Togo - West Africa - page 999

Reputable travel agents throughout the region can also sometimes find tickets for international airlines as they hop
between West African cities as part of their intercontinental routes.
Elysian Airlines ( www.elysianairlines.com ) Domestic Liberian, Cameroonian and some wider West African routes.
Mali Air Express (MAE; www.mae-mali.com ) Private Malian airline with some regional flights.
Tickets
Long distances, high fuel costs and a state of budgetary crisis among most regional airlines ensure that fares within West
Africa don't come cheap. Flying from Dakar (Senegal) to Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), for example, can cost the equivalent
to flying halfway across the USA. Return fares are usually double the one-way fares, though less expensive excursion
fares are occasionally available, as are youth or student fares.
Once you've bought your ticket, reconfirm your reservation several times at least, especially if the airline you're fly-
ing with has a less-than-stellar reputation for reliability. After the flight, if you checked-in luggage, hold on to your bag-
gage claim ticket until you've exited the baggage claim area at your destination, as you'll often be required to show it.
Bicycle
A small but growing number of travellers visit West Africa on bicycle. As long as you have sufficient time, a sturdy
bike, are ready to be self-sufficient and possess a willingness to rough it, cycling is an excellent way to get to know the
region. You'll end up staying in small towns and villages, interact more with the local people without vehicle windows
and other barriers between you, and eat West African food more frequently.
Wherever you go, you'll be met with great local curiosity (as well as much goodwill). As in most places in the world,
don't leave your bike unattended for any lengthy period of time unless it's locked, and try to secure the main removable
pieces. Taking your bike into your hotel room, should you decide to take a break from camping, is generally no problem.
If you're camping near settlements in rural areas, ask the village headman each night where you can stay. Even if you
don't have a tent, he'll find you somewhere to sleep.
Where to Cycle
Because of the distances involved, you'll need to plan your food and water needs in advance, and pay careful attention
to choosing a route in order to avoid long stretches of semidesert, areas with no villages or heavily travelled roads. In
general, cycling is best well away from urban areas, and in the early morning and late afternoon hours. When calculating
your daily distances, plan on taking a break during the hottest, midday period, and don't count on covering as much ter-
ritory each day as you might in a northern European climate.
The most popular long-haul cycling routes are:
» Burkina Faso to Ghana, Benin and Togo
» Within Senegal
» Benin to Côte d'Ivoire
When to Cycle
The best time to cycle is in the cooler, dry period from mid-October to February. Even so, you'll need to work out a way
to carry at least 4L of water, and you'll also need to carry a water filter and purifier. If you get tired, or simply want to
cut out the boring bits, bikes can easily be carried on bush taxis, though you'll want to carry some rags to wrap around
the gearing for protection. You'll need to pay a luggage fee for this, but it shouldn't be more than one-third to one-half
the price of the passenger fare.