Northern Ghana rewards those who venture beyond Tamale. Larabanga, about 100 km to the west near the Mole National Park entrance, holds one of the oldest mosques in West Africa — a striking mud-brick structure that has been standing for centuries. Damongo is the nearest large town to the park and a staging post for most visitors. To the east, Yendi is the traditional capital of the Dagomba kingdom and the seat of the Ya-Na, the paramount chief — a quieter place with genuine historical depth for those interested in the region's political culture. Most of these trips can be done from Tamale as a day excursion by hired car, though Mole warrants at least one overnight stay.