Country 21/196: Chad
Destination: N’djamena
Well, the first thing every tourist needs to know about N’djamena is that it’s forbidden to take photos of the most prominent places and monuments unless you have a special permit from the government. Since we didn’t have the permit we had to pay some guards/soldiers to allow us to take at least some shots, but we still had lots of restrictions, so the photos are far from perfect. It’s also good to know that there are a lot of soldiers all over the city to make sure that everyone follows the rules (including the one about taking photos). Other than that, the people are very friendly, the city offers some lovely sights, and the difference between an average home and the presidential palace is bigger in N’djamena than in any other city we’ve visited so far. It was definitely a very interesting experience.
Things to see and things to do
Chad is not a popular travel destination. Even though the country offers some beautiful sights, such as Zakouma National Park, Ounianga Kebir, Ennedi Plateau, Guelta d’Archei Lake, and Emi Koussi, travel outside of N’djamena is restricted due to safety concerns. If you are planning on visiting Chad, make sure to stick to its capital. Some of the city’s top attractions include:
- Chad National Museum
- Grande Mosquée de N’Djamena
- N’Djamena Cathedral
- Place de la Nation
Where to stay
Even though tourism is not big in N’djamena, there are a few nice and comfortable hotels to be found.
Are you planning a trip to N’djamena? Here you can get a room with a 10% discount!
Budget
Accommodation prices tend to be quite high due to low competition. And as Chad isn’t a very popular destination for tourists it may be somewhat expensive to enter the country. However, you can save some money on food and local transportation if you are willing to eat and travel like locals.
Best time to visit
Temperatures tend to be extremely high in Chad year-round. However, the best time to visit N’Djamena is in January and February and from July until December, when the temperatures are slightly cooler and the weather tends to be fairly dry. You needn’t worry about the city being overrun by tourists, but you should follow the news for safety reasons.
Environmental issues
One of the most pressing challenges in Chad is water shortage due to continuously low levels of precipitation and periodic droughts. Water scarcity is causing severe desertification. Pure drinking water is available to 31% of urban dwellers and 26% of the rural population. Soil and water pollution caused by improper waste disposal represent a major concern in both urban and rural areas of the country. Continuous conflict and warfare have also taken their toll on the environment and wildlife. Endangered species in Chad included the black rhinoceros, Dallon’s gerbil, and African wild ass.
196xLOVE
Found lots of LOVE in Chad. 😉 ♥
Honeymoon rating of the visited destinations: N/A
* Note: This is NOT a general rating of the country, it is merely our personal opinion of the mentioned site(s) as honeymoon destinations, based on the level of tourism development, the number and quality of romantic and adventurous activities and sites it offers, and safety. We strongly believe that every country is beautiful in its own way, they may simply be more or less honeymoon oriented/friendly.
** Follow the journey on Instagram. 😉 There you can see our clean-up stories and check out our peace and sustainable tourism promo photos/videos. 😉
*** Use the form on the sidebar to subscribe to our newsletter and get a free customized e-postcard from every country! 🙂
