Chad

Chad stretches from the Sahel into the central Sahara and holds some of the continent’s most improbable landscapes. In the northeast, the Lakes of Ounianga appear in blue, green and red inside a hyper-arid desert. The Ennedi Massif is carved into arches, canyons and gueltas and marked by rock art; in the south, Zakouma National Park protects savanna, elephants, giraffes and dense birdlife around seasonal water.

N’Djamena, on the Chari River, is a meeting point for markets, mosques, food and identities connected to North Africa, Central Africa and the Sahel. Lake Chad has changed dramatically over time but continues to support fishing, farming, communities and cross-border movement in a highly complex region.

It sounds like a dream expedition, but at the verification date official advice is against all travel to large areas, including Ennedi and the north, and against all but essential travel elsewhere. Borders, immense distances, logistics and limited consular support are incompatible with spontaneous backpacking. Keep the inspiration on the map, do not turn danger into adventure content, and wait for conditions in which a visit can be safer and more responsible.