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Chad

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Chad

Saturday, October 27

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Activities

ABECHE

In the eastern part of the
country near the border with Sudan, Abeche (pop. 47,000) was once
one of Chad’s largest towns. The population has been declining for decades
and the town has little of interest, besides distinctive leather
handicrafts. Just a few miles north of Abeche are the ruins of
Ouara. 400 mi/650 km northeast of N’Djamena.

BEDAYA AND BESSADA

Located 50 mi/80 km west of Sarh on the road
to Koumra and Moundou are the villages of Bedaya (home of the king of the
Sara), and Bessada (the home of Chad’s first president, N’Garta
Tombalbaye). Visit Tombalbaye’s lovingly preserved palace (notice
the defunct water towers and fledgling power lines). His elaborate 1994
funeral bankrupted the village—so much so that his huge white
bathroom-tiled tomb is still surrounded by its temporary straw fence.
Around Christmastime, Bedaya hosts its enormous harvest festival.
The annual celebration is accompanied by bareback horse races, log pulls
and traditional dances. 50 mi/80 km west of Sarh.

CHUTES GAUTHIOT

In the southwest region of the country, this
impressive waterfall spills into one of the greenest areas of
Chad. To our knowledge, the site still has no hotel accommodations,
but it’s possible to camp. 350 mi/565 km south of N’Djamena.

EMI KOUSSI

This ancient volcanic caldera is the
tallest point in the Sahara Desert. The caldera, in the southern
Tibesti Mountains, is 12 mi/20 km across. There are hot springs on the
mountainside at Yi-Yerra. 560 mi/900 km northeast of
N’Djamena.

ERG OF BILMA

Over the centuries in this vast desert,
which lies in Chad and neighboring Niger, huge sand dunes were formed when
harmattan (desert winds) blew from the northeast across the Tibesti
Mountains. Be aware that there are only a few oases in the area. 470
mi/760 km north of N’Djamena.

KYABE

This isolated agricultural town is home of the
Sara-Kabba people, an ethnic group known for their traditional
dances, as well as the decorative scar patterns on their foreheads
and cheeks. The area has a timeless quality about it—elders still light
their pipes with rocks and flint, which they keep in a pouch around their
necks. The traditional dance festivals take place during the
October/November harvest time. 75 mi/120 km east of Sarh.

LAKE CHAD (Lake Tchad)

In all honesty, Lake Chad is not that
impressive—the truth is that the lake is rapidly disappearing. Now
only half its pre-1960s size, the lake sometimes dries up completely.
Though the water level is highest just after the rainy season, the lake is
never more than 5 ft/1.5 m deep. And the hippos that were once common
along the shores have begun to disappear. Furthermore, touring Lake
Chad is not all that convenient. Although its southern end is only about
50 mi/80 km northwest of N’Djamena, the interesting parts require a
185-mi/300-km drive from the capital. There you can see traditional
fishing and reed boats similar to those found on the shores of Lake
Titicaca in Peru. The major difference is the double-prow design of the
Andean boats—Chadian boats have a flat, chopped-off stern. Thor Heyerdahl
tried to use the Chadian design to build his reed ship, Ra, to sail
across the Atlantic, but it fell apart halfway across. (Ra II
succeeded, with help from the Peruvians.) Lake Chad is generally seen as a
long and tiring day trip from N’Djamena, or you can camp in
Bol, on the lake (there’s no lodging). It’s best to get a
four-wheel-drive vehicle to negotiate the deep sand along the lakeshore.

Note: Don’t wade or swim in the lake—bilharzia (parasites that
cause schistosomiasis) are present in the water.

N’DJAMENA (Ft. Lamy)

The dusty capital city of N’Djamena
(pop. 512,000), near the Cameroon border, has been pretty well devastated
by the civil war. There is little reason for visiting N’Djamena,
except that it’s a jumping-off point for Lake Chad—and even that
isn’t much of a draw. While in N’Djamena, take time to browse and people
watch in the market areas (those scattered about town are open only
in the morning; the Central Market has longer hours). Should you find
yourself in the city for any length of time, you might also visit the
National Museum (which has reopened after being looted during the
war). Nightlife centers around lively African nightclubs (Ma
Carriere is the safest and most enjoyable). Plan one night in N’Djamena.

Note: Always carry your passport or a photo ID, and plan on
showing it at checkpoints, especially at night. Petty crime is common
around markets and shopping areas.

OUARA

This ancient city, now in ruins, is located on a rocky,
sparsely populated plain 19 mi/30 km north of Abeche. Ouara was
abandoned when the water table dried up 300 years ago, and all that
remains are the thick palace walls, queen’s quarters, tribunal hall,
prisons, tomb, mosque and guardhouse. The buildings were made with
palm trunks supports, transported from the south by slaves, and bricks
strengthened with a mixture of blood and fat from oxen and camels. The
eastern part of the city is walled by a small mountain believed to be the
home of evil spirits. Hire a guide if you plan to visit the
site—the road is difficult to find among the brush and rocks. 19
mi/30 km north of Abeche.

RORO

Every Sunday this town hosts an enormous livestock
market that attracts nomads and herders from across the northern and
eastern provinces. Present are Arab horse traders, Fulata
herders covered in robes and heavy silver, and ornately dressed
Mbororo herdsmen riding cows and camels. 19 mi/30 km northeast
of Kyabe.

SARH (Ft. Archambault)

Sarh’s second name, Ville Verte
(or Green City), comes from the leafy green trees planted during
colonial times. Unfortunately, Sarh is a city where only the trees are
thriving. Old colonial homes are rotting, factories and hunter’s
lodges are closed and the people living there have little to do. In town,
visit the museum (photos, straw masks and kitchen gadgets), the central
market (mostly to people watch) and the nearby Centre Artisinal
(African handicrafts). Be sure to sign up for the Maison d’Acceuil’s
delicious daily luncheon, which can include a sumptuous meal of frogs
legs, thick bean soup, stuffed squash, grilled lamb, homemade cheese,
lemon crepes and French toast. Near Sarh are several animal
reserves; however, except for Zakouma, there are few animals left
(most have been wiped out by poachers): Manda Game Reserve,
Zakouma National Park and Vassako-Bolo Strict Natural
Reserve (in the Central African Republic—if you visit it, you’ll need
a double-entry visa). The highlight of the area is the annual
December/January dance of the Mbororo nomads, immortalized in Werner
Herzog’s documentary, Nomads of the Sun. The Woodabe, who establish
a camp across the Chari River, perform a beauty contest where the men
dress up like women. The men—lavishly painted, tattooed, braided,
beaded and feathered—would put any drag queen to shame. For more
information, inquire at the mayor’s office in town. 300 mi/485 km
southeast of N’Djamena.

SOBOROM HOT SPRINGS

These hot springs in the Tibesti Mountains
are part of an ancient lava field. Geysers, bubbling mud pools and hot
springs and sulfur vents give the area a moonlike feeling. 600
mi/965 km northeast of N’Djamena.

TIBESTI MOUNTAINS

The Tibesti Mountains in northern Chad, a
very hot desert area, aren’t easy to get to. They have a reputation
for being both beautiful and perilous, and landmines and rebel groups
leftover from recent strife make the place even more difficult to get to.
Populated by the ancient Toubou tribe (reportedly aggressive and dangerous
people), the region also has some active volcanoes. Fly to
Faya-Largeau, then arrange to join a camel caravan, or make
prior arrangements (through a travel agent) to get a four-wheel-drive
vehicle (you can’t just rent them when you get there). In these harsh
mountains, ancient cave drawings of hunting scenes date back to
5,000 BC. We do not recommend going to Tibesti at this time. It is simply
too dangerous. 500 mi/800 km north of N’Djamena.

ZACOUMA NATIONAL GAME PARK

Relatively few visitors find their
way to this remote animal reserve, and until recently, few had reason to
go there—the park’s animals were all but wiped out by poachers. Today,
the park is one of Chad’s few success stories. Zacouma has been
restocked and the park’s elephants, lions, giraffes, wildebeests,
gazelles and hippos are making a dramatic comeback. (On a recent visit
we had to stop the car to let hundreds of wildebeests go by.)
Zacouma is best visited between December and February (avoid the
July-November rainy season). The park is can be reached by rented
truck from Sarh (ask for the Volontaires du Progres at College Charles
Langua near the Catholic Mission) or by truck to Am-Timman.
Accommodations and guides are available at the park. For more
information, contact Le Centre Culturel Francais (French Cultural Center)
on Avenue Mobutu in N’Djamena, or the Union European Economique (EEC) in
Farsha. 300 mi/485 km southeast of N’Djamena.

Copyright © 1998 by Reed Travel
Groups. All rights reserved.

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