I had the pleasure of visiting Lekki Conservation Centre in August. I accompanied my friend on their company visit and I’m glad I decided to tag along. I had heard so much about the place and seen many photos and videos from the canopy walk so I wanted to experience it myself.

It was a hot afternoon and we had to wait for a tour guide for about thirty minutes. The first thing I noticed was how old the place is through the commissioning plaques. I had no idea this place has been in existence for this long 1989😱.

Then I saw a tortoise. It looked lifeless initially as it wasn’t moving and told my friend it was a statue till it started moving and wouldn’t stop😂.

The tour started with a 1.5km bridge walk along a swamp.

We were meant to see crocodiles in the swamp but we were told they only come out in the morning and evening😞. We saw several monkeys though but it wasn’t exciting to me because I saw too many monkeys in school while I was in university.

Up next was the canopy walk. The Longest Canopy Walk in Africa is 401 meters long, 0.6 meters wide and it stands at 22.5 ft high at its peak.

The kids below 14 in our group were allowed to take photos at the edge but couldn’t go on the walk and some of the adults also declined the experience due to the wobbly nature of the canopy. There was actually a lady that already went halfway then turned back. Walking on the canopy was exciting for me though. Good thing I’m not scared of heights. Each canopy had a tower connecting it to the next and I believe we went on four canopies in total. At some point, I brought my phone out for selfies and a video 😂.

The canopy walk finally came to an end and next was the grassland. It’s a huge spread of land with two fish ponds, games, sitting areas and huts. In one of the huts, snacks and drinks is sold, so we bought some. The Grassland is a perfect chill spot for a family picnic and I immediately thought that my whole family will come here whenever we are all in Lagos together.

The final end of the tour was a ladder climb up to a tree house. At this point, we were all exhausted and weren’t interested in climbing but most of the kids in our group did.

The whole experience made me appreciate nature more and my country even more. If you are looking to see Lagos in a different light, visit the Lekki Conservation Centre. It cost 3,000 Naira per person for a tour. I believe its worth it.

I took a lot of photos and I selected only a few for this post.

TIPS
•Go in comfortable clothing 
•Pack light but have water and snacks handy
•Have a camera with you 

Be adventurous!!!

UPDATE: I went back to LCC in February and I went in comfortable clothing this time around.

Mariam Shittu
xo