Slow Travel - The Togo edition

All the things I got up to in Lomé

Jul 14, 2023

I decided to visit Lomé, Togo after my colleague and friend who is Togolese described the serenity and calmness of the city to me. As much as I enjoy the convenience of big cities, at my core, I’m a small-city girl. I love slow cities, where the people are not in a hurry and can pause and enjoy moments of ease. It’s why I moved to Abuja from Lagos.

I spent 16 days in Lomé in March. I wasn’t on vacation but because I work remotely, I simply moved my day-to-day life to another city temporarily. I traveled with my friend, Ohotu, who also works remotely and we spent our days working from the couch and dining table of our Airbnb, and our evenings chasing beaches and sunsets. We both fell hard for Lomé.

We would walk 10 minutes almost every morning to a bakery to buy fresh croissants for breakfast, I can’t tell you how good that simple act felt. We cooked many of our lunches and dinners, tried out street food, restaurants, and bars, went to the market, went to the beach (100 times), took a road trip, and hung out with friends and friends of friends. It was truly amazing.

Togolese people are said to be quiet, calm, and welcoming and I definitely agree. I enjoyed the incredible hospitality and kindness of the people I connected with. I connected with an Instagram mutual who lives in Lomé, and she ended up being an amazing guide for navigating the city and finding the best spots, and a delightful friend to hang out with. Shout out to you Sabine.

Anyway, you asked and I’m delivering. All the details you need to plan your own Lomé getaway. PS: I had a flexible budget, but you can tweak your trip to fit your budget.

Accomodation

We stayed in two different locations: first, a comfortable Airbnb flat where we could cook, work, do laundry, and more; and then a hotel for our last two nights.

There are several hotels and apartments in the city with a wide price range, so this is really subjective. In choosing a space, Ohotu and I prioritized features like comfort, location, good wifi, a desk for working, and a functional kitchen. We wanted somewhere that would feel like home and we got just that. Lomé is a pretty safe and secure city, and the power supply at our apartment was hardly interrupted.

Link: Fafape appartement

For our last two nights, we wanted to be as close to the beach as possible and we settled on the minimalist cabins at Robinson Plage which are right on the beach, as in, 10 steps away from the water. It was an amazing experience.

Endless beach views from my cabin and the restaurant at New Robinson Plage

Link: New Robinson Plage Hotel (20,000CFA - about ₦25,000) per night
Ps: The cabins are not listed on the website, so send a WhatsApp message to book.

Other Costs

Flights: It cost me about ₦390,000 for an ASKY round-trip ticket from Abuja, and cost about ₦290,000 for an ASKY round-trip ticket from Lagos. If you live in or around Lagos, you can opt to go by road via the Seme border. If you are West African, entry into Togo is visa-free as long as you have a passport and a yellow fever vaccination card.

Food/groceries: This is relative to how long you stay in Lomé, and if you prefer to cook or buy food. Ohotu and I did a mix of cooking and buying food, including street food and fine dining. However, the cost of living is similar to Lagos in my opinion. There’s something for every budget so just decide what you’re willing to spend.

Moving around: We used the Gozem app (similar to Uber) which is available on mobile app stores. There are also plenty of commercial bikes and taxis on the main roads.

Places and Spots

I had many great recommendations from my Togolese friends, and even though I was not able to visit them all, I would love to share that list with you. The places I visited have a star beside them, and the places I visited and highly recommend have two stars.

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