Fazao-Malfakassa National Park

Fazao-Malfakassa National Park in central Togo covers approximately 192,000 hectares across the Kara and Centrale regions, making it the largest national park in Togo, with entry fees of approximately $10 to $20 per person and guided safari drives offering sightings of roughly 60 elephants, roan antelope, western hartebeest, waterbuck, buffalo, and over 244 bird species in a semi-mountainous terrain of savanna, gallery forest, and seasonal wetlands along the Ghanaian border. The park is approximately 350 kilometres north of Lomé and accessed via the town of Sokodé, the nearest urban centre with accommodation and fuel. The dry season from November to February is the recommended visiting period, when the park’s tracks are passable, vegetation is lower for visibility, and wildlife concentrates around the permanent rivers and seasonal waterholes. Fazao-Malfakassa was established in 1975 with support from international development partners and represents Togo’s most significant protected area for large mammal conservation.

The park occupies a transitional zone between the Guinea savanna of West Africa’s coastal belt and the drier Sudan savanna further north, and this ecological position produces a habitat mosaic of considerable diversity within a single protected area. The Fazao section of the park covers the lower western portion with more open savanna, while the Malfakassa section to the north and east is characterised by more rugged terrain with escarpments, rocky outcrops, and gallery forest along the seasonal drainage lines. Together they create a protected area that supports wildlife communities from both the moist Guinea savanna and the drier Sudan savanna zones.

Elephant Safaris in Fazao-Malfakassa

The park’s elephant population of approximately 60 animals is the most sought-after feature for visitors on safari in Fazao-Malfakassa and represents the most westerly viable elephant population in the Guinea savanna zone of West Africa. These animals range across both the Fazao and Malfakassa sections of the park and move seasonally between the more open savanna areas and the gallery forest corridors along the park’s rivers. Dry-season game drives along the main track network, particularly near the Fazao River and the seasonal pans in the park’s interior, give the most consistent opportunity for elephant sightings.

The elephant herds at Fazao-Malfakassa are composed of family groups of five to fifteen animals, with larger temporary gatherings at major water sources during the peak dry-season months of December and January when surface water becomes scarce. Lone bull elephants are also present and are often seen at greater distances from the main herd concentrations. Elephant damage to trees — bark stripping, branch breaking, and uprooting — is visible throughout the gallery forest sections and provides evidence of herd passage even when the animals have moved out of a specific area. Ranger-guided drives with current knowledge of herd locations are the most productive approach.

Roan Antelope and Savanna Ungulates

Roan antelope is one of the most distinctive large mammals of Fazao-Malfakassa and inhabits the more open woodland savanna sections of the park where medium-height grassland provides its preferred foraging habitat. This large antelope, with its rust-red body, black-and-white facial mask, and backward-swept horns, is less commonly seen across much of West Africa than its size and appearance might suggest, making Fazao-Malfakassa one of the more reliable sites for roan sightings in the region. Small groups of three to eight animals use the open woodland margins and are most active in the early morning hours.

Western hartebeest uses the more open grassland sections of the park, and its distinctive angular horn shape and high-shouldered profile make it identifiable at long distances across the open terrain. Waterbuck is reliably present near the permanent rivers and the larger seasonal pans, gathering in groups of ten to twenty animals around water points in the dry season. Common warthog is abundant across all open habitats and is among the most consistently visible species on any game drive through the park. Kob antelope inhabits the open grassland sections in the Fazao area. African buffalo uses the gallery forest and the more wooded savanna sections, with herds of 30 to 100 animals seen in the wetter months when vegetation is more abundant.

Predators and Carnivores of the Park

Lion is present in Fazao-Malfakassa and is the park’s most sought-after large predator, though sightings require extended time in the field and current knowledge from rangers of pride locations. The park’s lion population uses the open savanna and the woodland edge habitats that provide both hunting opportunity and cover, following the seasonal movements of the herbivore concentrations. Extended stays of three or more days in the park give significantly higher probability of lion sightings than single-day visits. Early morning drives in the two hours after sunrise are the most productive period for finding lions active and potentially hunting.

Leopard inhabits the gallery forest sections along the park’s rivers and the rocky terrain of the Malfakassa escarpment area, using dense cover for resting and hunting. Sightings are infrequent due to the species’ nocturnal habits and its preference for dense vegetation, but the rocky Malfakassa section of the park is the most productive area for leopard observation during daylight hours. Spotted hyena is more reliably seen than either lion or leopard, active at dawn and dusk near water sources and along the main game drive routes. African wild dog has been historically recorded in the broader landscape surrounding the park.

Birdwatching in Fazao-Malfakassa

Over 244 bird species have been recorded in Fazao-Malfakassa, combining open savanna species of the Guinea and Sudan zones with waterbirds at the seasonal wetlands and riverine birds along the gallery forest corridors. White-faced whistling duck and knob-billed duck use the seasonal pans and river sections. African fish eagle is present along the permanent rivers. Hamerkop and various heron species forage along the river banks. Grey crowned crane uses the open grassland areas near seasonal wetlands, its distinctive golden crown making it one of the most immediately recognisable large birds in the park.

In the open savanna, abyssinian roller, northern carmine bee-eater, and red-throated bee-eater are among the most colourful species visible from the vehicle on game drives. Martial eagle and long-crested eagle soar above the woodland canopy. African harrier-hawk is active in the gallery forest. Yellow-billed stork uses the seasonal wetlands during and after the rains. The park’s position in the Guinea-Sudan transition zone means that species from both avifaunal assemblages are present, giving the bird list a breadth greater than would be expected from a savanna park of comparable size in a more homogeneous vegetation zone. Dedicated birding walks along the river sections with a ranger are the most productive format for building a substantial species list.

The Malfakassa Escarpment and Gallery Forest

The Malfakassa section of the park in the north and east is characterised by a more rugged terrain than the lower Fazao savanna, with rocky escarpments rising above the plain, seasonal drainage channels cutting through the rock, and gallery forest in the sheltered valley bottoms that supports a forest wildlife community distinct from the open savanna species. The escarpment terrain provides habitat for rock hyrax, leopard, and cliff-nesting birds including Verreaux’s eagle owl in the larger rock faces. Patas monkey uses the scrub and open woodland sections of the escarpment zone.

The gallery forest along the Malfakassa drainage lines provides habitat for various duiker species, bushbuck, and the small forest mammals that are absent from the more open Fazao section. Red-flanked duiker is present in the forest understorey and is occasionally seen at forest edges at dawn and dusk. The forest sections also hold olive baboon in large troops that range between the gallery forest and the adjacent open savanna. Walking in the gallery forest sections with an armed ranger provides access to the forest mammals and birds that are not encountered on vehicle-based game drives through the open savanna.

Cost Breakdown for Fazao-Malfakassa National Park

Best Time to Visit Fazao-Malfakassa National Park

Getting to Fazao-Malfakassa National Park

Fazao-Malfakassa National Park is located approximately 350 kilometres north of Lomé in central Togo, with the nearest substantial town being Sokodé approximately 90 kilometres from the park gate. The drive from Lomé to Sokodé on the main north-south highway takes four to five hours on a paved road. From Sokodé, the park is reached on secondary roads heading west, which require a 4WD vehicle for the park interior. Sokodé has hotels, fuel stations, and markets, making it the practical base for a Fazao-Malfakassa visit. Kara, further north, is an alternative base for visitors combining Fazao-Malfakassa with other northern Togo destinations.

Togo requires a visa for most nationalities, which can be obtained through the Togo e-visa system in advance of travel. The West African CFA franc (XOF) is the official currency, shared with other West African states. Cash should be carried for park fees, guide payments, and local markets, as card payment facilities outside Lomé are limited. Planning the visit through a Lomé-based tour operator with knowledge of current road and access conditions in central Togo is recommended, particularly for visitors without experience of West African road travel and self-organised park visits. Lomé’s Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport receives direct flights from Paris, Brussels, Casablanca, and several West African capitals.