We find it interesting the number of locals and visitors we’ve met who’ve been to West Africa and either haven’t done Nigeria or not really explored it. So our friends (@myijuno) rose to the challenge to help with this post.

In this post, we walk you through our journey through Western Nigeria, where we covered 3 Nigerian States in 2 Days. Technically 4 states if we count our place of departure.

We set off from Lagos State, which is the business capital of the country (Think Zurich in Switzerland and New York in USA). It’s the most cosmopolitan state in the country, where you find people from all parts of the country as well as foreigners who have come to make Lagos their home. Majority of the residents in the city are not originally from Lagos.

We drove from Lagos, through Ondo State, to Ekiti State and Osun State.

These states all have very interesting natural wonders worth exploring, which made the journey much more interesting to embark on. We explored sites in Osun and Ekiti, slept over at a resort in Ekiti State, explored another site the following day in ondo before journeying back to Lagos.

If you’re a nature lover, you’ll love our top picks for this trip.

#1 Lekki Conservation Centre

This is in Lagos State. Like the name indicates, it’s a conservation centre preserved by the State. It’s a much-welcomed oasis in the busy city of Lagos, which leaves you feeling like you are out of town in the middle of the jungle.

There are free roaming monkeys there, which you can feed if you wish, Peacocks, Tortoises, Crocodiles, fishes.

Aside the animals, the site has a canopy walk which is the longest in Africa, and gives you a aerial view of the conservation. It also has a tree house which can serve as an alternative to the canopy walk for those who are not big on suspending canopy bridges. It equally gives an aerial view of the grounds.

There is a games section, which is cool for group trips – man size chess board, a local game called “Ludo”, mini zip line, which we suspect is really for kids and a few more things.

Exploring this space and embarking on games can take up a couple of hours so maybe plan to spend 3hours there and aim to go about 2pm to avoid peak heat waves and allow ample time before sunset.

*Note also that there is an Entry Fee for this site and a fee for a tour guide if you require one. Budget roughly N5,000 ($15-$20) if you plan to do the canopy walk as well as explore the grounds.

#2 La campagne Tropicana

This is a private resort located on the outskirts of Lagos state and would be recommended for a day trip or over night trip. Access to the property is allowed based on a fee.

It boasts in our opinion the cleanest beach in Lagos. Not only is it clean, the environment is serene. The ocean is beautiful and you can go swimming or surfing or just lounge on the beach in one of their beautiful cabanas.

The grounds also have activities guests can enjoy, which are all inclusive in the entry fee. They include; Kayaking, beach volleyball & football (but we suspect you might have to bring your own balls), swimming pool, horse riding, amongst other things.

*We got to try out kayaking around a lake on the grounds, horse riding, and swimming, which left us blissfully exhausted but content.

#3 Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort

This is located in Ekiti state and is about 4-5hours drive from Lagos depending on where you set out from.

There is a confluence of two springs at this location with one running warm and the other cold. Take your shoes off and step into the spring to test this out for yourself. It is honestly mind boggling how the two exist simultaneously in the same area without mixing. Apparently the cold spring flows from the next site we recommend in this post, and is also used to serve the resort.

The cool thing about this find is that it is located on a resort, which means you can plan to stay over there if you want.

*Because we slept over, we had free access to the grounds, which sports an amphitheatre, a local restaurant, basketball court, swimming pool and a range of accommodation for guests to choose from. Have realistic expectations about the quality of accommodation and food considering how far from the city you are, and you will be fine :).

#4 Erin Ijesha / Olumirin Waterfall

This is located in Osun State and was discovered in the 1800 by a hunter exploring the hill.

The grounds are beautiful and have clearly been well preserved over the years. For those who are avid hikers, get ready for a serious workout hiking up the many levels of the fall to get to the different fall points.

Tip: the best pictures can be taken on the second level and you will most definitely need a tour guide to lead you through the torturous steps and path to the falls.

There is an entry fee for the property and a fee for the guided tour. Note also that parking is also for a fee. You wont need to spend more than N1,500 ($5) for everything.

#5 Idanre Hills

This is located in Ondo state, 15km from the state capital, Akure.

The first things you notice when entering Ondo are the numerous hills, which become even more prevalent as you venture into neighbouring states – Very scenic terrain.

Idanre hill is a UNESCO world heritage site with a 667 steps climb to get to the top. There is a settlement presiding on the top of the hill as well as other smaller hills surrounding it. The hills were named after notable pioneers including the king of the land and his wife. You can get a cultural experience from the communities settled there as well as visiting the historical sites preserved there. More importantly, if you make it to the top, you have a fantastic aerial view of the town below.

Notes

• We did our exploration by road, which made it easier to get to all the different sites (and is probably the cheapest way to do this). *Get a local fluent (Yoruba speaking) driver for this journey as this will be helpful to you if you get lost or need directions or help from locals in areas were English is not prevalent.

• There is also an Airport in Akure, Ondo State to cut down your travel time if you are not keen on driving 4-5 hours from Lagos to these Western states.

• Enjoy the winding roads and the vast forests with lush green vegetation. It really is beautiful!!

more importantly, the helpful locals who gave us directions when we got lost using google maps and ended up in the forest :).

Happy exploring

Xoxo