Life in Lagos: My Ultimate Lagos Bucketlist

Lagos is that city that is so fast-paced and always bustling with so much energy. For some, planning a trip to Lagos is hectic, mostly because Lagos is filled with so many places it becomes hard to choose from.

Having stayed most of my life in Lagos, have gotten the opportunity to visit a lot of places and get a lot of “The Lagos Experience”. Lagos is not known to be a touristy city, despite this, I came up with my own ultimate Lagos Bucketlist a.k.a experiences that stand out to me and hopefully would make your stay in Lagos more memorable however brief your stay may be. Let’s get on with it.

My Lagos Bucketlist

• Take a Day Trip to Badagry

Personally, Badagry holds a special place in my heart because that’s where my quest for adventure started. It is home to the history of Slave Trade (want to know about the Slave Trade Era – Badagry is where to visit). In Badagry, you can visit Slave museums, the infamous “point of no return” and also the first storey building in Nigeria.

• Feel the Lagos Breeze at a Beach

Lagos is surrounded by water and has so many stunning beaches. From the mainland to the Island, there are all sorts of beach for whatever kind of scene you want. In need of a private beach feel, visit “Landmark Beach, Lekki” or La Manga Luxury Villas, Ilashe”, are you more of the “You want to relax and be taken kiarof kind” and in need of a resort feel, visit “La Campagne Tropicana Beach” or you want a beach club scene, visit “Pop Beach Club” during weekends. Did you know you can also hit the surf at “Tarkwa Bay Beach”?

• Visit Makoko – “The Floating Village”

Makoko is a community entirely built on stilts in water located just outside the Flashy wealth of the Lagos Island. You can get a glimpse of this community when you drive through the 3rd Mainland Bridge but nothing beats a tour through Makoko, mainly occupied by the Egun, the people of Makoko thrive on fishing. A tour through Makoko would be the most eye-opening thing to do in Lagos, you’ll witness a marginalized but remarkably resilient community that lives off the ocean.

• Climb the Longest Canopy Walkway in Africa at Lekki Conservation Center

One of Africa’s most prominent Urban Nature Parks, Lekki Conservation Center has a high specie richness and if you are a nature person, this should go right into your “to-do in Lagos” list. Apart from the wildlife, if you are searching for a bit of adventure, brave the longest canopy walkway in Africa. A little tip for you “Don’t look down”.

If you are in Lagos, you shouldn’t miss the seeing Lekki Conservation Center with Skyunit Tour

• Pay a visit to Lagos Markets

What is a visit to Lagos if you don’t shop in one of the numerous markets. The most popular market among tourist is the “Lekki Crafts Market. If you want to really experience Life in Lagos, checkout “Balogun Market” popularly known as “Eko Market” and the famous “Computer Village”. Go watch a live version of how Lagosians haggle. A little tip “Pay close attention to your belongings and use what Lagosians call common sense”.

• Visit the NEW AFRIKA SHRINE

Built in 1970’s by legendary Late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, this place offers great live music, food, drinks and a bit of African politics. It showcases some of Fela’s artwork and also serves as a sort of community center You can pay a visit during the day or if you want a bit of the crazy Lagos Nightlife, pay a visit at night during one of their weekend concert event.

For a real treat, visit the Shrine during the annual Felabration festival.

• Board a DANFO bus

Forget about Uber, Lagos BRT for awhile. For the real Lagos experience use the Danfo bus. It’s a little discomfort to pay to get a fullfilled Lagos experience.

• Onward into the Lagos Traffic

You can’t be certified a Lagos experience if you don’t brave the Lagos traffic. It’s not all that bad (seriously, it isn’t, you didn’t hear that from here), Lagos traffic is where you see the good, the bad and the ugly.

• Get ready and attend a Saturday”Owambe“

Lagosians cherish a good party. You wouldn’t want to miss Lagos owambes, where you would understand why Lagosians can’t pass a saturday without an Owambe. From the dresses to kill to the makeup and the personality of the guest, Saturday owambe is nothing short of fun.

• Try a Gelato from Hans and Rene

Do you want some Gelato? Because I want some Gelato?

Here in Lagos my favorite thing to do on a hot and sunny day would be to stop for a scoop or two of Hans and Rene Gelato. There are multiple locations throughout Lagos so you can stop in one for a sweet treat.