Chad

Not many travelers dare to travel to Chad. Conflicts and terrorist attacks have meant that tourism does not flourish with the same speed and intensity as in other countries on the African continent. Therefore the health, transport and tourism infrastructures are quite precarious. However, it is precisely the absence of all this that pushes the most daring travelers to travel to Chad in search of adventure.

Why travel to this remote place when it is so dangerous? Arguments in favor include the oases of the northern deserts, the charm of a cruise on Lake Chad or the large herds of wild animals in the national parks.

Ennedi Desert

The Sahara desert is the largest in the world. It is full of dunes only interrupted by rock formations such as the Saharan Atlas, the Ahaggar mountains or the Tibesti mountains. However, the Ennedi desert with its unique stony landscape is probably the most spectacular corner of the Sahara.

Among its attractions we can list desert lakes, mountains, slot canyons, prehistoric cave paintings and ancient marine arches that are now in seas of dunes, which were formed when Lake Chad expanded.

Chad Lake

Many more kilometers from N'Djamena, you will find what was once one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world.

Until the early 70s, Lake Chad was like a sea within Africa shared by several countries such as Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon. Although its area can be 25 km000 at the peak of the rainy season, little by little the lake is drying up and in the last four decades it has lost 2% of its surface, with the devastating ecological and social consequences that it provokes fishermen and farmers.

gaoui

In this town, the beautiful painted mud houses are impressive, adding a touch of color to the monotonous landscape of dark brown tones.

Zakouma National Park

Zakouma is situated just south of the Sahara as the northernmost of the continent's great national parks and It is one of the last examples of the Sudanese-Sahelian ecosystem.

The landscapes of this national park are unique, a combination of open spaces with wetlands, savanna forests and scrublands.

Although the civil war and poaching have devastated the fauna of the area, the animal populations have grown remarkably and now there are large herds of buffalo, roan antelope, and deer. In addition, a large number of birds live in the Zakouma wetlands and almost half of the Kordofan giraffes in Africa live in this park, which makes this place a magical landscape.

Other animals that inhabit the park are the cheetah, leopard and spotted hyena as well as large herds of elephants.

Sarah

Here the traveler can discover the greenest and most pleasant side of sandy Chad and relax by the Chari River. The country's cotton capital is no more than a lagging place, a pleasant and sleepy town in the shade of huge trees. The Sarh Regional Museum displays ancient weapons, musical instruments and masks. At nightfall, hippos often water on the banks of the Chari River.

How to travel to Chad?

In order to enter Chad, it is necessary to obtain a visa. This country does not have an embassy in Spain, so the visa must be requested in Paris at the Chadian embassy. For this, it will be necessary to present, in addition to other documents, the passport with a minimum validity of 6 months, the yellow fever vaccination certificate and a letter of invitation.

Taking into account the delicate situation in Chad, for security reasons it is advisable to provide contact information and inform the Spanish embassy in Cameroon about the itinerary and stay in Chad.

Safety in Chad

Currently it is not advisable to travel to Chad unless it is for a case of extreme necessity. If the traveler still decides to enter the country, it is convenient to avoid all border areas due to the risk of armed assailants and especially the border with Niger, due to the terrorist threat from Boko Haram.

Sanitary measures

To travel to Chad, it is mandatory to get vaccinated against yellow fever. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends vaccination against hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever, diphtheria and meningitis, as well as the tetanus vaccine. Similarly, it is advisable to follow a prophylactic treatment against malaria before traveling to this Central African country and to take the necessary precautions against mosquitoes.

Once in the country, it is advisable to take certain food hygiene measures: always consume bottled water, avoid ice and raw unpeeled fruits and vegetables.