If you happen to be in Abuja for the weekend and have a budget of ₦60,000 for flexing, this article can provide you with suggestions on places to visit and foods to try. I’ll also offer advice on making the most of your experience while staying within your budget.
*This budget doesn’t cover transportation.
Magic Land
This is the most popular recreation park in Abuja. Magic Land offers several exciting attractions, including thrilling rides, arcade games, and other activities suitable for people of all ages. Some of the most popular rides include bumper cars, a Ferris wheel, roller coasters, a pirate ship swing, and many more. The entry fee goes is ₦500 while the swings and rides usually cost around ₦1,000 per ride.
If you’re alone, a budget of as little as ₦5,000 will take you through a fun ride across different swings — assuming you don’t quit right after riding the pirate ship. If you’re hungry, there’s also a suya stand where you can get chicken suya for ₦800 per stick. You can also get cake, cone ice cream, and cotton candy if you’re willing to queue shamelessly behind the kids. One of the other perks is that it’s a great environment for nice pictures.
Entry = ₦500
5 Games = ₦5,000
Suya and drinks = ₦3,000
Total = ₦8,500
Balance = ₦51,500
Mambaah Cafe
This cafe is located in the heart of Maitama and has a strong artistic vibe. The ambience is stunning, and the music playing in the background is calming. The space is adorned with paintings and sculptures, and the furniture’s warm colours contribute to an intimate atmosphere. While all of this is great, I’m really just recommending this place for its masa burger and kunun aya smoothie. You can get all other popular Nigerian foods here but why come all the way here to eat semo? The masa burger and kunu aya combo is not only a delicious delight, but it’s also filling. This will set you back around ₦9,000 but it’s totally worth it.
Meal = ₦9,500
Balance = ₦42,000
Almat Farms, Kuje
Kuje is a 40-minute drive from the metropolis, but that’s a little concession to make considering that there’s no traffic on the way (*now would be a good time to insert a bombastic side eye for a certain southwest Nigerian city). Almat Farms is a beautiful agrotourism resort that provides the perfect getaway from the city. The landscape is lush, and the ambience is, as you would expect, campy. They have an amazing collection of exotic animals — such as crocodiles, camels, and ostriches — in a replica of their natural habitats. They also serve some of the most well-made local cuisines in the entire Federal Capital territory. The farm has well-furnished huts that cater to visitors who would like to lodge — but remember, that’s not you because you have less than ₦50,000 to spare. The Standard Hut — the most affordable room on the farm—goes for ₦56,000 per night. Just saying.
With an entry fee of ₦5,000 into Almat Farms, you’ll be admitted into the farm and assigned a tour guide who will show you around. When you’re done roaming through the 40-hectare width of the farm, you’ll be understandably exhausted — and hungry. Just head over to the restaurant and make your order; I recommend pounded yam and egusi with beef. As you might expect from a place like this, it’s not exactly cheap. You’ll be spending around ₦8,000 on this meal.
Entry = ₦5,000
Meal = ₦8,000
Total = ₦13,000
Balance = ₦29,000
Iya Oyo
If you want to have a taste of southwestern food in Abuja, Iya Oyo is where you go to. The ambience of Iya will make you think you’re somewhere in downtown Molete, faraway in Ibadan. Although there are a lot of pretend-amala spots in the city, Iya Oyo serves the best quality amala and abula. You may need to join a lenghty queue, though, while you hold forth your ceramic bowl waiting for your turn. Iya Oyo is relatively expensive compared to other amala spots you must have been used to. A plate of three servings of amala, ogufe, pomo, and shaki will cost you around ₦3,000.
Meal = ₦3,000
Balance = ₦26,000
Jabi Boat Club
This restaurant is situated on the bank of Jabi lake, Abuja’s largest body of water. The surrounding area is filled with artificial beach sand just in case you miss Lagos a little too much. You can maximise your experience by going at night when the lights from the Jabi Lake Mall on the other side of the lake reflect on the water. The boat club is a cosy relaxation spot and the food is surprisingly affordable. However, the major highlight of this spot is the boat rides on the jet ski. These rides will put a noticeable dent in your pocket as they cost ₦10,000 per trip but the adrenaline rush makes it worth the money.
I estimate the total cost of visiting the boat club to be around ₦17,000 because you have to have a taste of their fries and wings combo which go for around ₦5,000 per plate.
Jet Ski = ₦10,000
Meal = ₦7,000
Total = ₦17,000
Balance = ₦9,000
Wakanda
Not the fictional East African country that appears in Marvel Comics. It’s just a paintball arena in Wuse where you can play cool medieval-themed games like archery, axe throwing, and of course, paintballing. Usually, people go as a team but if you go alone, you’ll be paired with other people and divided into a team of six on each side. Wakanda also serves refreshments such as chips, wings, noodles, and hibiscus juice (zobo) at super affordable prices.
Paintballing = ₦6,000 per set.
Snacks/refreshments = ₦2,000
Total = ₦8,000
Balance = ₦1,000
With just 60k, you can have the best of the city, experiencing the most important highlights you can get within the said budget. And if you follow our guide, you’ll still have ₦1k left, enough to buy a card of kilishi by the street corners at Area 1. Do hang around for more guides from Open Sauce and more exciting stories about the African dining and travel experiences.
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