Togo

Only a pencil-thin strip of land, Togo still receives rave reviews from travellers. While Lomé and the beaches that surround it are the big draws for most vacationers, those who push on will be wowed by its unique village cultures and the vivacity of their markets and festivals.

If there were a popularity contest among countries in West Africa, Togo would probably be a strong contender. Its political turmoil in the early 1990s reduced the stream of travellers to a trickle, but the tide is turning and the attractions that once brought them remain largely the same.