Lome

The dock is not close enough to walk into town, but shuttle buses are supplied. The distance is 3-4 Km.

As passengers leave the ship for tours, a local drum band and several dancers perform at the gangway.

Take a printable map along.

Togo is a narrow West African country, bordered by Ghana to the west and Benin to the east, with a small northern border with Burkina Faso and a 56km Atlantic coastline in the south.

Lome, Togo's capital and largest city, stands in the southwest on the Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a popular tourist destination with an international airport, and highways and railroads linking it to major towns on the coast and inland. Once a small village, Lome became the capital of German Togo in 1897, then passed under French control in 1919. Togo became independent from France in 1960. Since then Lome has enlarged its port, added new hotels and become home to Togo's only university.

This intriguing African port offers the chance to see a Voodoo Ceremony or browse the Fetish Market for trinkets and talismans.

The German Cathedral's carved pews and wall paintings reveal part of Togo's colonial past, as do the Goethe Cultural Center and Pasteur Library. Also see the mosque and National Museum. Allow at least two hours for the museum: it holds interesting national and historic artefacts, including maps, paintings and photographs.

Most passengers choose a cruise-organised tour.

Sanguera is a small village roughly a 45 minute drive north of Lome. Its "Voodoo Ceremony" should not be missed.

Visit one of Lome's two city markets, where the shuttle drops passengers. The original, three-story-high Grand Marche is full of brightly coloured fabrics and other local goods: food and spices are on the ground floor, types of cloth on the second, and bracelets, Togolese beads and imported goods for local residents on the third. Watch for pickpockets. The vodun-fetish market at Akodessewa is also interesting, 5 mi/8 km northeast of central Lome. Ewe "twin cult" figures are sold there; ask to see them because they are not usually displayed, but do not begin the bargaining…

The constant haggling from thousands of street vendors can become tiring. Simply say "No thank you" politely and walk away; do not become abusive, as the trader is trying to feed their family.

1,000 CFA is equal to $2 USD.

French is the official language.

In Lome, inexpensive cafes provide free WiFi for customers.