Travel to Nigeria – Episode 289

categories: africa travel

Oshodi Nigeria

The Amateur Traveler talks to David from London about his home country of Nigeria.

David recommends, against the advice of others, that people who visit Nigeria visit the largest city which is Lagos. Lagos is the second-most populous city in Africa after Cairo.

David says “it’s chaotic, it’s crazy, it’s exuberant, it’s everything turned up to eleven, it’s the maddest place I’ve been. That is why you should go there. You’re not going to get a relaxing holiday going to Lagos. But if you want to see human life at the extreme, and I don’t mean extreme in a bad way, but just millions of people in a small place, everyone full of life, everyone exuberant, everyone seemingly happy, Lagos is the place to go”.


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Show Notes

Nigeria
Nigeria on Wikipedia
Lagos
Abuja
Fela!
Fela! on Wikipedia
Afro Beat Music
Fela Kuti
Nigeria’s agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill
Nollywood – Nigeria Films
Welcome to Nollywood
This is Nollywood
Nollywood – African and Nigerian Movie Trailers
Lonely Planet – Introducing Nigeria

News

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Community

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Chris Christensen

by Chris Christensen

Chris Christensen is the creator of the Amateur Traveler blog and podcast. He has been a travel creator since 2005 and has won awards including being named the "Best Independent Travel Journalist" by Travel+Leisure Magazine.

4 Responses to “Travel to Nigeria – Episode 289”

Jon Hennek

Says:

I’ve listened to over 200 episodes of the show and certainly my favorite. David had an obvious passion for and gave good insights into Nigeria. Thanks for a wonderful show.

Agagooga

Says:

Actually this episode is more like “Travel to Lagos” – the guest didn’t seem to talk about other parts of Nigeria? I’m sure they’re different from Lagos.

Carolee

Says:

I’m an American expat who has lived in Lagos for 5 years. I enjoyed this podcast, and share David’s enthusiasm for Lagos. I agree with him that markets are a great place to see the energy of Lagos. I enjoy Nigeria and Nigerians, but it is a very difficult place to visit because there are very real risks. I disagree with his assertion that it is a cheap place to visit. A visitor can get some cheap food cooked on the street, but I would hesitate to eat it because of hygenic concerns. There are good restaurants, but they are very expensive. Most groceries in the stores are about 3 times the price in the US. Hotels that are at Western standards are very expensive. For shopping, there is a good tourist market that the expats frequent on the Lekki peninsula called the Ilasan-Lekki market. You can find some great buys there. He didn’t mention things to see outside Lagos, but I would recommend a visit to Osogbo, which has the Sacred Groves, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The textile artist Nike has a nice guesthouse there and she can arrange tours to artists and the sites there. They have an exciting Osun festival. We also had a fabulous trip in the North of the country to see the Durbars of Kano and Katsina. This is a medieval parade of knights that takes place on the Muslim Eid holidays. Nigeria is a country of many festivals and being able to catch one of them is a real highlight. Nigeria is a feast for the eyes, but it is a very challenging place to visit as a tourist.

Tori

Says:

I am a novice traveler and love to read various travel stories on your blog. Thanks.

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