We want to help you make your journey fun. If you ever visit West Africa, here are some of the things you should do that will leave an imprint you do not forget in a hurry.
1. Eat Jollof
Of course, you just have to be part of the decade long debate. It’s fun, and more, it’s enticing to both your mind and your taste buds.
If you didn’t know about it, there has always been a debate between Nigerians, Gambians, Senegals, and Ghanians about which jollof rice tastes better.
Jollof rice is a dish made in most West African countries. It is a spicy meal made from rice and tomatoes. It can be served with meat and chicken, and does well with just about any soft drink.
If you’ve got friends and family who are from West African nations, engage them in this debate. Visit a restaurant that serves jollof from all countries. Now, talk amongst yourselves: which one is best?
2. Listen to AfroBeats
You must know that West Africa is the home of Afrobeats. There have been debates about where it truly originated from. Whilst some people say it came from Ghana, most people believe it was birthed in Nigeria, by Fela Kuti, a talented musician who played many musical instruments.
Afrobeats has now grown to be a sensation all over the world. It’s on TV. It’s ranking high on charts. Everyone listens, and you should.
You should see a live performance of Afrobeats whenever you visit West Africa. A lot of music shows take place every year in West Africa, whether you are in Ghana or in Lagos.
There are few things more thrilling than watching an Afrobeats show live. Move your body to the rhythm. Be in the moment. Have one of the locals teach you how to dance at least one West African dance.
3. See Nightlife in Lagos
Nightlife in Lagos is one of the most beautiful things ever. If you have ever been to Lagos, you may have a glimpse of what I am talking about.
The nightclubs there are everything fun should be. You should find your way into one and not hold yourself back from having fun.
You should, however, try to be safe. Have someone who knows Lagos well enough accompany you.
4. Experience the Hospitality in Ghana
Ghana is one of the most peaceful and hospitable places in Africa. And the good thing about this is that you don’t have to be in this or that city. You just have to be in Ghana.
Sit along the beaches in Accra and have the fun of your life. Be sure to engage one or two of the locals in a conversation. You’ll come too see how friendly people can be.
This is the gift of Africa: friendliness. It almost seems as though Africans are taught to be friendly right from when they are born.
5. Visit the Obudu Mountain Resort
This beautiful mountain resort is in Cross River State, a large state in the South South reason of the country Nigeria. Cross River is called the paradise of the Nation of Nigeria. This name is enough to tell you what you should be expecting. It’s safe, and more, it is hospitable. Calabar is fast growing to be one of the tourism hubs in Nigeria.
Have yourself be thrilled by the cable cars suspended hundreds of feet in the air.
Enjoy the serenity of the view. It is something truly beautiful. You should watch the morning dew fall across the Highlands from your hotel room.
6.Explore Cape Verde
Cape Verde is not one of those very common West African countries. But I will tell you this for free: Cape Verde is a sight to behold, and even more, it is such a beauty to explore.
You should explore the cultural side of Cape Verde. You should dive into their history and have one of the locals tell you about the culture that is sure to make you stand out.
If you don’t have a problem with it. You should reach out to the locals and have them teach you firsthand all that carpe Verde brings your way.
7. See the Aesthetic Architecture of Kaoutamatu, Togo
Kaoutamatu sits in Termbama valley in Togo. This name may not ring a bell, but the sight will do more than ring a bell. It is going to stick in your mind, painting art on your subconscious whenever you think of Togo.
Kaoutamatu is a rural settlement in Togo. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site that brings in a huge number of tourists every year.
The architecture is truly beautiful here and can provide some of the best photos you can ever take with your camera.
I tell you this: photographers love it here. You should come if you want to be in tune with African histories: if you want to be at home, in a place that may not even be your home in the first place.
8. See the Kakum Park
This park is a beautiful spot in Ghana, and is more than a park. It is one of those places that tells such a beautiful memory.
You get to come face-to-face with beautiful wildlife. It’s also a great place to watch birds and take pictures of the beauty that is nature.
Nature is truly beautiful. Here in West Africa, it shows you its brightest smiles and its most beautiful faces.
9. Enter and Witness the Beauties of Kwame Nkrumah Park
Still speaking of parks, the Kwame Nkrumah Park is more than just a park. To the people of Ghana, it is a beacon of home.
It is named after one of Ghana’s revolutionary leaders, Kwame Nkurumah, whose beliefs shaped Ghana as a country.
The park holds a museum as well as mausoleums. It holds one of the only mausoleums in all of West Africa. And this makes it a great spot to visit.
The good thing is, you are welcome to visit all year round. You don’t have to wait until the summer. Interestingly, the tour guides here are very friendly.
10. Visit Bissau
Bissau should sound familiar to you if you know a little about West Africa. It is the capital city of Guinea Bissau and one of the most urban.
Most tourists who visit Guinea stop by Bissau first.
This city welcomes you with some bustling, almost the same way Lagos, Nigeria, does.
Watch the traffic. Eat street food, if you feel it’s safe. There are a number of vendors who sell very safe-to-eat food.
You may even bring your jollof rice banter to an end here. Yes, it is true that beautiful jollof rice is cooked in Guinea as well.
11. Eko Hotel Tour
Eko Hotel is one of the most beautiful places in Lagos. But your stay here is going to come at a cost. And it’s going to be a bit high.
Eko Hotel charges around $200 a night for the least expensive rooms. But I assure you that you are going to enjoy your stay there.
You can visit the lounges there and have a feel of the beauty of Lagos.
12.Visit the Fazao Malfakassa National Park
This is a pretty large national park in Togo. It is also one of the most beautiful in Africa as a whole.
You find some of the rarest species of plants and animals here. If you are one who loves to listen to birds, you’d truly enjoy it here.
If you are one to take pictures, then you might want to take out your camera and take some of the best pictures ever.
I find the tour guides here to be exceptionally friendly. They make the visit so much fun.
There is a waterfall along Fazao Malfakassa. See it for yourself and appreciate the beauty of Africa.
13. The Lagos Canopy Walkway
Lagos State, Nigeria, boasts the longest canopy walkway in Africa.
If you are one who loves adventure, you are surely going to love going atop that walkway.
It is thrilling. It is fun. It is enough to make you scream and reach to have helped.
It is one of my favorite things to do when I visit Lagos. You should try it too.
14. See The Slave Trade Museum, Calabar
Calabar is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It has been the cleanest and most beautiful city in Nigeria for a couple of years.
The slave trade brings to heart Africa’s most sensitive story: the history of the slave trade.
Calabar had been one of the heavily affected cities. It was, in fact, one of the slave trade routes.
The stories are both graphic and oral. Tour guides guide you through the museum, recounting what had taken place.
Truly a thing to do.
15. Visit the International Worship Center, Uyo
The international worship center Uyo is one of the most magnificent places I have seen in Nigeria. It costs the government billions of Naira to have It built. They admit it was built to be a worship center as well as a center of attraction.
The center features a dome and a pinnacle reaching into the skies. It is almost always guarded, and the interior features an amazing architecture befitting of a worship center so acclaimed.
The International Worship Center, Uyo, now serves as a tourist attraction site as well as the go-to chapel for all governmental worship meetings.
The locals are usually more than eager to tell you what they think about the center.
16. Drink Palm Wine in Ibeno
Ibeno is also in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It is one of the most visited beaches in the region and is a favored spot for couples who visit the city.
Ibeno is also known to have very friendly locals. They’re some of the nicest people I have met, and often show their love and acceptance for visitors by sharing Palm wine.
In fact, Palm Wine is often shared as a means to show love, acceptance, and gratitude.
It is a wine brewed from fermented palm fruits. It tastes really sweet, like sugar mixes but has the potential to make you feel so high.
Don’t get carried away. Drinking too much can send you reeling back.
17. Watch a Football Match in Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt is the city next to Uyo. It is a small city, but nonetheless, one of the fastest-rising cities in Africa.
Port Harcourt welcomes you with one of the best experiences, but it isn’t safe to wander here alone without someone who knows the city guiding you through.
There are usually football tournaments organized by the government that are very fun to watch. If you aren’t in a hurry, you can stick around and see as many matches as you.
18. Eat Bole
Bole is known by many names and appears in many countries other than Nigeria. But in Nigeria, Bole is known as Bole. It is a spicy meal made from roasted plantains.
Under the heat, these plantains become crispy on the outside and rather juicy on the inside.
The best place to eat Bole is Port Harcourt city.
Since Port Harcourt is mostly a riverine city, there is almost always fish in every meal. There is the need to try out Bole sauce with some fried or grilled fish. It is something one doesn’t forget in a hurry.
19. Go on a Date
No one really talks about going on a date when it comes to travel. But I believe travel should be able to touch our lives even in places that feel wrong.
You should go on a date in Ghana!
This is one of the places where you will meet the friendliest women. Just be nice. Read our articles on how to date African women.
Summary
West Africa is such a beacon of beauty. I love every minute in there.
