It is no argument that Africa is full of enough beautiful landmarks and destinations to leave a first-time traveller spoiled for choice on where to visit, but in addition to these quite a number of strange spots exist. Jovago.com discovered one of Africa’s weirdest locations found in the capital city of Togo, Lome. The Akodessewa Fetish Market is put under the spotlight which is a position it is quite used to as it is not only a tourist attraction but also one for the media.
It is known as the largest voodoo (yes VOODOO) market in the world. It is basically a one-stop shop for any Voodoo doctor looking for the right “ingredients”. Whatever weird thing imaginable could be found in this market, from dried chameleons to aged monkey skulls; from snake skins to heads of gorillas and hyenas amongst others. There is more than enough to give even the most macho adventure-seeker a bout of the creepy crawlies.
Although obviously quite bizarre, the practice of ‘voudoo’ can be traced back to the time to slavery in many of the West African countries including Nigeria and Ghana. Even with the rate of globalisation, many remain ardent believers in the powers of these local healers and their ability to evoke spirits and heal a myriad of ailments.
As weird as this market is, some eccentric travellers venture all the way to Togo just to have a feel of this voodoo pharmacy. For those who need more than the pictures to be convinced, a tour of the market by the voodoo chief gets the job done. You could even bring back a gorilla’s left hand or a dried up chameleon as a souvenir of this memorable market!
This place is sure to drive animal activists berserk but for those eccentric enough to travel there, you could easily get a chance to learn about various herbs and their uses. The merchants are sure there’s something for everyone who visits this market.
About Jovago
Jovago.com is an online hotel booking service with offices in Lagos (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya), Dakar (Senegal) founded by Africa Internet Group and has MTN and Millicom as investors. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 booking website, facilitates the booking process for its users to provide them with the best hotel booking experience with fast, transparent and easy-to-use services. Jovago.com has over 20,000 local hotel listings across Africa and over 200,000 hotels around the world.
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