Chad

On arrival into N'Djamena, you will be taken to a comfortable local hotel to rest before the trip ahead. Your passport will be taken by our representative to register with Chadian police - we understand surrendering you passport abroad can be alarming, but we assure you that your passport will be returned to you in good time. This evening, we will have dinner at our hotel. The food here is basic but passable, and if lucky we be able to tick off our first mammals of the trip if hippo can be seen in the nearby Chari River, or bats may be spotted above the hotel swimming pool.

The next four full days will be spent exploring the core area of the Ennedi Reserve. Days will begin at dawn, as we head out on drives to key sites, returning to camp as the heat of the day builds. We then head out again in the evening for a short drive, looping back to camp for dinner, before a relatively short (usually around ninety-minute) night drive. One of our first visits will be to the lovely Guelta di Bachikele, a watering point accessed through a narrow canyon. Here, camels are led through ankle-deep water against the deep-red backdrop of sandstone, making for sensational photos with permission from local people. Keep a keen eye out for chacma baboons and rock hyraxes high on the cliffs above. A real highlight is the hike to another guelta, the world-famous Guelta d'Archei where, each morning, dozens of camels are led to drink - a viewpoint from high above the water offers superb photographic opportunities. This is also the last refuge of the hyper-localised Saharan crocodile, perhaps the rarest of any creature we encounter on our safaris. Also well worth a visit are the innumerable stunning rock formations close to camp. The Aloba Arch is particularly remarkable, famed for being one of the highest free-standing arches in the world. Other fan- favourites include the Table, the Elephant Arch and the Mushrooms, but perhaps most remarkable of all is the scale and diversity of the formations that remain nameless as we drive between areas. Many of these would merit their own national park in most countries, but here they simply blend into the background. Rock painting sites, including the 'big cow' and Manda Gueli, are also superb. Ennedi is awash with historic sites of great interest and importance, and the caves that are home to these paintings are often great spots to escape the oppressive heat! When it comes to wildlife, the most commonly encountered species by day are Patas monkeys and, less often, fennec foxes resting outside their den. Recent re-introductions have seen addax and ostrich return to the park, and we often work with African Parks, who manage the park, to request access to spots where these species might be seen. Extremely rarely, visitors might spot the iconic and emblematic aoudad. By night, short drives can offer excellent sightings. Most commonly seen are pale fox and wild cat, with Rueppell's fox, fennec fox, gerbils, jerboas and even striped hyena often seen as well. When not on drive, guests tend to relax in the shared communal area of camp and enjoying what basic amenities we can offer.

A road-trip on a truly epic scale commences this morning, as we bid farewell to our tented camp on the long drive south. We leave behind the vast sandstone monoliths surprisingly quickly as they give way to arid scrubland. The roads here are little more than desert tracks, punctuated by occasional potholed attempts at bridges, and we tend to stop only for toilet breaks and lunch. Not long before sunset, we arrive at our campsite, comprised of small dome tents with stretcher beds and 'proper bedding', for dinner and some rest.

Another morning on the road, in addition to some time spent in town for a beer run, takes us west from any vestiges of cilivisation and the colossal faunal reserve of Ouadi-Rime. Dominating much of the interior of Chad, this vast area is home to the operational nerve centre of the Sahara Conservation Fund, a remarkable organisation that has worked tirelessly in recent years to restore Saharan wildlife to its native range. Arriving at Oryx Base Camp by early afternoon, we will be met by the ever-friendly SCF team. There is no tourist infrastructure here, so we will stay in our rudimentary dome tents just outside the fenced compound. SCF do sometimes permit us access to their toilets/showers, charging facilities and even air-conditioned rooms, but this cannot be guaranteed in advance. After an introduction to the work of SCF, an afternoon drive in closed 4x4 vehicles will focus on locating the populations of addax and scimitar-horned oryx near camp. These re-introduced populations of these startlingly beautiful antelope are monitored continuously by SCF, and sightings are near-guaranteed. We will also keep an eye out for the extremely rare dama gazelle, the largest of all gazelle species. Birding enthusiasts will no doubt be keeping a keen eye out for Arabian and Nubian bustards, as well as Sudan golden sparrow. Night drives are hugely productive, subject to SCF permission, and we have often seen over a dozen wild cat and pale fox on each drive. Rarer species include Libyan striped weasel, caracal, striped hyena and honey badger, with a supporting cast of African wolf, jerboas and highly sought-after birds including golden nightjar.

The next three full days are dedicated to exploring the vast open grasslands of Ouadi-Rime. With luck, SCF may grant us access to their flat-bed vehicles, which allow for unobstructed photography of the many species that call the reserve home. Otherwise, we will use our closed 4x4 vehicles, pausing often for the chance to view the stars of Ouadi-Rime, addax, scimitar-horned oryx and dama gazelle. Night drives, again subject to SCF permission, are some of the best in Africa - wild cat, pale fox, honey badger, striped hyena, caracal, Libyan striped weasel and crested porcupine are all possible, When not on drive, we spend most of our time sheltering from the impressive heat and learning more about the admirable conservation work done here.

Our full day today is spent on the road, leaving Ouadi-Rime at the crack of dawn and heading east and then south to the town of Abeche. The roads are generally fairly good today, although it is undoubtedly a hot and long day today. We camp at our basic campsite near the town of Mangalme tonight.

Today is almost spent on the road. We aim to reach the central town of Mongo before lunch, then moving on to the very poor road south to Aboudeia. Progress can be extremely slow on this section of our route, and we ask clients to be patient with us as we seek to get you to Aboudeia as promptly as possible. Look out for the first signs of wildlife as we get closer to Aboudeia - the localised red-fronted gazelle can be seen well here, as can Chacma baboon, tantalus monkey and secretary birds.

Today, we complete our long journey to the incredible and inimitable Zakouma National Park. Depending on road conditions, this journey usually brings us to the unassuming entrance to Zakouma by early afternoon, though we aim to arrive earlier. Look out for our first huge swathes of waterfowl as we approach the park, including spur-winged goose and knob-billed duck Upon arriving at Tinga and completing entry formalities, we settle into our accommodation for the next seven nights. Around camp, we can expect to see our first savanna game proper of the trip, including Buffon's Kob, Bohor Reedbuck, Lelwel Hartebeest, Common Warthog and much more. On arrival at Tinga Camp, we will hold a briefing regarding safety, as well as the plan for the week ahead. After an opportunity to settle into your en-suite accommodation, dinner will be served in the main camp area. The food here is generally of a high standard, although not haute cuisine. Tinga Camp is more basic than the famous Camp Nomade but is in an excellent area for wildlife. Previous trips have encountered Leopard, Bush Elephant, Savanna Buffalo and Lion in camp, with the surrounding area regularly revealing Cheetah, Serval, Caracal and Pale Fox. The camp itself has a hide to which we are allowed access, and from which Bush Elephant and Kordofan Giraffe are regularly seen. It will have been a long day, but for those keen to explore the area, a night drive will be offered in a private game viewer. Whilst we can never guarantee the wildlife will co-operate, night drives in this area often provide excellent sightings of Leopard, Serval, African Wild Cat, African Civet, Honey Badger, Caracal, Spotted Hyena and Pale Fox. Previous guests have seen 31 Serval in Zakouma during a ten-night stay, including young kittens.

Over the next six days, we are able to explore Zakouma National park in its entirety. Each day, we will have exclusive use of a private game viewer, with clients guaranteed a window seat for prime photographic opportunities. It is important to note that our movements are dependent on those of guests at Camp Nomade - these guests have exclusive access to the Rigueik area if they are in the area, so we will not be able to visit Rigueik at will. However, when these guests vacate this area, we will be able to traverse Rigueik freely. Rigueik is an iconic area, home to an abudance of wildlife rarely seen in Africa. Vast herds of Tiang, Savanna Buffalo and Buffon's Kob dot the landscape, and it is here where sightings of the rare Kordofan Giraffe are most easily made. Lions are often seen here, as are Serval and African Wild Cat. The birdlife here is truly sensational, even for non-birders. Flocks of millions of Red-Billed Quelea descend on Rigueik to drink, sometimes in numbers sufficient to snap branches on the trees on which they perch. Black Crowned Cranes dance on the floodplains, as Spur-Winged Geese and White-Faced Whistling Duck wallow in the shallows. We hope to be able to visit this area 2-3 times during our stay. We will also make a concerted effort to enjoy another highlight of Zakouma, the astonishingly large breeding herd of Bush Elephant for which the park is famed. Years of poaching pressure has led to this herd, sometimes up to c.550 animals strong, banding together for protection. Understandably, these Elephants can be shy but, if lucky, we may be able to catch a glimpse of them coming down to water to drink, an impressive sight - please note that this herd has fractured in recent seasons, and sightings of large groups are increasingly rare. Zakouma is now also home to a small population of Black Rhino, following a re-introduction from South Africa. We will be sure to pay them a visit during our stay. Each day we will have the option for a full-day game drive, or separate morning and evening game drives. We generally recommend the latter as temperatures soar here during the middle of the day. However, full-day game drives may be necessary to reach the populations of Bush Elephant and Black Rhino in the park. Each night we will also offer a night drive, aiming to catch some of Zakouma's nocturnal residents, with Serval, Caracal, Wild Cat, Pale Fox, Aardvark, Civet, Striped Hyena, Genet and more all seen regularly.

This morning we bid a sad farewell to Zakouma, as we return to Mongo by road.

Today we complete our long journey, arriving back at our hotel in N'Djamena late this evening.