Compared to Onitsha and Asaba, Awka used to be like a little brother who did not want to grow up, but in recent times, it has proved to be so much more. A town that revels in high and low culture, Awka assails you from all angles, depending on where you go.
The town can be a breeze for first timers to the region in many ways: the town is small, the streets are easy to maneuver, and transportation is affordable. However, there are certain things that remain unchanged and tourists need to quality information before visiting the location.
To help shrink your chances of starting an Awka experience specious anticipations, Jovago.com, Africa’s No. 1 online hotel booking site presents 6 things every visitors should expect while visiting the town.
Taxis cabs do not have air conditioning. The norm in most metropolitan cities around Nigeria is having the option of air-conditioning delivered to in taxi cabs and you do not have to pay extra for it or negotiate on how long it should last. However, in Akwa, a taxi cab with air-conditioning is a non-existent luxury. It is rare to get regular vehicles with air-conditioning and in the case where you find one that does, you are severely overcharged.
Streets go empty as early as 8pm. Akwa is not as bustling a town as its other neighbors like Warri and Enugu and while it has a measure of nightlife, expect to find most shops and public places closed by 8pm. Also expect public transportation to be scarce at that time of the night as well. The only parts of Awka that may still have a bit of excitement after 8pm are the areas close to the universities which are populated by young adults.
No Wifi. If you are the type who cannot function without internet everywhere you go, you might be in for a huge knockout on arriving Akwa. While the town is much more developed than several neighboring communities, it still has a lot of miles to cover with regards to technology. The only place you may find internet services are in the few cyber cafes scattered around town. If you are lucky, you might have a stroke of luck with good network and a smartphone, that way, you get to comfort yourself with your mobile hotspot.
Everyone speaks Igbo. One of the oldest Ibo settlements in the country, Igbo is the main language used for communication within the town. Even the significant number of immigrants from northern Nigeria, Delta and Enugu states, Cameroon and Ghana,comprising more than 60% of residents in the town, has not doused the originality of the town’s mother tongue. The locals have a strong ethnic pride.
Cheap Food. Do not expect the cost of feeding to rise when you go to Awka to break the bank as food is not just amazing, it is quite affordable. Everything tastes super fresh and home-made and almost every restaurant has an incredibly good aroma even if the service is bad.
- Not only is Awka popular for its hospitality business as it boasts of quite a number of affordable hotels ranging from low budget to 3-star, the town plays host to a wide array of visitors and the indigenes are accommodating. Expect to meet friendly locals and find good affordable hotels within the town while visiting.
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