At last, Nigeria has got its first Hills and Caves Resort, named Hills and Caves Resort, Itan Nla in Ondo East, Ondo State. It is courtesy of founder and President, La Campagne, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, who owns La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Ikegun Village, Ibeju Lekki.
Akinbobye is known for his creative efforts at resort development, using various landscapes other than the river, mountain, beachfront and forest as the Idanre Hills Resort, which he conceived and built at the foot of the famous Idanre Hills in Ondo State years ago.
With this new resort, he has taken his uniquely creative ferment a notch higher, thereby stretching the imagination of people and offering them another side of nature, a destination that is embedded within natural elements.
The resort which was built within 10 days offers a rare opportunity to interact with nature as its best. This time, ascending one hill or another and exploring the entrails of the caves, as well as hopping from one tree to another, all within a fluid enclave that is enlivened by human activities of diverse kinds.
The facilities and services all bear the trademark of La Campagne, which is noted for its blend of Africa motifs infused with sophisticated and elegant Eurocentric appeal. The lodges or chalets of different sizes and categories are beautifully curated on hill ranges, some inside the caves and others in the open as well as sandwiched between moulds of rocky ranges.
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It is a full service destination enclave where tourists and visitors would be treated to the best of luxury and entertaining menus of different ferment. Wellness, conference, leisure, entertainment and cultural activities are all embedded within the enthralling packages of the resort, with tour package and opportunity to interact with the locals also on offer.
Akinboboye explained the vision of his initiative: ‘‘La Campagne Tropicana Brand was established in 1984 with the vision of developing Africa’s economy from ‘bottom–up’ by transforming tourism attraction sites across the world into African themed unique destinations with architecture, décor and services weaved around African culture and hospitality.
The brand has developed (and is still developing) unique tourism products in each of its destinations modeled around the rich African culture such products include; tree houses with private swimming pools, mud houses with indoor swimming pools, the longest pool in the world on a beach with six inbuilt bars, Yoru’bar, a restaurant where tourists’ sense of smell, sight, taste and hearing are aroused through live cooking of their meals alongside indigenous music and dance, bars modeled after buses used in West Africa in 18th and 19th Centuries, and moonlight folktales around bonfires among others.
“As the La Campagne Tropicana brand offerings are weaved around Africa’s culture and hospitality, it has created tremendous economic opportunities for the people living in its host community and immediate environs. This is because the brand unique African theme creates job opportunities for such indigenes that would not normally be available in western type tourist establishments. The brand has adopted African style architecture and buildings.’’
