The must-sees in Calabar

Nigeria is gradually making its way into the tourism calendar of the world. With a few of its annual festivals like the Argungu Fishing Festival, Abuja Carnival and a few others being major attractions of tourists from all over.

Calabar, especially since the late 90s, has warmed its way into the hearts of many, at home and abroad with her many cultural sights and delights which have been described as ‘real eye candies’. Until the 1904, Calabar was popularly known as Old Calabar to distinguish it from New Calabar, which is usually used to identify a port and river.

A visit to the town is not complete except you have spent time at the Calabar Museum, Duke Town, Drill Monkey Ranch, Tinapa, Calabar Cemetery and the Kwa Falls amongst others.

Calabar Museum

The Calabar Museum houses Calabar’s history in photographs, texts and reconstructions. Seated in the heart of the city overlooking the waterfront and next door to the Government house, the museum holds artifacts and historical relics of the traditional people reflecting their culture and general lifestyle.

Some of the antiques there date back to the 15th century when tribes still inhabited the land and wars were rampant. A day with the exhibits from the times of Calabar narrate the darker days of Calabar’s political history  up to the 19th and early 20th century, when the warlords called the shots in town.

Duke Town

The resting place of Mary Slessor, an advocate against the killing of twins in Calabar, at the Duke Town Presbyterian Cemetery, this part of Calabar is the highest point in the City. With its great view of the city and creek it is one of the major tourist attractions in Calabar.

The church situated in Calabar is believed to be the oldest church in all of Nigeria. The missionaries of Presbyterian are believed to have established this church, popularly known by the name of Duke Town Church.

Drill Monkeys of the Afi Mountain

Another tourist destination which is home to the almost extinct species of monkeys, the drill monkeys and chimpanzees, the Calabar Drill Ranch welcomes a multitude of visitors every year.

Located on the Afi Drill Ranch the ranch was started with one drill in 1988 but now cares for 246 drills in six groups, one in Calabar and five at Afi, which is the largest captive breeding colony in the world.

It is run by Pandrillus, an organisation established by the Americans – Liza Gadsby and Peter Jenkins in an attempt to save the species.

Once hunted and eaten in large numbers, the Drill Monkey is now an endangered species that can only be found in the regions neighbouring the city and in some of the forests scattered around Nigeria and Cameroon. Their numbers in the wild are thought to be as few as 3,000.

The Center allows tourists to meet some of the monkeys that have been saved from the smuggling trade, and press upon them the importance of conserving this beautiful and rare species.

In their habitat, visitors have a rare opportunity to see these unusual primates in semi-wild enclosures.

Calabar Cemetery

Another major tourist attraction in Calabar is the cemetery, which is located near the Street of Eyamba. From here you can get a beautiful view of both the city and the river. This cemetery is also well known for Mary Slessor’s tomb. Slessor was a missionary from Scotland.

Meet the Drill Monkeys

Home to the Drill Monkeys Rehab Center, the city of Calabar also plays its part in conservation and contributing to the country’s growing ecotourism industry.

Tinapa

Initially referred to as a ‘white elephant project’, Tinapa seems to be gaining grounds as a world resort centre. The free trade zone is Nigeria’s first integrated business and leisure resort with world class facilities. Open to retailers and wholesalers alike, visitors can explore a whole range of activities.

It has an open exhibition area for trade exhibitions and other events, a movie production studio – ‘Studio Tinapa’ or ‘Nollywood’, an entertainment strip housing a casino, an Eight-Screen Cinema, a children’s arcade, restaurants and a mini amphitheater, a night club and pubs.

Situated by the Calabar River, Tinapa is a business and leisure in a four-phased development promoted by the Government of Cross River State, under a Private Public Partnership (PPP).

It has been described as a ‘zone that emphasizes a lifestyle that signifies the increasing wealth and spending power of the country’s people’.

An encounter with the rainforest

For tourists who enjoy the outdoors, the Cross River State National Park is the perfect spot to take in fresh breath and sight of Calabar’s greenery. With the ecotourism industry gaining grounds, and extra steps taken into conservation attempts, a suspension bridge has been built to give visitors ample views of the rain forests. The National Park is layered in a variety of flora and fauna, which engage all eyes in conversation with her majestic wealth.

Atimbo

Atimbo is the city’s hot spot for plantain pottage served with bush-meat and `up-wine’, the fond name customers and traders have given to palm wine. For anyone who expects to be given a treat by hosts in Calabar, the likely destination is Atimbo, an area on the outskirts of the Calabar Metropolis leading to Akpabuyo town.

Kwa Falls

Backdrop for the 2002 Miss World photo shoot, water from the Kwa Falls flows to join the Great Kwa River in the east of Calabar and empties into the Cross River estuary. Situated on the fringes of the Cross River National Park and Ibad Oil Palm Estate, Kwa Falls covers the closest access to tropical rainforest experience and opportunity for kayaking and hiking. A quiet work by the river bank offers visitors opportunity to sight monkeys in their natural habitat.