Best time to visit Chad

The annual Gerewol festival, when young men parade in finest costume to attract a partner, is the best time to visit Chad. It takes place in late September, just before the dry season from late October to March - this is the best time to visit Chad if you are travelling into more remote areas, as rain can cause disruption. The far-flung Tibesti Mountains are a real expedition, reached by driving for days across the desert then camping out under the stars.

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Best time to visit Chad

As the rains cease, semi nomadic Wodaabe 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 June-Sept. Autumn is slightly cooler than spring – when temperatures are regularly over 40°C. The Gerewol Festival takes place in late September 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.

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Chad Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

113

JUL

188

AUG

246

SEP

124

OCT

NOV

DEC

Things to do in Chad

Things to do in Chad…

A beauty contest for young men, in which they are painted for the occasion, and must dance, parade, and display their poise, is at the heart of Gerewol Festival. Celebrated by the Wodaabe people in the Durbali region, and taking place in autumn, it's an incredible spectacle, as traditional as ever, with the winner celebrated for years to come – and the women on guard, should another woman choose her husband as the prettiest.The Guelta d’Archei ia a permanent waterhole surrounded by steep cliffs and reached via a trek across the desert lasting between one and a half and two hours. The hike is worth it; from a clifftop viewpoint you can see hundreds of camels being led to the water’s edge as their bellows echo eerily off the rocks.The Tibesti Mountains, tucked into a remote corner of the Sahara between Niger and Libya, are little explored even by African standards – which is part of their mysterious appeal. Historically out of bounds it is now possible to visit – but expect to spend days driving across the desert and nights camping out under the stars to reach these volcanic peaks, home to some of the world’s most remote settlements.

Things not to do in Chad…

Get hammered. Central and northern Chad is largely Islamic – and consuming alcohol is frowned upon – though it’s often ok to drink in the desert villages. If you’re not sure whether to drink or not, it’s very simple – if alcohol is widely available, or offered to you, then bottoms up. If not, don't go looking for it.

Travel without insurance. Many insurance companies won’t cover travellers heading into Chad, due to FCO warnings and instability in the surrounding countries. However, your holiday company will work with those that do, and in an area this remote, and with such sparse medical facilities, it’s incredibly important to have backup in case of an accident.

Expect to meet other travellers. Chad is one of the least explored countries in the world, with great stretches of its desert landscape unvisited even by Chadians, let alone international travellers. One of our tour leaders has spent a total of around ten weeks in Chad – he saw a group of two tourists just once.

Play with the tanks. The remains of old conflicts are littered across the landscape, particularly in the north from the war with Libya, where you’ll come across rusting tanks and jeeps half swallowed by sand. Don’t go near them – there may be unexploded devices waiting to go off.

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Chad travel advice

Unique appeal

Jim O’Brien, from our specialist supplier Native Eye, shares his Chad travel advice.:

“Chad is wild 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?

“Chad is 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.”

How safe is Chad?

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.”

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.”

Not all deserts are lifeless…

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Written by Vicki Brown

Best time to visit Chad