WHISPERING PALMS RESORT

Built in the 1980s by a Professor of Medicine then Vice-President of the University of Lagos, Whispering Palms resort followed the inspiration of the holiday villages in vogue at the time. Although a little worn out by the ravages of time, the concept remains the best compromise as a starting point to visit Badagry and its surroundings, or simply for a weekend of rest at the gates of Lagos. Full of bright colours and mosaics, the village with its palm trees whispering on one foot in the sand and the other in the lagoon, nestled in the hollow of a large mangrove arm that sees the pirogues of fishermen patiently going up the river. Take the time to explore the many corners, nooks and crannies of this baroque village, which sometimes reminds you of Barcelona's Gaudi universe and offers superb views of the lagoon and its flowerbed of water lilies at different times of the day. A privileged place for business seminars and some honeymoons, the village is full of people for festivals and long weekends, for which dance performances and live concerts are organized. The same is true on Sunday afternoons, when families from the region come to spend the afternoon with their children after mass. Avoid the first category of room where the bathrooms leave too much to be desired, the rest of the categories being very well maintained. It is to be regretted that the restaurant menu was abandoned in favour of a Nigerian buffet meal, cheap and of good quality, but inevitably spicy and somewhat monotonous as the weekend progressed. Ask for grilled fish and fruit salad, which are still delicious and sure to be appreciated.