Just outside Osogbo, a city of two million in southern Osun State (a four-hour drive or two hours 45 minutes by air), this lush, UNESCO World Heritage-listed forest sanctuary threaded along the winding Osun River, its paths dotted with shrines, sculptures, and artworks honoring Osun, the Yoruba river goddess of fertility and love. It's the last major survivor of the sacred groves that once stood at the edge of nearly every Yoruba town, and much of what visitors see today — including striking modern sculptural gates and shrines — was restored in the mid-20th century under Austrian-born artist Susanne Wenger, who settled in Osogbo and became a priestess in the Yoruba religion. For two weeks every August, the Osun-Osogbo Festival transforms the grove, as tens of thousands of devotees, tourists, and Yoruba diaspora from as far as Brazil and Cuba gather for processions, drumming, and rituals honoring the goddess. Outside festival season, it's a serene, atmospheric walk through old-growth forest with monkeys overhead and the river running alongside. Lodging in Osogbo city itself is basic but steadily improving as the festival draws more international visitors each year.
Read more in my post Surprising Nigeria: Africa´s Most Populous Country Is an Underrated Travel Gem.
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