Tourist Destinations World Travel Guides
With a population of more than 8 million city inhabitants, the largest Nigeria city, Lagos is ranked second in Africa after Cairo in the list of largest African cities. According to estimates by UN Lagos will be a Megacity by 2015 and will rank third among the world’s largest cities after Mumbai and Tokyo. The younger generation affectionately refers to Lagos as ‘Las Gidi’ or ‘Gidi’. Formerly, the city has been the Nigerian capital but remains the financial and economic hub of Nigeria. One of the top sights in Lagos is the Badagry Town which is a historic slave port and is popularly known as ‘Point of No Return’. This is the spot where the loading of slaves unto ships was done.
Lagos has many beaches and travelers have a wide range of options to consider, making it the best place for barbecues and picnics. The Lagos Bar Beach is very popular considering that it offers an inner-city beach experience, unlike other beaches which are more on the city’s outskirts. The man-made Tarkwa Bay is increasingly becoming popular nowadays which was created during the formation of Lagos harbor. The beach offers a safe bathing spot for children and is a pleasant spot for an outing. Other popular beaches are such as the Akodo beach and Lighthouse beach.
There is a common joke that just as England is known for food, Lagos is known for tourism. While this stereotype isn’t true as such, Lagos is a top tourist destination. Precisely, the city boasts of wonderful beaches especially when you are willing to move out of the city. Markets are also in plenty here but traveling in them can be quite tiring. Nevertheless, they are very safe during day time. You can relax and have some cool time at the Lekki Conservation center. The dense park has a few birds and animals with benches and walkways resting on it and entry fees are very affordable.
Lagos is a famous shopping center and negotiating for lowers prices is always fun for travelers. Hawkers sell anything at the traffic including drinks and even potatoes. However, most of the brand names are fake considering the markets are very informal. The currency used in Lagos is Naira just like the rest of Nigeria and MasterCard, Visa, and Debit/credit cards can be used when shopping. There are many shopping places in Lagos starting with Palms Shopping Centre, The City Mall, Mega Plaza, Silverbird Galleria, King’s Plaza, and Lekki Art Market.
There are also many eateries in Lagos and you can get delicious local foods at Thistle Bar &Restaurant, Terra Kulture, Yellow Chili, and Whitehouse in Yaba. Chinese dishes are served at Prime Chinese, Mr. Chang’s, and Marco Polo. Indian dishes are also available in Lagos at Spice Bar, Thanks, and Karma. Accommodation in Lagos is available in great hotels of all starts. Sleeping on the Victoria Island will offer you a much better experience. Nowadays, Lagos is becoming a safer place with CCTV cameras and police patrol cars available in the city.
