Togo Hotels

Real reviews from real travelers

Top Togo hotels

Lome Hotels: 87 Reviews - 408 Photos
Togoville Hotels: 2 Reviews - 8 Photos
Sokode Hotels: 3 Reviews - 12 Photos
Niamtougou Hotels: 15 Reviews - 39 Photos
Lome Hotels: 1 Review - 3 Photos
Kpalime Hotels: 1 Review - 1 Photo
Kara Hotels: 7 Reviews - 32 Photos
Awassa Hotels: See nearby hotels
Aneho Hotels: 4 Reviews - 27 Photos

Togo Local Customs

by DAO

Previous Next

Local Customs
by DAO
Local Customs
by DAO
Local Customs
by DAO
Local Customs
by DAO
1 1000 CFA NOTE (REVERSE)
by DAO

Comments

1 - 0 of 0

Book without the gamble!: Tingo.com If prices drop after you book, Get Money Back automatically!
Book online.: Hotels.com See maps & reviews for over 140,000 Hotels worldwide!

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

THE CURRENCY OF TOGO

by DAO

The currency of Togo is the West African CFA Franc. You may see it written as "F CFA" and you will hear it pronounced "see-fuh" or "see-fah". Officially it is the Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) Franc issued by the Central Bank of the States of West Africa (BCEAO). If you are looking for the exchange rates for their currency you will need to look for the symbol “XOF”. The 8 countries that use this same currency make up the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and they are:Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Sénégal and Togo.The denominations are:Coins 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 250, 500 francsBanknotes 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 francsOriginally this currency was aligned with a parity value to the Euro – but this has slipped quite a bit. It is, however, externally convertibility as it is guaranteed by the French Treasury.A few words of...

4 more images

THE FLAG OF TOGO

by DAO

Before you think the flag of Togo is just another flag with the Pan African theme – think again. Although it does use the 3 colors originally set out by Ethiopia, there is a lot of thought and care that has been woven into the design. It was designed by a very talented artist named Paul Ahyi (1930 – 2010). It has five equal horizontal stripes – in the order of green, yellow, green, yellow, green. In the top left corner there is a red square with a white 5 point white star. The flag was adopted on April 27, 1960 – the formal day of independence from France. The colors represent:Green - agricultural wealthYellow – mineral resourcesRed – the blood of patriots fighting for independenceThe 5 horizontal stripes - the five regions of TogoThe whites star - hope

4 more images

Hot Chocolate

by lalikes

Hot Chocolate is huge in Togo (Lome). It's their coffee or tea. Pick a local spot and enjoy. The guys running this outdoor (make shift by our standards) were jovial, happy to oblige; all for less than $1 U.S. dollar. They also have food prepared as you wait/watch. Local breakfast is spaghetti with a fried egg on top.

3 more images

Foot fetish

by grets

We stumbled across a strange custom in the Djendi village of the Kotakoli – foot fetish amongst the men! Apparently, the men like their women to have soft feet and hands, so their lady folk will do their best to accommodate these wishes. An herb known as LALE is used to beautify their feet and to make them soft. The herb is ground to a pulp on a stone and then mixed with water for it to become a soft a pliable pulp. The feet are washed thoroughly prior to the treatment. This pulp is applied to the edge of the soles of the feet with their hands. It is left on for two-three hours, after which is becomes a nice red colour, rather like the henna which is used in India. Overnight it will become dark and black – just like henna! This is considered a real treat in their customs and their men love it!

4 more images

Oil lamps

by grets

It never ceased to amaze me how ingenuititive (I think I might just have made that word up) the local people are. I have said it several times: waste not want not. These oil lamps are fashioned from discarded food cans. Much cheaper than making them from ‘new’ metal and much more sustainable. We have a lot to learn from the African in the west!

1 more image

Pelebe

by grets

When making millet or sorghum beer, a pulp is remaining after the beer has been filtered through a fine mesh. This pulp is dried and made into patties and sold in the market for fuel. It is known as pelebe.

3 more images

Shea Butter

by grets

Shea butter has a sizeable quantity of unsaponifiable fats, several vitamins and other active elements, as well as soothing, moisturising and protecting properties. Shea butter also helps cell regeneration and capillary circulation which in turn speeds up the healing of small wounds, skin cracks and crevices, and skin ulcers. It is also believed to aid in the fight against ageing. Shea butter is produced by extracting fat from the fruit of the shea tree by crushing and boiling. As well as being used as a body moisturiser, shea butter is also used for cooking and sometimes in the production of chocolate in place of cocoa butter.

2 more images

Tooth brush

by grets

This is probably a lot healthier than the western counterpart, as these natural toothbrushes are disposable and biodegradable. I didn’t actually try them, but did try some similar ones in Mali some years ago and they worked a treat! It just shows that you can still have impeccable personal hygiene without the modern trappings.

African handbag

by grets

This is the equivalent of the ubiquitous handbag in England or purse as it is known in the States. No self-respecting Togolese would be seen without one! Everything and anything is carried in these shallow metal bowls: shopping, sales goods, laundry, water, food…….the list is endless!

Blacksmiths

by grets

In Togo, blacksmith is not just any old trade; it is a very special trade. Blacksmiths are special, different, extraordinary people, as if they are from a totally different society, and are almost revered like semi-gods. You cannot just set yourself up as a blacksmith, you have to belong to the secret society where everyone knows everyone else. Only post-menopausal women were allowed to collect the raw materials from the nearby mountains. The reason for choosing post-menopausal women was that they are considered pure, as they no longer engage in sexual activities.Many people would come to the furnaces (picture 2) from nearby villages to buy the iron to make into farming implements. The process would involve a layer of firewood inside the cone, then the raw iron materials, grain wood on top of that, topped with fire. The iron ore would then be collected at some later stage from the holes...

4 more images

Top 3 Hotels in Togo

Hotel Napoleon Lagune Lome

1 Review and 9 Opinions It’s a long story. I made a reservation with this hotel, then forgot and didn’t stay here. I wish I...

Hotels in Lome

Show Prices

MERCURE LOME SARAKAWA 3M Lome

1 Review and 46 Opinions I have stayed in this hotel for a week in 2005 Sep on my way to accra from cotonou. I must say that...

Hotels in Lome

Show Prices

Mercure Lome Sarakawa Lome

2 Reviews and 46 Opinions A very nice, comfortable/upper class hotel with amazing swimming pool. Staff very helpful....

Hotels in Lome

Show Prices

6 Hotels in Togo

Explore the World

Odessa Local Customs