Kara

13 FEBRUARY 2023

Kara is a town in the north west of Togo which I reached in a shared taxi. This was a long journey up country winding in and out of numerous trucks heading back to Lome or out to Burkina Faso.

It was a stark reminder of the importance of the port of Lome as and entry place for most goods and food going inland to landlocked Burkina Faso.

As we approached Kara the terrain became greener and more mountainous. The town itself though, is laid out in a grid formation and is very dusty.

I stayed at Marie-Antoinette's apartments for 15,000CFA per night. Marie is very jolly host and a very useful sources of information. On her advice I spent the next day travelling west with a motorbike taxi to visit the Sarakawa and Djamde Animal Park.

Sarakawa Animal Park (10,000CFA which includes game drive and guide)
I was the only visitor at this 607 hectare park. We began by visiting the two resident tortoises - each over 60kg in weight and I was told, over 200 years old. Close by was a caged monkey which showed aggressive behaviours! and a field of emu.
Once in the open air jeep, we drove through the park and spotted antelope, buffalo, water buffalo, a crocodile and several species of birds. This was a wonderful, relaxed and natural game drive through undeveloped land.

Djambe Animal Park (5000CFA entry fee)
This park is home to two elephants who have been had reared and continue to live close to the rangers huts. My visit coincided with the time when they had been provided with water and were drinking and washing themselves. Lack of funding has meant that the tracks throughout the park are not passable so the visit only includes a viewing of the elephants.