There is so much to see when you visit this perfectly parked country on the equatorial West of Africa that is Nigeria. There are so many sights to behold and you will not be bored a single minute when you traverse this culture rich country. Nigeria covers a large area of 923,768 square kilometres and has many cities with Abuja as the capital city. She has a large population of 131,859,731 with English as the official language though there are other native languages like Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. The transport present in this large country is good and you can get around by air, water, rail or road (taxis, car hire and buses) but these public transports operate in rather chaotic conditions. They suffer from chronic traffic congestion making it inefficient to travel by bus or taxi.
Once in Nigeria, you will not be stuck for anything to do. You can check out Nigeria's wonderful selection of homemade crafts at the National Museum at Onikan on Lagos Island which has numerous exhibitions of the same. At the Jankara market, you can bargain for locally dyed cotton and hand woven cloths, herbs and leather goods. When you leave here, make sure you walk where the capital of the Yoruba Empire once was and you will admire Oyo's Portuguese-style houses.
You can also marvel at some of Nigeria's magnificent views. Akure is a good base from which to explore the seven Olumirin Waterfalls. Calabar is a pleasant town in a beautiful setting, high above the Calabar River making it a scenic sight that is worth visiting. Abuja's outlook across the savannah and the striking and fascinating mountain scenery enjoyed around Biu and towards the Cameroon border is worth sampling. If you are a fan of wildlife, you can journey through the Cross River National Park and the best base from which you can do this is from the town of Ikom, on the road to Cameroon. This place has curious carved monoliths set in circles, believed to be ancient monuments assembled in reverence to ancestors. This national park exudes a curiosity in nature rather than humanity. On the eastern half of the country, there is the Yankari National Park which is favourable for bird watching and other animals that can be seen include elephants, crocodiles and monkeys. The title of Nigeria's most scenic national park might also go to the Gashaka Game Reserve near Yola which is home to highly endangered species and also gives a perfect view of birds. These are some of the attractions to see and things to savour when you are in Nigeria but as you traverse this magnificent country you will come across many more.
Accommodation in Nigeria is available in first-class hotels in Lagos and in other major towns, but they are heavily booked and advance reservation is essential. There are also government run catering rest houses that are scattered throughout the country. These rest houses offer accommodation colonial-style and at a reasonable price. Before you can retire after a wonderful day, you can check out the clubs around Nigeria. The nightlife here is effervescent as there are many clubs conspicuous in Lagos and other major towns. This gorgeous country's beauty does not diminish and therefore, it is best visited any time of the year and the sites will be engraved in your memory for a long time.
