Old Oyo National Park

城市概覽

History The park takes its name from Oyo-lle (Old Oyo), the ancient political capital of the Oyo Empire of the Yoruba people, and contains the ruins of this city. The national park originated in two earlier native administrative forest reserves, Upper Ogun established in 1936 and Oyo-lle established in 1941. These were converted to game reserves in 1952, then combined and upgraded to the present status of a national park.

Geographic features The topography of the whole area covered by the park has a beautiful uniqueness as most of the park lies in plain lowland between 330 and 508 meters above sea level and continues with a gentle slope along the Ogun River valleys. Outcrops of granite characterize the North Eastern Zone of the park, especially at Oyo-lle. The central part of the park has isolated hills and ridges of numerous rock outcrops. The extreme northern part on its own has caves as well as rock shelters dominating the axis. The drainage system is also interesting as the park is well drained by rivers Ogun, Owu, Owe and their tributaries in the central and southern parts, while river Tessi drains the north-east part of the park. For eco-tourism development the inventory list with cognizance to the topography of the Park, inevitable include the rock out-crops (for mountaineering), Ikere Gorge Dam/River Ogun (for water recreation) and the archaeological endowments of Oyo-Ile (for Cultural/Historical).

Flora and fauna The Old Oyo National Park used to be a habitat for the endangered West African wild dog (Lycaon pictus manguensis). Sadly, none now exist in the park due to hunting pressure and the expanding human population in the region. There are over 33 species of mammals in the park, including lions, leopards, hartebeests, hyenas, baboons, monkeys, gorillas, hogs, antelopes and porcupines; and over 370 species of birds, including red eyed doves, pigeons, African grey parrots, Senegalese parrots, Guinea fowls and eagles.

Best time to visit Old Oyo Na

如何抵達

There are two ways to get into Oyo state by air and by bus. You can go by air by taking a direct flight from Lagos Airport to Ilorin Airport which takes 45 min, you will need to use a connecting vehicle usually a shared taxi to get to Old Oyo National Park. In addition, several bus companies like God Is Good Motors (GIGM), ABC Transport, Ifesinachi and The Young Shall Grow offer daily services from almost all major cities around the country to Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo state, after which a taxi has to be boarded to the park which is about 1 hr 50 min journey by road from Ibadan. While buses usually are quite comfortable, journey times are very long.

當地交通

The best way to get around Old Oyo National Park is on foot. With 158 miles of historic trails made for hiking, Old Oyo National Park is the perfect place to ditch the car and get outdoors. Guided tours and safari vehicles are also available.

必看景點

Old Oyo Park is a site for tourist attractions and has a lot of beautiful and nature-filled places you can see while in Oyo town. Here is a list of fun things you can do when planning a trip to the Old Oyo National Park:

Explore the northern end of the park and you will be thrilled by the various attractions of historic and archaeological value such as the relics of the old city walls of Oyo Ile, the great Agbaku Cave which has evidence of Stone Age, the “Kosomonu” hill, the old Akesan Market, Alaafin’s Palaces and crucibles of pottery used centuries ago. Lover of birds? Then you can check out the bird Watcher’s haven which has over 30 bird species. Various wildlife species occupy the southern area of the Park you will sight Nile crocodiles, rock pythons, lions, antelopes, buffalos, land tortoises, monkeys, baboons, leopards, western hartebeests, hyenas and duikers, amongst other animals. On Ikere Gorge Lake you could fish or just enjoy a boat cruise There is a wildlife museum at Akoto base camp. Have fun with mountaineering activities in the central part of the park. The landscape is great and the space is pretty organized the large yard is a source of attraction for tourists. The balance in flora and fauna is breath-taking including buffaloes, bushbuck and a variety of birds. The park is easily accessible from southwestern and northwestern Nigeria.

體驗活動

However, the experience is more spectacular at Sepeteri, culture-minded visitors can trail the archaeological site of Oyo-lle for a cultural safari. Some of the cultural sites include the royal tomb at Oghobo, Asabari shrine at Shaki, Ibuya pool, and Yemeso hills. Other major highlights are the 22 historical sites abandoned at Oyo-Ile such as the old Alaafin Palace (Afin), Eksan Market Square, Agbaku Cave, the Songo Shrine, the Koso, the defence wall around the Empire, which helped ward off the invading Nupe warriors, the Baraa Tomb where late Alaafin of that era was buried, the Meijiro grounding site, a rock that serves as a databank for recording significant events and developments during that period. One mystery at the park is Ogun Jokoro, an ancient armoury used by the Old Oyo people many centuries ago. It is located at Oyo-Ile Range of the Park and it remains one of the footprints of the ancient Oyo people that to date adorn the first capital city of the famous Oyo Empire. The mysterious iron is believed to be one of Alaafin Sango’s sources of spiritual power during his reign. Locals say it cannot be lifted by a man, not even by a group of men. Several groups of visitors have attempted lifting it off the ground but all failed, according to them. Yet, the mysterious object changes its position within about a 100-m radius every next time it is sited at the outskirts of the park, around Oyo-Ile Range. It has been in this location for many centuries before it was discovered by the park researchers. For a time-out with the locals, tourists on a visit to the park are also encouraged to experience the communal living at the park’s host and close communities including; Saki, Iseyin, Igboho, Sepeteri, Tede, and Igbeti which have their own commercial and cultural attractions for tourism.

購物

Unless you are in a supermarket or restaurant/bar with fixed prices, you will be expected to negotiate the price you pay for an item down to the lowest the vendor would sell. Expect any high-end clothing and accessories brand names (Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton, etc.) in these informal markets to be fake, and should you wish to purchase them aim for a very low price. Shopping at the local market is usually done with cash as they don't have POS machine for cashless transactions, Supermarkets, restaurant/bar accepts cashless transaction such as POS and Money Transfer. You can try the following local markets;

Awe Central Market. A Small market where you can purchase food condiments. It is located at Awe Road, Oyo Market Akesan. This is the major market in Oyo town and it opens every day. It is located at Akesan Market, Shop Amulegboja Compound, Ilaka Road, Oyo Danzaria market. A local market where