Port Harcourt is a gulf city in the state of Rivers in Southeast Nigeria and is quickly becoming the capital for the blooming oil industry in the country. Most speak English, but Igbo is the dominant language.

Get in

By plane

• Port Harcourt International Airport, PHC. There are now direct flights from Europe operated by Air France and Lufthansa. It is also less than an hour in the air if you fly in via Lagos or Abuja

By train

• From Maidugrui.

By boat

• From Nembe by ferry.

See

Borikiri Market. Port Harcourt Zoo. Izumini River - An hours drive outside of the city

Learn

there are many private and public schools in port Harcourt. In the villages in Ogonis there private and community schools.

Buy

Fabrics. Traditional carvings and paintings. Hand tooled leather boxes and trunks of all shapes and sizes.

Eat

Rice, egusi soup with eba or fufu, pounded yam, papper soup, ogbono soup.

Budget

Suya - A kind of spicy meat kebab. Available at the side of any road cooked over charcoal. Wash it down with a Coke, called locally a mineral, or a bottle of the local Guinness or Maltina.

Drink

There is great night life here.

Try Cheers Bar in GRA every Sunday! Place is absolutely packed with guys and girls being treated to awesome music by Nick and Smart. Food is great, service is friendly and the beers are cold!

Also on weekends Wine Bar, Bunga Villa (as the locals call it) and Aristo House are great!

Sleep

Mid-range

Mina Hotels is a relatively nice and clean place - the rooms are quite large and do not have that "wet" and old smell other hotels in this price range usually have. Prices start at around 40-50 USD/night (2005 winter).

• 1 Hotel Presidential, Aba Road, ☏ +234 84 901307. A locally ownd hotel, centrally located and has recently undergone renovations. 

Splurge

Le Méridien and Novotel are the two hotels in town which offers high-quality accommodations.

• 2 Le Méridien Ogeyi Place, 45 Tombia Street, ☏ +234 84 461770, fax: +234-84-461771. 

• 3 Hotel Novotel Port Harcourt, 3 Stadium Road, ☏ +234 84 461540, H5465@accor.com. 

Connect

You will hardly be able to find your way in Nigeria especially in Port Harcourt unless you have been provided earlier direction.

Stay safe

Port Harcourt is the centre of oil business in Nigeria. Some people have a strong feeling that the oil is "stolen" from them by local government in cooperation with foreign companies. There are frequent riots, worker strikes and regular reports of kidnapping.

Some bars and clubs, nevertheless, seem relatively safe even during the night.

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