My Trip To Ondo State. The Mystery of Idanre Hills. Things To Do in Ondo State

I took a trip to Ondo State, Nigeria, and it was a trip worth taking. Ondo State is beautiful, and you will definitely have a great time there. 

There are not many places to visit, so if you are looking to visit this state, you should read this blog. It contains stories of my journey, the places I visit, the places I couldn’t visit and why, and how you can visit. 

Let’s get started.

My Trip To Ondo State, Nigeria

I took a solo trip to 3 states in Nigeria, and Ondo State was the second state I explored. In a few hours, I arrived in Ondo state from Osun state.

Catch Up: My Solo Trip to Osun State. Interesting Things To Do in Osun State

Ikogosi Warm Spring, Fajuyi Park, Arinta – My Solo Trip To Ekiti

I had a friend at Adeyemi College of Education, so he spoke to a female friend to ask if I could stay with her. This removed the pressure of getting accommodation from me. 

Living there made me feel like a student once again, but it was just for a week and was definitely worth it as I was well taken care of by my friend and his female friend.

I had some trouble locating the bus going to Ondo, and I was warned not to ask anyone “where to get Ondo bus,” because it was a dangerous question and could lead to me being duped and robbed by bad people.

But when I couldn’t find where the buses were packed, I was frustrated, so I asked the scary question. While a bad guy was about to get to me, some good men who were around described the filling station where the Ondo buses were packed for me, and they also gave me the same warning not to ask anyone the question again.

Thank God!

When I eventually shared my story when I arrived at my friend’s place, I was told God truly saved me because many people had encountered horrible people who were looking for novices to cheat and hurt. My friend had been a victim.

Anyway, I got the bus, and when I got to the bus park, I took a bike to the Adeyemi College of Education hostel, where my friend met me. I cannot really remember the prices because I am writing this in 2024, and the trip was in 2022.

But just remember, “always haggle prices.”

Places I Visited and Things to Do on a Trip to Ondo State

I visited Idanre Hills, lived in Ondo City for a while, and went to see some old friends at Owo.

A Tour of Idanre Hills or Oke Idanre, Ondo State

I set out early in the morning to go to Idanre Hills. I took a car along with a group of people going to the area. It was an uneventful ride. I sat in front and enjoyed the scenery.

When you are closer to Idanre Hills, you will see more of homes and shops on the way. When you are almost there, you will see the beautiful tall hill from a distance.

You will see a gate and some men in front of the door leading into the resort.

A woman called me to come to the desk to make payments. The ticket was 1000 per person, but you have to pay a compulsory fee for a tour guide because people are not allowed to go alone.

I wanted to object, but when we got inside, I was glad I didn’t. Although they won’t even allow you to object.

If you don’t have a tour guide, you won’t be able to make sense of what’s going on there. I think I paid about a thousand or 500 naira or more. 

I was also paired with three other tourists (a lady and two men) who were indigenes of the land. Only one of the men had been there before. They made the tour fun, too.

When we got inside, we started by climbing the 682 steps. They were normal stairs, unlike the crazy hills of Osun state Olumirin Waterfall.

There were also resting areas on the way to the top, where you can get a picturesque view of the hills.

Our tour guide did a great job of explaining the hills and their significance.

The Mystery Of Idanre Hills

Idanre Hills is not as mysterious as you think. Our tour guide explained that during wars or danger in the past, people hid within the hills to stay protected. 

There used to be a myth that people lived inside the rocks, but our guide said there were only houses around the rocks, but no one lived inside the rocks.

We saw the home of an herbalist, the first primary school built in 1896, and different forms of rocks lying on one another. It was adventurous and scary.

If you love camping, there are camping areas on the hill. It is advisable to go during the dry season, especially if you plan to climb the high rocks.

The rocks can be slippery during the rainy season.

A Visit to Owo Town

The next place I visited before going to Ekiti State, which was my next state to go to, was Owo town. Some years back, I left Lagos to work as a live-in writer at Owo.

So, it was exciting to go back there for a visit. I stayed with my former colleague and her family and visited my former workplace to see my other colleagues. It was a good time.

Owo town is peaceful, calm, and blessed with nature’s goodness. I loved taking walks when I was there. In the cool of the evening or night. Owo is a great place to explore nature’s beauty and serenity.

My Beach Adventure to Araromi Beach—Failed

I had planned to go to Araromi Beach while I was in Ondo City, but one thing I didn’t know was that it was very far from the city and it was expensive to get there. If it was expensive at the time, I wonder how much it would be now. 

I wanted my host in Ondo City to explore the state with me, so I brought her along. We got to the middle of the road when I realized I had exceeded my budget, and we couldn’t continue our journey. It was getting dark, and the bus had not yet moved because not a lot of people visited the area. 

We had to go back home in anger because we had just wasted the day and money. We got home at night even though we didn’t make it to the beach. 

So, if you are planning to go to Araromi Beach, you should prepare for a long journey and have enough money. 

Have you ever been to Ondo, or are you planning to go? What place stood out for you, and what place are you planning to see?

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I enjoy curating travel itineraries and guides. If you would like to visit states in Nigeria or you don’t know how to get started, check out a more detailed guide for your Ondo Travel and Tours (or other states & Countries) or download an easy-to-follow Itinerary here.