Lomé

Lomé is the capital and largest city of Togo. With a population of 837,000 (2011), the city is the economic and cultural center of the country. Around a quarter of the country's population lives here.

Understand
In 1897 Lomé became capital of the German colony Togo.

In 1975 the Lomé Convention was signed between the European Economic Community and 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific states.

Get in
The main border crossing from Ghana is Aflao, less than 2 km from the city centre. Visa on arrival is available at both airport and land border from Ghana for CFA 10,000 - 15,000 depending on your nationality and is good for one week. It can be extended for a month for no extra charge. As of January 2019, you can get a 3-month visa at the border for Ghana for 705 Ghana sedis (US$145).

Get around
Motos are plentiful throughout the capital, and a good distance on a moto will cost you CFA 300. Taxis can be rented from around CFA 500, with CFA 2000 getting you basically anywhere in town. There are route taxis, costing normally CFA 200-400, but if you are visiting they are difficult to figure out and only ever really used by local folks.

There are rental car agencies downtown, but if you are just coming for a few days motos are your best option.

The beach road runs directly beside the ocean from Ghana to Benin. The Boulevard Circulaire (le 13 Janvier) acts as a main artery through downtown Lomé, a hemisphere that encloses the Marche and Government buildings. It starts at the beach in Kodjoviakope and wraps around to the beach in Bea.

Do
Enjoy beaches (but do take care for your safety), there are so many, such as:

Closer to the center of town are Lake East and Lake West which might be somewhat interesting for walking along.

Buy
Lomé's biggest attractions are its markets.

The has a large 3-storey hall. It sells everything: red peppers, green lemons, dried fish, combs, travel bags, traditional medicinal remedies, and more. On the first floor is the Nana Benz, which is noted for its clothing.

The smaller and more specialized (CFA 3000 entrance fee; CFA 2000 if taking photos) sells voodoo fetishes, gongons, and gris-gris.

There is also a souvenir market. It sells wooden carvings, clay pots, authentic fabrics, local paintings, and African clothing. Most of them are made on spot and of great value. As always make sure to bargain.

Eat
Local street food is plentiful, and a large plate of rice or pate costs 200CFA.

Lebanese restaurants are peppered throughout Lomé, with the best being in Kodjoviakope and wrapping around with the Boulevard. Recommended are Al Mohatas by the Route de Kpalime and Al Sultan's in Kodjoviakope. Most plates cost CFA 1,000-2,000.

There are two Chinese restaurants, one in Kodjoviakope, the other in Asigame, down the street from the Togocel main offices.



For a classy experience, you could try the Akwaba Pool Bar and Grill at the Hotel 2 Fevrier.

Drink
Lomé really comes alive at night, the local Loméians dressing to the nines and going out to the numerous bars and discothèques. There are many western style dance clubs downtown. Two of the best (and most expensive) are Privilege, attached to the hotel Palm Beach and 7Clash, in Dekon on the Boulevard.

For a more relaxed time, check out the beach close to the border with Ghana - seating is plentiful and, if you're lucky, the Castle Milk Stouts are pretty cold. Be sure to get off of the beach soon after nightfall, as it is easily the most dangerous part of the city.

Local drinks can be found if you dig a little deeper. The local brew of choice is Tchouk, locally brewed millet beer. A calabash full at a tchouk-stand costs CFA 100 in the city. Other drinks are Deha - palm wine, and Sodabe - Togolese bathtub hooch - grain liquor that burns going down and coming back up. Be wary, it is only for the truly initiated.

Sleep
Decent hotels (as in there is a bed, sink, and shower) are in northern Lomé and cost about CFA 15,000 - 16,000. Hotels are common the closer you get to the beach, the most expensive being the 2 Fevrier and Hotel Sarakawa, on the beach road. Amenities are very accommodating, but they are incredibly expensive for Lomé starting at CFA 100,000 per night.

There are a few nice hotels with fan/air-com in Kodjoviakope and surrounding areas that will run you CFA 7,000-15,000. Check out My Diana's, and for the budget traveller, ask for Mammy's, down the road from the Angolan Embassy (CFA 3,500 per room, rooms fit 2-3).

Stay safe
The beaches and surrounding areas are known for frequent muggings, especially at night. Don’t wander around on your own at night on the beach unless there are plenty of people around.

Connect
Lomé has Internet cafés, and they are cheap. You buy access by the hour (around a couple US dollars an hour), but most of the cafés feature very slow computers and Internet connection speeds.

If you are staying in Kodjoviakope you can use your Ghana cell card, it will work perfectly.

Embassies

 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇪🇬 Egypt