At the Lekki Conservation Centre amid playful monkeys and swarms of butterflies

Traffic is always heavy and unstoppable in Lagos. Yet there is an immense green oasis, a refuge from noise and chaos, in which to find peace and enjoy the richness of the plant and animal ecosystem: the lush Lekki Conservation Centre covering 85 hectares. Inhabited by wild monkeys that try everything to snatch a picnic lunch, you can discover this park by walking over the 400-metre suspended footbridge, the longest in Africa, an engineering marvel that offers spectacular views of the green landscape below. Likewise, the wooden observation huts erected above the trees provide direct and intimate perspectives of the swampy terrain and tropical habitats, as well as peering through binoculars and even the naked eye at reptiles and fish. You venture through mangroves and lagoons, and may be lucky enough to come across the pangolin, one of the most endangered creatures in the rare animal trade. Another unique experience one can undertake at the Lekki Conservation is to come across butterflies. More than a thousand of the world's 1320 known species live in Nigeria, and the park's biologists organise guided tours to admire them closely. Finally, one can enjoy a spectacular view of the city.