Touring Yankari With Explore9ja

Travel and tourism is one area that isn’t fully explored in Nigeria and Africa as a continent. The tourism industry has so much potential to create memorable experiences and add revenue for the government. Explore9ja was established in 2019 with a mission to promote domestic tourism in Nigeria and offer top-notch hospitality for locals and foreigners to enjoy varied experiences. Since their establishment, they have held different travel tours across Nigeria in areas like Jos, Kaduna, and Calabar.

Despite the security situation presently visible around the country and the pandemic ravaging the world, they have worked hard to create relishing tourism experiences for anyone passionate about travel. For this reason, In march 2021, Explore9ja announced their trip to Yankari Game reserve located in Bauchi State. The trip took place from 3rd to 5th April. Dumi hills, Emir’s Palace, Safari, masa, and Kilishi spot were some explored places. 20 slots were provided for the trip, and the price was fixed at 27,000 naira per person with transport provided from Jos city. 

We spoke to some of the tourists who participated in the year’s first trip.

Gillian ( Localtravelgirl)

I heard about the trip through an advert on social media and word of mouth from the organisers. We travelled by road transportation to Yankari. The trip was smooth and peaceful, and there was no security threat. I really enjoyed access to the wikki warm spring any time of the day and night, plus the early morning Safari ride and the sightings of baboons around the residential area. 

I had a little problem with the restaurant. For instance, the restaurant lacks variety in food, and the delay in serving food is exhausting. Please plan and execute a trip to Yankari Game Reserve. Trust me; you wouldn’t want to leave because it is overly worth the trip. 

Japhet Johnson 

I heard about Explore9ja from a friend, and we decided to join. The journey to Yankari was awesome as we met with several friends from different parts of Nigeria. We had enough time to bond before getting to the venue. Even though we did not go with any external escort or police, the journey was safe as we did not call for any attention as we moved on a modest bus.

I enjoyed the Wiki warm springs and the safari. Having dinner with over 15 friends was cool to add. Unfortunately, the food was not really as satisfying as expected. Also, there was a delay in serving the food, and the menu didn’t have much to select from, but other stuff around was quite ok.

A visit to Yankari will open your eyes to Mother Nature’s gifts for us. Yankari has made me become a tourist, and I will want to visit other awesome places with Explore9ja. I highly recommend you all visit Yankari and enjoy Nature at its best 

Bob Brainz 

I heard about the trip when Explore9ja posted it. The journey was quite an experience for me. It was filled with Bad roads and anticipation. But It was a relatively safe trip. We didn’t encounter any form of danger.

I really enjoyed the Wikki warm springs! Swimming was so much fun, and it is really a beautiful place to be. Domestic animals move freely, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. Also, the Safari experience is another great and fun part of Yankari, which is quite adventurous.

The customer service, however, was quite poor. I will advise anyone planning to go to Yankari to come along with drinks and snacks!! Hold games, too, for extra fun. It was totally worth it, and I will recommend it to anyone who wishes to have a feel of tourism.

Thanks. 

Adeyemo Adekunle

I heard about the explore9ja travels through Twitter. The journey to Yankari was fun and smooth, and I had the opportunity to stop by Bauchi and taste the almighty masa they have been hyping on Twitter. 

What really stood out was that I met new people, and we connected immediately. It was really fun to meet people from different places, and we shared experiences. What I won’t recommend about Yankari is the food in their restaurant. It’s advisable to go there with your own food. 

A trip to Yankari is something I will do over and over again as long as I have the chance. There are so many interesting things about Yankari, and you can explore different things each time you visit.  

 For more inquiries on future trips around the country, you can follow explore9ja on Twitter and Instagram.