Travel Guide to Calabar - Exploring the Tourism Capital

By Eniola Arowosegbe

06 December 2019

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Calabar, the capital city of Cross River, originally named Akwa Akpa in the Efik dialect. The city is located in southeastern Nigeria adjacent to the Calabar river and the creeks of Cross River.  With a land area of 406 square kilometres and a population of 371,022 as of 2006 census, Calabar is often referred to as the tourism capital of Nigeria due to its numerous tourist attractions. The city is home to an international museum, a botanical garden, a Free Trade Zone, an international airport and seaport, an integrated sports stadium, a cultural centre, a prominent university in the country known as the University of Calabar, a slave history park and several notable landmarks. Calabar is most popular for the Calabar carnival which holds annually during the month of December featuring troupes from all over the country in a massive parade of culture, creative design of attires and huge fanfare.

When is the Best Time to Visit Calabar?

The best time to visit Calabar is in December as there are a plethora of events lined up such as the Cross River annual Christmas festival, the Calabar carnival, and other amazing activities.

https://hotels.ng/guides/calabar-carnival/

Heading to Calabar

By Air

CALABAR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CALABAR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Calabar has an international airport known as the Margaret Ekpo International Airport Calabar. Lagos to Calabar is a 1-hour flight. Port Harcourt is about 25 minutes from Calabar. The city has regular flight schedules, you can get a flight in or out of Calabar every day. Major airlines like Virgin Nigeria, Arik Air and Aero Contractors have flights to and from major cities in the country to Calabar. Their flight schedules can easily be found at their respective websites.

By Road

image results for View of a major road in Calabar
View of a major road in Calabar

Calabar is about 13 hours from Lagos and a 4-hour drive from Port Harcourt. You can travel to Calabar by Road with transportation companies like Peace Mass Transit, Akwa Ibom Transport Company Ltd, Cross Lines, and The Young Shall Grow Motors.

Budget Expenses in Calabar

For a low budget

  • Hotel room: N11,000-30,000
  • Two-course dinner: N1,500-4000
  • Local bus ride: N500-1500

Midrange budget

  • Hotel room: N30,000-60,000
  • Two-course dinner: N10,000-15,000
  • Short taxi ride: N3,000-6,000

Top End budget

  • Hotel room: N100,000-150,0000
  • Two-course dinner: N20,000-40,000
  • Longer taxi ride: N7000-15,000

Top Things to do in Calabar

EXPLORING THE CITY OF CALABAR
EXPLORING THE CITY OF CALABAR

Calabar has a host of fun activities to ensure you have a beautiful time.

A visit to the National Museum

The national museum is one of the major museums in Nigeria containing artifacts and documents dating back to the colonial era. It?s a good place to get factual accounts of the slave trade in Nigeria.

A visit to the Slave Museum

Here is a place filled with resources that give details on slave trade in Nigeria with Calabar being one of the major slave trade ports during the colonial era. This is a good place to get in touch with history.

Get the wildlife experience at Drill Ranch

Explore the rehabilitation centre built by Lisa Gadsby and Peter Jenkins in 1991 which is home to a large family of African primates known as Drills.

A visit The Cross River National Park

The Cross River national park us a good place to relax and appreciate nature with its variety of plants and animals.

Kwa waterfalls

This is a beautiful scenery of water cascades down the 234-high staircase from the Kwa river surrounded by a canopy of tropical rainforest.

Check out Chief Ekpo Bassey?s House

The historic home of the legendary chief Ekpo Bassey is a good spot for exploration and sightseeing.

A vacation at Tinapa Resort

Tinapa resort is an exotic business and leisure resort associate with the free trade zone. It?s a good place to relax and refresh.

Some of the Best Restaurants in Calabar

https://hotels.ng/travel/best-restaurants-in-calabar/

Calabar is home to a variety of sumptuous meals that are bound to excite your taste buds. With various restaurants to satisfy your needs, your stomach is in for a treat.

Freddy?s Restaurant

Freddy?s restaurant is a blend of local and international dishes with the menu consisting of Lebanese and oriental cuisines and the common Calabar dishes. With excellent customer services and affordable prices, Freddy?s restaurant is a good recommendation for visitors. The restaurant can be found at 90 Atekong Drive, State Housing Estate.

Tinapa Lakeside Hotel

Enjoy luxury at its best at the Tinapa lakeside hotel. With a beautiful restaurant offering a range of dishes in a serene atmosphere and a beautiful sight. Located at Tinapa Free Zone at 8 Miles Adiabo, Calabar Municipal, Ikot Omin, this is a good place to relax after a stressful day.

The Royal Chinese Restaurant

This is the best place to treat yourself to a nice Chinese cuisine with mouth-watering dishes and a beautiful Chinese d?cor. It is located within Mirage Hotel at Plot 230 State Housing Estate, MCC Road, Calabar.

Channel View Restaurant

This restaurant is located within the channel view hotel at 27 MCC Road, Calabar. It offers delicious local delicacies and continental dishes. To male your stay in Calabar worthwhile, visit the channel view restaurant.

Vonerika Restaurant

This is a fine restaurant with excellent food and a lovely environment located at 39 Atekong Drive, Calabar.

Places of interest in Calabar

There?s never a boring day in Calabar as there are various places to have fun and live life in this beautiful city.

https://hotels.ng/travel/15-places-to-go-and-things-to-do-in-calabar/

The National Museum Calabar

Take a ride down memory lane and connect with the Nigerian slave history at the national museum. You will find precious artifacts and pictorial illustrations to help tell the story.

The Drill Ranch

The drill ranch is a rehabilitation centre which is the home of a large family of drills that used to be endangered.

Obudu Mountain Resort

Formerly known as Obudu cattle ranch, this resort is the ideal place for a nice vacation of exciting activities and thrills. Located on the Obudu Plateau, it is a must visit if you really want to get the Calabar experience.

Tinapa Resort

The Tinapa resort is a major tourist attraction with its beautiful architectural design and serene environment located just north of Calabar. It?s sure to have a delightful experience in this well-planned vacation hub.

Heading from Lagos to Calabar for the first time? Here?s a perfect guide to help you through your journey.

https://hotels.ng/guides/lagos-to-calabar-road-travellers-guide/

If you are going to Calabar for a business meeting, this is the place to help you with your planning and schedules for maximum use of your stay in Calabar.

https://hotels.ng/guides/business-travelers-guide-to-calabar/

What?s not to love about Calabar? Calabar is a beautiful city known as the tourism centre of Nigeria. Check out the post below to see more reasons why Calabar is the perfect tourist destination.

https://hotels.ng/guides/a-travelers-guide-to-calabar/

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