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TRUMP
CARDS
Chad is vested with diversity of landscapes contrasting
geographically and in climates.
Uncontestable, the whole northern part of the country, particularly
the BET treasures a lot of tourist sites: grottos with caveman
paintings, magnificent oasis, the desert, the mountains, etc.
 Until
1999, travel agencies have organized quite appreciated excursions
within this area.
However, the large number of mine excavation sites, the present
armed conflict and the resulting military presence in the region, do
not incite tourism any longer.
The
Lake Chad presents a tourist monument in itself, with high herbages
enclosing its shores giving shelter to the prospering fauna
(millions of birds and hippo stoves, etc.).
In
the Sudan-Sahel region, various parks provide essential conditions
for the fauna, particularly in Zakouma (supported by an EU program)
and in Manda (a French cooperation). These regions are not easily
accessible to vehicles, and there is only short-term accommodation
available. There are various hunting regions, particularly along the
Chari River in the centre and the south of the country (Bhar Aouk).
However, for two years this activity has been strictly regulated,
and it has become more and more difficult to obtain a hunting
permit, which allows hunting only in well-determined regions.
Chad has been one of the richest African countries in fauna, until
the armed conflicts in the 80s broke out, but the carnages committed
in these decades have eradicated the animals, whose survivors have
spread around the region.
Merely twenty years ago it was not rare to see elephants on today’s
airport site. It is highly probable that like in other countries,
the lions have been eradicated by the peasants, who feared the
danger the lions represented for their bison.
The
local craftsmanship is very limited, because the majority of
precious goods sold here, are imported from neighbouring countries,
like Niger and West Africa, or from the Middle East (e.g. rugs).
TOURIST
SITES
Chad possesses numerous tourist sites.
The Sudan region
 The
south of the country offers many important tourist sites and
activities, such as the plenty lakes Léré, Tikem, Tréné and Torrock,
the Gauthiot waterfalls, the grottos, fish-abundant rivers, sports
fishery and hunting, national parks and traditional architecture,
fauna reservations (Mouloui, Moundang,..) archeological sites,
exceptional folklore, and divers handicraft, gourd engraved with
ancient and modern ideograms, mats and basketry, metals found
according to the traditional way of "cire perdue", ritual and
household pottery, pirogues and tam-tam, traditional fabrics, music
instruments,...
Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti
The
palm grove of Faya Largeau, the ancient ruins near Yen, Ai-Galak and
Kirdimi, the grottos and frescos of Kazer and Yarda, the prehistoric
sites of Fada and Oudinuger, and caveman paintings of Zouar, the
Guelta of Archei, a narrow canyon of hollowed vertical stone walls
inhabited by cynocephalus, the grandiose mountain summits of Tibesti
(l’Emi-Koussi 3,415 m), the pinnacle tips of Sissé, the Trou du
Natron (a wide volcanic crater with a crater lake spanning eight
kilometers and being 700 meters deep), the palm grove of Bardai, the
Soleatare of Sborom, a thermal source rich in sulfate, and the Gonoa.
Quaddai
The
ruins of Ouara, the former capital of Quaddai.
The Sahel region
As
rich as the Sahara region, this region possesses in its west the
Lake Chad and its floating islands, its aquatic fauna, the tourist
station of Douguia ‘Le Rambouillet du Tchad’, the elephant
mountains, and in the capital N’Djamena and around the city, its
markets, its national museum, and the big mosque of Toi Fayçal, its
cathedral, its handicraft centre of Béguinage, the SAO banks of the
historical village of Guaoui, and the quaint fishery village Logone
Gana, the tourist station Douguia, the fauna reservation Mandélia,
Hajer El Hamis…
Lake Filteri, in the centre of the country in the department of
Batha, is a humid region of international importance (harbour of
aquatic birds), which has been classified as a biosphere reservation
in the Ramsar convention.
Guéra
and Salamat
Mount Guéra (1,613 m), Lake Iro, the Zakouma national park with
300,000 ha.
The middle-Chari
The
Manda national park, with 108,000 ha, and the museum and handicraft
centre of Sarh.
Oriental Logone
Mount Lam (1,163 m).
The
Mayo-Kebbi
The
lakes of Léré, Tréné and Toupouri ; the fossil forest.
Douguia
A
small hotel with a restaurant is
located
at the Chari shore, about 70 km on a tarred road from N’Djaméne
(Eastern road, in the direction of Abéché).
The
hotel has a swimming pool and offers the possibility to rent a boat
for trips on the river.
The
hotel also includes a hunting reserve for people that are used to
duck hunting.
Air-conditioned rooms, of high comfort 20,000 FCFA
Breakfast 1,800 FCFA
Meals 10,000 FCFA
The
hotel is connected to the radio station Société de construction en
Afrique (SAC), situated in N’Djaména, which allows for reservations
Tel: (235) 52.24.45 or 52.31.41 (Safari Chad).
Hadjer El Hamis (or the elephant rocks)
These volcanic rocks shape the typical relief of the Sudan-Sahel
region.
One-day excursion, including a meal at Hotel Douguia, or picnic:
As
the excursion is done during the dry season a SUV is indispensable
to drive through some sandy passages.
Directions:
take the tarred road towards the east in the direction of Abéché,
and cross the hamlet Lamadji (10 km from N’Djaména), then the
village of Pont-Bélilé (15 km) with the dairy farm. Then, 30 km from
the capital, take the road to the left, indicated ‘’Douguia’’.
Follow this street to the village Karal (you have to diverge to the
right at the crossing of Dandi, since the road that lays straight
ahead leads to the village Djimtilo, at the coast of Lake Chad). At
the end of the asphalt street in Karal, drive right and take the
road that passes east of the big mosque (next to the market). If the
weather is nice you can already see from far the five pinnacles
appearing in the blistering heat over the plane. You just need to
follow the intact but sandy road to the end at the traffic circle
where you can park your car.
On
site:
Four aligned domes are facing the massive fifth (sugar hat). The
rocky structure resembles an elephant. You can easily climb the
rocks in order to slip through the elephant’s legs and trumpet (the
kids on the site will show you the way). Another rock situated
behind the ‘elephant’ is a caved grotto that is inhabited by bats,
and gives a magnificent view on the surrounding plane and Lake Chad.
You can then take your car, drive around the rock, have a picnic at
the foot of the massif in the shadow of acacias.
Djimtilo
This village that can be reached by taking a right on the street
leading to the laterite mines of Dandi (coming from Karal), which is
a classical walkway place.
Gaoui
It
is a small pottery village, situated 10 km from N’Djaména, on the
flooded planes of the Hcari banks. An excursion of a day and a half
is only possible during the dry season, as the road is flooded from
June to October.
Directions:
from the automobile park of Diguel, take the indicated road to
the right, when coming from the Dembé market (before the livestock
market). Although the road in between the habitations and the urban
areas is a bit difficult to follow, don’t hesitate to ask for
directions.
Description summary: following the indication take the road to the
right; this road splits into two; take the road to the right past a
little market. Then the road takes a left turn; you have to follow
this road until you cross a huge plane. At the only crossing of the
plane, take the left road that leads to the village Gaoui. Park on
the central place next to the museum.
On site:
visit the museum (kotoko typical architecture; potteries,
instruments and Sao and Kotoko historical artifacts). Stroll around
in the village, and watch jars and bowls being made outside.
Mailao market
Eighty kilometers from N’Djaména, the market is held exclusively on
Sundays. You can meet various ethnics from the surroundings, and you
can buy basketry, gourd, engraved with all sorts of shapes and
figures.
How
to get to the market from Changoua: cross the Changoua bridge, and
follow the tarred road along the Chari river (be careful on your way
back, since the police officers who assure the circulation on the
bridge, leave their post at 5pm).
Linia market
Thirty kilometers from N’Djaména, this market is also exclusively
held on Sundays. It is the meeting point to the Peuls (an ethnic) at
the end of the dry season; Arab and Peuls women, adorned with silver
jewelry, come to sell soured milk and butter.
How
to get to the market from Chagoua: take the road of Massenya
Logone Gana
It
is a little kotoko village, accessible via the road during the dry
season, or by boat from Mailo during the rain season. Visit the
village, market on Thursday, feast of the fish in the middle of the
dry season (around mid-March)
How
to get to Logone from the Mailao village: leave the tarred road and
take the road that leads to the right from it, a little bit after
the market (watch out for the old sign indicating it). Stay on the
main road for 18 kilometers, past wide prairies, to arrive at Logone
Gana.
EXCURSIONS
SUGGESTED BY THE TRAVEL AGENCY CHAD EVASION
This tourism and travel agency mainly suggests expeditions to the
Ennedi desert (15 days) or the Tibesti desert (at this point not
recommendable, because of land mines excavation sites and armed
rebellions), as well as safaris in the Zakouma park (seven days), or
other circuits of four to 10 days, but it equally offers some
possibilities for trips of a day or over the weekend:
A weekend at Lake Chad (one or two days) – picnic at the Hadjer
El Hamis; bivouac at Djimtilo, at the Chari river bank, in the
agency’s garden (tents, mats, hot meals); boat trip on the Chari and
on Lake Chad, visit a fishing village. Costs: 40,000 FCFA per person
per day.
Camel ride at the shore of the Chari river (one or two days) –
two-hour camel ride, picnic at the shore of the Chari river, boat
trip and swimming, tents, mats, and hot meal (if you stay two days).
Costs: 40,000FCFA per person per day.
N’Djaména and sourroundings (one day) – car rental with driver
to discover the capital and its surroundings. Cost for car: 30,000
FCFA per day, SUV 75,000FCFA per day.
NB:
These prices are subject to change
Source:
The
Association IZF
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