A WEEKEND IN IBADAN+ MY IITA IBADAN REVIEW

I went to Ibadan about a week ago for a weekend get-away. I didn’t plan to write a blog post but I’ve had 3 people ask so here it is. I’ve been wanting to leave Lagos for over a year. None if my trips got to happen last year and I was so disappointed.

When I saw Cassie Daves blogpost on going to Ibadan in 2020. I knew I had to go. With the Lagos-Ibadan train being operative, there was no need to take a road trip. My friend agreed to us go together and I made an itinerary.

As much fun that I had on this trip, it reminded me that everything in Nigeria has to be double-checked if not you’ll end up stranded. I hope this blog post helps you not to end up like me.

The weekend trip began at the train station. We got there about a house an hour and 15 minutes early. The train runs once a day and leaves at 4:00 pm on weekdays and 8:00 am on weekdays. The ticket purchase and boarding were relatively seamless. Regular tickets cost 2,500 naira and the business class tickets cost 5,000 naira. The train is a few minutes walk from the train station We were told this would change once the almost completed train station was opened. The train left at 4:05 I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the train and even the bathrooms. *gasp* I’d advise you to take a bottle of water and a snack as there’s no food sold on the train. The view from the seats was a mixture of lush forests and the red soil of valleys. There’s was one stop at Abeokuta. The trip took about 2 hours and 35 minutes.

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We got to Ibadan. Yaay. The train station which really has no structure present is located in Moniya which is a distance from the city. There is a car park with drivers beckoning to you. We settled on a “cabu” as the air-conditioned cars were more expensive. It was a 20-minute ride to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

We got to IITA and were shocked to hear that the reservation I made on their website was invalid. The worse news was that we couldn’t get a room because it was filled up. I was so upset as staying at the resort was important to me.

We had to be adults and figure out a solution. I called my family friend and she suggested Bon hotel in Bodija which also ended up being full. On our way to that hotel, we had come across Davies hotel which we returned to and got a room. The room wasn’t the fanciest but it had to do. I wish I could help the hotel with a rebrand and a revamp. They were going with an “African” design theme that didn’t quite get there.

Determined to still enjoy ourselves, we weren’t out to dinner at Tamberma. The food was amazing. The vibes were immaculate They had a mixed menu of Chinese, Indian and Nigerian. We had rice and a lamb sauce and Nkwobi and everything tasted great.

Saturday was the longest day. We started off the day with a less than great breakfast from Davies hotel. We took pictures and headed to the University of Ibadan zoo. The entrance fee cost 500. There was also a rule that cameras carried an extra fee. It took a minute but I convinced the attendant it was an instant camera and I was not going to use it. We went around and saw the animals. Some of them were really malnourished. I hope the management gets better and they get fed properly.

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Next up was Tunde Odunlade Arts and Culture Connexions. It was an art centre with art books, fabric, jewellery and clothes for sale. The entrance was free. We had great palm wine and I bought a book about Yoruba history.

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Lunch was at Amala Skye. The place was packed. *Whispers* I’ve had better amala in Lagos. Our last stop was Mapo hall. I enjoyed the trip here because I could finally see the brown roofs Ibadan was famous for. I was really excited to see it because it’s a historic colonial-era building. However, we couldn’t get in cause there was a party in progress and the door to the steps we locked.

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As the day progressed, we had gotten a number for IITA and got a correct e-mail as the e-mail on their site was also wrong. One of my amazing readers let me know that the email I had published had been changed again. Here is the correct e-mail address iita-reservations@cigar.org . Their website is useful for checking out the facilities.

We confirmed a reservation for the night. We headed to IITA and I was so excited. I should note that Bolt which is operative in Ibadan is very affordable. The most expensive cab we took was 1,500 naira. Less traffic meant we went to all these places and got to the hotel before 7:00 pm

Driving in to IITA was a dream. It is beautiful. The check-in process was smooth. We got a flat in the residential block because I read in this blog post by Wakaholic that the views were better. And truly they were. The flat was a living room, a bedroom a kitchen and a lovely balcony. The rooms were also old but well kept. There was great wifi as well. Breakfast was complimentary and tasted great. We showered and checked out at 12 and explored as we waited for the train at 6.

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We walked to the lake. It was beautiful and much bigger than I expected. The skies in Ibadan are so blue and beautiful. I went on a swing on the playground. We also explored the golf course which also had a small lake. The grounds were well kept and there were other activities like bicycle riding, a basketball court, a squash court, forest walks and bird watching and table tennis and a pool. All the meals were decent and affordable. Well, except one. Don’t get their chicken burger. A few people have asked if they can visit the grounds without lodging. Well, we were told it was possible to do so. However, one of my amazing readers has informed me that such visits are possible but a reservation must also be made.

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While we were waiting to get picked, the receptionist remarked that other visitors had issues with the train not being operative on Sunday. It was so annoying because online and at the train station it was indicated that the train ran on weekends.

We got the phone number of one of the Bolt drivers the day before because we were sceptical about getting cabs at IITA because of its distance from the city. He advised us to go to the park at Iwo and drove us there. We were set on leaving on Sunday because we had to be back for classes on Monday. We paid 3,000 each for a cab to Anthony bus stop and ended up negotiating an extra fee for him to drop us at home. The road trip was not very relaxing due to fears of all the insecurity in Nigeria. But we got back safe.

I’m so glad I took the trip. Ibadan was a place to exhale and I’ll be back soon for sure. The trip cost roughly 50,000 naira and it was money well spent for amazing memories.

Ask any question about the trip, I’m most willing to respond.

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