapist who practices in Georgia and Florida. She has worked in the sexology field for over a decade. Young helps couples and individuals looking to get through challenges of all facets facing sexuality and intimacy, such as desire mismatch, over-compulsion, and dysfunctions. She recently launched a deck of intimacy connection cards called "Show Me Your Cards." Young is working on another product that helps teach children to consent and negotiate appropriate touch. She sat down with xoNecole to discuss what causes the decline in the bedroom, the myth of 'lesbian bed death,' and recommendations on overcoming "bed death."
The Decline In Intimacy
Intimacy often dwindles within relationships, a phenomenon triggered by various factors such as stress, the insidious monotony of routine, and the toxicity of unresolved conflicts, to name a few. While couples manage daily life, exchanging intimate desires and concerns may take a backseat. Sadly, this gradually erodes the closeness once shared in the relationship.
"Typically, the first thing I do when working with a couple on desire challenges is rule out medical causes by referring them to their primary care physician or other provider they are working with," Young shared. "There are times when unmanaged or mismanaged conditions factor into low desire levels. Also, many medications can wreak havoc on keeping desire levels up, such as antidepressants, SSRIs, anti-anxiety, and blood pressure medications, to name a few."
Jeff Bergen/ Getty Images
"Next, I look at the state of the relationship. If there is dissatisfaction in the relationship, then it definitely affects how close and intimate one wants to be to another. There are also plenty of individual factors one can bring into the equation, such as low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, feelings of shame or guilt around one's own sexuality, and external life stressors that can get in the way. I find that life stressors can be a big one for folks, as once you get in the habit of not prioritizing sex, it tends to stick," she added.
Fortunately, there are ways to prevent "bed death." It can involve prioritizing your wants and open communication about sexual needs.
"What tends to be effective for all couples is taking an inventory of how satisfied they are with their sexual behaviors and engagement. Being truthful in this vein can be the start of unlocking inhibitions that can keep you from seeking out and being genuinely vulnerable in intimate spaces," Young explained. "Next, I suggest opening up lines of communication around these truths. When people assume that nothing can be done, hope is lost."
The Myth Of 'Lesbian Bed Death'
The notion of "lesbian bed death" perpetuates a simplistic and inaccurate stereotype about the sexual dynamics within lesbian relationships. Contrary to the myth, the experience of a decline in intimacy is not universal among lesbian couples. The diverse spectrum of relationships among women challenges this oversimplified narrative, emphasizing that the complexities of sexual dynamics extend beyond stereotypical assumptions.
"The notion of 'lesbian bed death' is based on a research study done by Pepper Schwartz in 1983 that found that lesbian couplings fell behind in sexual frequency compared to heterosexual and gay male couplings," Young revealed.
"Several other studies [after] have replicated these findings but give very little information about sexual satisfaction. Despite there being more research needed overall in the sexuality field, more recent research did find that when it comes to the length of sexual encounters, lesbian couples had the longest duration of encounters. To that end, sexual quality over quantity is a better marker of satisfaction, and that is what I pay most attention to in my work. With that said, dissatisfaction can happen in all couplings over time," the sexologist continued.
Factors influencing reduced intimacy among lesbian couples may include communication challenges, societal pressures, and individual variations in libido. Menstruation can also play a role, with some couples navigating discomfort or hormonal changes during this period.
"There are certainly some nuances that come into play with lesbian couples that differ from heterosexual or other-oriented couples. As I stated earlier, physiological factors can factor into the rise and fall of libido. The hormone fluctuations that come from menstruation and menopause can impact desire levels, and it is double present in lesbian couples. Another nuance is the lack of a sexual script from society on lesbian sexual behavior. There are patriarchal roots to sexual research, which have created our societal norms that tend to leave out anyone who isn't heterosexual," Young stated.
Overcoming The Challenges
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While 'bed death' challenges couples, solutions are within reach. By identifying and addressing the underlying causes, couples can rekindle the flame of intimacy and ensure a healthier, more fulfilling relationship.
"In the words of Esther Perel, another sexual professional in the field, 'love enjoys knowing everything about you; desire needs mystery.' I recommend keeping it in the front of your mind, prioritizing, and keeping it interesting. Be open to learning more about your own sexuality every day, as well as your partner. You are always growing; what worked for you 20 years ago may not be the same today. Stay curious with one another and be open to exploring new ways to pleasure. You deserve it," Young said.
For instance, Young advised that couples should "keep sexual encounters light and playful." And not be afraid to introduce new elements, such as toys.
"Touch often in ways that are consensual and feel safe! I made 'Show Me Your Cards' to serve this purpose specifically. Just because you do not feel in the mood to go all the way does not mean you aren't in the mood to hold hands, exchange body massages, or dance together. Connecting often in any physical form, as long as it feels pleasurable, still counts as 'being in the mood,'" she said.
Overcoming the hurdles of "bed death" and debunking myths surrounding 'lesbian bed death' offers a unique perspective for couples grappling with the difficulties of sustaining a connection. Learning the proper ways to work through a sexless relationship can help foster a healthier, more fulfilling relationship.
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