Variety, they say, is the spice of life. It is just natural for humans to crave and aspire for more, to unravel the mystery behind the unknown because the known quickly becomes a bore. We have heard about lots of tourist sites – resorts, beaches, game reserves, springs, waterfalls, monumental structures and buildings. Of all these, nothing manmade comes close to what has been painted by the hand of nature. You have heard, and perhaps even visited natural springs, but have you heard of a natural warm spring? Yankari National Park unveils her natural warm spring called the Wikki.
Yankari National Park is a big wildlife park located in the south-central part of Bauchi State, in northeastern Nigeria. It lies in the southern part of the Sudan Savannah. It is composed of savannah grassland with well-developed patches of woodland. It is also a region of rolling hills, mostly between 200m and 400m high. According to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, the annual rainfall in the park is between 900mm and 1,000mm. The rainy season is from May to September. Temperatures range from 18 to 35 degrees Celsius. During the dry season, when the harmattan winds blow from the Sahara, temperatures fall as low as 12C.
The natural spring is located in Yankari National Park. The spring gushes out from the roots of a cliff. In the open areas where water comes out after leaving the cliff, the water depth varies from 600ft to 6ft. It flows out from underneath a sheer rock cliff into a wide rock basin floored with white sand. The water is so pure that it is bottled and sold, and tens of thousands of gallons flow out on a daily basis at a temperature of 75 degrees Celsius. This spring is situated in the heart of the park associated with large varieties of flora and fauna, which makes it an exclusive site for tourists and holidaymakers to watch wildlife in its true habitat.
The spring area is decorated with beautiful bright lights. It is a place where tourists come to relieve themselves of the tiredness of the tour. You enjoy swimming? The Wikki warm spring gives you a total experience like never before. The water is always warm and crystal clear no matter the depth and the time of the day. This area is home to birds such as kingfishers, vultures, eagles, goliath heron and bee-eaters. There are also squash and lawn tennis courts for recreation of tourists. The woodland is full of buffaloes, monkeys, crocodile, oribi, bushbucks, baboons, waterbucks, elephants and roan antelope.
If you have been longing for a novel and refreshing experience in the warm hands of nature, the Wikki Warm Spring in the Yankari National Park might be a perfect destination.
