Specials DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS MAGAZINE Spring 2011 - Anniversary Commemorative Issue

A Togo Vacation

Togo is a small West African country sandwiched between Ghana to the west and Republic of Benin to the east. Burkina Faso is to the north and it is bordered in the south by the Atlantic Ocean with a 56 kilometer-long coastline.

Geographically the country is divided into five regions, the southern-most maritime in which the capital and biggest city, Lome, is located; the Plateau region; the Central region; the Kara region and the northern-most Savannah region.

Temperatures in all regions are stable all year round. In the south temperatures range between 22 to 33 degrees Celsius (71.6 to 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit). In the north it ranges between 18 and 38 degrees Celsius (64.4 and 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Languages Spoken

Togo has many ethnic groups. The southern part of the country is mostly of Ewe-speaking people. In the north you find the Kabiyé or Kabre and the Gurma. French is the official language but you will find many people who can converse with you in English as well.

Getting There

From the Americas, Europe or Asia there are usually flights to most points in West Africa. The cheapest way to get here used to be via one of the national airlines of the countries of the region. Most of these, except the Ethiopian, Kenyan and South African airlines, are now defunct. You can get direct flights to Lome or fly to Accra, Ghana or Lagos, Nigeria and travel by road to Togo. Even though these are different countries, the distances between these coastal cities are not that great. Accra to Lome is less than three hours by bus; Lagos to Lome may be three hours or less.

If you prefer to fly directly to Lome, then it is best to obtain the Togo visa from their embassy in your country. But if you are entering via Accra or Lagos, get their respective country's visa as well. It is cheaper to get the Togo visa (while traveling by road) at the border. A number of luxury bus lines in Lagos and Accra are specialized in the trans-West Africa travel. They will handle all the immigration details for you while you relax in the air-conditioned bus. And they are less than half the cost of air travel. Plus you get to enjoy the magnificent coastal countryside which you don't get to see by air.

Currency and Exchange Rate

All French-speaking countries in West Africa use the same money, the CFA.  As of April 25, 2009 1000 CFA exchanges for US$2.02

CFA	Nigeria	Ghana	USA	Europe	UK	Canada
1000	N298	2.87 cedis	$2.02	1.52 Euro	£1.38	$2.44

Where to Stay

The city of Lome has many fine hotels. Some, of course, are better than others. Below is an alphabetical listing of some of these hotels in Lome and in other major cities. Where possible the phone numbers are included. No attempt has been made to rate the hotels in any way.