|
Yankari Park and Steyr: Travel Review |
|
|
|
Written by George Janvier
|
|
Sunday, 18 March 2007 |
 On tour in Yankari (photo: Becca Sauerwein)
The trip to Bauchi and Yankari was smooth, lots of fuel all the way, road in very reasonable condition. From the main turn off to the Yankari Park gate the road is pot holey but okay. The new Yankari road from the park gate to the park itself is nice. Compared to the old dirt road it is a super highway. The new road is 75 percent complete and the uncompleted sections are not bad. These sections are just being finished at this time.
The gate fee was 700 naira for the car and three of us. The price is flexible somewhat, we just paid what they asked for. The gate attendant was an ECWA man, “Mr. Enoch.” My video camera fee was 2000 naira and digital cameras are 1000 naira each.
Yankari Park is under development. It looks like Abuja with all the construction. The old round houses are being phased out but the new construction is not finished. We paid 5750 naira for a two room VIP Suit for one day (old round house). It had a nice air conditioner, TV, fridge and fans. NEPA was on 50 percent of the time and there was water. The new accommodations should be very nice but more expensive, they told me. The new accommodation will not be done for a few more weeks or months. It looked like they had a long way to go to me. You need to book in advance at Yankari or there may not be accommodation.
Mr. Enoch at the gate told me there probably would not be a place to stay if you don’t book ahead. You can call Yankari on their Thuraya satellite phone at +8821650650578 (no MTN or Glo or any other normal Nigerian network service at the Park) or contact them on email at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mr. Abdullahi is the desk man and very helpful. Email is the best way to go and they will email you the rates in an attachment.
 Swimming at Yankari Hot Springs
The safari is one of two ways; by your own car (must be high riding four wheel drive 300 naira each) or the Yankari double cab air conditioned pick up truck for 5000 naira (whether there is one person or ten people on the trip the price is 5000 naira). Sometimes there are other visitors to go in with. We were happy to rent it ourselves and could go where we wanted. We saw lots of animals and at the end saw a 50 elephant herd migrating across the road and inland, it was nice. The safari was two and a half hours long. (The old Mercedes lorry is broken down).
Food is poor, take your own. Dinner was 1000 naira (with tax) and would have been a plate of white rice and a piece of chicken. The restaurant was not very enthusiastic about anything. Drinks are available at twice the Jos price. Take lots of water.
An alternative idea is to stay at Steyr in Bauchi and make Yankari a day trip. It is very do-able now due to the good road to the park. If you left Steyr at 7 am you’d be in Yankari Park before 9 am. The Safari is 2 hours or so but you need to check they will go during the day. We swam for a few hours and then went on the safari at 3:30pm. The safari should go earlier in the day if you book it. If you were at Yankari all day and left at 4pm you’d be back in Steyr at 6pm.
Accommodation at Steyr is 3000 naira for a single and 4000 naira for a double room. Food is 670 naira for breakfast and 1000 for lunch or supper and is very good. Steyr is working on their NEPA. We had electricity about 30 percent of the time. Steyr is still good for swimming in their pool and playing tennis on the courts. There are nice outdoor tables and minerals at night till 11pm or so. The Steyr people were very helpful and cou rteous. NEPA is supposed to be fixed there by next month although I am not sure the Steyr people were too hopeful for that timetable. Steyr rooms have nice beds, desk, private bathroom, air conditioned, CNN TV (when NEPA is on of course). Mr. David Danbaki is the Steyr Manager at 080-24-04-21-85. Steyr is an hour and a half or a little more from Jos.
This report is not to take away from our lovely MRH but to help those going to the game park. It gives you some options and information. Thank you. George Janvier |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 22 March 2007 )
|
