Cheap Hotels in Lekki You Should Have on Your Radar

Lekki is considered an expensive part of Lagos. And that isn’t an entirely wrong notion. With prime real estate worth millions of naira in the area, every other thing from pubs and restaurants, to dry cleaning and day care for kids could be considered a bit on the high side. Especially in comparison with the rates and prices in other parts of Lagos. But despite being known for being the domain of the rich and wealthy, hotels in Lekki are well priced and there are a good number of luxury hotels, offering an amazing range of services, whose prices and room rates are still very affordable.

I’d take you through a run of 10 of these hotels very quickly. If you are on business in the area and in need of accommodation in Lekki, these hotels are great to spend time in, not too pricey and with good facilities. These prices are as seen on hotel booking site in Lagos, Jumia Travel.

Limeridge Hotel
Plot 10, Chevron Drive, Lekki, Chevron Drive, Lagos.

Price: N13,000

Amenities: Air Conditioning. Pick and Drop. Room Service. Restaurant, Bar and Lounge.

Noah's Ark Hotel & Suites
Plot 14, Lai Yusuf Crescent, off Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

Price: N12,000

Amenities: Internet. Air Conditioning. Swimming Pool. Room Service. Restaurant, Bar and Lounge.

Pelican Hotel Lekki
By Chevron Round about, Chevy View Estate, Lekki, Lagos.

Price: N10,400

Amenities: Internet. Air Conditioning. Pick and Drop. Restaurant, Bar and Lounge.

Axor Suites Hotel
16/17, Olugborogun Street, Beside Conservation Centre, Second Toll Gate, Off Lekki Express Way, Lekki.

Price: N11,000

Amenities: Air Conditioning. Swimming Pool. Restaurant, Bar and Lounge.

Zasarii Hotel
13, Cornlius Odunjor Crecent, behind Union Bank, Chevy Estate, Off Chevron Drive, Lekki.

Price: N13,500

Amenities: Air Conditioning. Internet. Swimming Pool. Restaurant, Bar and Lounge. Room Service.

Topaz Lodge
9 Ichie Chris Onyekwuluje, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

Price: N14,400

Amenities: Internet. Air Conditioning. Room Service. Pick and Drop. Restaurant, Bar and Lounge.

Lekki Heights Hotel
1 General Ogomudia Boulevard, Off Babatunde Ajose, Off Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

Price: N13,500

Amenities: Air Conditioning. Swimming Pool. Internet. Room Service. Pick and Drop. Restaurant, Bar and Lounge.

Ideas on Traveling on a Budget

If you are tired of the hustle and bustle of Lagos, traveling could do you some good. It would give you a great deal of time to relax without having to think of work, family pressures, bills, traffic, noise pollution and all the factors that make Lagos one big place of constant cacophony.

But where do I travel to?

I don’t even have the money. I know that’s what you are thinking.

But you do not need so much to travel these days, all you need is to figure out where to go and a solid plan and budget to work with.

So how do you figure out where to go?

First, think of friends that you have outside Lagos. They could be serving, in school, starting life or a business outside Lagos. From Akure to Lokoja, to Jos, Enugu, and Bayelsa. Wherever these friends and family may be, your travel destination is already sorted.

Secondly, talk to them about your visit. Tell them of your intentions to come over and rest, maybe also to complete your book of poetry or read the hardcovers you bought at Ake Festival last year, or to just change your environment, eat and sleep without waking up to alarms at 5am, suggest also that they pay for one leg of your trip. What are friends for? You would be surprised that they would agree to it. If not in whole at least in part.

Now that you have had one leg of your trip paid for, you have reduced expenses on your travel which is great right? By road, most places in Nigeria can be reached with under N10,000 by bus. By flight, however, between N20,000 and N50,000. More expensive if you are doing major cities like Abuja to Calabar or Abuja to Port Harcourt, or Lagos to Abuja. If you are doing this destination, I don’t get, go to the inner states, and leave the major cities out of your travel that’s where the real experience is.

A third note to consider when traveling on a budget is to eat home meals. Food is ridiculously cheap outside of the major cities and you would do well to avoid big restaurants and eateries while there. Do home cooked meals unless you made a hotel reservation, but even with that don’t do room service. Find one of the cheaper restaurants, where the regular folks go to and get yourself a good meal.

While on your vacation, do not give in to the temptation to always be on the internet. You might find yourself buying another SIM card to switch to a stronger network reception in your new area, inevitably buying more data and perhaps fuel for the generator when your devices are out of juice. If it goes out of juice, let it stay out of juice until power is restored. Sleep or go out and enjoy the sights of your new environment. Interact with nature and speak to the locals. It’s a better experience than pressing your phone like you do every other time.

Also, if you traveled during leave, come back a couple of days early so that you might get yourself back into the rhythm of work. You may need to clean up the house, do laundry or your trip back may have one or two unintended delays.

Things to do for fun this Easter

Easter is a period of fun and relaxation for many. Either as a group of family or friends, as a couple or even solo. In case you’ve been wondering what to do for fun this Easter, here is a list of places you can visit and get good value for your money. Before I go on to the list, I’d just like to say that you can get amazing discounts on hotel reservation from the guys at Jumia Travel. Hotels in Lagos and other frequently visited regions like the east and Abuja have awesome deals on this platform. If your fun Easter weekend includes getting a hotel reservation, don’t hesitate to go book your room.

So here is what to do for fun this Easter weekend.

HI Impact Planet

I know. Don’t say it. It is not in Lagos. It’s on the outskirts really, but Hi Impact Planet in Ibafo is an amazing place to spend Easter especially with the family and if you have kids. HI Impact has lots of games, rides, and wheels. Go Karting, bowling, video games. It is an amazing place to be in. It also has restaurants and a lodging facility which makes it even great. So if you lose track of time and end up overstaying, no problem, just book a room for the night.

Boat Cruise to Takwa Bay

The guys at Quiloz Adventures put together this amazing boat cruise to Takwa Bay which you can make at as low as N3,500. Lots of fun activities are promised on the ride and at the bay, includes football, a game of volleyball, sack race, tug of war…no, there is no eating competition so better eat before you come.

Socialiga 2.0

The second season of this amateur football league in Lagos kicks off this weekend and it promises to be a fun and exciting event. There is football, as 10 teams begin the campaign, eyes on the cup title, as well as music, games, a photo booth, food, drinks and generally an exciting time with family and friends. At only N1,000 per head for entry it is a pretty good deal on how to spend your Easter Saturday.

Fela! The Musical

Prepare yourself for a riveting performance that presents Fela, the music legend, the enigma and the social activist in a way you have never seen before. Relive Fela’s tunes, his powerful message once again in this Broadway musical brought to Lagos to celebrate the state's Golden Jubilee. The event holds at Eko Hotel and Suites. A splendid Boat Regatta is also going to hold on the waters of the lagoon so you would want to look out for that.

Traveling by Road in Nigeria: These Safety Tips Could Help

Road transport is the most common form of transportation in Nigeria, it is cheaper than air travel, and rail transport is all shades of messy. Bus parks are extremely popular. Especially in city centers like Lagos. From Ojota to Yaba/Jibowu to Oshodi and Iyana-Ipaja, there are inter-state bus parks. If you are not driving yourself, across states, and across rivers, these safety tips might be great for you to adhere to.

If possible do not travel at Night.
A lot of people, especially business travelers find it convenient to travel at night. Road travel in Nigeria, can take an average of 9 hours from point A to point B. Except if you are visiting surrounding states. For this reason, many are avowed to spending an entire day just traveling, and would rather say goodnight Lagos, Good morning Port Harcourt. While this may seem smart, and time saving, it is also risky. Circumstances might leave you stranded in the middle of the night and in the middle of nowhere. If this happens in the day it is easier for you to navigate your way around or to seek for help.

Patronize Big Transport Companies.
Big transport companies like God is Good Motors or ABC Transport take greater safety measures and service delivery process compared to smaller or one man transport companies. Big transport companies install speed limit devices on their vehicles and have monitoring mechanism in place for their drivers and vehicles unlike smaller companies. This means that traveling with bigger, well established companies would guarantee a better road travel experience.

Let your Next of Kin know you are traveling and the contact on manifest should be accurate.
We often fill manifesto forms when we travel, but I have personally seen people fill their own contact numbers instead of their next of kin’s number. The purpose of asking for a next of kin’s number is to have a contact person to reach in case of an emergency. Be safety conscious by filling the correct next of kin details.

Be familiar with stop over motels and hotels on your route.
If you take route regularly, become familiar with places to eat, and motels and hotels that you can stop over in the case of an emergency. This would help you know what direction to head in the case of an emergency where you need a place to stay for the night rather than being entirely at the mercy of locals.

No radio silence.
It is important to be in constant communication with someone when traveling. This could be someone you are heading out to meet, or someone you are just leaving. Once when I traveled a lot I would text the name of every major town we entered to a friend who knew I was traveling. Switching off your phones while on a trip isn’t a smart travel move as far as safety is concerned.

Travel Early.
Also in line with not traveling at night, it’s also necessary to travel early. You would get to your destination early barring a hitch, and if there is one, you would still have more time left to spare, if a bad tire, or traffic jam gets in the way of your average trip time.

Also, don’t tell your Village people when you are traveling. Wink wink.

Tips on Traveling this Easter

Easter is the holiday most anticipated from the beginning of the year. We love our breaks. From the moment we resume back at work in January after the New Year, we begin to ask our Muslim friends when the next Muslim holiday holds, and we begin to calculate how many weeks left till Easter. Easter is finally around the corner, and if you blink you would find yourself making last minute plans and traveling in a rush that could see you have a not too pleasant holiday period. If you are traveling from a big city like Lagos, you know too well how travel during the holiday season can be. Between booking hotels, arrangement for flights or bus tickets, packing, and seeing and doing all the things you need to do, what do you need to do to ensure a hitch free Easter?

Plan now. Book Early.
Plan your itinerary right away. In fact, grab a pen and do it now. Know exactly where you are going, how you will get there, where you would stay, where you would eat and whom you are visiting.

Budget.
Don’t leave spending to a ‘pay as you go’ system. Know exactly what you would be spending money on and plan accordingly. Don’t leave anything to chance. Budgeting would help you stay within reasonable expenses and ensure that after the holiday you don’t go right back to being broke and borrowing to survive until the next payday.

Take advantage of Discounts.
Holidays are some of the best times to shop or travel, this is because retailers take advantage of the season to clear out old stock, or beat down the price to increase higher sales numbers which in turn increases turnover. So if you would be buying gifts for folks, or for yourself, look out for discounts on hotels and flights or bus tickets.

Ask for Extra Days off from Work
Now we know we get Good Friday and Easter Monday off during the Easter Holiday, but is it really enough? Especially if you are traveling a great distance or if you haven’t seen wifey and the kids in a long time. Asking for a couple of days off might do the trick for you. Sometimes, they key to having things go your way is by simply asking. Talk to your manager, or head of department or HR, explain your situation and you would be surprised that you could be getting two days off work simply because you just asked.

10 Essential Apps for Travelers

It’s the decade of the smartphone. Everything is available to our generation at the push of a button on our phone. But in a space that can often get very crowded, we select the best apps at your disposal for the frequent business traveler or adventure seeker. Whether it is hotel accommodation in Lagos, or maps and directions, commuting, and restaurants, there is an app for every need. Do not say we never did anything good for you.

Google Maps

The great thing about Google Maps is that it has the ability to be embedded on third party websites. Google Maps offers amazing satellite imagery, street maps, real-time traffic conditions, street view, route planning and GPS turn-by-turn navigation system in the mobile version. Google Maps is great for finding your way around a town or city you’ve never been and goes as far as showing you points of interest around the area such as hotels, restaurants, museums, parks, markets and other places of interests to tourists. In 2013, over 54% of smartphone users had used the app at least once. I particularly find myself using it every other day.

Jumia Travel App

The Jumia Travel App allows you to search for and book hotels around you. With well over 200,000 hotels available users who book hotel rooms with the app get as much as 10% off. Available on the Play Store and App Store. With its new progressive web feature, the app lets users browse through its list of hotels even with slow data speed and 2G connectivity.

Uber

The app that disrupted the taxi industry, Uber allows you to summon, I like that word, cabs at the push of a button. But they aren’t just old-fashioned cabs, Uber provides an opportunity to ride in style and comfort. Drivers are trained in best practices and customer service that allows them to deliver extra on taking you to your destination.

Foursquare

Foursquare is an app that allows users to enter locations and destinations they visit, review and rate them, thereby allowing other users to browse through and review these places before they visit. Foursquare provides recommendations on where people can visit for various purposes when they are new in a city of location.

Google Translate

Salut, comment Allez-Vous? Exactly, the same thing I thought. Google Translate allows you to navigate and overcome the barriers of communication when you are in a new city. It might be awkward and a tad difficult when trying to communicate directly with strangers, but it can allow you read signs at airports, bus stops, parks, markets, museums and other public places.

Whatsapp

With its new Video call feature, Whatsapp is increasing its usefulness for communication in the lives of everyone with a smartphone. For speaking to friends and family while away on your adventure, Whatsapp is an essential app for the Traveler. With its new Story feature, it is, even more, fun as you can share the exciting new places you are visiting.

Bonjournal

Bonjournal is an app that allows you keep track of your memories and experiences on a travel. The simplistic travel app integrates with Foursquare to provide all the details of your travel destination as well as create notes and commentary while on your trip. It also records the history of all your travels making it easy for you to pull out data in future. Available on Apple devices.

GoMywayAfrica

Go My Way Africa is a ride sharing platform that allows travelers to find drivers who are heading towards the same destination and with a seat to spare and thus share a ride with them either free or at the cost the driver indicates. Drivers with seats to spare can also post trips for people who are going their way to join them. It is an amazing way to travel while saving costs.

XE Currency

New country? Different continent? Need to change your currency? Get live rates with the XE Currency app as well as locations where to change your money. It also has currency converter calculator to calculate rates if you are buying a product or paying for a service.

Airbnb

The homestay peer to peer network for people who want to rent homes for short stays or users who want to enlist their homes for rent.  It offers a great opportunity for people who want to live in historical homes on a short time basis, or network and do business outside the hotel environment while away from home. Many hotels these days even list on Airbnb.