Maya is a marketing expert based in Abuja who loves to travel in her spare time.
She recently went on a day trip to Gurara falls and has shared the 411 on her visit with us. Read, enjoy and plan a trip there the next time you’re in Abuja. Unfortunately for her the fall wasn’t at its peak when she went so when you’re planning it might be best to choose the rainy season period.
The waterfalls are said to have been discovered in 1745 by a Gwari hunter called Buba, a when he was heading to Zaria to hunt animals. The waterfall is were after two gods that the people of Gwari worshiped – “Gura” and “Rara”.
Give us a brief description of where you went and what the trip was about.
I visited Gurara waterfalls in Niger State. It is about an hour 30 Minutes’ drive from the city center of Abuja. The aim of the trip was to get away from the noise and stress of Abuja for a break with friends and spend some time relaxing and doing something different.
Gurara Falls at it’s peak. Source – Tour Arch
Was accommodation required for this trip? If yes where did you stay and what was it like?
Since it is a short drive from Abuja it was a day’s drip so we didn’t require any accommodation.
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I was surprised we got there in no time, at least for me because I sort of expected a longer drive and maybe some bad roads. Surprisingly the roads were in great shape, there were also one or two police checkpoints.
Another surprising thing was that the locals had become resourceful and had generators around which tourists could rent for a fee (the generators were used to play music for groups interested in making the trip more fun).
What was your best moment of the entire trip?
I had so much fun climbing the rocks beside the waterfall; it gave me a feeling of being free without any care in the world. It was an exhilarating experience once my friends and I had the courage to move away from the group and climb higher. Others noticed and were excited to try as well.
What was the scariest moment (if any)?
Figuring out how to carefully move from one rock to the next without slipping and falling.
Did you find any sights or activities a bit off the beaten track i.e beyond the tourist traps?
Nah, I didn’t.
Tell us something interesting about Gurara falls that the average person doesn’t know?
I found it interesting that the water which was the attraction for tourists also served the locals by providing them with food. It is also used for fishing.
Did you meet any locals? If yes, what were they like?
We met a couple of locals during the trip and they were very excited and playful. They were ready to stop and share a few laughs with the group. They also didn’t mind taking a few pictures with the group. It seemed like they had somehow accepted that their home wasn’t just theirs anymore and had decided to welcome the tourists who came to explore.
Did anything go wrong that seems funny now?
Generally the trip went smoothly and the experience was equally hitch free.
Did you eat anything locally, if yes, what was your favorite?
Before going into the falls, we stopped at Gurara Village and bought some fried yams and Balangu (suya). They tasted incredibly good.
If you ate locally, what was the strangest thing you ate?
Nothing strange was eaten.
What were the cost implications of this trip?
Because it was a paid trip we didn’t have to worry much about making a spending list as the group we went with had planned for everything; transportation, snacks, security, drinks, food ,music and even camping gear (canopies and seats) was taken care of by them. The fee per person was about 7000 Naira ($22) and I think it was worth every penny.
Now that you’ve been there yourself, when you think of your trip what’s the first image that comes to your head?
Naturally I would say the first image that comes to mind is the waterfall, and then a close second would be that of the laughs I had with my friends because at that moment nothing else seemed to matter apart from the beautiful scenery and the great people around.
Would you revisit or ever move there?
Move there… nah I don’t thinks so but I wouldn’t mind revisiting sometime in the future when the fall is at its peak with fun people of course to add to its magic. 😀
*foreign conversion is based on the current rate of the Naira and is subject to change.
*prices written are based on the time the visit was made and is subject to change by the owners.
*Reviews are based on opinions and personal experiences, and may differ from person to person
*all images were provided by the ‘horse’ interviewed.
Comentarios