At the southern end of the African continent's western bulge, Togo sits on the Gulf of Guinea, surrounded by Burkina Faso to the north, Benin to the east and Ghana to the west. A bit smaller than the US state of West Virginia and twice the size of Belgium, Togo's a long, skinny strip of land, nearly five times as long (540km/335mi) as it is wide (110km/70mi). From the sandy lagoons along its 55km (35mi) of coastline, the country rises northward to rolling hills and plateaus covered in deciduous forest.

Central Togo is the location of the country's major national park, the Forêt de Fazao; the Parc National de la Kéran is farther north, near Kara. The hills around Kpalimé are excellent for growing coffee, while those around Atakpamé serve better for their views.

Some of the animals you might see (though their numbers are few) are hippo, giraffe, waterbuck, duiker, oribi, buffalo, bush pig, wart hog, hyena, vervet, baboon and, if you're lucky, perhaps an elephant or lion. Bird species include stork, crane and marabou. Togo's not exactly rich with protected areas, and the years have not been kind to its animal population.

From December to January, the dusty, dry harmattan wind blows down from the deserts to the north. Togo's rainy season lasts from April to July, though short periods of rain are common in October and November. The country's hottest period is mid-February through mid-April.

Travellers to Togo will find accommodations among the least expensive in West Africa. From dollar-a-night campgrounds to first-class suites at around US$50, you certainly won't break the bank on your bedding options. Likewise, food is very affordable in all but the finest restaurants. A street vendor's meal might leave you stuffed to the gills for an outlay of only US$1.

Budget-crunching travellers should be able to get by on no more than US$10 a day, though doubling that would chase away many of the inherent worries of dive-hopping. Up the ante to US$50 per day, and you won't have a worry in the world.

Banks are your best bet for changing money, though the black market is bustling near Lomé's Ghanaian border.

Generally speaking, the choicest time to visit Togo is during the cooler period from November through February. The period from March to May can be a real scorcher, and it's immediately followed by a rainy season that lasts until October. December to the end of February is the dry season, but the skies are often dusty with the harmattan winds. If you're sticking close to the coastline, December to March is the area's 'tourist season,' such as it is (which it isn't, really, these days). Crowds are thicker than in other seasons but still aren't much to fret over.