Lome, the capital of Togo, is just a two-and-a-half hour drive east of Accra. This tiny nation is off-the-beaten-path by almost anyone’s standards, but Togo is prepared to welcome adventurous backpackers just as much as tourists seeking luxury accommodations. Often disregarded or overlooked because of political strife, tourists typically find Togo to be as safe, charming, and quiet as it is fascinating, alluring, and rewarding. So if you are planning your Ghana vacation, consider these reasons to add a Togo tour to your trip:
Togo is a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of Ghana.
Yes, Ghana is a more popular and well-established tourism destination than Togo, so you may find it odd that it can be much easier to relax on a Togo tour than on a Ghana tour. But when you leave behind the traffic, noise, street vendors and relative chaos of Accra and head east across the border into Togo, Lome will seem quiet, peaceful, and perhaps even sleepy. This small capital city doesn’t have nearly the noise, congestion, hustle or bustle of its neighbor to the west. While your Ghana vacation may include quiet sunsets in Mole National Park or peaceful days on the beaches west of Cape Coast, on the whole, a Togo tour could be a welcome reprieve from its pulsing neighbor to the west.
Its tourism infrastructure is growing fast!
Togo tourism is preparing to boom. The most obvious new boost to tourism in Togo is the recently completed international airport, which now has a variety of direct flights from European cities. In addition, Lome has recently added some top-quality hotels, including a Radisson Blu. The improvements in the roads from north to south make the idea of a comprehensive Togo tour much more appealing than it has ever been, as you can travel by car much faster and more comfortably than ever. As a sign of its commitment to attracting more tourists, Togo’s president recently added a ministry of tourism. So if you have an extra couple of days on your Ghana vacation, why not pop over the border for a Togo tour? You won’t be disappointed.
Togolese food is better than Ghanaian food.
Our Ghanaian friends may hate to hear it, but it’s overwhelmingly true. The British may be tired of hearing it as well, but the culinary legacy that they left behind in Ghana did not do much to enhance the restaurant scene. The French colonists, however, left behind a rich culinary tradition that has since fused with local traditions to form wonderful, tasty dishes. The quality of service in Togo’s restaurants is also far superior to that of Ghana. After you order your food, you can expect it to be cooked and delivered in a timely manner. Wait staff are attentive, knowledgeable and prompt, and most restaurants will actually be able to serve what is offered on their menus. So if you take a Ghana vacation and get tired of the inferior service and cuisine, be sure to set aside time for a Togo tour, and enjoy the lovely restaurants of Lome!
It’s cheap!
Indeed, Togo is cheaper than Ghana. Your dollars or Euros will take you even further than they would in Ghana, a country with a booming economy, a growing upper class, and a consistent flow of tourists from abroad. You can find cheaper prices for quality hotels, food, daily rental cars, tour guide fees, tour activities, and beyond. The difference in cost may be enough to let you splurge on a more luxurious hotel or eat at one of Lome’s finer restaurants. So if you are looking to save some money, set aside a couple days of your Ghana vacation for a short Togo tour, and enjoy everything this small nation has to offer!
Voodoo cultural tourism
If you take a Ghana vacation, you will quickly notice the strong presence of Christianity in the southern part of the country. Togo, however, is quite different. Togo is home to some of the strongest remaining voodoo traditions in the world. Along with neighboring Benin, Togo is one of the only countries in Africa where Christianity or Islam is not the majority religion. The main attraction is Lome’s Fetish Market, where you can see and learn about the wide range of goods used for voodoo purposes. You can also meet with a real-life fetish, who will explain various aspects of his practice. This market is just one of many commonly visited sites, but tourists can also take full-day voodoo tours in Togo. So why not take a small detour from your Ghana vacation by taking a short Togo tour to learn about the voodoo tradition?
The beaches!
Yes, Ghana also has lovely beaches, but the wide, palm-lined, white sand beaches of Togo are equally as inviting as those of its neighbor to the west. While high-quality, luxury beachfront accommodation may be hard to come by in Ghana, many of Togo’s top hotels are situated on the ocean, making it easy to move from the comfort of your hotel room to the sandy beach. Onomo Hotels has a property in Lome that features a lovely beachside pool and ocean-view rooms. So if you don’t already have enough reasons to set aside time from your Ghana vacation to take a Togo tour, consider booking a beachside hotel in Lome!