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flag of TogoTogo - Melting Pot of African Cultures

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The pencil-thin strip of land in the western Africa at the coast of Guinea’s Gulf represents a developing country, the Togolese Republic.

Most travellers are attracted by the beaches and the capital of Togo, Lomé, but some continue further in discovering the secrets of this country and find out about its unique village culture and the vibrancy of its festivals and markets.

Togo is a quite small sub-Saharan country. In the north the gently rolling savannah is typical but the centre is rather hilly. In the south there is a variety of extensive lagoons and marshes.

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Full name:

Togolese Republic

Capital city:

Lome

Area:

56,785 sq km

Population:

5,701,579

Major languages:

French (official), Ewe and Mina, Kabye

Major religions:

Christian, Muslim

Why to visit

Top Places - Togo

Nr. Place Points Rating Vote
1
Akloa Falls 0 0  
2
Aného 0 0  
3
Atakpamé 0 0  
4
Badou 0 0  
5
Grand Marché 0 0  
more places

Top Experiences - Togo

Nr. Experience Points Rating Vote
1
Voodoo Ceremony 8 4  
2
Water Sports at Lake Togo 0 0  
3
Learn About Togo’s Art in the Kloto Craft Centre 0 0  
4
Explore the ruins of Kamina 0 0  
5
Climb the Agou 0 0  
more experiences

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Map of Togo


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Nr. Place Points Rating  1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10
1
Akloa Falls (click for more information)

 On your way to the waterfall you pass through the coffee field and pineapple plantations. It is the best waterfall in Togo and falls from 35 metres. The water is gushing down the cliff and you can join the people rollicking in the pool down below.

Akloa Falls
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2
Aného (click for more information)

 It was the colonial capital until 1920. The historic features remained preserved and the sense in the atmosphere is noticeable. There are also churches and cemeteries and colonial houses, which undoubtedly have its architectural value.

Aného
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3
Atakpamé (click for more information)

 The town is located on a hill and formerly it was a mountainous refuge. The central market can be easily found on the main square and becomes quite beaming as the night falls. If you’re lucky on your visit, you can see people dancing Tchebe on stilts, which is a local special feature.

Atakpamé
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4
Badou (click for more information)

 This small town can be found in a green valley surrounded by hills covered by forests and coffee plantation at the sides of the hills. The people are always open to discussions at the numerous bars.

Badou
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5
Grand Marché (click for more information)

 This market in Lomé is said to be the very place, where you can sense of what Togo is all about. It is overfilled by merchants and marketers. Here you can buy anything from Togolese football tops to the wax cloth of which you can have a complete outfit made.

Grand Marché
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6
Kpalimé (click for more information)

 Located not far away from the capital. The landscape is always green even in the season of drought. The land is naturally fertile and that’s why cocoa and coffee are farmed there.

Kpalimé
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7
Lomé (click for more information)

 Before political struggles in the 1990s, Lomé was a true jewel in Africa. The one that passed by without spending a few days at the beach was considered odd. But even today there are several facilities that are worth getting to know.

Lomé
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8
Missahoe (click for more information)

 The Missahoe village provides two main attractions. First is the governor house that is characterized by the relic of the German colonial time. Second is the forest of Missahoe with its remarkable biodiversity. Cashew, wawa, yuka, the linen wood and other tropical trees adorn the nature full of wide range of different bird species.

Missahoe
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9
Notsé (click for more information)

 Even though there is no proof that kingdom existed in Notsé before the 15th century, the city still remains the mythical cradle for the Ewéland. It hosts the most important festival of the people of Ewe, which is called Agbogbo-Za.

Notsé
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10
Tamberma Valley (click for more information)

 It’d be a real sin not to visit this architectural highlight. There is a variety of fortified villages that come from the 17th century. Formerly the place was isolated but nowadays it is a pure tourist hotspot.

Tamberma Valley
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Nr. Place Points Rating  1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10
1
Buy Amulets at the Fetish Market in Lomé (click for more information)

 The market it is filled with various parts of dead animals, which all are of special ceremonial use or healing property. They will gladly recommend you the one that will protect you the best possible way.

Buy Amulets at the Fetish Market in Lomé
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2
Climb the Agou (click for more information)

 Pic d’Agou is the highest summit of Togo with its 986 metres. It is covered by dense forests and sprinkled by Ewe villages. The paths can be found on the side of the mountain. No matter what way you take, the reward is the spectacular view of the valleys and plains below.

Climb the Agou
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3
Explore the ruins of Kamina (click for more information)

 Situated about 20 kilometres from Atakpamé, Kamina is the old site for German military base. There remained the thick walls as well as the poles of the fallen headquarters.

Explore the ruins of Kamina
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4
Learn About Togo’s Art in the Kloto Craft Centre (click for more information)

 It was founded in 1967 and is a production centre of different crafts, pottery, wood carving, batiks and macramé. Young pupils acquire here the knowledge of their teachers. You can admire the variety and quality of the sculptures and statues.

Learn About Togo’s Art in the Kloto Craft Centre
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5
Voodoo Ceremony 8 4
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6
Water Sports at Lake Togo (click for more information)

 Lake Togo is the largest part of a lagoon in Togo. It is divided form the Atlantic ocean by a thin coastal strip. There are the fishermen in small boats dug in tree trunks and big pelicans in the sky. It is a perfect place for nearly all sorts of water sports.

Water Sports at Lake Togo
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Why to visit Togo


The pencil-thin strip of land in the western Africa at the coast of Guinea’s Gulf represents a developing country, the Togolese Republic. Most travellers are attracted by the beaches and the capital of Togo, Lomé, but some continue further in discovering the secrets of this country and find out about its unique village culture and the vibrancy of its festivals and markets.

Togo is a quite small sub-Saharan country. In the north the gently rolling savannah is typical but the centre is rather hilly. In the south there is a variety of extensive lagoons and marshes. The best time to visit Togo is from mid-June to mid-July because in this period the heaviest rains finally cease to water the dry fields of the Togolese people. The country is not that parched and you don’t have to face the dust-laden harmattan winds .

A Bit of History

It is commonly not known how the life was in Togo before it was officially discovered and settled by the Portuguese in the late 15th century. The Germans brought cultivation to the main export crops and developed the infrastructure to a very high level with regard to the African situation. But the Togolese didn’t judge the help of Germany very well and after the World War I welcomed the British forces with open arms. In 1963 Togo became the first county in Africa that experienced a military coup following the independence. Nowadays Togo is finally approaching the state of democracy.

The Culture of Togo

Imagine a melting pot of thirty-seven ethnic groups at one place. That’s what the Togo’s culture is about. The largest groups with considerable influence are the Ewe, Mina and Kabre. The traditions and believes do have very strong roots in Togo, which most probably causes that even today over half of the population of Togo follows the native animistic practices, the rest professes Christianity and Islam. Sculptures and various hunting trophies are used by the Ewe. Maybe you already heard about the wood-carvers of Kloto, which are known for the Chains of Marriage, that are represented by two characters connected by rings drawn from only one piece of wood.


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