Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 11 minutes ago
The border crossing between Ghana and Togo is the most unwelcoming one we’ve encountered since Morocco-Mauritania, with people everywhere pushy in their attempts to act as fixers, and border staff who aren’t exactly friendly either. It takes us half an hour per country, plus another quarter of an hour to get a SIM card. We later hear from other travellers that we got off lightly: they had their car inspected, which took an hour. One of the first things that strikes us in Togo is that motorcyclists and passengers, without exception, wear helmets. Undoubtedly a rule that’s strictly enforced.
Our first destination today is the Grand Marché, another one of those colourful African markets where all sorts of things are sold. Hair extensions to lengthen frizzy hair are very popular in West Africa. What’s unusual is that they’re always displayed on white people’s heads. We carry on to the Marché Artisanal, a narrow street where bags, clothes, wood carvings and the like are sold. It’s clearly aimed at tourists, but there aren’t any. All the vendors have pinned their hopes on us to make a sale today, but unfortunately, it’s not to be. It feels a bit awkward. The last market is the Akodessewa Fetish Market. We walk around with a guide. It’s full of animal skulls and dried animals. They’re used in Voodoo rituals.
Chapters:
00:00:27:21 Arrival
00:01:16:18 Grand Marché
00:03:08:48 Marché Artisanal
00:03:30:04 Akodessewa Fetish Market
We visited Togo on our overland trip by car (a Toyota LandCruiser 4WD campervan) from West-Africa; see our channel youtube.com/user/JanvanBekkum for hundreds of clips. More clips of Togo can be found here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMYlw_C7EP8KqyTKPnPCZ38MjsZxf_bkB. Enjoy more markets by playing the clips in this playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMYlw_C7EP8K3F6XCwWuo4kChlTHlhgRB.
Music and/or sound effects:
- 'Infados' by Kevin MacLeod. Link: www.incompetech.com. License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/;
- 'Night Cave' by Kevin MacLeod. Link: www.incompetech.com. License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/;
- 'Symphony of the Streets. Hip-Hop Background Music for video 60 second' created by Maksim Dudchyk and uploadexd from Pixbay (pixabay.com/nl/music/orkestraal-symphony-of-the-streets-hip-hop-background-music-for-video-60-second-476679/).;
- 'Calm inspiring technology logo short version' created by Alex Zavesa, distributed by Pixabay (pixabay.com/sound-effects/film-special-effects-calm-inspiring-technology-logo-short-version-518993/).
The border crossing between Ghana and Togo is the most unwelcoming one we’ve encountered since Morocco-Mauritania, with people everywhere pushy in their attempts to act as fixers, and border staff who aren’t exactly friendly either. It takes us half an hour per country, plus another quarter of an hour to get a SIM card. We later hear from other travellers that we got off lightly: they had their car inspected, which took an hour. One of the first things that strikes us in Togo is that motorcyclists and passengers, without exception, wear helmets. Undoubtedly a rule that’s strictly enforced.
Our first destination today is the Grand Marché, another one of those colourful African markets where all sorts of things are sold. Hair extensions to lengthen frizzy hair are very popular in West Africa. What’s unusual is that they’re always displayed on white people’s heads. We carry on to the Marché Artisanal, a narrow street where bags, clothes, wood carvings and the like are sold. It’s clearly aimed at tourists, but there aren’t any. All the vendors have pinned their hopes on us to make a sale today, but unfortunately, it’s not to be. It feels a bit awkward. The last market is the Akodessewa Fetish Market. We walk around with a guide. It’s full of animal skulls and dried animals. They’re used in Voodoo rituals.
Chapters:
00:00:27:21 Arrival
00:01:16:18 Grand Marché
00:03:08:48 Marché Artisanal
00:03:30:04 Akodessewa Fetish Market
We visited Togo on our overland trip by car (a Toyota LandCruiser 4WD campervan) from West-Africa; see our channel youtube.com/user/JanvanBekkum for hundreds of clips. More clips of Togo can be found here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMYlw_C7EP8KqyTKPnPCZ38MjsZxf_bkB. Enjoy more markets by playing the clips in this playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMYlw_C7EP8K3F6XCwWuo4kChlTHlhgRB.
Music and/or sound effects:
- 'Infados' by Kevin MacLeod. Link: www.incompetech.com. License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/;
- 'Night Cave' by Kevin MacLeod. Link: www.incompetech.com. License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/;
- 'Symphony of the Streets. Hip-Hop Background Music for video 60 second' created by Maksim Dudchyk and uploadexd from Pixbay (pixabay.com/nl/music/orkestraal-symphony-of-the-streets-hip-hop-background-music-for-video-60-second-476679/).;
- 'Calm inspiring technology logo short version' created by Alex Zavesa, distributed by Pixabay (pixabay.com/sound-effects/film-special-effects-calm-inspiring-technology-logo-short-version-518993/).
