Where to go in Chad

Chad is the very definition of extraordinary – extraordinary travel, extraordinary people and, in Zakouma National Park, extraordinary wildlife. Declared a national park in 1963, Zakouma suffered rampant poaching during Chad’s civil wars. Enter magnificent conservation organisation African Parks in 2010, and thanks to their formidable work, the park is now a wildlife hotspot – and what a hotspot it is! The big boys of the park are elephant, which roam happily alongside endemic Kordofan giraffe, herds of roan antelope, buffalo and predators such as lion, leopard and hyena. It’s a place of surprising abundance, particularly when it comes to birdlife, and it’s not unusual to see millions (literally!) of quelea and great flocks of black crowned crane.

The capital and largest city in Chad, N’djamena sits on the Chari River, directly opposite the Cameroonian town of Kousseri. The majority of Chad’s population resides in the dusty, urban streets and the city has a strong and colourful Muslim culture. It’s also a place of extreme contrast and although the high-rise buildings might look shiny and new at first glance, the majority are simple, mud-and-brick buildings. It’s also not unusual to see herds of cows and squawking chickens next to business men and aid workers. So, what will you be doing whilst you’re here? Well, chances are you’re on your way to or from Zakouma on a stopover so the lure of the hotel swimming pool might be a strong one but if you choose to venture out from the hotel, check out the elegant mosques on almost every street corner, the national museum or the central market – certainly not for the faint-hearted!