Togo

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Quick Facts

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Capital

Lomé

Population

5,682,000

Government

Republic

Religions

Indigenous beliefs, Christianity, Islam

Languages

French, Ewe, Mina, Kabye, Dagomba

Calling Code

+228

Nationality

Togolese

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Introduction

Village house in Nodoba

© All Rights Reserved polhill

Togo stretches inland for over 500 km, but it is its 100km coastline that attracts the vast majority of tourists. And on this coast, it is Lomé, the country's capital and once the region's most popular city, that tops the charts. While business has been tough over the past decade (with civil strife scaring most travellers away), the city's attraction is picking up. Its beaches are as good as ever and it has a nice African flair that is instantly appealing.

But while it's easy to get stuck along the coast, we recommend exploring the country's inland for some variety. The diverse cultures of the 40-some ethnic groups are fascinating. Visit a couple villages and immerse yourself in their customs and way of life. Then return to the beach for an evening dip.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

Togo consists of 5 regions.

• Centrale Region is the least populous region, located in the centre of the country. Its capital is Sokodé.
• Kara Region, north of the Centrale Region, is named after its capital Kara.
• Maritime Region is the southernmost region and only region with a shoreline. It is home to the capital Lomé.
• Plateaux Region is the largest region, situated between the Maritime and Centrale Regions.
• Savanes Region is the northern most region, bordering Burkina Faso.

Cities

• Lomé - The capital
• Atakpamé
• Kara
• Kpalimé
• Niamtougou
• Sokodé
• Mango

Sights and Activities

Lomé Grand Market

The Lomé Grand Market is a huge market in the capital. Located near the Lomé Cathedral in the city centre and this market can give a great glimpse into Togo culture. The market often has live African music. The market is a three story building occupying an entire block in the capital.

Lake Togo

Lake Togo is the largest lake in a lagoon in Southern Togo. The lake is separated from the ocean by a narrow piece of land. The lake is shallow making it very popular for water sports, such as water skiing. Agbodrafo and Togoville are the two largest towns on the lake.

Traditional Culture

With over half of the country still following native animistic beliefs this country is rich in traditional culture. In addition to a diverse religious system many of the cultures make great wooden sculptures and with hunting trophies are used instead of masks. Among the Kloto people check out the traditional batiks, which show scenes of everyday life. Then go see traditional taberma home made of adobe and earth. Make sure to check out some traditional music at the many different villages.

Other Sights and Activities

• Mount Agou - Is the highest mountain in Togo at 986 m (3234 ft).
• Cliffs of Dapaong - Visit these amazing cliffs outside of Dapaong.
• Beaches - Relax on the coast at some amazing beaches.

Events and Festivals

Weather

As Togo stretches from the Atlantic coastline towards the edges of the Sahara desert, the climate, although being hot almost anywhere anytime, has some variety.

The coastal area is hot and humid year-round, with temperatures around 30 °C on most days. February to May is a bit hotter, when even nights are very warm at 26 °C on average. Although the rainy season lasts from May to October, there generally is a peak in May/June and another in October, while in between it is relatively dry.

What is rather strange, is that rainfall along the coast is less than immediately inland. There are two reason for this:

First, the heaviest rainfall in Benin coincides with waters offshore being unusually cool for near-equatorial latitudes; a cool current appears on the ocean surface.

Second, the coast follows a direction from west/southwest to east/northeast and is parallel with the prevailing winds.

In the north of the country, there is single rainy season from May to September and a long and hot dry season from October to April. The total amount of rain is much less compared to the southern and coastal zones. Temperatures during the hot season can reach well over 40 °C during the days. From December to February the hot, dry and dusty Harmattan wind blows over most of the country as well, reaching almost to the coast although here with prevailing southwestern winds, the Harmattan only affects life for several days a year.

Getting there

By Plane

Lomé-Tokoin Airport (LFW) near the capital Lomé receives all international flights and destinations with Air Horizon are limited to several cities in Africa and the Middle East. Other airlines flying here are Afriqiyah Airways (Cotonou, Lagos and Tripoli), Air France to Paris, Toumaï Air Chad (Douala, Brazzaville, Bangui, N'Djamena) and a few others mainly in the region and to Ethiopia and Casablanca.

By Train

Like many countries in Africa, travelling by train is not possible.

By Car

If you are travelling overland through Africa, you can use most border crossings used by buses and minibuses as well. Border crossings to Benin, Ghana and Burkina Faso are pretty straightforward, but have your car papers and insurance in order.

By Bus

There are many possibilities to travel overland from Togo to neighbouring countries.

Buses and bush taxi's ply the route between Lomé and Cotonou in Benin, taking around 3 hours.

Buses travel from Lomé to Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso, 18 hours) and Niamey (Niger, 23 hours) as well. Minibuses and bush taxi's take a lot longer and stop in more places. It's also possible mostly to cross border with bush taxi's between the closest towns on both sites of the border.

From Lomé, it's a short hop across the border to Ghana where you can take onward transport by bush taxi to Accra. Buses to Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire also go via Accra.

By Boat

Currently, there are no passenger services to and from Togo.

Getting Around

By Plane

Sokodé, Mango, Dapango, Lama-Kara, Lomé and Niamtougou all have airports, but domestic services are limited, if they do exist at all.

By Train

There are rail services between Atakpamé, Blitta and Lomé, between Kpalimé and Lomé, and between Aného and Lomé. Trains run at least daily on these routes.

By Car

Tarred roads run along the coast and there is one central tarred road to the north. Many other roads are gravel and can be impassable during the wet season. Cars can be rented, but rates are extremely high, and it is even cheaper to get a taxi anywhere in the country. Also, highway robberies are not unheard of, especially when it's dark. If you insist on renting a car, you will drive on the right side of the road and you need an international driving permit.

By Bus

Buses, minibuses and bush taxis all ply the main routes between the cities and towns along the coast and into the northern interior. Buses are scheduled, but minibuses and bush taxis leave when full and are usually a bit more expensive though faster. You pay a surcharge for luggage.

By Bike

Togo is a great country to get around by bike and you can rent bikes at many towns. By bike you can go anywhere and roads are usually flat and even during the wet season passable. You will also spend less time at police checkpoints.

By Boat

There are a few ferries along the coast, but services are infrequent. Try to contact the local port authorities for more information.

Red Tape

All visitors require a visa for Togo, but most nationals can get one upon arrival valid for just one week. These can be extended once in Togo. Check the nearest embassy or consulate of Togo for more information.

Money

See also Money matters

Togo uses the CFA Franc as a currency. The CFA Franc is divided into 100 centimes. Coins come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500 francs while banknotes come in denominations of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 francs
The exchange range is fixed at aproximately 656 CFA Francs for one Euro.

In Togo the West African CFA Franc (XOF) is used which has the same vallue as the Central African CFA Franc (XAF), but it's not possible to use both currencies in the same country.

Fourteen countries in Africa use this currency, eight in West Africa and six in Central Africa. The West African CFA Franc can only be used in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, while the Central African CFA Franc can only be used in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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