Christmas is synonymous with either travelling to exotic locations to relax or spending time at home with family. But for an adventurer, the free holidays won’t be special if something risky, new, financially speculative or even dangerous wasn’t part of it.
Nigerians may not have built the culture of engaging in adventurous activities during Christmas yet. But there are a few simple things you, as a Nigerian adventurer, might do to spice up the holidays.
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1. Go on a food tour
Who says adventure has to be physically exerting only? Your taste buds are the most excited this festive season. Give yourself a food tour by visiting places where delicacies you’ve never eaten are being served and have yourself a meal. If you’ve never tasted fresh palm wine, a mocktail or zobo, be adventurous and try a cup. Share a meal with a Hausa person and taste massa with their sauce. Are pastries your thing? Try a veggie meal. Eat something you’ll normally not eat. It doesn’t get more adventurous than that.
2. Go forest bathing
Rather than going into the nearest forest to cut down a pine tree to set up a Christmas tree at home, why not hike through the forest? You could spend sometime in the forest far from the bustle of city life. Forest bathing is about immersing yourself into nature and enjoying the silence. Thank God for forest reserves all over Nigeria and random forests all around. You could spend your Christmas alone meditating in the forest, appreciating the wonders of nature, and generally getting yourself centred before the new year rush. This is a simple, inexpensive way to enjoy an adventure.
3. Engage in water sports
Instead of swimming in a pool, why not plan to swim at a local river or in a lake within your vicinity? If you have a beach close by, get a snorkelling or scuba diving gear and try diving deep to see nature’s aquarium. If you would rather stay afloat, rent a kayaking gear before the holidays and spend the Christmas afternoon navigating the waterways. Or if you have access to canoes like the ones in Patani, you can go canoeing instead of taking a speedboat ride.
4. Take a trip
Travelling can be expensive depending on where you choose to go. But sometimes the adventure is as much in the journey as it is the destination. For example, if you are in Abuja, you can take a train ride to Kaduna to see one or two attractions for the day and come back. If you are in Lagos, you can use a boat ride from Mainland to Island to visit a friend or even to go to a resort like Inagbe or La Campagne Tropicana to hang out for the day. If you are in the north, how about a horse ride through a desert plain in between towns instead of using a car or bus? How about a boat cruise or a yacht ride along the river banks to a neighbouring city if you are in the east?
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5. Join a dance troupe
Almost every culture in Nigeria has a dance troupe that comes out during carnivals and street festivals to perform. Though some of these dancers are professional cultural dancers who get paid for their act, you could ask to join their ranks. Learn the choreography, pay for the costume, and show up on the big day to dance. You aren’t doing this because you are a great dancer, but to have a new experience.
Adventure is all about doing something different from your usual routine. It is a choice that best suits the Christmas season. What adventurous thing will you do this Christmas?
Featured image source: Travel Jumia
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