Where to stay in Kara — pick the right hotel, book in 3 clicks

Local dishes to try in Kara

1. 1🌽

   Akoumé (pâte)

   Togo's national dish: fermented cornmeal cooked into a smooth, slightly tangy paste, eaten with sauces such as spinach, tomato or fish sauce.

   📍 Staple
2. 2🍠

   Fufu

   Boiled yam (or cassava) pounded into a smooth, stretchy dough, torn off and dipped in rich sauces and soups, a staple across the north.

   📍 Staple
3. 3🍢

   Brochette

   Charcoal-grilled meat skewers, found at roadside stalls and evening markets. Spiced beef or goat, a favourite snack with a cold beer.

   📍 Street food
4. 4🍅

   Djenkoumé

   A savoury cornmeal cake cooked with tomato and palm oil, giving it a rich reddish hue. Often served with grilled chicken or fish, a Togolese classic.

   📍 Signature dish
5. 5🍺

   Tchoukoutou / tchakpalo

   Home-brewed fermented millet beer, served in calabashes with a sour taste and low alcohol. The Kabye version is called 'kable', a fixture at festivals.

   📍 Local drink
6. 6🥃

   Sodabi

   A potent palm-wine spirit distilled in rural areas, traditional across West Africa and often poured at ceremonies and celebrations.

   📍 Strong spirit

1. 1🛖

   Koutammakou (Land of the Batammariba)

   Togo's only UNESCO World Heritage Site: fortified two-storey 'tata' mud houses, with livestock below, a kitchen mid-level and sleeping quarters on the roof. Trips run from Kandé to Nadoba, which holds an authentic market every Wednesday.

   📍 UNESCO · day trip
2. 2🤼

   Evala wrestling festival

   A coming-of-age rite for young Kabye men, held over about a week in mid-July. It draws visitors from around the globe and is paired with concerts, evening theatre and storytelling.

   📍 Culture · July
3. 3🦓

   Sarakawa Wildlife Reserve

   A roughly 607-hectare reserve, once a private hunting ground, reopened to the public in 2009. Home to antelope, buffalo, ostriches and zebra, easily visited as a day trip.

   📍 Nature · safari
4. 4🐘

   Djamdè Wildlife Reserve

   A reserve of about 1,500 hectares where you can get close to semi-wild elephants and see lions in a large enclosure. Often combined with a trip to Sarakawa.

   📍 Nature · elephants
5. 5🛍️

   Kara Grand Marché

   The bustling heart of the city, with stalls of fresh produce, handicrafts, woven cloth and local snacks, the best place to experience everyday Kara life.

   📍 Market · local life
6. 6⛪

   Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul

   The city's Catholic cathedral and a notable religious landmark, reflecting the strong Christian presence across northern Togo.

   📍 Architecture · faith
7. 7⚒️

   Pya village

   A short trip north of Kara, the late president's birthplace, known for traditional forges, a presidential mausoleum and a war memorial, a window into Kabye culture.

   📍 Village · blacksmiths
8. 8🏞️

   Kara River

   The river that runs through the city and gave it its name. The bridge the Germans built across it in 1902 is considered the founding point of modern Kara.

   📍 Nature · in town