Two concepts I fancy are, ‘Art and Nature’, so getting both of them in one place was simply amazing! Thanks to the Gallivanters Traventures for hosting me on a two-day Osun Trip where we stayed over at Nike’s Guest House, Osogbo.

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My namesake, Mrs Nike-Davies-Okundaye a renowned artist, adire maker and owner of the famous ‘Nike Art Gallery‘ happens to also be the owner of this guest house in Osogbo and as expected with people bearing Nike, we don’t do basic.

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The infusion of art, culture and nature into the accommodation made it really unique. There were art pieces on the wall, hand-made adire fabric as curtains and table cloths, nostalgic vintage bowls, garden sculptures etc. Everything was well thought out and afro-centric as you’d expect from Mrs Nike.

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The Guest House

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There are two buildings in the compound. One contains the NGN5, 000 rooms whilst the other contains the NGN7, 000 rooms. The only difference between both rooms is the air conditioner in the NGN7, 000 room. The rooms come in different forms. Some have single beds, some have double beds.

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The rooms are quite spacious and big enough to take two to three people depending on your room selection. We stayed in the NGN7,000 rooms during my own visit and they had ACs, wardrobes, art pieces on the walls, rocking chairs and en-suite toilets and bathrooms.

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I must tell you before hand about the ‘ensuite toilets and bathrooms’. Remember I mentioned this guest house was unique? Exactly. The uniqueness extended into the toilet and bathroom setting. Some of bathroom and toilet were in the same space as the bedroom. The only division was a curtain.

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Was that a bother for me? Not really. It was just a new experience. I noticed my body also found it hard to defecate throughout our stay there because of the absence of a personal toilet space. Apart from that, I didn’t mind. There are however other rooms where the bathroom and toilet are outside the room incase you’re not a fan of this setting.

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The Guest house gave me a ‘home away from home’ vibe with the sitting rooms, dining rooms, kitchen, toilets, garden, and general house setting. I also noticed some family pictures hung around. I believe that this must have been a family house.

Food

While lodging there, you can eat out or eat in. I am not sure they allow you to cook in the kitchens but they offer breakfast and dinner which you would have to pay for. Breakfast is NGN1,500, while dinner is NGN2,500.

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Food is usually served in an all you can eat buffet style. Meaning a large quantity of food and fruits, served in a vintage bowl for you to devour. Dinner is served at the Varanda upstairs while breakfast is served in the garden. Another unique thing to note.

Breakfast could be bread or yam with eggs while dinner could be local dishes, rice etc. You’re allowed to choose whatever you feel like having as long as it’s in their capacity and you tell them ahead. Each meal comes with fruits. Talk about healthy living!

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The Garden

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This must be my favorite part of the Guest House. The idea of having breakfast in the garden is genius. It was a first for me and I loved it.

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The garden is large and well taken care of. It definitely makes a very good picturesque spot for anyone. Art still met nature here with the garden sculptures strategically placed around.

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There are also garden animals like turkeys, ducks and a tortoise. During my stay, I didn’t see the tortoise but the turkey was definitely all up in our faces. The male turkey kept trying to mark his territory by chasing us away but after a while we got used to it and started chasing it away instead. So if you visit, I am telling you that the turkey isn’t that badass. It will try to intimidate you but if you stand your ground and chase it instead, it will run away.

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While we were there, we had a garden yoga session right before breakfast was served. The serenity of the garden made it so easy. Mr Turkey tried his best to interrupt but we eventually chased him away. Apart from eating, taking pictures and having a yoga session in the garden, you can actually set up a picnic and relax.

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It is worthy of note to let you know that there are garden insects too. During the yoga session, I had to stop mid-way because I felt some mosquito bites. If you’d be there for long, you can get some Insect repellent just incase.

High Points

1. 1. The Guest house is really affordable if you need a place to spend the night especially if you’re exploring Osun State with someone. You guys get to split the bills and pay about NGN2,500 – NGN3,500 each.
2. 2. The buffet style of having breakfast and dinner is commendable even with the slim budget of NGN1,500 and NGN2,500 respectively. Unlike other hotels where that price barely gets you just a plate of food. You get to eat to your fill here.
3. 3. I looveeeee the art, nature and culture infusion of the whole place. It definitely was a unique experience on its own.
4. 4. The garden in its fullness and beauty was definitely a good perk for me. This was my first garden breakfast experience and I loved it.

Low Points

• The only low point I can think of would be the inbuilt toilets in the rooms. It may be a cause of concern if you’re probably on a group trip and sharing the room with a new person. If your body system is like mine, you may not be able to defecate with your roommate around because of direct external presence. There is the option of rooms with toilets outside the rooms though.

Extra Info

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If you need a place to stay in Osun State while exploring, I highly recommend the Nike Guest House. It’s an affordable masterpiece. You may not need to pay in advance but it is advisable that you call them ahead to book your space because of the limited rooms available. Number to call is: Mr Raheem +234 810 038 0032.

It is located at Ede Osogbo road ( Old Ede road), Ofatedo Osogbo.

If you also want them to cook breakfast or dinner for you, it’s advisable that you pay ahead and in good time too. I liked that they were flexible with the choice of meals. They literally asked us what we wanted for dinner before we got back from our tour and got it done!

 

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