Must See Togo - Lomé

Before the country's political troubles of the 1990s, Lomé was the pearl of West Africa. Nearly everyone who swept through the region stopped in Lomé for a few days at the beach. French and Germans would flock in during the winter, living it up in the city's five-star hotels and fine restaurants.

But travellers are fairly scarce these days, and many businesses are just getting by. Though a few hotels still do a brisk business, most tourist facilities now bide their time in a semi-deserted ambience. There are a few Internet cafés opening up in Lomé with cheap and reliable connections.

On the Place de l'Independence stands a gilded bronze statue of the man behind the muscle, President Eyadéma, and another of his mother; both were removed during the civil disturbances of 1991. Behind the Palais des Congrès is the National Museum.