Chad
Soul of the Sahara

Arrive in N’Djamena and transfer to the hotel. Overnight Hotel du Chari or similar.

From N’Djamena we drive to the important oasis town of Faya-Largeau and continue to the large village of Massaguet, centre for the Hadjer-Lamis region. Continuing east, our route is punctuated by numerous small villages, many possessing surprisingly rich markets. We pass through the Guera region and the settlements of Ab Toyour, Bitkine, Mongo and Oum Hadjer. Here, the landscape is characterised by immense isolated granite peaks known as inselbergs. In late afternoon we arrive in  Abeche, once an ancient capital of Chad, and now an important administrative centre for the Ouaddi region. Overnights camping. (BLD)

We continue northwards to the village of Biltine, passing dunes and low-lying vegetation before reaching Kalait, a crossroads for Saharan trade. Pressing further north, we now enter a true desert region at the southern borders of the Ennedi Massif. Though the environment is harsh, nomadic Gaeda, Tama and Zagawa peoples, a population of almost 100,000, traverse the region herding their sheep and cattle, following grazing towards Sudan and the east. Eventually, approaching Fada, the imposing Ennedi Massif becomes visible. 100km beyond Kalat, close by the peak of Ouaguif, we leave the track and enter the massif. We follow the wide Archei wadi, bordered by a the Ennedi’s characteristic tassilli – wind-eroded sandstone formations. Some of the best tassilli are near Terkei and Toukou, and we explore these in detail. The wadi winds for about 30km before ending in a wide, rocky and verdant amphitheatre. This is the beginning of the gorges leading to Guelta d’Archei, an important permanent water source for nomadic Tubu and their camel herds. Among the Archei gorges, if you know where to look, are many ancient examples of rock art. Here too, are the few remaining Saharan crocodiles – careful where you swim. Overnights camping. (BLD)

Today we follow the track northwards as far as Fada, a characteristic Saharan village comprising a busy market and houses made of banco (mud) clustered around the old French colonial fort. The main ethnic groups of this region are the Gaeda, Bideyat and Zagawa. Once we’ve completed bureaucratic formalities, which can take a while, we’ll commence crossing the massif. Driving along a slow, sandy and stony track leads us to the Mourdi, a wide region of dunes and isolated groups of mountains. We continue north by north-east, overcoming some challenging dunes, following an ancient caravan route that connected the salt-pits of the Ounianga region (Demi, Teguedei and Ounianga) to southern Chadian villages and northern Libyan oases. We continue northwards to the Eyo Demi, a reddish sandy formation. At its foot rises a modest village, comprised of a few palms and banco houses. This settlement, situated amid a wild and inhospitable landscape, still survives by the trade in ‘red salt’, obtained by very rudimentary methods and transported to southern oases in camel caravans where it’s exchanged for millet and sorghum. Along the track we usually meet one of the caravans. From Demi, we turn west, to Ounianga Serir, passing through Teguedei, a palm-grove inhabited seasonally during the date harvest. In Teguedei we see the first lake of the Ounianga region, situated in a sandy basin surrounded by palms and eroded rock pillars. Skirting the Nabar Falaise, we reach the Ounianga Serir oasis. The landscape is incredible. Lakes fringed by palm-groves spring up from the sand. Rocky formations of multicoloured sandstone abound, joined by golden dunes that pour down to the water. This is some of the Sahara’s most spectacular scenery. Water here is fresh as it emerges from the sand but because of the salty soil, the lakes themselves are brackish, the mineralised water varying from blue to green. We explore on foot through palm groves and along sandy lakeshores, with the opportunity to bathe in some of the lakes. Overnights wild camping. (BLD)

After leaving Ounianga Kebir we head southwards, passing an area of dunes where the going can be difficult. We travel through regions that have seen historical conflict. Abandoned tanks and other military hardware are scattered across the desert. Leaving the Ennedi behind, we call in at Kalait to stock up on essentials for the return journey. From Kalait, we follow a different route, the natural course of the Wadi Achim, and we find ourselves in an area rich in wildlife, including gazelles, bustards, hyenas and jackals. Continuing across the desert plateaux, we reach the depression of Bahr el Ghazal (‘The Gazelles’ River’) a dry wadi that rarely sees running water. Travelling south to the Kanem region, we should in N’Djamena early evening.  Day use hotel rooms are available to freshen-up prior to late evening airport transfers. (BL)