Chad

Overview

Chad (Arabic: تشاد , French: Tchad ) is a landlocked country situated in the centre of Africa. Chad is home to more than 200 different ethnic groups (making it one of the most diverse countries in the world) and there are national parks, desert lakes, sand dunes, canyons and camel caravans that will interest the daring and adventurous.

For more than 2,000 years, the Chadian Basin has been inhabited by agricultural and sedentary peoples. The earliest of these were the legendary Sao, known from artefacts and oral histories. The Sao fell to the Kanem Empire, the first and longest-lasting of the empires that developed in Chad's Sahelian strip by the end of the 1st millennium AD. The power of Kanem and its successors was based on control of the trans-Saharan trade routes that passed through the region. Up until the late 19th century, two Muslim kingdoms emerged in the region, including the Sultanate of Bagirmi and the Wadai Empire.

Each year a tropical weather system known as the inter-tropical front crosses Chad from south to north, bringing a wet season that lasts from May to October in the south, and from June to September in the Sahel .

Chad's cultural landscape represents a millennia of human adaptation in the country's transitional hot environment. Its mosaic is defined by a melting pot of tribal cultures, languages, and overlapping Islamic and indigenous traditions, earning its reputation of being the Babel Tower of the World.

The country's landscape comprises broad, arid plains in the centre, desert in the north, mountains in the northwest, and lowlands in the south. Lowest point: Djourab Depression (160 m/525 ft). Highest point: Emi Koussi (3,415 m/11,204 ft).

Sights and landscapes

Chad is the quintessential destination to experience the Sahara desert: its ecosystem, but also its past and present forms of human habitation. The Ennedi Massif is a picturesque sandstone bulwark in the middle of the Sahara, which was formed by erosion from wind and temperature. The area is also known for its rock paintings. The Guelta d'Archei is one of the rare pockets of water in the Ennedi, inhabited by the West African crocodile and frequented by camel caravans. The Lakes of Ounianga are a group of 18 ancient lakes with a unique hydrological system. Both the Ennedi Massif and the Lakes of Ounianga are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Football is the most popular sport in Chad with Les Sao being the international tournament. The Chadian national team have never qualified in the World Cup or the African Cup of Nations. However, home matches are only played at the Idriss Mahamat Ouya Stadium.

Experiences

Gerewol is a week-long festival, held yearly in late September in the southwest of Chad. The men of the nomadic Woodabe tribe, herding their cattle around Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, congregate to dress up and dance in order to attract a new wife. The festival locations are impossible to find independently, so as a foreigner without links to the community the only way to experience it will be as part of an organized small group tour.

Culture and food

Meat dishes are very popular in Chad, and foreigners speak highly of the meat. Grilled lamb and camel meat are common and tasty and can be found all over the country. In N’Djamena and southern parts of the country fish is also quite common and very tasty. “La bouille” is a very common Chadian almost liquid porridge made from millet, peanut butter and lemons that is served as breakfast. “La boule” is a fufu-like millet/sorghum or corn based food served with different sauces and serves as the daily food of most Chadians.

Food is usually eaten without utensils, and hand sanitizer may be a good precaution. Muslims find it offensive to eat with the left hand. If eating with or being served by Muslims in Chad, eat with your right hand only.

Follow common health travel guidelines concerning raw fruit and cooking requirements to avoid disease. During Ramadan most restaurants in the northern and central parts of Chad are closed and eating and drinking in public is not accepted.

In general, do not drink unfiltered water in Chad. Typhoid and other disease carriers are often present in unfiltered water. Bottled water should be safe, but make sure the bottle is properly sealed, as some street vendors will take old bottles and refill them with unfiltered water.

Chad is a secular country, but the north and center are predominantly Muslim. It is therefore sometimes difficult (and not well regarded) to find and consume alcohol outside of the cities. It's no problem in the south and in N'Djamena.

Planning your route

In N'Djamena there are both vehicle taxis and motorcycle taxis. In some major towns, such as Moundou and Sarh, there might be only "clandos" – motorcycle taxis – or rickshaws (more towards the east of the country) for getting around town.

Due to the inaccessibility of most of the country, any substantial visit will be by an organised tour. Local companies such as SVS , Tchad Evasion , Eyte Voyages and Guéra Touristique offer itineraries for private groups and fixed date group tours. Their tours and/or their capabilities are also resold via the more adventurous US/UK/European tour operators.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.