Togo: Travelling

Entry Requirements

Passport and Visa Service: iVisa Togo
Diplomatic Missions of Togo

For Further Information

Check IATA Travel Website for visa requirements and health advices.

Organising Your Trip

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Lomé-Tokoin Airport (LFW) - - - Bus - Car hire YES	7.5km/4.6 miles	15-20 min; XOF 4,000	Sotral: 20-25 min; XOF 150-300	N/A	Available

Major airlines

Name	Type	Domestic Flights	International Flights
ASKY Airlines	National airline	Yes	Yes
Air France		No	Yes
Ethiopian Airlines		No	Yes
Royal Air Maroc		No	Yes

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Visiting

Different Forms of Tourism

Historical: The most popular historical sites in Togo are the Tamberma Compounds (called "tata", tower-houses), which consist of a series of towers connected by a thick wall with a single entrance chamber, used to trap enemy and kill them with arrows. Only clay, wood and straw are used for the buildings, without any nails or metal parts. The most famous compound is located near Koutammakou, and has been selected as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Namoudjoga and Sogou's caves offer several rock paintings.
Cultural: Lomé is home to the National Museum, as well as the "Musée international du Golfe de Guinée", which displays a collection of artifacts from Western Africa dated from the second century B.C. untill the 20th century.
The French Cultural Centre (Centre Culturel Français) in Lomé offers films, concerts and exhibitions.
The Presidential Palace in Lomé has also become a tourist attraction.
Nature: The Fazao-Malfakassa National Park is one of the most diverse West African parks in terms of landscape, with forest, savannah, rocky cliffs and waterfalls. Furthermore, it has 203 documented species of birds, as well as many mammals (including monkeys, antelopes and some elephants). Antelope, buffaloes, ostriches and zebras can also be found in Parc Sarakawa (in the north of the country).
The waterfalls of Womé, next to the town of Kpalimé, offer a spectacular scenery, with the possibility to swim under them.
Religious: Although Christianity is not the main religion in Togo, several cathedrals can be found throughout the country: the one of Kpalimé, the cathedral of Lomé, andthe cathedral of Notre Dame of Lake Togo.
Togolese people still practice indigenous animist beliefs, of which voodoo is often an integral part. In the "Marché des Féticheurs" of Lomé all sort of ingredients for traditional fetishes can be found.
Thermal: Togo does not have natural hot springs centres. However, several high-end hotels in Lomé offer spa services.
Beach: Togo has 56 km of coastline along the Bight of Benin of the Gulf of Guinea in the North Atlantic Ocean. Lomé has several hotels with private beaches, as well as free public beaches. Some popular beaches are those in Baguida and Avépozo. However, the sea can be rough and with strong currents, so it is recommendable to swim only in surveilled areas. It is also possible to swim in some areas of Lake Togo.
Winter Sports: The climate of Togo is not suitable for winter sports.
Outdoor Activities: Several water sports can be practiced in the waters of Lake Togo (water skiing, sailing, etc.). Tourists can enjoy several trekking routes in the country's main national parks.
Shopping: Togo is renowned for its voodoo-related crafts, like charms and masks. Lomé's voodoo market is the easiest place to buy such souvenirs, although it can be more expensive due to the inflow of tourists.
The towns of Blitta, Pagala and Sokodé are famous for weaving. Kpalimé is probably the most important craftsmanship centre of Togo (wooden sculptures, weaving and fabrics, batik, etc.).

Tourism Organisations: Togo Tourisme

Living Conditions

Health and Safety

Health Precautions: There are no specific vaccination requirements to enter Togo (except for vaccine against yellow fever which is required for any travellers aged nine months or more). Nevertheless, WHO and foreign ministries of various countries recommend the following vaccines before entering the country: Hepatitis A, Malaria, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Meningitis and Rabies. Vaccination against Measles is also required.
For Further Information on Sanitary Conditions: CDC - Health Information for Travellers to Togo
For Further Information on Safety Conditions: U.S. Department of State - Togo Travel Information
Government of Canada - Togo Travel Advice
OSAC - Togo Crime and Safety Report

Emergency Numbers

Ambulance	8200
Police	117
Fire	118

Time Difference and Climate

Time and Time Difference: It is %T:%M %A In Lome (GMT+0)
Summer Time Period: There are no daylight saving time clock changes in Togo.

Map of the Time Zone

Time zone

Type of Climate: Togo is located to the south of the Sahara and has a tropical climate. The average temperatures range between 27.5 °C on the coast to about 30 °C in the northern regions of the country, with a dry climate and characteristics of a tropical savanna. From November to March the weather is usually cooler thanks to the dry desert winds of the “harmattan”; while from April to October in the centre and from May to October in the north there is a rainy season due to the African monsoon.
Hotel reservation websites: General Direction of Meteorological National Office (Direction de la Météorologie Nationale)

Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall

Climate

Eating

Food Specialties

Togolese cuisine is a combination of African, French, and German influences. Staple foods include maize (the most commonly consumed food), rice, millet, cassava, yam, plantain and beans. Some of the local specialties are:

Akume: a porridge prepared from ground maize served with a side of sauce (usually okra soup)
Riz sauce d’arachide (rice dish made with groundnut sauce)
Fufu: mashed yam served with different sauces
Meat Skewers (so-called “brochettes”)
Yassa: chicken served in a spicy sauce
Gbomo dessi: beef and spinach stew
Djenkoume: tomato cornmeal fritters.

Drinks

Local drinks include palm wine (a strong liquor made from the sap of palm trees), tchakpallo (millet beer), or sodabe (a very strong grain liquor). Traditional German-style beer is also very popular.

Dietary Restrictions

Some beliefs from local religions still persist, like the one according to which pregnant women are not to eat in markets as a sorcerer could contaminate the food, thus harming the child.
Around 20% of the population is Muslim, hence normally do not eat pork meat (unless it is “halal”, which means it is permissible or lawful in traditional Islamic law) nor drink alcohol.
The legal drinking age is 21.

Paying

Domestic Currency: CFA Franc BCEAO
ISO Code: XOF
To Obtain Domestic Currency: Major towns have Visa ATMs. Mastercard is also accepted.
Foreign currencies can be exchanged in Lomé and other major cities, with the EUR being the easiest currency to exchange (XOF is pegged to the EUR).
The import of local or foreign currency is limited to XOF 1 million (or equivalent), the export of XOF is limited to 25,000.
Possible Means of Payment: Only some upmarket hotels take credit cards, as cash is the general payment method.
International Traveller's Cheques are accepted in Lomé and other major cities.

Speaking

Official Language: French
Other Languages Spoken: Around 40 languages are spoken in the country (although most of them are only oral and not written).
Two indigenous languages were designated politically as national languages in 1975: Ewé (spoken mostly in the south from Lomé to Blitta) and Kabiyé (spoken in the north from Blitta to Dapaong).
Business Language: French

Useful Resources

To Find a Job: Glassdoor Togo
Careers in Africa
Career Jet Togo

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