The highlight of my Calabar trip was Kwa Falls. It’s located at Anegeje Village in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State.
It takes about forty-five minutes to an hour to get there from town and I went with a group of friends. On arrival, we met the caretaker, a gentleman with incredibly long locks. Apparently, he is a state treasure in his own right. After preliminary briefings, our guide led us down about a hundred steps to the falls. The railings were missing in some sections, so I wouldn’t recommend the falls for young children or seniors. The steps are slightly precarious.
Arriving at the falls was like stepping into an Indiana Jones movie. I was awed. One thing we should have been forewarned about, was the need to bring waterproof hiking boots. The source of the falls is a bit far from the base of steps which end in a wading pool. To get to the falls’ source, you need to climb around some sharp looking rocks. We should’ve also brought VERY strong insect repellent. The insects at the falls were not playing. I itched for weeks after.
There are chairs and tables at base camp (when you return to your cars). But you should bring your own food and drinks if you want to have a picnic. Kwa Falls is definitely worth seeing if you’re in Calabar.
During my group trip to Calabar, I also visited Old Residency Museum located at Duke Town, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Built in 1884, the structure was originally known as the Government House. It served as the office of Lord Lugard, who administered the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria before they were amalgamated. The building materials were shipped from Britain.
The building was quite intriguing as it houses important historical artifacts. Some rooms have been recreated to look like they were originally.
After visiting the Old Residency Museum, my group went for lunch at Atimbo, Big Qua Town.
Atimbo is an interesting area. It’s famous for a street that sells local bush meat, from grass cutter to “404” (dog meat). A typical meal at Atimbo is boiled plantain, bushmeat and peppery sauce garnished with green vegetables. We were all stuffed after our visit to Atimbo.
My friends and I visited The Marina Resort at Duke Town. It is a beautiful place to spend an entire day and is family friendly. Our first stop at the resort, was the Slave Museum. It was sobering and sad. I was appalled at the evil men do to one another. I was even more chagrined that many of the families who were instrumental to slave trade in Nigeria, are now prominent in society. There is no shame. At all.
From the slave museum, we spent some time lounging at the dock awaiting our boat ride to Tinapa. Although we didn’t check, but there seems to be a restaurant at the resort and drinks can be served on the dock. Filmhouse Cinemas also has an outlet there for movie lovers.
Our boat ride to Tinapa was scary. If I had known it would be, perhaps I would have suggested my group go by road, which is possible.
Two things went wrong. First, we left late and so got stuck, as the tide went out and our propeller began spinning in the mud. We waited for a while and thankfully, we were able to continue until we got to Tinapa’s jetty. Then, we got to Tinapa and there was no running water! To put this in perspective, a main attraction of Tinapa is the water park! Also, the toilets were not functional.
It may be useful to call ahead to confirm everything is working, before going to Tinapa. Only the pool was available. A redeeming feature of the visit, was the delicious food! We ate local roasted plantain (bole) and fish with a delightful palm oil based peppery sauce. That was the visit’s saving grace!
My group made our visit even more fun, by playing games and having a few drinks. We left happy.
