Some people believe the best time to visit Nigeria as a tourist would be during the dry season which is between November and January. But do you know you the best time to visit North Eastern Nigeria is during February when the Harmattan wind still lingers?
There are perks to visiting certain parts of the country at different parts of the year. Nigeria’s tropical climate makes her great for all-year tourism.
Below are the things you can do as a tourist when you visit Nigeria in either the rainy or the dry season:
Rainy Season
You can have fun in southern Nigeria during the rainy season, which spans from April – October. The intensity of the rains vary in the different segments of the country. You can visit sites in Abuja like Jabi Lake Club or Zuma Rock to see the Zuma Rock Fire on the apex of the rock between July – September.
Rainy season is also the best time to see waterfalls like Farin Ruwa, Owu, Erin-Ijesha or Gurara because the volume of the water cascading down increases making it more beautiful to behold. North Central and North Western Nigeria are also great places to visit during the rainy season because the rains are not so heavy here compared to the south. Also, the Warm Springs in these areas are superb to visit during this season. You also get to see the tomb of Usman Dan Fodio in Sokoto state, attend the Durbar festival in August. As the rainy season winds down in October, it becomes a great time to visit beaches in Lagos and attend the Ake Book Festival.
Dry Season
Dry season, which starts from November to March, is awesome. But just because it is the dry season doesn’t mean there won’t be occasional spurts of rain, it just means it has less rainfall and humidity.
It is the best time to visit Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi because you will get to see the animals gather at the watering hole. This beats driving through the trails hoping for a glimpse of all the animals in the National Park. December or January is a great time to visit Calabar or Port Harcourt to see sites like Afi Wildlife sanctuary, Marina Resort or Ifoko Beach.
The South East, South West and South South are another great part of Nigeria to visit during the dry season for their caves, festivals, National Parks and other tour attractions. The rains here may be too much during the rainy season for you to enjoy moving about in these areas.
Featured image source: Kajuru Castle, Kaduna – visitnigerianow.com