Flights to Lomé with Air France from GBP 488*

* The displayed prices are applicable for one adult. All amounts are in GBP including taxes and surcharges, except where taxes are collected locally at the airport. A booking fee is not applicable, but a payment surcharge may apply. Prices and availability are subject to change without notice, see Air France Price Display for more information.

Discover Lomé, the capital of Togo

For your next holiday, come and discover the smallest country in Africa - Togo - and Lomé, its capital. The bubbling city is home to over 830,000 inhabitants. Lomé is located on the Gulf of Guinea coastline and is an important economic hub given its major port.

The city has a rich past, from a time when French or German tourists came here on holiday to enjoy a drop of heaven with paradise-like beaches and luxury hotels!

Though tourists do not show the same surge of enthusiasm, the destination is still a delicious change of scenery - that is best visited from December to March. Indeed, booking your flight to Lomé at this period will mean avoiding the raining season and heavy tropical climate during the hot months of the year.

To get to Lomé, you can book your airline ticket after having browsed through the many regular flights offered by Air France. The flight will last at least 8h from London - without counting the lay-overs (Paris or Amsterdam). Once there, you will have to put your watch back an hour to take the time difference into account. Be careful when organising your trip, as some flights require you to stop over again in another African country. Make sure you are up-to-date with all the administrative obligations.

To get around, you can speak English in places used to welcoming visitors. English is not however as widespread among the rest of the population.

Lomé: inhabitants showing a warm welcome and local traditions

During your trip to Lomé, the inhabitants' simplicity and joy for life will strike you. The people living there are particularly welcoming and open. They will open up their hearts and homes to you out of pure goodness. Enjoy these precious moments and delve right into Africa's country of smiles, listen to the country's many tales that cannot be found in books or tourist guides but that are passed on from generation to generation.

Local culture can also be discovered by strolling through the streets of Lomé. You can thus admire a typical African city, with an architecture inspired by various historical periods. There are vestiges of colonial times, with several remarkable buildings such as the Sacré Coeur cathedral or Governors' Palace.

Over time, architectural styles evolved and now there are lots of ultra-modern buildings - such as the offices of the Economic Community of West African States.

You will also be surprised by the independence monument, located right in the heart of the administrative district. It was erected in 1960 and celebrates the end of the colonial era.

To immerse yourself even further in the country's history when travelling to Lomé, have a look round the National Museum. You can learn more about Togo's history and traditions, and admire the collections of traditional objects.

Lomé, its markets and curiosities

To make the most of your trip to Lomé, ride out on Lake Togo in a pirogue, to discover the local fauna and flora, and admire their diversity and many vibrant colours.

After such a tranquil getaway, come back to reality and delve right into the bustling atmosphere of the city's market! The one in Lomé is particularly large and occupies an entire three-storey hall. There you can find all kinds of objects and food, souvenirs and day-to-day products. Try not to be too overwhelmed by the surroundings and enjoy the lovely atmosphere amidst the chaos.

Similarly, another key market to visit in Lomé is the charm market. It can be rather disconcerting for the more sensitive among you. Indeed, this market sells everything you need for practising voodooism! Lomé and Togo have an ancient voodoo tradition, that carries on thanks to this curious market. Though some of the vendors do it more for folklore than anything else nowadays, there are still a few animal skulls, dried hides and other strange objects. You should however be careful - as it is such a big tourist attraction, you may have to deal with some rather unscrupulous traders.

For more information on preparing your trip:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs