ABOUT OSUN - OSOGBO SACRED GROVE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA:

Osogbo Sacred Grove or Osogbo Sacred Forest is a sacred forest along the banks of the Oshun River outside the city of Osogbo, in the south western state of Osun in Nigeria. The Osun-Osogbo Grove/Forest is among the last of the sacred forests that once adjoined the edges of Yoruba cities before extensive urbanization. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

WHEN TO VISIT:  OSUN - OSOGBO SACRED GROVE

The Grove is an active religious site where daily, weekly and monthly worship takes place. In addition, an annual processional festival to re-establish the mystic bonds between the goddess and the people of the town occurs every year over twelve days in July and August and thus sustains the living cultural traditions of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

 

PLANNING A TRIP TO OSUN - OSOGBO SACRED GROVE, NIGERIA: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

• Foreign Alien Visa: If you are planning on visiting Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria but do not hold a valid visa for travel, and you are neither a Nigerian Citizen (with a valid Nigerian Passport) nor a citizen of the Visa free travel countries (with a valid Passport) of the Economic Community Of West African States, then you must obtain a visa before leaving your home country to visit Nigeria. NOTE: Citizens of the following countries can travel visa free to Nigeria provided they hold a valid Passport: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Cape Verde. Citizens of Kenya may travel visa free to Nigeria and obtain a Visa at their point of entry to Nigeria.

 

• Travelling to Osun - Osogbo Sacred Grove: FLIGHTS FROM OUTSIDE NIGERIA: To get to Osun - Osogbo Sacred Grove from outside Nigeria, you may fly the following airlines that offer services to Lagos City. They include Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Arik Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Etihad Airways, EgyptAir, AirFrance, Alitalia, Royal Jordanian, Lufthansa, South African Airways, KLM and Iberia. TRAVEL BY ROAD FROM LAGOS AIRPORT: Osogbo is a 3hrs:30min journey by road from Lagos City. Visitors are advised to book a hotel in Lagos and take a Day Trip to the Sacred Grove and Back to Lagos. Car rental/hire services operate from Lagos international Airport or may be provided by your Hotel. A rental car will come with a driver a car who will generally drive you around for the period of your rental/hire policy. (To rent/hire a car, click here)

 

• Where to stay while visiting Osun - Osogbo Sacred Grove: Staying in Lagos City: Osogbo is a within 3hrs:30min by road from Lagos City. Visitors are advised to book a hotel in Lagos and take a Day Trip to the Sacred Grove and Back to Lagos. Click here for a list of hotels in Lagos. STAYING AT OSOGBO: If you decide to stay in Osogbo during the Osun - Osogbo Sacred Grove Festival, you can book a hotel in the Osogbo. For a list of hotels in Osogbo, click Here. 

 

OUR TIPS: VISITING OSUN - OSOGBO SACRED GROVE, NIGERIA

 

• Making Calls: Buy a local SIM card and slut it in your phone and call your loved ones from your local line. It will save you a fortune. Roaming rates you are likely to pay for answering or making a call from Nigeria will be in the region of $1.50 - $3.00 per min. A local service provide like GLO will not charge you for receving calls and when you make a call back home, it will be in the region of $0.10c - $0.70c per min with USA being cheaper at $0.10. Prepaid topup plans start from as low as $0.70 - $100. Internet Data bundles are also cheap with plans starting as low as $19.00 for 1.5GB, $32.00 for 4GB etc.

 

• Emergency Contact Number in Nigeria: for Police, Fire Service or Armbulance is 112.

 

• Medical Treatment: Nigeria operates a Prepay Medical treatment system and visitors are advised to takeout a medical insurance policy with a company that serves a hospital in the city you will be visiting in Nigeria. Click here for a list of accredited medical insurance companies in Nigeria. NOTE: It is advised that you take out a policy with one of the accredited Medical insurance providers here in nigeria as hospitals may refuse your foreign medical insurance policy provider.

 

• Money: If you have a Debit or Credit card that is either a VISA or Mastercard, you can make payments over the counter at retail stores, restaurants, hotels etc and withdraw cash at a local ATM here in Nigeria at any of these Banks; UBA Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank. Nigeria has the most advanced banking system in Africa and as long as your card is either a VISA or MASTERCARD you can make payments or make withdrawals here in the local currency at an excellent rate. Visitors from within nigeria are also advised to travel with their Bank debit cards to make withdrawals at Osogbo. NOTE: Please do not carry thousands of dollars in your pocket under a misguided thought that you will be unable to access money in Osogbo, Nigeria, it may be seized by Customs at the port of entry (if coming from outside Nigeria), or even worse, it may be lost.

 

• Making withdrawals at ATMs in Osogbo, Nigeria: You can make withdrawals from a UBA Bank ATM or Guaranty Trust Bank ATM at Osogbo. NOTE: Please do not venture into Osogbo town unaccompanied by your rental car and driver. It is advised that you make all withdrawals necessary to facilitate your Trip to Osun - Osogbo Sacred Grove from Lagos city, befoe taking off from Lagos. 

 

• Foreign Alien Tourist, Driving while in Nigeria: NOTE: Although, you can drive in Nigeria with a Valid foreign driver's license issued by your home country, provided you obtain a valid International Driver's Permit (IDP) before leaving your home country, Foreign Aliens are advised not to drive while traveling on Nigerian Interstate Highways. Rent/hire a car with a driver who would usually know the interstate highways. If you do decide to drive, Your IDP must be accompanied by a valid driver's license issued by your home country and carried with you at all times while driving. Further, you must verify that the vehicle you are driving while in Nigeria is insured, is road worthy (Road worthiness certificates are issued by the Vehicle Inspection Office) and copies of these documents are carried with you in the vehicle at all times.

 

• Tour Guide/Expenses: When travelling to another country or part of the country, please remember to take all pre cautions as every city (from London to New York City) with a major tourist attracton has con artists posing as tour guides. Plan for the trip and book a 3-5 star hotel. Rent/hire a car which comes with a driver who knows the city/town excellently, he will be your tour guide for an extra tip.