Kpalime Travel Guide
Kpalimé is a southwestern mountain town in Togo. It is just 2 hours away from Lomé and surrounded by coffee and cocoa plantations. The Kpalime Travel Guide is inspired by our trip to Togo in November 2019.
We typically avoid places that need a guide, but Togo has limited tourism infrastructure. A guide can help you manage your motorcycle rides, pay local entry fees, and provide history. Additionally, considering that Togo doesn’t get many tourists, you’ll help support the industry. With the help of our hotel in Kpalimé, we lucked out with an English-speaking guide who managed our two hikes to Wli Waterfall and Mount Agou. We negotiated a “package” price.
How to Get to Kpalime
Much of getting around in Togo relies on asking other people for what routes are open, what busses are available, and where you should go to catch the bus.
You can take a minibus or a taxi from the bus “depot” in Lomé. (Read about the Top 5 things to do in Lomé). You should get a motorcycle or taxi to take you there and ask your hotel hosts for the best route.
We organized two motorcycles the day before to fetch us from our lodging. Initially, we planned to take a minibus but there was only one in the lot. The minibus was going to wait until it had filled up. This is common. However, it seemed like it was going to take a while. In the meantime, a taxi approached us and said he would take us. To make the most of our time, we opted for the taxi.
If you take a taxi, ask to get dropped off at your hostel. If you take a minibus, just shout to get dropped off nearest to your lodging on the main road.
Going to/from Ghana
You can also get to Kpalimé from Ghana. We crossed the border in a taxi to go back to Accra from Kpalimé so I’m sure you can do it the other way around. The taxi took us from Kpalimé to Shia, Ghana. Here we got an entry visa and took a different taxi to the town of Ho, Ghana. From there we took a minibus to Accra. Best to ask your lodgings what is possible as things could have changed during/after COVID. Some land borders close during election times as well.
Beware that you may be asked for bribes on the border. On our way out of Togo to Ghana, the Togo border post had signs that said”we don’t accept bribes,” “no corruption,” etc… But as we got our exit stamps and went to the Ghana border post, a rope barrier rose, and we were asked for “tea money” by 3 men. We offered up our last CFA (which we didn’t need for Ghana anyway…)
How long should you stay?
This really depends on how much time you have. You’ll likely do one activity a day because even though activities are central to Kpalimé, you’ll spend some time motorcycling back and forth.
If you’re spending a leisurely week in Togo, plan for 3 or 4 full days in Kpalimé. This way, you’ll be able to see all of the main sights. If you’ve got less time, then 2 nights is all you need to see Wli Waterfall and to climb Mount Agou.
We stayed 2 nights and so we just did Wli Waterfall and Mount Agou.
Things to do Around Kpalime
Wli Waterfall
Waterfalls, motorcycle rides, small villages, and fresh cocoa? Yes, please! Wli Waterfall is the tallest waterfall in West Africa. It is usually accessed from Ghana—and there is more tourism infrastructure on that side of the border. In Togo, you’ll get a real adventure.
We arranged transport (one motorcycle each) to get to Wli Waterfall. The ride takes about 1.5 hours to a totally unmarked spot after the village of Sadome where our guides lead the descent to the Wli. It is a pure descent. There are loose rocks and some steep spots so watch out.
You’ll have a cool view of the surrounding area throughout the hike and eventually see Wli!
Bring your swimsuit to take a dip in the pool.
We passed some interesting villages on our ride.
Tips:
- Bring LOTS of water on your hike. It’s hot and there isn’t that much shade cover until you are at the waterfall pool.
- Your motorcycle ride will leave you totally covered with dirt and dust. My light blue top got so dusty that even bleach couldn’t get the red dirt out.
p.s. It’s hard to get the full majesty of Wli Waterfall in photos!
Mount Agou
Hiking Togo’s highest mountain, Mount Agou, will be another adventure to remember. Plan to get a guide to arrange transportation and to lead you to the top!
The hike costs 5000 CFA for entry. Keep your receipt to enter top! Google Maps is not reliable here (and neither is my geotag location from where we started the hike…) Ask your hotel where you should enter and get your tickets.
If you don’t use a guide, be warned that the trail off-shots in different directions. You should either have very clear directions or a plan to back-track and ask people where to go along the way.
There is a paved road all the way to the top, but that’s not what you’re here for. Your guide will take you on the mountain paths used to connect the villages on a 6km hike (depending on where you start). Though a hiking trail for tourists like ourselves, locals still use the paths. Therefore, the path is well-trodden. This is a moderate trail for a regular hiker.
I liked passing the goats along the trail.
Our guide also showed us the natural “tattoos.”
We had a nice view of the surrounding Plateaux Region at the summit.
We walked the paved road back down until a motorbike offered to take us the rest of the way to the main road. Our way back to Kpalimé was a separate adventure because the guide couldn’t manage to find two motorcycles to take us back to Kpalimé. Instead, he left us at a bar and hitchhiked his way until he brought back a whole lot of motorbikes. Most of them probably came to check out the tourists. It was pretty amusing and we had the perfect sunset drinks waiting for the motorcycles. Going with the flow is key to travel and transportation in Togo!
Tips:
- Arrange transportation and a guide with your lodging. You’ll get some local history about some of the Ewe people that settled here with the guide too.
- You may need an ID to purchase a ticket (without a guide) according to some TripAdvisor reviews.
Bat Valley
You will need a guide to visit Bat Valley. Check with your lodgings or tour guide to learn about visiting as there isn’t that much information available online. I was not able to fit this into my itinerary but it seems very cool!
Wome Waterfall
Wome is a waterfall south of Kpalimé where you can swim. It will take about 40 min to get there via motorcycle. Your motorcycles can wait for you as you enjoy the waterfall. Lonely Planet says a roundtrip ride will cost 3600 CFA and entrance is 1100 CFA. Also, check out the Trip Advisor page for recent tips!
We originally planned to visit Wome Waterfall but our guide suggested Wli instead. I’m so glad went to Wli because we didn’t know from Google searching that it was possible.
Kpalime Waterfall
Trip Advisor has mixed reviews for Kpalime Waterfall. If you visit Wli and Womé, Kpalimé waterfall will be less exciting. You’ll pay for a motorcycle ride and entrance fee. You also may need a guide to hike down to the falls.
Where to Eat in Kpalime
Get a taste of Togolese dishes in Kpalimé. Check out some of these spots we went to try fufu!
Fufu is a West African staple made from boiled and pound starchy foods like cassava, yams, or plantains. It doesn’t have much taste and is meant to be used to soak in the flavors of whatever dish it is being served with.
When we arrived we thought the place was closed. However, a friendly server/cook came over got us beers and we had two fish dishes with fufu.
We had fufu with tomatoes and onions, and fried fish.
A google search will bring up a couple of other restaurants too. Plan for a backup dinner option if a restaurant is closed.
We didn’t get a chance to go but these are some other spots I had highlighted for our trip: Bar Restaurant Le Plaisir, Le Bon Vivant Restaurant, and Bar Aux Balançoires.
For lunch, we bought bread, avocados, tomatoes, and fruit on the side of the streets in the center of town.
Where to Stay
Hôtel Amédzépé is a wonderful hotel. You’ll get a cozy room with some outdoor space. There is a small pool to cool off during the hot days, which are most days. We stayed here for 2 nights in November 2019.
The host was also very helpful in connecting us to a local, English-speaking guide who managed motorbikes for us to visit Mount Agou and Wli Waterfall. The hotel can also organize your transfer from Lomé for you for around 60,000 CFA.
There are several other hotels that also look great for a stay in Kpalimé. Check out Hôtel Ganiela, Hôtel Chez Fanny, and for something more luxurious Hôtel Parc Résidence.
Practical Advice for Visiting Kpalime
You must have enough cash for your lodgings, food, guides, and transportation before arriving in Kpalimé. There is no guarantee the banks will have cash. Visa cards could be accepted by a hotel, but this is also unlikely. You may be able to pay via EFT in advance of your stay. Be prepared.
English is not really spoken in Kpalimé. Plan to speak French and use Google Translate to manage.
It was safe for us to walk around at night between the hotel and dinner spots. Make sure your phone is charged or that you have a flashlight to manage the darkness.
Guides and advice for Togo are limited on the internet. The Crazy Tourist and Erika’s Travels are two blog posts that helped me. Check them out for more information on spots to visit in Togo.