If there’s one thing I am guaranteed to do when I travel, it is visit a local market. In fact, who am I kidding? I love to visit markets full stop, whether travelling or where I live. I love markets because they are so full of energy and life; there’s always something happening, the noise, the action is so exciting to me. Whenever I visit a market when I travel, I always feel like I’m getting a glimpse into local life there. And there are so many types of markets to enjoy – Christmas markets, farmers’ markets, antiques markets, flea markets, flower markets, food markets, craft markets and so many others. My favourite types of markets are flea markets and arts/crafts markets which is where Lekki Market comes in.
Whenever I’m in Lagos, best believe that I will find my way to Lekki Arts and Crafts Market (or Lekki Market for short). I’ve shared my love of Lekki Market on the blog HERE and HERE because it’s one of my favourite places to go in Lagos. As the name suggests, it’s an arts and crafts market where you can buy art work, sculptures and masks, homeware, bespoke furniture, baskets, trendy fashion items and of course tourist souvenirs. It’s an amazing spot for grabbing unique pieces especially for furniture and the amount of raffia items on offer is insane. I love it! It’s a generally quite calm, safe and you only need to be concerned about how much luggage space you have to carry everything you buy back if you’re travelling like me. Cash is king in Lekki Market although if you have a local bank account, transfers are also accepted. My sister and I differ a bit on the best time of day to go, because I always believe especially when it comes to markets that “the early bird gets the worm”. In Lekki market though, pick the wrong day and you might be waiting for the vendors to finish their community meetings lol. What I will say is try to go before the afternoon rush hour traffic i.e. before 4PM. Anything after that? One chance, mate! #iykyk
As much as I love the market experience, I can imagine that it can be a bit intimidating for others and some may also wonder how to make the most of the experience. So I’ve got some tips for you below!
- Start by researching what markets are available in your location and then decide which one you want to go to. I always make a point to research if there are any nearby flea markets whenever I travel because there is always a gem just waiting for me there!
- Plan your visit – look into opening times, know where you’re going and how big it is, so you can estimate how much time you would likely spend there. Make sure to check the location of the market and plan your mode of transport accordingly, whether public transport, car or taxi. For example, Lekki Market is in an area with terrible roads; I’m talking pothole galore. Normal taxis and ubers will not take you; only a 4X4 is getting you there and sometimes not even then during rainy season.
- Wear comfortable attire, especially footwear. If you’re going to be walking around a lot, make sure your footwear doesn’t hold you back from greatness. Also, check the weather forecast especially if it’s an outdoor market you’re going to, so you can make sure you’ve got weather appropriate attire.
- If you can, try to get a good night’s rest before a market day so you have energy and are in a good mood. You don’t want to get tired too quickly.
- When you arrive, walk round a bit before you start purchasing. You don’t want to buy the first thing you see only to find out that you could have gotten a better deal two stalls down.
- Always be polite and positive. Greet vendors when you visit their stall, say thank you and goodbye when you leave, even if you don’t buy anything. It can be a really long day for them so the least you can do is acknowledge them and it doesn’t cost you anything. If you become a regular visitor, you can even form relationships with them which can only improve your market experience.
- Before you take pictures, make sure to ask the stall owner because not everyone is ok with that.
- It’s usually better to go early to markets as you will have the full range of items available to choose from and not the “leftovers”.
- Feel free to negotiate but just be aware that not every vendor will negotiate with you. And that’s totally ok. If the price is not something you are willing or comfortable to pay, just walk away.
- If you are able to negotiate, don’t go in with your best offer first but also don’t make an offer so low it is insulting to the vendor.
- The more you buy with a vendor, the more negotiation power you are likely to have to secure a good price.
- Cash is king at most markets so make sure to have enough on hand and even check if there are nearby cash machines in case an emergency run is required. Also check the local customs – in Denmark for example, we use “MobilePay” which is a local electronic money transfer platform that does away with the need for cash but also does not require any card transactions either.
- Don’t feel pressured to do or buy anything you don’t want. Sometimes vendors can be overzealous and a bit intense in inviting you to their stalls, saying things like “come in, looking is free” or “come and buy”. It can be quite overwhelming. But remain calm, polite and walk away if necessary. And following on from that…
- Markets are not always child or pet friendly places – it can be crowded, noisy and very stimulating with everything going on…which is exciting for some people (me!) but could be scary for children and animals. So exercise wisdom as to whether it is really the right location to have that family day out especially if you have small children. Also, some markets may not even allow pets unless they are service animals so check first.
- Bring a bag to carry your wares home in and come prepared with a mode of transport in mind to ferry your goodies home, especially if you’re picking up big pieces like furniture.
- Bring snacks and water to stay hydrated and with the right blood sugar levels. Not every market will sell food and/or drinks so come prepared just in case.
- Accept you can’t buy everything. You will see more than you can afford and/or take home with you. Try to prioritise the items you absolutely need and/or can’t live without and accept the others will remain a fantasy…perhaps until your next visit.
