Togo, formerly a French colony, is a narrow country in West Africa sandwiched between Ghana and Benin that has little to be famous about other than its comical name It does however have well-conserved national parks and the mud tower settlements in Koutammakou, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Occult finds and traditional medicines also attract a lot of tourists. Togo is a regional commercial and trade center, but commercial developments have stalled due to its continuing political instability.
The best hotels are in Lomé that provide first-class accommodation and amenities like swimming pools. Accommodation throughout the country is basic. The continuing political unrest in the country has stalled foreign investments and infrastructure building, making commercial development slow.
Where to Go
Highlights
Marché des Féticheurs: this unusual market in Lome sells all kinds of occult objects and ingredients used for voodoo practices and traditional medicine such as animal skins, mummified animals, skulls, and voodoo dolls. Fetish doctors can also be found in the market.
National parks: some of the national parks you can visit to get a view of the country’s beautiful hills, waterfalls, forests, and animals are the Badou or Fazao-Malfacassa National Park and the Les Cascades d’ Akloa.
Kandé: visit the Tamberma people who live in a beautiful valley setting in almost stone-age conditions.
Lake Togo: Lake Togo is a relaxing place where you can sit, eat, drink beer, rub elbows with the fishermen, and watch the sun go down.
When to Go
The weather is tropical all year round.
It is hot and humid in the south and semiarid in the north. Avoid the summer months when it gets unbearably hot inland.
Things to Do
Shopping: aside from the interesting and unusual finds in Marché des Féticheurs, you can also shop for ebony elephant sculptures, painted shirts, and ethnic jewelry.
Eating: try the local food such as Akume, corn pounded into flour, mixed with water, and served with sauces, or Fufu, white yam pounded like mashed potatoes and served with sauces.
Beach-hopping: many of the beaches in Togo are not safe for swimming due to the strong currents, but you can still go there to check out the scenery. Some of the notable beach resorts are found in Lome including Le Ramatou, Robinson’s Plage, Lome Rivage, and Coco beach.
Cultural immersion: visit the French Cultural Center for any scheduled concert, play, cinema exhibition, or music festival.
Getting There
There are direct flights available to Togo, but they are expensive. You’ll save more money if you fly to Accra in Ghana before taking an air-conditioned bus to Togo. Motorcycle taxis are the most common means of getting around. Most of the main streets in Lome are paved, but the rest of the roads in the country is generally bumpy and unpaved.
Health & Safety
Drink only bottled water and avoid eating roadside meals. Do not be shocked if you find people relieving themselves in the streets because it is an accepted practice there. Stay away from the beaches at night because robbery is common in these areas.