As a Nigerian visiting Nigeria, it’s always exciting because I get to spend quality time with family as well as see new places. Travelling to Nigeria is not a journey I make often because it’s a long flight from Nova Scotia, Canada. This trip to Nigeria was the shortest trip I’d ever had to take as I was going to Nigeria for my wedding. My travel itinerary in Nigeria was fast-paced and relaxing as well. I was able to get a lot into my Itinerary in Nigeria and I will love to share 8 things I did while in Nigeria :

1) Attend A Nigerian Wedding Party

Your trip to Nigeria is not complete if you did not attend a Nigerian Party – Owambe , fondly called by the Yoruba tribe. This time around it was my wedding. It was definitely great to be on the other end of a Nigerian wedding party as someone who was involved in the wedding planning. It was great seeing all the visions of the months of planning by both families come alive. The day was an absolute joy being surrounded by family and friends.

2) Experience the Food Culture

The theme of my Nigerian trip should be called Food because that is literally what I did the most in Nigeria. The food culture in Nigeria is vast and delicious. I am quite a picky eater but I did not hold back on my trip to Nigeria. The day I landed in Lagos,  the first Nigerian meal I had was Amala. This was probably the second time eating Amala in 4 years so it was an absolute delight. I ate out a lot and from a variety of restaurants, but Mega Chicken was one of my favourites. I liked them because they had both continental and proper Nigerian food.

3) Travel to Other Parts of Nigeria

Nigeria constitutes 36 states with Lagos as the most popular city.  I spent time in both Lagos & Abuja. Abuja is known to have good kilishi and suya.  This was my 3rd time in Abuja and every time I have been here it feels like the getaway you need from the hustling and bustling of Lagos. I spent time visiting the family and soaking in how different Lagos is from Abuja. 

4) Take in the view of Lagos and Abuja

Owing to wedding preparations, I spent a considerable portion of my time in Nigeria commuting. During my time in Lagos, I commuted from the mainland to the island every day until the day before the wedding. While stuck in traffic, it was the ideal moment to buy hawkers’ wares and take in the beauty of the city. The view of Lagos from the Falomo Bridge will never cease to be spectacular. Taking walks in Abuja to appreciate the pureness in the air in comparison to Lagos was really pleasant.

5) Stay In Hotels

Where you stay on a trip can significantly impact your experience when exploring and Nigeria was no exception. This is probably the first time ever in my life staying in so many hotels in one trip. I was in 4 hotels in total on my trip to Nigeria. You can definitely tell I was here for a good time. Of all the hotels I stayed in, Leola Hotel was the best place – Food, Ambience, Staff, everything was a solid 5/5 for me. When I came back to Lagos from Abuja, I absolutely knew that’s the hotel I wanted to be in till returning back to Canada. 

6) Visit The Hair Salon

While in Nigeria, I went to the salon three times. Going to the saloon is substantially less expensive in comparison to Canada. The experience is usually enjoyable since I get to enjoy someone else removing my hair, washing it, and making it in the style of my choice.

7) Get Yourself Some Nigerian Attires

During my visit to Nigeria, I had lots of cloth fittings as I sew lots of Ankara fabrics. In order to ensure my clothes were ready in advance, I bought my textiles from Oreke Trendy, an internet store that sells a variety of fabrics, including Ankara, and had them sent to the tailors. Fittings by Ora, a low-cost tailor in Lagos, Nigeria, made my Ankara outfits.

8) Visit Friends & Family

If you have friends and family in Lagos you should definitely visit them. My first day in Lagos, I surprised my friends by showing up at their house. It was wonderful to see my family and spend as much time with them as possible. A large number of my extended family were present the day before the wedding. I hadn’t seen them in over a decade, and it was wonderful to reconnect with them.

It was indeed a swell time in Lagos and I absolutely can’t wait to go back again. Nigeria until next time 🙂