The Esthitude Place

Travelling will always be on my list of adventure activities even though Nigeria be dulling my traveling spirit.

Oyo state is in the South-Western part of Nigeria and it is one of the places you should add to your to-visit list. Thankfully, there are trains that now go from Lagos and Abeokuta to Oyo state.

Last year, I traveled to Oyo state for a mini-vacation/adventure waka and I had fun exploring some of the historical sites in Oyo state.

So, while you load up on the dollars for that international trip, I thought to share with you some fun places to visit in Oyo state.

Let’s get into it already, here are 5 fun places to visit in Oyo State:

1. Mapo Hall: Mapo hall is one of Ibadan’s historic buildings and was commissioned during the colonial era by Captain Ross in 1929. On visiting Mapo hall, we were heralded with stories of the building’s history by the people who take care of the place, it is such a beautiful place with spaces for events and beautiful pictures. At the top of Mapo hall you can see some major landmarks in Ibadan, and of course, the many brown rooftops of Ibadan city.

   

   

   

2. Bower’s Tower: On the day we visited Mapo Hall, we also visited Bower’s Tower, Shepherd Hill which was just a drive away from Mapo Hall. Bower’s Tower can be seen at the top of Oke-Are in Ibadan. It is a historic monument put up to honor Captain Robert Lister Bower in 1936, the first British Resident in Ibadan. The fun thing to do here is to climb the tiny-spaced spiral staircase. At the top of the tower, you also get to see a beautiful view of the brown-roofed city of Ibadan.

   

   

   

   

3. Ado-Awaye Lake: I should actually dedicate a whole blog post to this lake, as it is one of the only 2 suspended lakes in the world. Located not too far from Iseyin, Oyo State, Ado-Awaye lake is one place in Nigeria that I believe should be turned into a major tourism center. It is a mountain that has a lake at its top: to get to the top of the mountain, you would have to climb over 350 steps and do some mountain climbing, but the view at the top is so worth it. Truth be told, I almost passed out on the steps cos they are so steep, thanks to my amazing climbing partners who waited for me to catch my breath before we continued climbing.
4. IITA: I’ve never been to IITA, but some of my friends have, and feedback I’ve gotten is that it is a really nice place to be. IITA is a resort in Ibadan that has a beautiful and serene environment, lakes, and game areas. It is a beautiful place for a retreat, honeymoon, and getaway.
5. Agodi Gardens: This was on my to-visit list when I visited Ibadan, but I didn’t get around to visiting the place due to many other activities that came up. This place also has a lake, a beautiful environment, and many play areas suitable for pictures, hangouts, etc.

Of course, I have to mention the very Skye Amala, located in the heart of Ibadan. Even before going to Ibadan, I have always heard of Amala Skye and I had to visit on my trip to Ibadan. Should I rate their Amala? Well, it was quite nice, don’t know much about the hype sha.

So fam, I hope you enjoyed this write-up. As the year wraps up, what are your travel plans?

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