My journey to Almat Farms started with a text from a very good friend of mine. She insisted that for her birthday she would like to celebrate with a picnic at the farm so we made a quick plan and some preparations for a day at the farm.
The drive to the farm was a long and bumpy one considering the fact that Almat farms is located in Kuje which is in the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria. It took about 1 hour and 10 minutes but it was all worth it in the end.
The farm was unlike anything that I’ve seen before. A picturesque view with rolling hills, greenhouses, huts, grassy fields, a shallow river and exotic animals.
At the gate, our temperatures were checked and we received a pamphlet containing information about all activities available at the farm. We drove through the greenhouses to the parking lot and took a lot of pictures before entering into the Welcome Center.
At the welcome center, we paid for our Entrance fee and Corkage fee. A corkage fee is an amount you pay if you want to bring in your own food into the farm. We were then ushered to our picnic table.
We set up our food at the table and were greeted by some ducks and chinese fluffy chickens. Our tour guide soon after joined us and then took us on a tour of the heart of the farm.
Out tour guide gave a brief history about the farm and all the plants that are being grown there. He explained that the farms offers different activities such as kayaking, horse riding, picnicking, quad biking, beach volleyball, mountain biking, range tours, guided tours, hiking and petting zoos. He added that a range tour will let you see the entirety of the farm including a Fulani settlement.
He took us to see the farm’s restaurant, amphitheater, multiple greenhouses and accomodation. The farm’s accommodations are these brick huts which are clean, cozy and semi modern on the inside. We also climbed the top of the amphitheater and got to see a panoramic view of the farm.
We went to the stables to see some horses, monkeys, emu and peacocks. Then onto to the petting zoo which has rabbits, gazelle, a 45year old tortoise, chinese fluffy chickens, Guinea fowls, ducks and crocodiles.
Last stop was the shallow river which our tour guide explained that we could walk across. Only two people from our group tried it. We took more photos and then returned to our picnic for food, games, drinks and of course, some birthday cake.
Best part was how casually the animals stroll around the farm and strike poses. I think one of ostrich was definitely a fan because it kept on posing and prancing around our picnic. A fun fact about this bird is that they only attack when provoked and you cannot outrun them.
My day at the farm ended with more pictures, lots of hugs and a long drive home.
P.S. You find Almat Farms on Google Maps here. You can find my review of the farm here.