Culinary
One of the special features of Togolese cuisine is fufu, a firm puree made from boiled and mashed pieces of jam and pâte or akoumé, a firm porridge made from corn flour. Gari, which is made from cassava, plays an important role on the Togolese menu. Various delicious sauces are served with these plats de résistance. Cuisimonde gives a brief insight into Togo’s cuisine. Of drinks there in the south palm wine from the well of liquor Sodabi distilled, while millet beer is more popular in the north (allegedly 60% of the harvest is processed into beer). The online magazine Togozine gives a brief insight into the cuisine of Togo and in the first cookbook dedicated to Togolese cuisine, the publication ’50 recettes du Togo ‘, dishes from all regions of the country are presented. In 2016, on May 21, the day of cultural diversity, Togo relied above all on its culinary diversity and presented dishes from all parts of the country under the motto ‘Consume Togolese products’. A short film shows a family on the outskirts of Lomé enjoying various morning activities and having breakfast.
With children in Togo
According to thesciencetutor, Togo is a very child-friendly country. If you want to travel with children, the Togolese population will certainly welcome you and you will have a good social status. You can also find private kindergartens in Lomé and some other larger cities. If your children are of school age, you should inquire about the possibilities of going to school in good time. In Lomé, the British school, the American international school and the French high school, which celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for a new building in 2015, offer school-age children a good education.
Security
So far, there have been no terrorist attacks or kidnapping of tourists in Togo. However, there is an increased risk of terrorist acts of violence, kidnappings and criminal attacks, especially in the far north, not least due to the infiltration of criminal or terrorist groups from the northern neighboring country of Burkina Faso. In consultation with its neighbors, Togo has deployed units of its security forces in the border area, and increased controls are to be expected. We therefore advise against traveling in the border area to Burkina Faso north of Dapaong including the cities of Mandouri and Dapaong as well as to Cinkassé and onward travel by land from Togo to Burkina Faso.
The worsening social situation of the population is causing crime to rise overall. It is primarily property crimes, especially in the Lomé metropolitan area. Thefts, pickpockets, but also robberies occur against European travelers and especially on beaches. In Lomé, walks on the beach are not recommended, even during the day. Armed robberies on cars mainly take place at night. Hiring a night watchman for your own house is strongly advised.
The safety situation in road traffic is precarious. It is not advisable to drive overland at night, as unfortunately there are always vehicles with defective headlights. It gets dark very quickly shortly after 6 p.m. – without twilight. It is not uncommon in Togo to simulate breakdowns or accidents that are used for criminal offenses.
The ubiquitous motorcycle taxis are often involved in serious accidents. In the event of a traffic accident, the police must always be called. If possible, go to the nearest police station after an accident instead of staying at the scene of the accident. After an accident, emotional threats can quickly arise, regardless of the question of who caused it. The owners of motorcycle taxis often do not have the mandatory liability insurance. Helmets have been compulsory since 2014 and must be observed.
Since August 2017 there have been social tensions and associated protests and demonstrations, occasionally with violent clashes and traffic obstructions due to road barricades. Avoid demonstrations and large crowds in large areas.
After dark, the security forces carry out more road checks. Carry a copy of your passport with you with the residence permit or visa. During roadside checks by the police, gendarmerie and military, it is important that you remain calm and relaxed and that you do not allow yourself to be provoked into rash emotional statements.
Togo has a 50 km long coastline, but it is unsuitable for swimming due to the dangerous surf and current conditions. You will only find protected beaches behind the port of Lomé, as a rocky reef several kilometers long keeps the surf off and forms a kind of elongated basin. Only swim on guarded beaches, do not swim too far out and pay attention to advice from local forces.
The Togolese criminal law provides for relatively harsh penalties for drug offenses. There is a risk of fines of up to € 200,000 and imprisonment of up to 20 years, with particular reference to the often high minimum imprisonment sentences (five to ten years).
