The Devil's Elbow at
Obudu Ranch, Nigeria
Iby Jerry W. Bird
Photo by MUguette Gourrani
I
n
travel and tourism as in life, there are more than one
ways to get to the top! In Cross River State, Nigeria
there's the long and winding way up the Devils's Elbow.
Then there's the high speed gondola - and for the high
and mighty there's a helicopter pad near the conference
center. You can also land at a nearby airfield. My first
visit to Nigeria was in the fall of 2006, and as luck
would have it, the city that won the opportunity to host
our ATA Eco Cultural Symposium was Calabar in Cross River
State. What is so unique about Calabar? For one thing it
is an example of good management, zero tolerance in some
key areas and a spirit of optimism far ahead of most
destinations we have visited. Credit must go to our host
for the event, Governor Donald Duke, who introduced and
championed a number of creative ideas. One of them is
pictured on this page - a state-of-the-art gondola lift
that whisks visitors up to the high plateau where the
Obudu Cattle Ranch, established decades ago, has been
transformed into a spectacular tourism and world class
attraction for important meetings and summits. The lodge
operated by South Africa's Protea Hotels group has been
resorted and, as expected, the hospitality is
outstanding. More information? Please visit
http://crossriverstate.com/obudu.htm - or
www.africa-ata.org/nigeria.htm
T
Photos courtesy of Cross Ri ver
State and Muguette Goufraniinapa - Birth of a Super Oasis
In fall of 2006, our magazine's
editorial team was part of an ATA group that was
privileged to visit and inspect Calabar's exciting Tinapa
project that was in its final stages at the time. Our
current mandate is to make sure Africa Travel Magazine's
readers and internet viewers in North America and around
the world know the true facts about Nigeria's newest
treasure of cooperative enterprise. Tinapa is a resort
that means business - the business of combing business,
pleasure and leisure! Tinapa is the resort that means
business - the business of combing business, pleasure and
leisure! This will be the first time that anything like
this has been experienced in West Africa. No longer will
you need to go to Europe, the Far East or America to
enjoy the best entertainment, shopping and leisure
facilities the world has to offer!
The total Tinapa complex is massive
- 80 000 m2 of retail and wholesale emporiums alone. The
emporiums feature a borderless, seamless shopping
environment - a unique concept that unfolds a new
dimension in retailing for the first time in Africa's
history! These massive 21st century shopping emporiums
will be supported by a vast array of retailers offering
everything from exclusive bookshops, specialty CD and DVD
outlets, pharmacies to beauty salons, banks and jewellery
stores! Plus an incredible entertainment centre including
cinemas, food court, internet cafe and games arcade!
There will be a dazzling range of six hotels to choose
from - accommodation to suit a variety of lifestyles and
budgets. The magnificent waterfront development
incorporating a Fisherman's Wharf, will showcase even
more restaurants, bars and tourist kiosks. Imagine, after
an endless night of fun, enjoying a champagne breakfast
whilst watching a beautiful sunrise over the azure waters
of the Calabar River! And as if that's not enough
entertainment there'll be added attractions to indulge
in, including a golfer's paradise with driving range and
putting green, a jungle carting track, quad biking route,
plus a clay pigeon and archery course! Water activities,
including water-skiing, parasailing, rowing and canoeing
will take place in a luxurious oasis environment! Agri
and eco tourism attractions will include a sizeable
exotic bird sanctuary, a crocodile farm, a tropical fish
farm, a primate rehabilitation centre and much, much more
in the sun-drenched waterways of Tinapa! It is the
ultimate shop and party till-you-drop leisure centre - a
world that is alive twenty-fours a day with a
never-ending choice of activities to choose from. Tinapa
will provide visitors with a unique tourism experience
and the development will f
ast
track growth of the tourism sector in Calabar, Cross
River State and Nigeria.
"Tinapa will Regenerate Lost
Trading History of Old Calabar, "
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Governor Donald Duke
We thank our host from the ATA Eco
an dcultural Tourism Symposium, Government Donald Duke
for a week of surprising and delightful experiences - and
for welcoming us to the Governor's mansion for a wind up
dinner.
Recent Events: Nigerian Minister of
Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Prince
Adetokunbo Kayode (San), invited ATA delegates to
participate in the launch of the country's Tourism Master
Plan October , 2007 in Abuja, the capital city. The plan
aims to position Nigeria as the continent's leading
cultural, historical and business tourist destination.
Minister Kayode said the plan "was borne out of the
Government's firm conviction on the opportunities offered
by the sector for sustainable development, especially at
the grass roots level, its high potential for enhanced
foreign exchange earnings and the environment friendly
nature of tourism programmes". He emphasized that tourism
provides a variety of new opportunities for improving
socio-economic conditions, diversifying the economy, and
achieving stability. For more information fax 604 681
6595 or visit our web site:
http://www.africa-ata.org/nigeria.htm
