If you are in Lagos and you live on the Lekki Peninsula, chances are you spend at least one Saturday or Sunday per month visiting one of the beaches in the area. Despite the rapid emergence of new private beaches in Lekki though, Elegushi Beach seems to attract the most visitors.
Situated in the Ikate area of Lekki and harbouring exceptional restaurants, night clubs and other hangout spots, selling mouth-watering local dishes and playing host to a variety of live shows Elegushi is typically a fun zone.
We do not mean to be the fun police, but the truth is, along with the fun comes certain risks. And so, before you jet off to this beach any day of the weekend, you may want to take a pause and consider Jumia Travel’s suggestions of five things you should not do at Elegushi Beach.
- Getting lost in the crowd
Elegushi is usually crowded in the weekends and sometimes, it can be difficult to find a spot to lay your mat and sit. While this may be a good thing as it offers opportunities to socialise and meet new people, it is important you watch how you mingle with the crowds. Petty thieves and pickpockets like to weave themselves in the high-density spots so it is easy for them to steal from visitors. Always be on alert and if you must mingle, approach people in small groups rather than people in a large crowd.
- Smoking
Aside from cigarettes, hawkers around the beach also sell other rollups that include weed and other local herbal blends that could be detrimental to your health. While smoking may seem like a great thing to do, especially if you are having a night party on the beach, it may not offer the best advantages. Aside from the fact that you may get poisoned by the weed as you do not know how it was gathered, the sea breezes can blow second hand smoke into the faces and lungs of your fellow beachgoers. Even more, smoking is not good for the environment really.
- Extreme public display of affection
It’s a beach. You want to hold your partner’s hand and run around the beach, giggling and splashing water at each other. That is fine, especially if you are recording a pre-wedding shoot or you are visiting Elegushi Beach on a weekend. However, you may want to put a pin on how you express your affection with your partner. Keep it simple and cute. You do not want to attract unnecessary attention and possibly get evicted.
- Showing off your bikini body
Elegushi is mainly a beach for partying and relaxation, not necessarily for swimming, water sports or even surfing. It is important that you dress in decent beachwear apparels. Itty-bitty bikinis may be okay for your swimming pool at home, but certainly not for Elegushi on the weekends. You also should not consider going topless or completely nude. The beach is nothing like the ones at Miami or Ibiza. Nudity is something that is largely frowned upon in the area.
- Littering the beach
A lot of people complain that Elegushi Beach is not the tidiest and the main reason why that is so is because a number of visitors haphazardly toss their garbage into the sand—or worse, the water. Unfortunately, careless trash disposal is harmful to marine life and it is unsightly. The beach may not be equipped with trash cans, but you can pack your dirt in a plastic bag and dispose of them when you get home.
Contributed by Nkem Ndem, PR Associate, Jumia Travel
Skype: live:nkemndemv, Twitter: @ndemv, Instagram: @kem_dem
