📌 Quick Facts About Togo 🇹🇬
Togo is a narrow West African country on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso. Its capital, Lomé, sits directly on the coast and close to the Ghanaian border, which makes it especially convenient for overland travel.
The country is culturally closely connected to the wider Voodoo (or Vodun) region of West Africa, especially neighboring Benin. French is the official language, while Ewe, Kabiyè, and other local languages are widely spoken.
- 🏛️ CapitalLomé
- 💵 CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)
- 🗣️ LanguageFrench, plus local languages including Ewe and Kabiyè
- 🌡️ ClimateTropical, hot, with wet and dry seasons
- 🔌 Plug typeType C/E · *Anker Universal Travel Adapter
- 🌍 RegionWest Africa
🚌 Getting From Benin to Togo
Togo was country number 158 on my mission to travel to every country in the world. I came from Cotonou in Benin and continued onwards to Ghana afterwards, combining Benin, Togo, and Ghana into one overland West Africa trip.
Getting from Benin to Togo is surprisingly easy. Shared vans leave regularly from central Cotonou and travel directly to Lomé, the capital of Togo.
The journey took around six hours and cost me only about €9. At the border, I obtained a visa on arrival for around €38. Since then, Togo has introduced an e-visa system, so it is worth checking the latest rules for your nationality before traveling.
One funny detail about the visa process was the amount of paperwork they attached to my passport. They covered almost an entire page with stamps, signatures, stickers, and little payment markings that looked almost like postage stamps.
It was one of the most crowded passport pages I have ever received.
🏍️ Arriving in Lomé
Lomé was easy to move around thanks to motor taxis (usually 1 to 3 dollars to get around the city), and the country gave me one of the strangest cultural experiences of the whole region, plus one of the best vegan meals I had in West Africa.
I stayed at Mary's Guesthouse, located a little outside the city center. The room cost around €21 per night and was perfectly adequate for what I needed.
There was one power cut during my stay, which meant no electricity for a while, but otherwise it was a pleasant place to stay.
If you are looking for a more established hotel in Lomé, here are three popular options that offer a higher level of comfort and service:
- Hotel 2 Février Lomé: the city's most iconic hotel, featuring modern rooms, multiple restaurants, a large pool, and panoramic views over Lomé.
- Onomo Hotel Lomé: a reliable and modern hotel close to the airport, popular with business travelers and offering comfortable rooms and a pleasant outdoor pool.
- Hotel Sarakawa: a historic beachfront hotel set on extensive grounds, known for its resort-style atmosphere, large swimming pool, and oceanfront location.
The first thing I wanted to explore was one of Togo's most famous attractions.
🦴 The Akodessewa Fetish Market
The Akodessewa Fetish Market is probably the most famous place in Togo and one of the most unusual attractions anywhere in West Africa. It is often described as a Vodun or "voodoo" market.
The original word is actually Vodun, a term from the Fon language. The word "voodoo" became the internationally known spelling, especially through its development in the Americas.
Visiting the market is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Everywhere you look, there are animal skulls, dried animal parts, skeletons, feathers, horns, and preserved remains. I saw everything from snakes and tortoises to monkeys, dogs, rats, and various livestock.
It was honestly quite shocking.
I do not personally believe in Vodun practices, but I was fascinated by the cultural side of it. A local guide explained many of the beliefs to me. According to him, modern medicine can cure physical illness, but only Vodun can cure spiritual sickness.
He introduced me to a Vodun priest who performed a small blessing ritual and showed me various charms and fetishes used for different purposes. There was one charm that supposedly protects against poison. Another protected travelers from accidents. Another was intended to attract love. Others were designed to protect houses and families.
Whether you believe in any of it or not, it was fascinating to hear how deeply these traditions remain embedded in local culture.
One thing that also caught my attention was the discussion around tribal scarification. Many people in the region traditionally received facial markings as children. These scars often identified a person's ethnic group, family lineage, or region of origin.
My guide proudly explained the meaning behind the vertical scars on his own face and how people could often identify someone's background simply by looking at those markings.
Photography inside the market is possible, but you have to pay an additional fee. Traditionally, photographing sacred objects and rituals is considered disrespectful, so visitors who want to film or take pictures are expected to contribute financially.
I paid the extra fee and documented parts of my visit. I also spent some time juggling
with some of the local boys around the market, which was a fun contrast to one of the
strangest places I have ever visited.
🥬 Noble Veg: A Vegan Surprise
After the fetish market, I headed to one of my favorite discoveries in West Africa: Noble Veg.
It is a fully vegan restaurant in Lomé and genuinely served some of the best food I had anywhere in the region.
I tried several local dishes. One of them was gboma, a traditional sauce made from African eggplant leaves. The leaves are cooked into a green, slightly slimy stew that is surprisingly delicious.
I ate it with pâte de maïs, a fermented maize dough that is common throughout parts of Togo and neighboring Benin. I also tried djenkoumé, a maize-based Togolese specialty that is often served alongside local sauces.
Everything was excellent. The restaurant even served a vegan chicken substitute. Finding good vegan food while traveling through West Africa can sometimes be challenging, so I was happy to find Noble Veg. It's on HappyCow.
🛍️ The Grand Marché de Lomé
Next, I headed into downtown Lomé and visited the Grand Marché de Lomé, the city's largest market.
Filming here is technically not allowed, although enforcement seems to vary depending on who you encounter. Some people absolutely loved being on camera. Others hated it.
At one point, I took a selfie with a church in the background, and a man immediately ran over shouting "No photos! No photos!" I apologized and continued on my way.
The market itself is exactly what you would expect from a major West African market: crowded, chaotic, colorful, noisy, and full of life.
I only spent around fifteen minutes walking through it, but that was enough to get a feel for the atmosphere.
🏛️ Independence Square and Downtown Lomé
One place I wanted to visit was Independence Square, but unfortunately it was closed to the public.
Apparently, visitors can obtain special authorization through the city authorities at the Town Hall, but applications need to be submitted one week before. So I had to settle for taking photos from outside the gates.
Nearby, I passed the famous Hôtel 2 Février, widely considered the most famous hotel in Togo and one of the city's most recognizable buildings.
I also visited the Palais des Congrès de Lomé and rode around the city on motor taxis, passing various monuments and neighborhoods, including Amoutivé.
🌴 Lomé's Beachfront
One of my favorite parts of the city was the beachfront. Lomé has a huge stretch of coastline that is impossible to miss.
In the evenings, people gather along the beach, drink fresh coconuts, socialize, and simply enjoy the cooler temperatures.
The beach itself is very wide, lined with palm trees and running alongside one of the city's main roads. It has a relaxed atmosphere and feels completely different from the chaos of the markets.
I spent quite a bit of time just walking there and enjoying the view.
🇬🇭 Leaving for Ghana
After a few days in Togo, it was already time to continue my journey. One of the great things about Lomé is its location. The border with Ghana is located right at the edge of the city, making onward travel incredibly simple.
I took a motor taxi to the border and prepared for my next challenge: entering Ghana. At the time, I managed to obtain what was officially described as an emergency visa on arrival.
Let's just say the process was unconventional. If you want to know exactly how that worked, you will have to read the Ghana blog.
💭 Final Thoughts on Visiting Togo
Togo was one of the most interesting countries I visited in West Africa. The Vodun culture is fascinating, the people were friendly, transportation was easy, and Lomé had a surprisingly pleasant "beach-town" atmosphere.
The fetish market is still one of the strangest places I have ever visited. And the Togolese food I tried was some of the best food I had anywhere in the region.
After country number 158, I crossed into Ghana and continued my journey toward every country in the world.