EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE OBUDU MOUNTAIN RESORT

 

One of Africa's excellent and exciting tourist sites is the Obudu Moutain Resort, located in Cross River's deep tropical forests about 45 miles from Cameroon's border.

M. McCaughey, a Scot, first developed the ranch in 1951 with Mr. Hugh Jones, a fellow rancher, and Dr. Crawfeild. McCaughey explored the mountain ranges in 1949; he was fascinated by them and camped there at the top of Oshie Ridge in the mountains of Sankwala.

A tourist who appreciates a diverse combination of adventure and ideal tranquility would easily choose this resort as the place to be. The resort is increasingly becoming a popular visitation site for most tourists in and around Nigeria. The resort is blessed with natural and rich vegetation and a picturesque view. Be assured that the environment is calm and serene, highly suitable for tourists.

A bus going to Obudu from Calabar costs 2000 naira, and it would take up to 6 hours to reach the destination. It takes another 1 hour approximately to get to the resort itself. A drive to the resort also gives a fantastic scenery of vegetation. 

On getting there, the giant head of a cow is what welcomes you, symbolizing what the resort was initially known for. To gain access, a fee of 200 Naira is to be paid and an extra 300 naira if you want to go on the canopy walkway. 

Considering the weather nature at the ranch, due to its 1600 meters height, the mountain climate is semi-temperate, having an attractive land space with a calming and soothing ambiance. The mornings are usually chilly, so pack along with your clothes to keep you warm, especially if you like to go for morning walks. At the same time, pack comfortable clothes because it becomes hot by noon.

You can enjoy yourself to the maximum at this resort, there's a golf course available for your pleasure, and you could choose to swim at either one of the river-sized swimming pools available. You can choose to have the delight of riding the cable car to the top of the mountain.

There is an outdoor pool bed, a canopy walkway, a gym, and a facility for hiking. 

The resort also has a yearly race competition with a cash price in November. The resort has 250 varying bird species, so you might want to come along with a camera. Bear in mind that most of these recreational activities are to be paid for per hour.

There is accommodation available at the resort, and you pay per night, depending on the suite you paid for; you can get access to their free wifi and get free access to certain other recreational activities, plus complimentary breakfast. The rooms range in price from 25000 Naira to 75 000 Naira. If your suite comes with a complimentary breakfast, you can order any meal at the four restaurants in the resort.

 If your suite does not offer a complimentary breakfast, there are four restaurants in the resort where you can order any meal. 

Recently, the mountain resort has witnessed an influx of local and international tourists. This surge is due to the interest of the cross River State's government development of the place.

The Mountain resort is open all year round, so you can visit the place whenever you want, but the most preferred times are between October and February because it is more fun to climb the mountains, and the vegetation blooms the most during these times. Also, the annual mountain race happens during this period; if you would like to visit Obudu during the festival, you should plan for it and make a reservation at least one month before November so that you can still get a place to stay.

The resort has a minimal electricity supply because it is located in a remote area, but they do their best to turn on the generator in the evening till midnight, so you should take along a power bank for extra charging.

While Obudu mountain resort could be a fascinating place to visit, you should note that it is a camping experience and not necessarily a luxury vacation, so you should prepare for the hustle and bustle; it is advised you rake your air mattress, food, and camp gas.

Obudu is a beautiful resort with mist and mountains, and it might be a time to reconnect with nature, yet infrastructure problems plague it. Perhaps things will improve if it becomes privately owned; it could benefit from the additional money and become a world-class destination.