ABOUT YANKARI NATIONAL RESERVE PARK:

Yankari National Reserve Park (formerly Yankari Game Reserve) is a wildlife reserve in the Central State of Bauchi in Nigeria and country's richest wildlife oasis. It contains the largest surviving elephant population in Nigeria, and one of the largest remaining in West Africa. With an estimated 350 individuals, this population of elephants is the largest wild population remaining in Nigeria. The reserve park also supports important populations of lion, buffalo, hippo, roan and hartebeest, and covers a total area of 2,244 km² covered by savanna vegetation. 

 

PLANNING A TRIP TO YANKARI NATIONAL RESERVE PARK, NIGERIA: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

• Foreign Alien Visa: If you are planning on visiting Yankari Reserve Park in Nigeria but do not hold a valid visa for travel, and you are neither a Nigerian Citizen (with a valid Nigerian Passport) nor a citizen of the Visa free travel countries (with a valid Passport) of the Economic Community Of West African States, then you must obtain a visa before leaving your home country to visit Nigeria. NOTE: Citizens of the following countries can travel visa free to Nigeria provided they hold a valid Passport: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Cape Verde. Citizens of Kenya may travel visa free to Nigeria and obtain a Visa at their point of entry to Nigeria.

 

 

• Flights to Yankari National Reserve Park, Bauchi, Nigeria: OUTSIDE NIGERIA: To get to Yankari National Reserve Park from outside Nigeria, you may fly the following airlines that offer services to Lagos City and Abuja City. They include Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Arik Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Etihad Airways, EgyptAir, AirFrance, Alitalia, Royal Jordanian, Lufthansa, South African Airways, KLM and Iberia. FROM WITHIN NIGERIA: You will then take a connecting domestic flight from the nigerian cities mentioned above to Bauchi. Domestic airlines flying to Bauchi inlude: Overland Airways 

 

 

• Where to stay while on Safari at Yankari National Reserve Park: The Reserve is a 2 hour drive from Bauchi city or Bauchi Airport and Yankari has accomodations which include Bed and Charlets. You may also wish to stay at a hotel in Bauchi city and take a day trip to the Reserve. For a list of hotels in Bauchi, click Here. 

 

 

• Getting to Yankari National Reserve Park, Nigeria: Visitors can choose to bring their own vehicle or rent/hire a car which usually comes with a driver for the entire period. Top hotels in Bauchi have a car rental/hire service available (e.g. Zaranda Hotel). You may also make arrangements for the hotel to send a car and driver to pick you up from Bauchi Airport to your Hotel. Arrangements should also be made for the hotel to provide a car and driver to take you to the Yankari Reserve. Hotels in Bauchi would usually arrange this service for an extra fee, provided you are a guest at the hotel. 

 

OUR TIPS: GOING ON SAFARI TO YANKARI NATIONAL RESERVE PARK, NIGERIA

 

• Making Calls: Buy a local SIM card and slut it in your phone and call your loved ones from your local line. It will save you a fortune. Roaming rates you are likely to pay for answering or making a call from Nigeria will be in the region of $1.50 - $3.00 per min. A local service provide like GLO will not charge you for receving calls and when you make a call back home, it will be in the region of $0.10c - $0.70c per min with USA being cheaper at $0.10. Prepaid topup plans start from as low as $0.70 - $100. Internet Data bundles are also cheap with plans starting as low as $19.00 for 1.5GB, $32.00 for 4GB etc.

 

• Baboons - Wikki Warm/Hot Springs in the Yankari Reserve Park is home to a good number of Baboons. They usually avoid contact with humans but do not leave your items unattended as the Baboons will waste no time in picking this up and climbing the tallest tree they find. Do not throw objects at the Baboons in an ill-attempt to retrieve an item which has been collected or picked up by one, you may be attacked or worse, asked to leave the premises as the Baboons are under protection.

 

• Emergency Contact Number in Nigeria: for Police, Fire Service or Armbulance is 112.

 

• Medical Treatment: Nigeria operates a Prepay Medical treatment system and visitors are advised to takeout a medical insurance policy with a company that serves a hospital in the city you will be visiting in Nigeria. Click here for a list of accredited medical insurance companies in Nigeria. NOTE: It is advised that you take out a policy with one of the accredited Medical insurance providers here in nigeria as hospitals may refuse your foreign medical insurance policy provider.

 

• Money: If you have a Debit or Credit card that is either a VISA or Mastercard, you can make payments over the counter at retail stores, restaurants, hotels etc and withdraw cash at a local ATM here in Nigeria at any of these Banks; UBA Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank. Nigeria has the most advanced banking system in Africa and as long as your card is either a VISA or MASTERCARD you can make payments or make withdrawals here in the local currency at an excellent rate. Visitors from within nigeria are also advised to travel with their Bank debit cards to make withdrawals at Bauchi. NOTE: Please do not carry thousands of dollars in your pocket under a misguided thought that you will be unable to access money in Bauchi, Nigeria, it may be seized by Customs at the port of entry or even worse, may be lost.

 

• Making withdrawals at ATMs in Bauchi, Nigeria: You can make withdrawals from a UBA Bank ATM or Guaranty Trust Bank ATM at Bauchi. NOTE: Please do not venture into Bauchi town unaccompanied by your hotel provided rental car and driver. It is advised that you make all withdrawals necessary to facilitate your Safari trip to Yankari National Reserve Park from Lagos city or Abuja City before flight take-off, to Bauchi. it is estimated that $800-900 per person is more than sufficient for a 3 day safari trip to Yankari National Reserve Park. 

 

• Foreign Alien Tourist, Driving while in Nigeria: NOTE: Although, you can drive in Nigeria with a Valid foreign driver's license issued by your home country, provided you obtain a valid International Driver's Permit (IDP) before leaving your home country, Foreign Aliens are advised not to travel to Bauchi by Road. Domestic flights to Bauchi leave from Lagos and Abuja. If you do decide to drive, Your IDP must be accompanied by a valid driver's license issued by your home country and carried with you at all times while driving. Further, you must verify that the vehicle you are driving while in Nigeria is insured, is road worthy (Road worthiness certificates are issued by the Vehicle Inspection Office) and copies of these documents are carried with you at all times.

 

• Tour Guide/Expenses: When travelling to another country or part of the country, please remember to take all pre cautions as every city (from London to New York City) with a major tourist attracton has con artists posing as tour guides. Plan for the trip and book a 3-5 star hotel. Rent/hire a car which comes with a driver who knows the city/town excellently, he will be your tour guide for an extra tip.