Must See

N'Djamena

Once one of central Africa's liveliest cities, the capital of Chad has been re-building its reputation since the recent war. Although bullet holes in the buildings may remind people of past war-torn times, the mood is now becoming increasingly optimistic.

A colourful daily market in the historic quarter is a great place for finding vividly coloured rugs and jewellery. The National Museum has collections of similar items dating to the Sarh culture, who lived in the area in the ninth century.

Visitors will soon notice the difference between the quiet Arab section of town, and the southern area, which is full of lively bars and nightlife.

Tibesti Mountains

The Tibesti Mountains are a group of dormant volcanoes forming the largest and highest mountain range in the central Sahara desert. Located in the Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti region of northern Chad, their northern slopes extend a short distance into southern Libya.

The highest peak is Emi Koussi (3415 m), with other summits including Kegueur Terbi (3376 m), Tarso Taro (3325 m), the active volcano Pic Tousside (3265 m) and Soborom (3100 m). Whilst the high peaks themselves are all constituted of volcanic material, the mountains stand on broad uplifted area possibly caused by a mantle plume.

This astonishing landscape of chasms and crags, seldom seen by non-Muslims (it remains closed to travellers), has long been home to the Toubou tribe, distantly related to the Tuareg of the Western Sahara. The mountains are known for their cave paintings, mostly dating from the 5th to the 3rd millennium BC, and for the geysers and hot springs around Soboroum.

Abeche

Surrounded by desert, this town was once the capital of the powerful Ouadaï sultanate. It still retains its oriental charms to this day, with beautiful mosques, old bazaars and narrow cobbled streets.

Lake Chad

Once the centre of Africa's lucrative salt trade, the area is now sparsely populated, and the lake is shrinking. It is best visited between August and December, when hippos and crocodiles can be spotted in the higher water levels.

Zakouma National Park

This park is located on an immense plain, across which the Bahr Salamat and its tributaries flow from north to south. Although the park was ravaged by civil war and poachers, it has since been restocked and refurbished by the Government and the EU, and visitors are able to see herds of elephants, giraffes and lions.