Sahara Desert guide
The Sahara will surprise you. For one thing, it’s probably bigger than you think. Get to know this misunderstood monster with our Sahara travel guide.
Best time to visit Chad
As the rains cease, semi nomadic Mbororo men gather together in the Sahel to attract new partners with flamboyant performances during the annual Gerewol Festival.![]()
The dry months from Oct/Nov to March are the best time to visit Chad – the rains may liven up the arid landscape but they wreak havoc with the largely unpaved roads and travelling north is virtually impossible. The rains are shorter in the Sahel northwards – lasting roughly Jun-Sep. Autumn is slightly cooler than spring – when temperatures are regularly over 40°C. The Gerewol Festival takes place in late Sep but is close enough to N’Djamena not to have transport issues; however, it can’t usually be combined with trips to the desert as it’s still too wet.
Chad Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
16
36
0
FEB
19
37
0
MAR
22
40
4
APR
24
40
14
MAY
24
38
54
JUN
23
35
113
JUL
22
32
188
AUG
21
31
246
SEP
21
32
124
OCT
21
35
31
NOV
18
36
1
DEC
16
35
0
Our Chad Holidays
Chad wildlife holiday in Zakouma NP
Spectacular safari to Africa's most exciting destination
From
£3850
10 days
ex flights
The Gerewol Festival and Ennedi Mountains tour, Chad
Sandstone mountains, multi-hued lakes and the Wodaabe tribe
From
£5999 to £6199
22 days
ex flights
Gerewol festival holiday in Chad
Witness one of Africa's most colourful traditional festivals
From
£2499 to £2625
8 days
ex flights
Chad holiday, Peaks of the Tibesti
Join our tour to the Sahara's final frontier.
From
£6845
22 days
ex flights
Chad holidays, expedition to the Ennedi
Tubu nomads, desert crocodiles and the Sahara's best scenery
From
£3875 to £3999
15 days
ex flights
Chad holidays, untamed Tibesti
An incredible journey to the holy grail of Saharan travel.
From
£5299
22 days
ex flights
Things to do in Chad
Things to do in Chad…
Things not to do in Chad…
Our top Chad Holiday
The Gerewol Festival and Ennedi Mountains tour, Chad
Sandstone mountains, multi-hued lakes and the Wodaabe tribe
From
£5999 to £6199
22 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2022: 9 Oct
2023: 14 Oct
2022: 9 Oct
2023: 14 Oct
Travel Team
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Chad travel advice
Unique appeal
Unique appeal
Jim O’Brien, from our specialist supplier Native Eye, shares his Chad travel advice.:
“Chad is wild and untamed like nowhere else I’ve travelled to. It’s not an easy country at all – there’s no tourist infrastructure whatsoever, and there’s very little infrastructure at all outside two or three main cities. Having said that, I’ve been to Chad four times in the last few years, and it’s probably my favourite destination.”
“Chad is wild and untamed like nowhere else I’ve travelled to. It’s not an easy country at all – there’s no tourist infrastructure whatsoever, and there’s very little infrastructure at all outside two or three main cities. Having said that, I’ve been to Chad four times in the last few years, and it’s probably my favourite destination.”
How safe is Chad?
How safe is Chad?
“Chad is actually one of the safer parts of the Sahara and Sahel. It’s got a slight problem around Lake Chad, but once you get up into the desert, there’s really no one there. The northern regions have always had a tempestuous relationship with the south because they’re inhabited by the Toubou people who generally don’t like outsiders and just want to live as they always have done. But for years now it’s been peaceful.”
Cultural tips
Cultural tips
Jim O’Brien, from our specialist supplier Native Eye, shares his Chad travel advice:
“The Toubou people are very sensitive to having their photos taken, and I’ve seen some ugly incidents where tourists haven’t heeded that advice, and have almost got themselves into trouble. So you always, always have to ask. It’s more critical there than anywhere else I’ve ever been. You’re out in the desert, the law is basically the person in front of you so if they want to take offence at that then they can.”
“The Toubou people are very sensitive to having their photos taken, and I’ve seen some ugly incidents where tourists haven’t heeded that advice, and have almost got themselves into trouble. So you always, always have to ask. It’s more critical there than anywhere else I’ve ever been. You’re out in the desert, the law is basically the person in front of you so if they want to take offence at that then they can.”
Not all deserts are lifeless…
Not all deserts are lifeless…
“There is quite a surprising amount of wildlife in the Ennedi Mountains. I’ve seen hyenas, I’ve seen baboons, monkeys, fennec foxes, and just outside of the mountains you’ve got dorcas gazelles – quite a lot of them. So there’s actually quite a lot of wildlife in the desert, but it’s not always easy to see. On one particular day of our trip into the Ennedi we drive into a region which comparatively well watered. There’s a fair bit of vegetation and we see about a hundred gazelles throughout the course of the day – it’s alive.”
More about Chad
This desert nation isn't a place where you come on holiday - it's a place for an adventure, and an expedition into the unknown...
An ancient courtship ritual in which tribesmen dress up and wear makeup to attract a wife or a lover, Chad's Gerewol festival is an extraordinary spectacle...
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