Togo is just a thin sliver of West Africa; a line of land that ranges from the Atlantic Ocean to the depths of inland Burkina Faso. But size has never been an issue for this culturally-rich place sandwiched between Benin and much-bigger Ghana. Togo is a beautiful and adventurous place where you can get peaceful views of the landscapes, sunrises, and sunsets. There are some interesting things to do in Togo you should know.
Contents
Interesting Things To Do In Togo
1. Visit Lome
Lome is the capital of Togo which is a beautiful merge of traditional culture and modernization. Lome is enriched with beautiful places, like landscapes, malls, riverfronts, and the best of all the shopping streets and markets. The amazing shopping market in Togo would give you super trendy outfits and accessories which you can find nowhere but in Togo.
2. Go to Togoville
Rarely does a city bless a country with its name, and even rarer is it for just a small clutch of Voodoo shrines and mud-brick huts to inspire the moniker for the entire nation.
But that’s precisely what happened here, in the small town of Togo (as it was known then). Back in 1884, the expeditionary Nachtigal signed an agreement with the chieftain of the land for German hegemony to extend to this part of West Africa.
Today, visitors can still see copies of the interesting document, providing they ask the tribal leader nicely! Other draws include a pretty colonial cathedral and a series of little beaches along the lakeshore for strolling.
3. Explore Koutammakou
Designated as a World Heritage Site, Koutammakou features traditional takientas–the mud tower-houses considered the national symbol. Set amidst grassy hills, the 50,000 hectares (123,500 acres) cultural landscape reflects the nation’s social structure as well as its relationship with the natural environment.
As you explore the compound, notice how most of the houses with either flat or conical thatched roofs feature a spherical form set on a cylindrical base. Besides examining the takientas, you can also visit the nearby ceremonial spaces, sacred rocks, initiation sites, and springs.
4. Kpalime
Palm trees burst from the mud-caked tin shacks and low-lying bungalows of Togo’s outdoorsy hub.
A town set beneath the jungle-dressed ridges of the Plateaux Region, and peppered with German colonial relics and the occasional European-style church spire, it’s famed for its backcountry and bazaars.
The former yields up gushing waterfalls at spots like Tomegbe and Kpoeta, and offers the hiking trails of Mount Agou (the highest in the country). The latter means craft sellers whittling away at Voodoo wood carvings, interesting ceramic creations, mysterious religious trinkets, and – of course – coffee beans, cacao, and tropical fruits.
5. Go To The Togo Lake
One of the interesting things to do in Togo is to pay a visit to Togo Lake. It is the best place to visit in Togo if you like a peaceful and calm environment with green and hilly surroundings. The beautiful trees and gardens along with the pretty lake are worth visiting. If you like sailing or boating in the lake, this is a large lake that gives you opportunities to go boating in the large water body. Around the lake, there are beautiful gardens that will give you a beautiful view of sunrise and sunsets and you will surely get mesmerized by the beauty of nature.
6. Visit Agbodrafo
The second town on the banks of Lake Togo that’s worth a visit, Agbodrafo is known for its popular resort hotel: The Hotel le Lac.
This luxurious medley of shimmering al fresco pools and sunning terraces buts up right to the water’s edge, offering guests a luxurious stay on the side of the country’s famous lagoon. The town itself is also known for its proliferation of watersports, and it’s possible to organize everything from pedal boating to jet skiing out on the surface.
On the other side of the town, to the south, in the Atlantic Ocean, complete with its rolling waves and stretches of sand.
7. Fazao Malfakassa National Park
Togo’s largest national park sits smack bang in the heart of the nation. It encompasses nearly 2,000 square kilometers and is famed for its thick forests and riparian woodlands.
The piece de resistance, and much of the reason the park was first established back in the 1970s, is the presence of the uber-rare forest elephant.
Unfortunately, populations of the great beast have been significantly reduced due to illegal poaching in the area, but conservation efforts are underway, and there are also bay duiker and antelopes, kobs and bushbuck, to keep safari-goers searching between the trees.
