Cally city is a nice place to be ,i served there and willing to go back soon.

my dear,calabar is an ok town no doubt i come from there,most guys are really exagerating.the truth is ,its a place for fun,when your money finish you waka,but to think you can hustle and make it in calabar forget it,cost of living is not different from portharcourt,accomodation is even higher than port harcourt.the people are no much different from ghanians,is just all about haveing fun with your cash.enough groove.and the people are not hustlers they take life one day at a time,and dont really travel far.if you wan groove go get it.but business i cant say.

wany:

my dear,calabar is an ok town no doubt i come from there,most guys are really exagerating.the truth is ,its a place for fun,when your money finish you waka,but to think you can hustle and make it in calabar forget it,cost of living is not different from portharcourt,accomodation is even higher than port harcourt.the people are no much different from ghanians,is just all about haveing fun with your cash.enough groove.and the people are not hustlers they take life one day at a time,and don't really travel far.if you wan groove go get it.but business i can't say.

Wany?
Thanks for that! I was wondering if the city was somewhere in Hawaii (no offence meant) or something. Ok, yeah, Calabar must be great but the kudos where reeeeally going wild? I was beginning to really think I ought to relocate!

It funny that I've ignored this thread awhile, until my boss saw it appropriate that I be posted to Calabar for 6 months on-the-job training!

I'm kind a familiar with Cal, but I'm a Lagos boy.

I love a bit of stress, traffic hold-ups here and there, cursing while driving, beggars on the streets.

Cal is stress free. 3 minute bike to work, clean (very clean) and traffic free streets, wonderful road network, you'll probably sleep off on the steering wheel due to boredom

It is quite worthwhile to think relocating to Calabar. If it is part of your new year resolution for 2008, I will quickly suggest that you define your priorities and quickly settle on them. Calabar has a large market for every commodity ranging from education,tourism,socials and etc.

Just unlike every other place. Calabar has a level of cleanliness and decency with good roads and a superb security network. Investment opportunities abound as every bit of talent is not wasted.

If your intentions for wishing to settle there is not dubious, I can assure you that you will definitely enjoy every second of your stay there. The people are quite hospitable,nice and accommodating. Christians predominates the town but not fanatics. Wishing you the very best in this adventure.

Calabar mmmmmmmmmmmmmm nice place to live. Can't wait to go back there.

Hi,

We are relocating to Calabar and would like to know the following please :

- Internet connection who is offering what?
- Can somebody give me some names of real estate agents? We need to rent a house
- What are the best areas in the city to live in?

Thanks for your help

For more information on Tourism destinations and hotels in Calabar go to www.crossriverforum.org


The website has a comprehensive list of hotels,banks and other tourism information that could be helpful to you

Hello to everyone on nairaland, I am fairly new to the forum. I want to relocate to Calabar, I want to know what living there is like. Someone just told me thid morning that there are militants in Calabar, that they go to peoples home to kidnap them!! I personally thought this only happened in places like PH, warri and Bayelsa state. I have a 7 year old son, we moved back to Nigeria about a year ago, we are in the north at the moment but I want to move out of the North because of fears of a riot waiting to happen. maybe it is all in my head (my imagination) but I don't want to take any chances.

So please tell me about Calabar, estate agents number, where is the best place to rent a house in calabar. is there constant power and water, are there good schools, supermarkets, Do militants really still operate there? thank you all in advance for taking the time to reply.

PS: spending a weekend in Calabar won't be a fair evalution of how life is in Calabar and don't use this post to tell me how good the calabar girls are in bed! oh, no! we will save that for another post unless you want to tell me if the men are just as BIG (I mean good) in bed

Hi Merijo

I used to live in calabar until i travelled in 05, I just went back home in December (08) to visit my family. I can tell you there was nothing like militancy in the place. I even joked to my friends about how safe it is for white people in calabar when i saw some white people walking around at the carnival. In terms of constant electricity, it depends on where you stay. Residents of Calabar municipality have better electrical supply than calabar south which is where my people live at the moment.

In terms of schools, I only know about Access High/Children's School and Hilcrest (cause i got family there, lol)

Supermarkets? what do you want to buy, there's a number of super markets for skin care, food, watever, there are also normal markets (Watt is the more popular one), the fish market by the river (Esuk) and and the Etim Edem (thats where we buy dried stuff and in large quantities)
Clothing, Unfortunately Calabar is not like Lagos or PH but there are some nice stores in Watt market (Bedwell) and other stores located in various parts of the city.

In all, Calabar is nice but it is a student town so it can get pretty boring when school is not in session. But that's why my family left lagos and abuja in the first place. Its a lot more laid back, without so much of the hustle in the bigger cities.

I know I haven't answered some of your questions but I only told you about the part I know, I could get you help with other stuff if you want,

thank you so muchbabe, I am glad to know there are no militants. It is a relief. When you say Calabar is laid back, do you mean ghostly quiet? I can handle a quiet place but not so much that you can't find anything to amuse yourself with. I am not much for the big cities, What about housing. do you by any chance have an idea how much renting a house would cost. in the GRA type place. or if you could link me up with estate agents, I would be mighty grateful.

Supermarkets type would be like park and shop in PH, just where I can get imported stuff, my son is allergic to almost all Nigerian foods. however if PH is not so far from Calabar. we can always pop there for weekly groceries.

How is the school, Is it very good? How about running a business, would it be a good place to open up a business? I am sorry I am asking so much questions, I just need to know becos I intend moving soon as poss.

Hey there,

By laid back i mean it's really a quiet little town, As i was told, a number of people from PH (expatriates included) from PH have moved to calabar because of the relative quiet. As for amusement, of course there's stuff to do. When I was home responsible for taking my kid sister (she is nine) and her friends out sometimes. Her favourite place is the newly completed amusement park at Tinapa because it is kiddies themed. There's the Aqua vista and the marina resort as well which i absolutely loved, their roasted fish is amazing. Oh and i hear the CRS govt. is contracting a firm in the U.S. to do a bigger amusement park for the state, Should be fun!

There's quiet a number of fast food places that weren't there in 05. Since this xmas festival thingy, calabar has gathered small hype.

For housing and the imported food stuff, that, I'll talk to my people for you. I know my grandma rents a 3 Bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment at an area close to Unical for about 200, 000 naira a year. Their water supply is pretty good, I hear the CRS water board has been good to them.

The schools i mentioned are good schools. Depending on your budget, there's the Sure-Foot American Internation School which is new but i hear it is a good school.

For running a business, what kind are you talking about? Where are you from if I may ask and why do you want to move?

It sounds like the right place for me. I would appreciate if you could talk to your people regarding the housing. I take it you are not in Calabar at the moment. We have been living in europe, I would say mostly in the UK. I came back because I wanted a change of scenery, so came back with son, then decided to start up a business. I have to see what the market would be like in calabar. it would involve me going to Hongkong/china.

I live in Canada right now. I'll probably go back home in future, When do you intend to move there? What line of business do you want to do? Clothing, Home appliances e.t.c?

Do you have YIM? I can ask about all you want but it will also be good if I put you in contact with someone so you can ask yourself.

muchbabe:

Hey there,

By laid back i mean it's really a quiet little town,  As i was told, a number of people from PH (expatriates included) from PH have moved to calabar because of the relative quiet. As for amusement, of course there's stuff to do. When I was home responsible for taking my kid sister (she is nine) and her friends out sometimes. Her favourite place is the newly completed amusement park at Tinapa because it is kiddies themed. There's the Aqua vista and the marina resort as well which i absolutely loved, their roasted fish is amazing. Oh and i hear the CRS govt. is contracting a firm in the U.S. to do a bigger amusement park for the state,  Should be fun!

There's quiet a number of fast food places that weren't there in 05. Since this xmas festival thingy, calabar has gathered small hype.

For housing and the imported food stuff, that, I'll talk to my people for you. I know my grandma rents a 3 Bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment at an area close to Unical for about 200, 000 naira a year. Their water supply is pretty good, I hear the CRS water board has been good to them.

The schools i mentioned are good schools. Depending on your budget, there's the Sure-Foot American Internation School which is new but i hear it is a good school.

For running a business, what kind are you talking about? Where are you from if I may ask and why do you want to move?

Na wao! Calabar don open eye for real estate. It used to be cheap to live there at one point. I am talking about the 80's when I lived with my parents at Asang Eniong/Goldie and I think they were paying 200 Naira for a 4 bedroom house. It's not far from Unical. Nostalgic memories.

200 naira ke? for real, I wasn't there in the 80s though so i don't know. Now that a lot of people want to move into calabar, houses are not as cheap.

Yeah, I think it was 200 Naira a month in 1985. Remember Calabar is a mammoth city with an abundance of homes, and at that time, it did not undergo a renaisance as it has now with the development of Tinapa. But I used to visit my sisters at Unical, infact, there are some homes that were around at that vicinity that were very nice. I miss Calabar a lot.

Hey there muchbabe, been so busy but I am hoping to travel to Calabar soon ( maybe next week ) I will just look for an agent and if I am lucky to find a house I will just pay immediately and start relocation. No I don't have yim, just my email. I would feel weary about posting it.

If only we could go back to that time of 200 naira a month, I don't even think you can pay monthly for a house in Nigeria this days, unless you are in the village. It is 2 years rent or forget it.

Hi folkz, am a young asian expat from UK who may have to move to Calabar on job pretty soon, any lights on life of expats in Calabar would be really really helpful to take a decision, seeking info about leisure activities, things to do, especially things NOT to do  , when firms say they will provide acco do they mean acco with all related amenities or just the empty flat ? Heard a lot about NEPA, but wat about broadband connections ? Are there any good ISPs for that ?

Hoping for helping hands folkz 

Thanks !

I want to relocate to Calabar.  My ancestry has been traced to the Efik people.  I have been a computer engineer for 20 years, and would like to know if that is a profitable profession in Calabar?  Any assistance will be greatly appreciate, thank you.

www.crossriverquality.com hand full Information about Calabar and Cross River

Bumped

Hello people, interesting comments. Pls can someone give updated info of life and business in calabar as of 2013?

Pls can someone talk about biz in calabar recently? Like beauty concepts?

Good evening house, I'm a 28yrs widow who is really tired of the hustling and stress of Lagos, and I've been thinking of relocating for a while now but been confused, a friend suggested calabar or ph, I want a conducive environment suitable for my son and I and I'm also thinking of opening a hair business like wevon attachment and other hair products, pls I need an advice on where in calaba will be perfect for me.

ujunwa27:
Good evening house, I'm a 28yrs widow who is really tired of the hustling and stress of Lagos, and I've been thinking of relocating for a while now but been confused, a friend suggested calabar or ph, I want a conducive environment suitable for my son and I and I'm also thinking of opening a hair business like wevon attachment and other hair products, pls I need an advice on where in calaba will be perfect for me.

Satelite town or anywhere around the municipal will be fine for you here in Calabar.
Feel free to ask more questions.

Calabar, i might make this city my permanent resident