Day 1 – N’Djamena
Arrive in N’Djamena and transfer to the hotel. Depending on when you arrive there may be time to explore, or you can simply relax at the hotel and prepare for your adventure. Overnight Hotel Ibis or similar.
Days 2-5 - Abeche - Kalait
Begin our journey by heading east from N’Djamena, towards the city of Abeche. Travel through a Sahelian landscape of small villages through the region of Guera, with its interesting markets and isolated granite peaks, stopping en route where possible. From Abeche we continue north, and the landscape starts to become more arid as we approach Kalait, one of the main settlements on the approach to the Ennedi Mountains. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Days 6-7 – The Ennedi Mountains
We stop first in the village of Kalait to shop in its busy market, then drive into the majestic Ennedi Mountains. We spend our time exploring their numerous rock formations – made of sandstone, the wind and sand have eroded them into weird and wonderful shapes.
Days 8-9 – Fada – Mourdi
We drive down from the plateau to Fada, the only real town in the Ennedi, where we need to complete formalities and stock up on supplies before heading northwards. From here we head back into the wilderness, climbing onto a plateau of red rocks before descending to the last rocks of the Ennedi. From here we enter the Mourdi Depression, an area of vast sand dunes that can be difficult to traverse but are incredibly beautiful. We follow the ancient caravan route that is still used by camel caravans taking salt from Demi and Teguedei to Fada and beyond. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Days 10-11 – Demi – Teguedei – Ounianga Lakes
We visit the small village of Demi, located at the foot of a mountain and on the edge of a salt pan, where men and women dig the red earth for salt to be transported across the desert to market, exchanged for goods like millet, sorghum and other foods. This is an incredibly isolated settlement and completely reliant on the trade.
Day 12 – Kora
We then head south, crossing dunes and entering an area that saw fighting during the war with Libya – in some places the remnants of tanks and other military hardware can be found, slowly being reclaimed by the desert. The dune crossing can be tough in parts and we can expect to get out and push. Time permitting we may be able to stop at small oases en route, and we camp tonight on the outskirts of the Ennedi. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Days 13-14 - Kalait – Salal - Moussoro
Reluctantly we leave the Ennedi, stopping first at Kalait to again pick up supplies. The people that live in this region are from a number of different groups – Fulani, Keraida and Kanembou among others. Wildlife around this region is good, and you can expect to see dorcas gazelles as well as jackals, bustards and perhaps the pretty fennec fox. For much of the route we follow the dried up riverbed of the Bah el Ghazal where remains of the oldest known hominid have been found. We set up camp each night in the middle of the wilderness, with no-one else for miles. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 15 - N’Djamena
Continue westwards. We should arrive at N’Djamena in the afternoon, where day use rooms are available for a welcome shower, before heading out for a final dinner and transferring to the airport for your flight home. (BL)
Please note
Please note that due to the nature of the terrain that we travel through, this itinerary may be flexible and overnight stops will very much depend on how much distance has been covered each day.due to the nature of the terrain that we travel through, this itinerary may be flexible and overnight stops will very much depend on how much distance has been covered each day.
Included in price:
- Airport transfers
- Accommodation – as listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we’ll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you’re used to elsewhere.
- Guides – In most cases you will be accompanied by one guide from start to finish. However there may be occasions when this is not practical, for example if your trip covers a number of different countries. In these cases it often makes more sense to include different guides for each place, to take advantage of their specific knowledge of the destination.
- Meals – As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner).
Entrance fees – Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you’d like to see, these would be at your own expense.
Not included:
- Visas
- Airport taxes
- International flights
- Travel Insurance