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Sungbo's Eredo is Africa's largest construction, a 160km/99mi-long, 1050-year-old, 20m/65ft-high linear boundary rampart that once surrounded the ancient kingdom of Ijebu. Built over two centuries, it's now largely covered by rainforest. Use the guiding services of locals to explore it, and respect the shrines and other crumbling remnants.
(SW Nigeria)
mini-bus from Ojota Motor Park in Lagos to Ijebu-Ode (one hour)
| free |
Yankari is Nigeria's best park for observing wildlife. With a bit of luck you may come across buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, hyenas, leopards, plenty of baboons and the odd lion. While the park's animal population has suffered from poaching it still has some big drawcards like the 500-strong population of elephants and the bird-watching is excellent.
The best time to see animals is from late December to late April, before the rains, when the thirsty animals congregate at the Gaji River. You're permitted to drive your own vehicle if you take a guide, otherwise the park has a safari truck that takes two hour tours.
Yankari's other great attraction is the incredibly picturesque Wikki Warm Spring, near the park campsite. The crystal-clear mineral water is a constant 31°C, forming a lake 200m long and 10m wide and great for a swim.
(Central Nigeria)
bus 5hrs from Bauchi
| full | Naira 300.00 |
The Sacred Forest is a large area of rainforest on the outskirts of Oshogbo. Within the forest is the beautiful Shrine of Oshuno, the River Goddess. In addition to natural beauty, there are many stunning sculptures by Suzanne Wenger (known locally as Aduni Olosa, the 'Adored One'), an Austrian painter and sculptor who came here in the 1950s.
Osun Shrine Rd
(SW Nigeria)
taxi from Oshogbo
| full | Naira 200.00 |
At nearly 1000 years old, the mud-walled Muslim city of Kano is the oldest city in West Africa and sits on the edge of the Sahel (the fringe of the Sahara). Although it's a bustling hive of commercial activity it's still more bearable than Lagos. Its main attraction is the Old City.
Despite the near-complete disintegration of the city walls, the gates have remained intact. The Kofar Mata Gate leads to the Emir's palace and Central Mosque. The mosque is closed to non-Islamic visitors but is worth seeing from the outside, especially during the Friday prayer time (around noon).
Next to the mosque, which attracts up to 50,000 worshippers, is the huge mud-walled Emir's palace, an outstanding example of Hausa architecture. Next door is the Gidan Makama Museum, built in the 15th century and now completely restored and well worth the visit. The Kofar Mata indigo-dye pits, the oldest in Africa, are still operational. The ancient Kurmi Market is a maze of alleyways and stinking lanes but bargains can be found here with some effort.
Sharia'a law was introduced here relatively peaceably in June 2000. Bans on drinking, smoking and contact between the sexes are actively enforced; foreigners can get away with most things but should still behave discreetly.
In a moment of misguided inspiration, the Nigerian government kicked out the local Gwari inhabitants and decided to up-and-move the capital from Lagos to Abuja. Unfortunately, they ran out of oil money before the grand vision was finished and parts of Abuja still look like a work in progress.
However, Abuja is slowly taking on the role of Nigeria's capital, and the city is filling. But while most federal ministries and civil servants have made the move, foreign agencies and diplomatic missions are still in Lagos and, as a result, there really isn't much to do in Abuja.
These include the burning issue of whether Abuja ought to be classified as a state or a capital city, instead of the mayoralty that it is. Abuja is about 500km (310mi) northeast of Lagos and, being the official capital, has several daily flights from Lagos. Bush taxis shuttle back and forth between Abuja and the major cities in the central district. Once you get there, though, there are relatively few cheap places to stay. It could be a while before the city's character begins to emerge.
