Find places in Chad

Must-Haves

• Musée National du Tchad (Centre)
  See a cast of the Toumaï skull, Sao terracottas and objects from every region of Chad.
• Grande Mosquée Roi Fayçal (Centre)
  The twin-minaret great mosque is the capital's best-known landmark, best admired respectfully from outside.

Fun for Everyone

• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Paix (Centre)
  The rebuilt Catholic cathedral is a calm, striking space and a focus for the city's Christians.
• Place de la Nation (Centre)
  The grand ceremonial square shows the official face of the capital and fills with crowds on national days.
• Institut Français du Tchad (Centre)
  Films, concerts, exhibitions and a library make this the busiest cultural venue in town.

Must-Haves

• Grand Marché (Centre)
  The capital's great market is a maze of cloth, spices, leather and silver, best explored in the morning with a local companion.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Marché à Mil (Centre)
  A lively everyday market for grains, spices, dried fish and household goods.
• Marché de Dembé (Dembé)
  A huge neighbourhood market where locals shop for food, fabric and everything in between.
• Marché de Farcha (Farcha)
  A western market close to the river, good for fresh produce and a glimpse of daily life.

Off the Beaten Path

• Marché de Chagoua (Chagoua)
  A busy southern district market with food stalls, tailors and wax print cloth.

Must-Haves

• Chari riverbank at sunset (Riverside)
  Fishermen poling pirogues past the Cameroonian shore at dusk is the classic N'Djamena moment.

Off the Beaten Path

• Confluence of the Chari and Logone (Riverside)
  The meeting of the two rivers that frame the city, best seen from the riverside on the southern side.

Fun for Everyone

• Pirogue trip on the Chari (Riverside)
  A gentle boat ride on the river shows fishing life and birdlife close up, best arranged through your hotel.
• Evening walk along Avenue Charles de Gaulle (Centre)
  The city's main avenue is lively in the early evening, with tea stalls and street food.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pottery visit in Gaoui (Gaoui)
  Watch potters shape and fire clay the traditional way in an old fortified village.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Farcha riverside fish grills (Farcha)
  Pick a fresh fish from the Chari and have it grilled or fried by the water, the classic local meal.
• Brochette stalls of Moursal (Moursal)
  Evening grills turn out skewers of mutton and beef with chilli and onions.
• Boule and sauce canteens near the Marché à Mil (Centre)
  Simple canteens serve millet boule with okra or meat sauce, the everyday Chadian lunch.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Tea stalls around the Grand Marché (Centre)
  Strong, sweet tea poured from a height is the city's social glue, and a great way to slow down.
• Karkanji sellers (Centre)
  Chilled hibiscus juice sold in bags and bottles is the perfect cure for the afternoon heat.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bili-bili cabarets of Chagoua (Chagoua)
  Southern-style bars serving home-brewed sorghum beer, a social, very local experience.

Fun for Everyone

• Bars and dance spots of Moursal (Moursal)
  Moursal is known for lively bars and music at weekends, best visited with friends who know the area.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel terraces on the Chari (Riverside)
  The big riverside hotels have the calmest spots for a sundowner with a view.

Must-Haves

• Independence Day (Citywide)
  On 11 August the capital marks independence with parades, flags and celebrations.

Fun for Everyone

• Eid al-Fitr and Tabaski (Citywide)
  The big Muslim festivals bring new clothes, family visits and feasting across the city.
• Christmas in N'Djamena (Chagoua)
  Churches fill and the southern districts celebrate with music and food.

Must-Haves

• Radisson Blu Hotel N'Djamena (Riverside)
  An international hotel on the Chari with strong security, reliable power and a pool.
• Hilton N'Djamena (Riverside)
  A long-standing riverside hotel with gardens, pool and the facilities first-timers appreciate.

Fun for Everyone

• Novotel N'Djamena La Tchadienne (Riverside)
  A well-known hotel by the river with a pool, popular with business travellers and families.

Must-Haves

• Zakouma elephant herds (Park)
  Watching recovered elephant herds move to water is one of Africa's great conservation sights.
• Rigueik wetlands (Park)
  Seasonal wetlands that draw huge flocks of cranes, storks, pelicans and ducks.

Fun for Everyone

• Tinga waterhole (Tinga)
  Animals come to drink in front of the camp, so even rest time brings sightings.
• Buffalo herds of the floodplain (Park)
  Hundreds of buffalo moving together across the plains make an unforgettable scene.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bahr Salamat (Park)
  The river that feeds the park, lined with trees and busy with wildlife late in the dry season.

Must-Haves

• Morning game drive (Park)
  The cool early hours are the best time for lions, elephants and antelope.

Fun for Everyone

• Guided walk with rangers (Park)
  Learn how the park's rangers protect wildlife while walking quietly through the bush.

Off the Beaten Path

• Birding by the pools (Park)
  Zakouma is a birder's paradise, with hundreds of species including vast quelea flocks.

Great for Date Night

• Sundowners on the plains (Park)
  Drinks at sunset with elephants in the distance end every safari day in style.

Must-Haves

• Tinga Camp (Tinga)
  The park's main camp, with simple chalets by a busy waterhole and guided drives included.

Great for Date Night

• Camp Nomade (Park)
  A seasonal tented camp that moves with the wildlife for an intimate, exclusive stay.

Fun for Everyone

• Late dry season gatherings (Park)
  From March, wildlife crowds around the last pools, the most dramatic time to visit.

Must-Haves

• Aloba Arch (Ennedi)
  One of the tallest natural arches on Earth, soaring above the desert sand.
• Guelta d'Archei (Archei)
  A deep gorge with a permanent pool where camels drink and rare desert crocodiles survive.
• Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve (Ennedi)
  The protected area managed with African Parks that safeguards the plateau's wildlife and heritage.

Fun for Everyone

• Elephant Rock (Ennedi)
  A sandstone formation shaped uncannily like an elephant, a favourite photo stop.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sandstone pillars and mushroom rocks (Ennedi)
  Wind has carved towers and mushroom shapes that glow red and gold at sunset.

Must-Haves

• Terkei rock art (Terkei)
  Painted cattle, riders and camels record thousands of years of life in a once greener Sahara.

Off the Beaten Path

• Manda Guéli cave paintings (Manda Guéli)
  A celebrated rock shelter covered in detailed ancient paintings of people and animals.
• Niola Doa engravings (Niola Doa)
  Life-size engraved human figures, among the most remarkable rock art in the Sahara.
• Fada town (Fada)
  The small capital of Ennedi, a gateway with wells, markets and a lively mix of herding peoples.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Fada market (Fada)
  The main town's market, where herders trade camels, goats, dates and tea.

Fun for Everyone

• Camping under the Saharan stars (Ennedi)
  Nights in the open with no lights for hundreds of kilometres bring astonishing skies.

Must-Haves

• Walk into the Archei canyon (Archei)
  A guided walk through the gorge to watch camel herds arrive at the water.

Great for Date Night

• Sunset over the arches (Ennedi)
  Watching the sandstone burn orange in the last light is pure magic for two.

Fun for Everyone

• Expedition camps in Ennedi (Ennedi)
  Most stays are in operators' mobile camps, simple but surrounded by staggering scenery.

Must-Haves

• Lake Yoa (Ounianga Kebir)
  The largest Ounianga lake, deep blue and salty in the middle of orange sand.
• Ounianga Serir lakes (Ounianga Serir)
  A cluster of fresh and salty lakes in blue, green and red, separated by dunes.

Fun for Everyone

• Lake Teli (Ounianga Serir)
  The largest of the Serir lakes, beautiful at sunrise with reed mats floating on the water.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lake Katam (Ounianga Kebir)
  A smaller lake near Lake Yoa, quieter and wonderfully photogenic.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Palm gardens of Ounianga Kebir (Ounianga Kebir)
  Date palms and gardens watered by the lakes show how life survives in the Sahara.

Must-Haves

• Viewpoint above Lake Yoa (Ounianga Kebir)
  The ridge above the lake gives the famous view of blue water against desert.

Fun for Everyone

• Walk between the Serir lakes (Ounianga Serir)
  A short walk links lakes of completely different colours within a few minutes.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ounianga Kebir market (Ounianga Kebir)
  A small Saharan market with dates, tea, cloth and goods carried across the desert.

Fun for Everyone

• Desert camps at Ounianga (Ounianga)
  Operators camp by the lakes so you wake to the water and the dunes.

Must-Haves

• Musée Régional de Sarh (Centre)
  Masks, instruments and tools of the southern peoples, one of the best regional museums in Chad.

Fun for Everyone

• Sarh Cathedral (Centre)
  The Catholic cathedral reflects the strong Christian community of the south.

Off the Beaten Path

• Koumra (Koumra)
  A nearby southern town with markets and churches, often visited by diaspora families.

Must-Haves

• Chari riverbank in Sarh (Riverside)
  The town's social heart, with fishermen, boats and evening strollers under the trees.

Fun for Everyone

• Mango season in Sarh (Sarh)
  From around March, the town's mango trees are heavy with fruit sold on every corner.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Grand Marché de Sarh (Centre)
  A colourful market for fish, mangoes, peanuts, sesame and local cloth.

Fun for Everyone

• Pirogue crossing of the Chari (Riverside)
  A short boat ride across the river is a simple, memorable outing.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bili-bili cabarets of Sarh (Sarh)
  Home-brewed sorghum beer in neighbourhood bars, a true southern tradition.

Low Cost and Authentic

• River fish grills in Sarh (Riverside)
  Grilled capitaine and other Chari fish served simply by the water.

Fun for Everyone

• Christmas and Easter in the south (Sarh)
  Church services, choirs and family feasts make these big occasions in Sarh.

Must-Haves

• Brasseries du Logone (Moundou)
  The brewery behind Gala, Chad's best-known beer, is a symbol of the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Cathédrale de Moundou (Centre)
  The city's Catholic cathedral, a centre of southern community life.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Grande Mosquée de Moundou (Centre)
  The main mosque reflects the city's mixed Muslim and Christian population.

Must-Haves

• Grand Marché de Moundou (Centre)
  The south's biggest market for produce, cloth, livestock and household goods.

Fun for Everyone

• Logone river at Moundou (Riverside)
  Riverbanks for walks, fishing boats and evening breezes.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gauthiot Falls (Léré)
  Waterfalls on the Mayo Kebbi near Léré, a rare dramatic landscape in southern Chad.
• Lake Léré (Léré)
  A peaceful lake in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, known for its manatees and fishing villages.

Fun for Everyone

• Gala beer gardens (Moundou)
  Open-air bars with music and cold Gala are where Moundou relaxes at the weekend.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bili-bili cabarets of Moundou (Moundou)
  Sorghum beer brewed by local women and served in calabashes, very social and very local.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Fish grills on the Logone (Riverside)
  Fresh river fish grilled to order, with chilli and boule on the side.