Experiences in Togo

MARITIME REGION

The maritime region stretches along the coast bordered by fine sandy beaches and coconut palms. Lomé is renowned for its fine sandy beaches , its shaded walks, its large daily markets and its many tourist attractions: national museum , fetish market , German cathedral of the Grand-Marché, architectural monuments.

From the capital, the coast is bordered to Benin by a splendid road that crosses coconut groves and typical fishing villages. The most beautiful beaches in the country are located in the vicinity of Baguida and Avepozo. The outline of the sandy coast on the edge of the coastal plain and a coconut plantation where Lomé is located , the city which recalls “Conventions”, which bears its name and is the subject of preferential exchanges between the European Economic Community ” EEC ” and the countries of Africa , the Caribbean and the Pacific. Lomé presents a very attractive market with their large luxury hotels, shady streets, lively beaches and the hospitality of its inhabitants.

About thirty kilometers east of Lomé , Lake Togo offers water sports and nature lovers opportunities for considerable leisure and entertainment. The Mono River offers visitors a strange canoe crossing: a very fascinating discovery of crocodiles , hippos from time to time, and flocks of birds of different species. Fishermen navigate in small canoes dug out of tree trunks to collect their nets and traps.

In Agbodrafo , you will also have the opportunity to discover all the richness of the cultural heritage of the region with the remains of the slave coast such as the ” House of slaves or WOOD house ” or the well of the chained. Aneho , located 15 km east of Agbodrafo , is the spiritual and cultural center of the Guin people. The city is built near a winding lagoon, surrounded by fishing villages and coconut plantations . Aného retains the soul of a 19th century colonial town.

TRAYS REGION
THE WESTERN PLATEAU REGION IS RENOWNED FOR ITS EXCEPTIONAL NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY THE EXUBERANCE OF ITS FORESTS, VERITABLE PLANT MUSEUMS OF TROPICAL SPECIES.

It is the ideal place for lovers of hiking and green tourism. Kpalimé is also one of the largest artistic and craft center in the country. Since Kpalime , visitors will discover the wealth of fauna and flora tropical and the many natural waterfalls in the region including that of Aklowa ( Badou ), one of the most important of Togo. The region is also rich in crafts , Kpalimé is the main artistic and craft center of the country.

With its moderate mountains, exposed to the elements, the plateau region gives visitors the opportunity to experience places and monuments such as the Presidential Palace , the Kevuvu , Kuma , Dzobean and monasteries bat caves , as well as of the waterfalls of Kpimé. It is a region with a wide variety of landscapes and activities with tropical agricultural products such as bananas , oranges , pineapples , avocado , coffee , cocoa , cotton , etc. A visit to the Art training centers of Kloto and Atakpamé , allows tourists to take with them some souvenirs (Gifts). We will discover the artisanal artistic center of Kpalimé ( CEAA ) where most of the artists and craftsmen of the country were trained as well as many workshops and shops.

In the east, we will discover Notsé , the cradle of the Ewe people. Finally in the North , Atakpame , capital of the region, remained for a long time the city of refuge for the Germans. A few kilometers from the city is the Nangbéto dam , a huge water reservoir where you can see hippos.

CENTRAL REGION
The central region covers an area of ​​approximately 13,500 km2 of which more than 20% are reserves and classified forests, including the reserve of the Fazao national park which covers nearly 2,000 km2. The city of Sokodé (predominantly Muslim) is the second largest city in the country in terms of population. The central region is at the heart of the culture of TEM traditions (traditional chiefdoms, fire and knife dance).

The region offers many cultural assets, the traditions have remained alive. The folklore , quickened by the incessant côtoiement different ethnic groups, with interpenetration of customs, here is particularly relevant and authentic. The festivals of Ramadan , Tabaski , Gadoa and Adossa (also known as the festival of knives), all of Muslim origins and whose practice has been propagated by the Kotokoli , are celebrated with great pomp.

The central region also offers a magnificent nature reserve, the Fazao-Malfakassa National Park, where animal species such as bulbals , bongos , colobus and baboons still exist. Some safaris are organized by the Foundation Franz Weber from Sokode. The Fazao-Malfakassa Wildlife Reserve with species of animals such as antelopes , elephants , buffaloes , birds and primates , is the place of attraction for tourists who are set Safari enthusiasts.

KARA REGION
The Kara region offers unquestionable tourist interest:
Splendid sites landscape Koutammakou , a World Heritage by UNESCO , authentic peoples, diverse landscapes ( Kabyés mountains , cliffs Défalé ) and a folklore remarkably rich in populations that have maintained intact and their traditions alive. The koutammakou landscape and its houses / fortifications called ” takienta ” are among the most beautiful tourist sites that Togo offers. The site is registered with the world heritage of UNESCO under the name of KOUTAMMAKOU , country of Batammariba.

The many traditional festivals and dances of the region ( evala , akpema , habyé , etc.) are all living testimonies of the attachment of the populations of the region to ancestral traditions and ways of life.

The region of Bassar / Bandjéli attest to the distant work of iron in the region. Several old blast furnaces have been preserved ( Nangbéni – Bassar ). In Bandjéli we will also visit the beautiful traditional chiefdom.

The Kara region is also full of many markets such as those of Niamtougou , Ketao , Bassar and Bandjéli or even Nadoba (Koutammakou).

SAVANNAHS REGION
The far north of Togo is made up of exceptionally flat savannah vegetation. A region curiously interspersed with verdant mountains rich in rock hyraxes: it is the area par excellence of the palm tree , of harnessing and cattle breeding. The region is full of historic sites that seem to date from time immemorial reminding that Africa was also one of the cradles of humanity.

The region is rich in historical and cultural treasures such as the cave paintings of Namoudjoga or the caves and granaries of Nano and Maproug. These sites have been nominated as UNESCO World Heritage. This region is mainly populated by Moba-Gurma , the most numerous, and Tchokossi. The Moba are mainly cultivators and hunters, they are mainly found in the Dapaong region. The Tchokossi (originally from Côte d’Ivoire ) settled in the Mango region as a result of the wars. Animist or Muslim people, they are at the origin of the establishment of Islam in this part of Togo.