I know you may have been to the best places on earth, slept in the best hotels, drank the best wine and ate special delicacies curated by celebrity chefs around the world. You also may have swum in luxurious pools, and get massaged by the smooth hands of Thai spa maidens. But I want to introduce something very local, yet unique and expensive to you this festive season, especially to kick-off the New Year.
It is an offering amidst nature, an offering that allows you to feel the way you want, stay close to nature, and recline in the most exclusive way without watching your back, especially with the economic downturn, health and safety concerns of today.
Just by the shore of the Atlantic Ocean lies this offering; ‘Oba Ileriji’, a tree house from the stable of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort Lagos. A stay in the tree house, which cost from N100,000 per night excluding food and drink, is simply being intimate with nature your own way this festive season.
Built on the white sandy beach (about 10 metres from the ocean bank), the tree house stands on eight wooden sticks, about six feet high. Just under the house is a small swimming pool demarcated by sliced trunks of coconut trees, which are in abundance on the Lagos beach front. The inviting pool refreshes you after a dip in the ocean or sets you in the mood for pleasurable escape while reclining inside it. Of course, families and friends on escape have better stories to tell about the offering.
Read also: It’s festive with a difference at Ibom Resort
The staircase made of slices of locally processed wood speaks volume of ingenious creativity, while the dry stems of small trees serve as part of the staircase. They turn golden in colour as the shaft of the late evening sun cascades on them.
At the entrance to the house is ‘gangan’ (Yoruba drum). On the right is a mini-balcony with wooden stools and tables. One could sit here and watch the sun recede and gradually welcome the night that would immediately cast its spell on the earth.
One could also watch the ocean water in its monotonous crashing on the shore and then receding to repeat the same while sipping a glass of your choice wine. Most importantly, specially trained and traditionally dressed attendants are attached to this audacious new concept in luxury suites that combines modern luxury and the Ijaw primeval architectural design. Their job is to make sure, the best of wine, best of food (seafood), best of massage, best of fitness and best of pamper never lack in and within the environs of the ‘Tree House’ for its deserving guests. After all, they are paying over N100,000 for it.
Inside, the luxury suite is more alluring. It offers a more glowing scene from the windows while night rest seems unending with the comfort inside.
The floor is made of wood with an overlay of marble, while a six-by-six bed at the centre welcomes you to play. The interior décor is purely African. There is a clean modern bathroom and a toilet. The rest room is also built with the bamboo while a special thatched ceiling cools the inside. Yet, it houses the most modern entertainment and luxury gadgets.
There are also luxury boats to cruise along the coastline as far as a guest wishes and back. Yet, guests are opportune to witness local dance performance by cultural dance groups and also mingle with the local people if that catches their fancy. Local delicacies are very much in offer, especially for adventurous guests who are eager to taste some.
The intrigue is that over 70 percent of the content of the Tree House is locally sourced from Ikegun Village, Ibeju Lekki, the host community of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, promoter of ‘Oba Ileriji’. This allows for that authentic African feel amidst nature pamper and manmade fun. The design of the house is such that it has huge, wide windows overlooking the ocean.
Beside the Tree House, which is a new concept, the whole resort is an adventure that awaits any tourist any day. From a palm-fringed land, white sandy beaches where time slows down in sync with the rhythm of the waves that gently laps the shore to a dip in the refreshing surf of the Atlantic Ocean on your left or the placid water of fresh water lake on your right, the resort beckons for a date with nature and man.
However, remember to go with a big wallet because of the many enticing offerings that will surely deplete your pocket. No need to bother yourself with the anticipated experience because exclusive pleasure is guaranteed. Just surrender yourself to the safe hands of nature this festive season and in the New Year.
