7 important things to note about IITA Ibadan before you decide to visit While you may have heard a lot of cool things about IITA, Ibadan, not all of them are true as experiences differ. So here are a few important information to help you decide wether to visit or not.
1. It is not a hotel/resort: IITA stands for International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. So it’s a research facility complete with a weather station, forest, farms, artificial lake & lots of nature. Fortunately some of their residential facilities are available to the public
2. Securing a reservation can be stressful: the first time @unclepamilerin & I visited IITA, we had to get a top Govt official to make some calls before we got a contact that fast-tracked the process. It almost seems like they don’t want your money 😒. So be ready to keep calling
3. It’s located towards the outskirts of Ibadan: IITA is not in the center of town, it is towards the outskirts. It is also some 20 minutes away from the Moniya Train station in Ibadan. So if you’re going from Lagos, taking the train won’t be a bad idea.
4. They have different accommodation options: they have the flatlets & i-house options. The flatlets are basically modest self-contain, 1-bedroom & 2-bedroom flats with everything ensuite. I prefer to stay here. The i-house option are more hotel-like rooms with better furnishing.
5. It is a very big facility and no cabs: this means if you intend to explore, going with your own car is a smart thing to do. Alternatively you can rent one of the bicycles they have on standby or just go on long strolls if you want to burn some calories.
6. It’s amenities are top-notch: when you book IITA, you’re signing up for stable power supply, an overdose of nature, an escape into serenity, an on-site restaurant and an overall value for your money.
7. The flatlets are functional: remember I mentioned flatlets earlier? Yes the flatlets have functional electric burners, pots, plates and refrigerator. This means you can decide to come with your own food items and cook. You may also want to take your cutleries from home.
8. BONUS POINT Activities: some of the activities you should try out at IITA includes cycling, swimming at the pool, going on a guided forest tour, visiting the lake, playing tennis, playing golf and of course taking a stroll to enjoy the beautiful ambiance.
Overall, IITA is one facility that offers value for money. It is also my preferred place to escape to in South West Nigeria whenever I want to recharge. Avoid here if you enjoy noise and don’t like nature. It’s also better to visit as a group so you don’t get bored.
Luckily, we @happyorange_ng have an IITA Trip planned for the 11th to 13th of June (weekend/public holiday). Here’s the flier below. If you would love to join this group trip, kindly send a DM to Twitter: @happyorange_ng IG: “Happyorange.ng” Call/Whatsapp: 08143207147.
Here’s the continuation of the thread. I added a few more things to expect.