Nigeria
 

Co is starting flight to Lagos with double miles, thinking of going. I have been to SA and on safaris there. They were great. Any info on what to do in Nigeria, safaris? sightseeing. I am an active senior citizen going with my wife

You might like to read up on Nigeria - it's not really a tourist destination - and it's for a reason. It's reasonably dangerous and difficult to deal with - and quite unlike South Africa in most respects. As far as I am concerned, it is not somewhere you would choose to go - double miles or not. If you were sent on business, you'd have things sorted in advance, security, transfers etc. I cannot think of too many things to see in any of the cities I've visited...

Don't get me wrong, I like the place enormously as it has a charm all of its dirty own, but if you're looking for somewhere interesting to go in west Africa, you'd be better off in Accra (Ghana). At least there, you can walk on the streets with minimal interference.

I agree with GoldCircle. Nigeria is not a "tourist" destination (not at this point in time at least). Safaris are out of the question (they don't even have them). Ghana is certainly worth a visit and for safaris, Tanzania is a very good option (even if CO doesn't fly there).

Safe travels...

thanks for the input, will try different country

Totally agree with GoldCircle about Nigeria's unsuitability as a tourist spot.

I would also like to endorse Ghana as an adventurous destination. It's still challenging (that really means 'chaotic' - but nicely so) but there are some local tour operators who can package an interesting itinerary.

Don't only go to the capital Accra as you will miss out on so many historical and natural spectacles. Check out Lonely Planet or just look at the beautiful pictures on this site for some inspiration

If you do want to take advantage of the double miles, you may consider flying into Lagos but spending time in Benin, Nigeria's small neighbor to the west. I am going to Lagos in May to visit a friend working at the US Consulate there. We will spend maybe 1 day maximum in Lagos, which is supposed to be awful, but we will spend the rest of the week in Benin, which has several interesting national parks (Parc National de la Pendjari and Parc National du W) and beaches and some interesting cultural attractions.

The border with Benin is only 60 miles or so from Lagos, but if you are actually interested in going, you may just wanna book a separate ticket to Cotonou (for which there are short direct flights) and find a tour operator that can set you up from there. The road crossing/approach to the border is supposed to be pretty unpleasant.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendjari_National_Park
http://www.parc-w.net/en/index.html
http://www.pendjari.net/english/

Benin is nice, but Cameroon is nicer. Virgin flies nonstop to DLA from Lagos (1h40m). You could stay at the Le Meridien there, rest up, and take a ride out to a nice beach resort in Kribi. The waterfalls are fun and the people are very friendly. Or try the mountains, or take a safari...

Since Virgin Nigeria was sold last year (and renamed Air Nigeria) it's not considered quite so safe any more.

Fly with Arik Air. LH does their maintenance. ;)

Says who? The name may have changed but exactly the same people in their maintenance department are doing the exact same job they were before. The CEO is a friend of mine from his days with Ethiopian Airlines and my experiences with him reinforce his inflexible attitude on safety issues.

I am far more concerned about flying with Arik considering the heavy turnover in their Flight Ops management department and the financial issues that tend to ground their fleet on a monthly basis. Not saying Arik is unsafe, but the potential for compromising the safety margins is far greater at Arik than Air Nigeria.

Business trip to Lagos - worth staying 1-2 days?
 

Hey team,
hope you don't mind refreshing old subject.

I'm going for a biz trip to Lagos end of July and I was wondering if there's a point in staying 1-2 days longer there? I understand from previous posts (and all other information sources) that it's not too safe and not too tourist-friendly.
So I am wondering if hiring security and going through several hassles ($$$ mainly) can be balanced out by the experience on the ground.

What do you think?
thanks in advance for advise!
mfk

I've been there often enough and have never seen anything that would make me say 'Next time I'm going to put a day aside to see that'. Myself, I'd take a few days, fly to Accra and have a look round there instead.

I'd skip Accra too and go home instead! :D

Great idea! :D

Thanks folks,

I did expect some "be careful" or "are you sure?" notes BUT I got the message now. My GF will be really happy :)

thanks and have a great weekend!
mfk

Biz trip to Lagos without a day or two checking out the locals/city/culture/food!!. You may as well conduct the biz online in the comfort of your home.. Lagos is a big city(bigger than NYC) with all the complexities of a megacity in a developing country....expensive, crime, the bad the good and the ugly. Stay near the beach on Victoria Island.
For biz its OK; as a tourist destination nah. You don't need to hire security unless you have a side trip to the Niger delta area.