Terrific Togo is teeny tiny but totally tremendous. We drove into Lomé (the capital) along the blustery Atlantic coast line road, which makes it easily accessible from both Accra and Cotonou. The tarmac was pretty decent and the spattering of high rise buildings as well as busy roads made the city feel like a modern urban centre. The main streets are lined with bars and restaurants that especially come to life at night but the sandy backstreets and fufu stalls remind you that you are not in a western city.
In spite of constant activity Lomé feels far more laid back compared with the frenetic buzz of Cotonou, making it much nicer to wander around. We spent a couple of days here staying in Kodjoviakope, in the west of the city whilst we waited for visas. We have heard Lomé has one of the best nightlife’s in West Africa, which unfortunately we did not get to experience. We did however get to drink our first bottle of wine since coming away as it is normally very expensive. (This was an absolute occasion for both of us, a fine French pink (tasted like wine) and it even came in an ice bucket (at request)! Thanks Mum/Stephanie!)
For anyone travelling from Benin, time goes back to GMT in Togo a fact we failed to realise until we went to collect our visas. Here we had an argument with the official, berating him for making us wait before we clocked we had turned up an hour early! Correcting our clocks and with a threat of a beating from a tea lady (whole other story) we left Lomé with an entire back seat to ourselves (outstanding luxury) and headed to the jungles of the ‘Midlands’.
Central Togo feels like Tarzan’s home. The mountainous jungle is also the country’s biggest agricultural region with coffee, cocoa, banana, and teak plantations dotted throughout. Twisting roads wind around the mountains through the lush vegetation offering incredible views, without a doubt some of the best so far. The roads however are probably the worst, they are rutted and pot holed if they appear to exist at all, vehicles choose the best course not caring what side of the road it takes.
We settled in Kpalimé, a small town at the foot of Mount Klouto that had everything we wanted, a Fan depot, beautiful surroundings, a tchouk den, fast internet, a lively market and our customary cafeteria serving up omelettes and spaghetti, perfect! The abundance of fruit stalls on the road leading to the mountain was an indication of just how much is grown in this fertile region.
An unexpected feature of this small town is the large Bavarian church that dominates the skyline. The towering building is extremely conspicuous in size, style and upkeep. In a country where one storey cement buildings are the norm it looks completely out of place. Although at first we held it in contempt by the time we left we had grown very fond of it and even started to reconsider our ridicule of the Rough Guides description as “exuding an incongruous beauty and calm”! Kplaminé is a great base to explore the surrounding waterfalls and peaks.
We prepared ourselves, on one of our outings, for a strenuous butterfly ‘hike’ on Mt Klouto (picnic and all). In reality it was more of a gentle stroll however unbelievably beautiful and we learnt a lot about the local flora. After the guided tour our rambles took us to the most idyllic spot to break for lunch, just as we had taken the first bite however someone started dashing stones at us and we had to run for our lives through the jungle! A great day out however and one that we highly recommend, especially if you return by moto on the winding mountain roads as the sun is setting.
Our next destination was Badou which is reached via Atakpamé on the worst road in Togo. The journey took us 10 hours in a stupidly overloaded mini bus and although uncomfortable it was much worse for the goat tied precariously to the roof rack. Having said this, Tash did wake up to find Harry in a trance like state singing along to five evangelical songs. They had been on repeat for the two hours it had taken to go 14km!
Badou is even smaller than Kpalimé and the mountainous backdrop even more breath-taking. The small town is tucked between peaks of tropical vegetation that tower all around. Badou’s main attraction is its proximity to Akloa Falls, the biggest waterfall in Togo. The road to the falls does not deserve its name as some of it is completely unnavigable and short-cuts through the jungle offer better paths. A half hour uphill hike winds through the greenery with many magnificent views and arriving at the waterfall is not a disappointment.
The fairy like grotto that the water splashes down into and the spray that creates constant rainbows makes it easy to see why the locals believed it to be a home to super natural forces. Badou borders Ghana so this ended our ten day Togo-tastic trip!
We did however have one final adventure as we left our last Francophone country. The mud-track that led us to the frontier was guarded by a malevolent fool who insisted we sweeten his palm to let us past. Not budging we stood at a stale-mate until he beckoned his friend in army green holding an AK47, we decided this was one argument too many. We had heard and read about the troubled politics and rife corruption in Togo however this was the first time we had experienced what is a frustrating reality here.
Although an unpleasant parting encounter it is not one that has put us off this fantastic country. We had a brilliant time here in the best surroundings so far and even tried dog! It may be teeny tiny but Togo is not a country to miss!
