Dapaong

Dapaong is the main town of Togo's Savanes region in the far north, close to the Burkinabé border, sitting among rocky hills in country that is drier and more Sahelian than the rest of the country. Its market, selling fabric, millet and sheep, sits on a transit route for goods bound for Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger, and a small regional museum covers the archaeology and cultures of the north, including the cave dwellings at Nok and Mamproug nearby. The town, some 638 kilometres north of Lomé and home to about 58,000 people at the 2010 census, sits on the edge of the Gambaga escarpment, which runs on into Ghana, and since the 2000s its farmers have grown tomatoes in quantity for the Lomé market.

What you'll find

• The market - fabric, millet and sheep on a transit route to Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger.
• The rocky hills - the outcrops around the town.
• The regional museum - the display on northern archaeology and culture.
• The Sahelian country - drier ground than the rest of Togo.

When to go

November to March is the dry season. Harmattan in December and January brings dust and cooler air. The rains run June to September.

Good to know

There is little arranged for visitors and facilities are basic. The museum keeps limited hours.

Nearby

Nok and Mamproug are nearby, and Fosse aux Lions is south.

Key facts