Chad tailor-made holiday ideas
N'DjaménaOnce one of central Africa's liveliest cities, the capital is trying to rebuild itself since the recent war, although recent fighting has added to the desruction. A colourful daily market in the historic quarter is a great place for finding vividly coloured rugs and jewellery. The National Museum has collections of similar items dating to the Sarh culture, which lived in the area in the ninth century. Visitors will quickly notice the difference between the quiet Arab section of town, and the southern area, full of lively bars and nightlife.
Tibesti MountainsThis astonishing landscape of chasms and crags, seldom seen by non-Muslims, and still closed to travellers, is home to the world's best racing camels and the fierce Toubou tribe, distantly related to the Tuareg of the Western Sahara, made famous by Herodotus as 'Troglodytes' or cave dwellers. Their underground homes were sure to be cool in summer and warm in winter.
AbéchéSurrounded by desert, this town was once the capital of the powerful Ouadaï sultanate. It retains its oriental charms with beautiful mosques, old bazaars, and narrow cobbled streets.
Lake ChadOnce the centre of Africa's lucrative salt trade, the area is now sparsely populated, and the lake is shrinking. It is best visited between August and December, when hippos and crocodiles can be spotted in the higher water levels.
