
THE PEARL OF TOURISIM
Tourism in Nigeria is one of the social, cultural, and economic attributes that has contributed to the growth of the country. It involves the accommodation of people traveling to new places, for leisure, business, or other personal reasons. One of the outstanding domestic tourist centers in Nigeria is the “Wikki Warm Springs”.
The Wikki Warm Springs, located in the Yankari Game Reserve in Nigeria, is a veritable river flowing from beneath a sheer rock cliff. The water is so pure that it’s bottled and sold. Thousands of gallons flow out daily at a constant 75-degree temperature.
The water is crystal clear, and you can see the bottom. The water comes from under the cliff into a wide rock basin floored with white sand that varies in depth from one to seven feet. The whole area is shaded, from the hot temperature of the sun by tall verdant trees, planted both for protection and the beautification of the environment.
Yankari was originally established as a game reserve in 1956 and was upgraded to a national park in 1991. The National Parks Service managed the reserve until 2006. Baboons and monkeys are part of the creatures that keep it from being utterly perfect. Visitors are warned to be careful and adhere to all instructions from guards and security, not to be bothered by the creatures. It is also home to the remaining elephants and lions in Nigeria.
It is the best place to swim I’ve ever found. I love to float down 200 yards or so with the current, then strain myself swimming back up to the rock face.
Tourists are given guided trips around the preserve where they can see hippos, bushbuck, crocodiles, and various other wildlife creatures, but unfortunately no elephants yet. The park is heavily forested and elephants are hard to see when not near a river.
When you are eating, the baboons and monkeys will try to join you, they are not shy or scared in the least. They have an immense sense of entitlement. If you take your eyes off the food for a second they’d grab it and run. They are accomplished and very competitive thieves.
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Aside the spring, other attractions include; Marshall caves, Dukkey wells and the Anfara Iron Smelting Site.
You can easily book a reservation on their official website: www. yankarigamereserve.com.ng
The reserve is opened on Monday to Sunday from 7AM to 10PM. Their room and suites ranges from as low as #1800 for the student hostel to #236,000 for their corporate villa (all amount in naira).