How to adequately prepare for the Calabar carnival

Calabar carnival begins on the first day of December and runs throughout the month. This is peak season in Cross River and everything can easily get overwhelming. Heres how to adequately plan for this years carnival.

The city of Calabar in Nigeria is one city that comes alive in December. The contrast in visiting this time and any other time in the year is very clear. This is because this is the time when the Calabar Carnival happens. This is the peak of tourism in Cross River state, and perhaps the whole of Nigeria. For the whole of December, tourists from all over the world gather for the procession and display of culture and Heritage from Cross River and different parts of Nigeria.

This year's theme is 'Migration'.

What days to attend

Many activities kick off from the first day of the month, such as the Christmas village. Here, people can eat and drink, purchase carnival souvenirs/items needed for the festival.

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Also, the days of the street carnival and towards Christmas are the busiest, making them peak season. It is up to you to decide if you want to visit peak or off-peak season. Check out our guide to travelling during off-season vs peak period.

Lodging

Because of how rowdy it is in Calabar during December, hotels are to be booked as early as possible. In fact, not just any hotel, but hotels close to town. These include: Tinapa Lakeside Hotel, Lush Suites, The Mirage Hotels, etc.

Activities

What most people come to the Calabar carnival for is the street carnival. The street carnival days are packed with people trekking for hours, trying to get as much of the experience as possible.

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There's hardly a car in motion, but there are loads of stalls ready to sell water, soda, snacks to attendees. A high point of the carnival is watching the bands perform. Every year, the established bands compete for who can interpret the year's theme as much as possible in their dressing and music.

To round up the carnival, there is usually a Miss Africa pageant featuring participants from across Africa. More activities include: music shows, comedy show, etc. Also, make sure you try the many meals of the area.

However, as you have fun, remember these 5 things you should not do when in Calabar.