How To Spend 48 Hours In Ogbomoso

Ogbomosho is a city in Oyo State, South-Western, Nigeria. It is bordered to the north by Ilorin (Kwara State) and to the South by Oyo town (Oyo State). The influx of people into Ogbomoso during the period of the Fulani wars of the 19th century enhanced the size and strength of the town. The population was approximately 645,000 in 2006 census. The majority of the people residing in Ogbomosho are the Yoruba ethnic group. The people in Ogbomosho are notable for agriculture. Yam, Cassava, Maize, and Tobacco are some of the notable agricultural products of the region.

48 Hours in Ogbomoso: Day 1

In the event that you are visiting Ogbomoso, in order to maximise your stay there, you would need to stay close to where the major activities in the city take place. Thus, staying in hotels around the Ogbomoso City Centre would be very ideal. Hotels that are located in this area include Treasure Palace Hotel, Living Soul Garden Hotel Ogbomosho, and Wet Land Guest Inn.

Morning: Breakfast and A Tour of Ladoke Akintola University

The first day of your stay in Ogbomoso is bound to be a long day, ?you would need to eat, in order to have the strength to go out on this adventure. Visit Mr Bigg?s for your breakfast. Mr Biggs is one of the biggest restaurants in Ogbomoso. It offers intercontinental dishes as well as excellent pastries. It is located at Tara Road, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho. It opens between 8 am and 10 pm. After taking your breakfast, head down to the major higher institution of learning in Ogbomosho, Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH). This university was named for the former premier of old Western Nigeria, Samuel Ladoke Akintola. It was formed on April 23, 1990. It was named the best state university in 2003 and 2004. ?Lautech is a degree awarding institution with a focus on Engineering, Technology, Science, Medicine. The university enrols 25,000 students and employs more than 3,000 people.

Afternoon: For the Love of Festivals

It offers great African and local delicacies. It is open between 9 am and 8:30 pm. In the event that you visit Ogbomoso between November and April, attending the Egungun festival would be a great delight. For those seeking fun, the Egungun festival is the place to be, as residents play hosts to visitors and tourists. The Egungun Festival is a 2-week event, usually staged at public places set apart for such use. Egungun festival, which dates back to the 14th century, is a hybrid and diverse mode of ritual performance, dedicated to ancestor worship by the Yoruba people. The ritual performance is a highly corporate event that engages all members of the society.This festival is based on the belief that the dead are among the living. The invoking of the spirits by the Chief marks the beginning of this festival. This festival is a carnival of flamboyantly girded masquerades. The Egungun festival is celebrated to mark the death of important personalities. This festival is an annual celebration done in the period when there is no rain, with the belief that their ancestors should not suffer in the rain. During the festival, an Egungun Masquerade is dressed in elaborate costumes made of richly brocaded and highly symbolic tapestry-like fabrics, with a whip, which is used to flog anyone that stands in the way of the spirit. Don?t worry you would not be flogged, as long you let the spirits have their way. The festival is believed to help engender unity in the community and help boost the community economically

Evening: Dinner and the Bar Experience

Visiting the Mercury Kitchen and Bar Alata, owned by Mercury City & Bar Alata City Hotel, is a good way to relax in the evening and bring your day to a close. This bar is one of the high-end restaurants located close to LAUTECH. It has a restaurant and a bar. It offers African delicacies and drinks, which include beer and spirits.

48 Hours In Ogbomoso: Day 2

Morning: Breakfast and A Time For Religion

Wouldn?t you like to have a feel of what a Mexican breakfast feels like? Visit Masifa Restaurant for your breakfast needs. It is located at Baale Masifa Street, Ogbomosho. It is a Mexican restaurant. Thus, it offers intercontinental dishes. You would be glad you did. After taking your breakfast, you should head down to the major religious centres in Ogbomoso; the Baptist Seminary and the Central Mosque, Visiting any of these places has nothing to do with your religion because the whole idea of your visit to Ogbomoso is tourism and adventure. Visiting the central mosque will give the opportunity of seeing a famous landmark in Ogbomoso town of Oyo State. The Central Mosque towers above the traditionally walled compounds of private houses and the parts of the old wall that remains.The architectural beauty of the old central mosque is amazing. Also, visiting the Baptist Seminary gives the opportunity of seeing the oldest Christian structure in Ogbomoso as well training school. This institution was started by an American missionary, Charles Edwin Smith. He wanted to help train preachers and thus created a class for them. In 1948, the Seminary was officially affiliated to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, United States of America.

Afternoon: Lunch and a Visit to the Palace

After taking a fruitful trip to the Lagos kitchen for your lunch, visit the King?s Palace, as it would afford you the opportunity of seeing the oldest living being on earth. Yes, it lives in Ogbomoso. Surprised? Visiting the palace to see the great Ogbomoso tortoise is a great delight. The tortoise is called Alagba. It is a giant male land tortoise, that is believed to have lived for 330 years. It is generally called the ?elderly one? in the palace. It is regarded as a sacrilege in Ogbomoso, to call Alagba a mere tortoise. It is regarded as the oldest animal in the world. Locals say Alaba was brought to the palace about three centuries ago, by Soun Ikumoyede. It is said that the animal weighs over a 100kg and it eats the food of three to four people each day as well as finishes a half bucket of water, which it takes once in three months. Its meals are prepared along with the people?s food in the palace. The animal has attracted lots of tourists from all over the world, with some of them wishing to carry the tortoise with them.

Evening: Dinner, Music, and Dance

Finally, you?re about to draw the curtain on your short adventurous trip to Ogbomoso, and you need to end it on a high. There are a couple of nightclubs and lounges in Ogbomosho to make your night interesting. Visit clubs like Elegance Club, The Pathfinder Club, White Nights Enterprise, to put some real fun into your night.

Conclusion

Ogbomoso is an interesting place to visit, especially with the oldest person on earth living there. Its rich culture, landmark buildings, and festivals make it all the more an interesting place for a tourist to visit. It is an emerging commercial zone in Oyo State, Nigeria. Visiting Ogbomoso should be on your to-do list.

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