Not to miss

Fada

About 1100km (680mi) from the capital, Fada is a modest town nestled in a beautiful area with weird rock formations and several fascinating grottos containing cave paintings, most over 5000 years old. The famous Guelta d'Archei geological formation is about 80km (50mi) from town.

Hitching with trucks can take anywhere from three to five days, but saves you the hassle of finding a guide (best done in Kouba) and working your own way there. If you approach Fada from Abéché, you'll pass Libyan tanks rusting by the side of the road.

Abéché

Abéché is a facinating old town with an oriental appearance that features mosques, narrow streets, old markets and dilapidated buildings. Getting there can be a bit problemantic as the weekly flight from N'Djamena to Abéche is often cancelled so hitching a lift via truck might be your only option. It takes about three days.

Bol

Lake Chad was once one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Its dry season area of under 10,000 sq km can rise to 25,000 sq km at the height of the rains; however, it is slowly drying up and even vanished during the worst of the Sahel drought in 1984. Its slow disappearance is creating problems for, and conflicts between, fishermen and farmers.

A finger of the lake reaches Bol year-round, and trade with Nigeria has made this small town relatively prosperous. To get out on the lake (best done Nov-Feb) and see floating islands, massive numbers of birds and maybe hippos, hire a boat down at the port.

Ennedi

The Tibesti Mountains remain off-limits but Ennedi desert is just as weird and wonderful. Attractions include prehistoric cave paintings, slot canyons, desert lakes and some unbelievably bizarre rock formations. There are even ancient sea arches, now swimming in sand dunes, formed when Lake Chad stretched out here.

The area is also home to some stunning wildlife such as the Nile Crocodile and was the home of the last Saharan lion.

Zakouma National Park

This national park is a major Chadian success story. After poaching and civil war ravaged the area's wildlife, the Chadian government and the EU restocked the park with an eye on the affluent European tourist market. Now you can see large herds of elephants, as well as giraffes, wildebeests, monkeys, lions, and a wide variety of antelopes and birdlife.

The best time to come is March and April when the animals congregate around watering holes. It is not possible to visit June-October because of the rains. Getting to the park can be laborious with the best option being organising the visit through one of N'Djaména's travel agencies.