Experience the best of Lomé

Lomé stands on the Gulf of Guinea at Togo's southern tip, so close to Ghana that the border lies on the western edge of the city. It grew from a fishing village into the capital under German rule in the late 19th century, and the seafront, with its palm trees and old colonial buildings, still has an air of the early days. The Grand Marché, the central market, is a multi-storey maze where traders known as Nana-Benz built fortunes selling wax-print cloth.

The Akodessewa fetish market, said to be among the largest voodoo markets in the world, sells dried animal parts and charms used by healers. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is among the city's older buildings. Togoville, a centre of voodoo on Lake Togo, lies about 30 kilometres east, Aného, the former colonial capital, is further along the coast, and the forested hills around Kpalimé rise to the north-west.

Fufu and akoumé, a thick maize paste, come with spicy sauces, grilled fish and chicken, and fried plantain, and palm wine is poured at festive meals. The dry months run from November to March, with a dusty Harmattan wind in December and January, and the main rains fall between April and July.