Lome does well to balance the character of a working West African port town with the nostalgic melancholy of its past. Once a German colonial capital, and then a French colonial capital, the town has always buzzed with traders and merchants, who dealt in everything from spices to slaves to gold straight from the mines of sub-Sahara. Today, the place has taken a backseat in the region, preferring to profess a more chilled atmosphere than many of its compadres along this coastline. The result is a city where palm trees sway above wide boulevards, and where the endless bazaars of the Grand Market ooze with the unique rhythms of Togolese life. You can also engage a Lome tour guide to take you through the enlightening exhibits of the National Museum of Togo, or to navigate the mind-boggling curiosities of the so-called Fetish Market, with West African voodoo trinkets and tribal totems from the hinterland on sale.