Obudu Mountain Resort

Mountain resort in Nigeria

Place

Obudu Mountain Resort Obudu Cattle Ranch
Obudu Mountains Obudu Mountains
Obudu Mountain Resort is located in Nigeria Obudu Mountain Resort Obudu Mountain Resort Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 6°23′12′′N 9°22′26′′E / 6.38667°N 9.37389°E / 6.38667; 9.37389
Elevation	1,600 m (5,200 ft)

Obudu Mountain Resort (formerly known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch) is a ranch and resort on the Obudu Plateau in Cross River State, Nigeria.^[1]

History

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It was developed in 1951 by M. McCaughley a Scot who first explored the mountain ranges in 1949. He camped on the mountaintop of the Oshie Ridge on the Sankwala Mountains for a month before returning with Hugh Jones, a fellow rancher, in 1951 and Dr Crawfeild. Thus, together they developed the Obudu Cattle Ranch. ^[2]

Since 2005, a cable car climbing 870 metres (2,850 ft) from the base to the top of the plateau gives visitors a scenic view while bypassing the extremely winding road to the top.^[3]

Geography

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The resort is found on the Obudu Plateau, close to the Cameroon border in the northeastern part of Cross River State, approximately [1]110 kilometres (68 mi) east of the town of Ogoja and 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the town of Obudu in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State.^[4] It is about 30 minutes' drive from Obudu town and is about a 332 kilometres (206 mi) drive from Calabar, the Cross River State capital. ^[5]

Transport

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Charter air service is available to the Bebi Airport which lies between the village of Obudu and the resort. However, the airstrip is no longer functioning, and the cable car has been grounded for a while now due to lack of maintenance.

In 2020, it was reported that the Governor of Cross Rivers State, Prof. Ben Ayade pledged to revive the cable car after successful test running it for the Christmas period.^[6] Since then, life has returned to the ranch.^[7]

Climate

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The climate of the Obudu Cattle Ranch is semi-temperate mountain climate, which is the general weather condition experienced on the Obudu Plateau due to its 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) elevation. ^[8]

Tourism

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The ranch has in recent times seen an influx of both Nigerian and international tourists because of the development of tourist facilities by Cross-River State Government, which has turned the ranch into a well-known holiday and tourist resort center in Nigeria. It has a serene climate compared to other regions in Nigeria. ^[9]