- 10 Days
- Feb-Aug
- Availability: 35
- Minimum Group: 5
Safari and Culture in Zakouma Park and Gaoui Potter Village
Descriptions
The Zakouma Park & Gaoui Potter Village Tour is a unique and exciting adventure that takes you through the beautiful Zakouma National Park and the traditional Gaoui Potter Village.
The Zakouma National Park is a protected area located in Chad, Central Africa, known for its diverse wildlife and conservation efforts. You will have the opportunity to go on a guided safari, where you will see elephants, lions, giraffes, and many other species of animals in their natural habitat. You will also have the opportunity to learn about the conservation efforts being made in the park and the impact they have had on the local wildlife populations.
Included
- Meet & Greet and airport/hotel transfers
- Double accommodation in BB
- Overland transportation in 4WD all-inclusive
- A guide
- All entries and visits as mentioned in the detailed program
- All cultural activities as per program
- Pirogue ride on Lake Chad and Chari River
- Tourism permit
Excluded
- Departure Taxes
- Entry Fees
- Visa, flight and travel insurance
- Meals and beverage
- Service not specified as ‘included’
- Unforeseen circumstances including force majeure
- Alternative activities
- Others
From
€ 2,985
/ pp
*Indicative price
Send us an enquiry
Popular Spots
- Zakouma National Park
- Mongo city (including the local market, Cathedral St Ignace, Mosque, or a farmer family visit)
- Fula tribe in Dourbali (including the annual Gerewol Festival, a traditional fantasia performance, and a visit to the chieftaincy, farms, and markets)
- Gaoui village (including Gaoui Museum, showcasing the pottery pieces created by local artisans)
- Queen's Mountain in Mongo
- Various villages along the journey to N'Djamena
Memorable Moments.
Wildlife Safari in Zakouma Park
One of the most memorable moments of the Zakouma Park & Gaoui Potter Village Tour is the opportunity to go on a wildlife safari in Zakouma National Park. The park is known for its diverse array of wildlife, including elephants, lions, leopards, and over 450 bird species. Visitors can take a guided tour through the park, led by an experienced guide who will help spot and identify different animals in the wild. The tour also offers the opportunity to see the park’s famous Kirlangic marsh, where you can observe large numbers of water birds, as well as the park’s lakes, where you can see crocodiles and hippos.
Gaoui Potter Village Visit
Another memorable moment of the tour is the visit to the Gaoui Potter Village. The village is known for its traditional pottery-making techniques, passed down for generations. Visitors can witness the potters at work, using locally sourced clay to create a variety of pots, vases, and other traditional pottery items. The tour also includes the opportunity to learn about the history of the village and its pottery-making traditions. Additionally, visitors can purchase traditional pottery pieces as a souvenir of their visit to Gaoui Potter Village.
Trip Schedule.
N’Djamena – Radisson Blue N’Djamena
N’Djamena – Radisson Blue N’DjamenaUpon arrival in N’Djamena, you will be greeted by your guide and transferred to the Radisson Blue N’Djamena hotel for check-in. After getting settled in, you will have a briefing at the hotel lobby to go over the itinerary for the next day and ensure that all details are in order.
N’Djamena – Mongo P.A.M. Guest House
You will depart from Ndjamena early in the morning, heading east towards the Zakouma National Park. The journey to Mongo will take around 7 hours and will take you over a partially paved road, passing by numerous isolated rustic villages. The landscape is dominated by Sahelian, savannah, and mountains, and the drive offers a great view of this natural background as you approach Mongo. If you have the energy in the evening, you might take a stroll towards the “Queen’s Mountain”, a peak famous for its silhouette resembling a woman laying on her back. You will spend the night in PAM Guest House.
Mongo – Zakouma Tinga Lodge
In the morning, you will depart for Zakouma which you will reach in the middle of the afternoon. Although the road towards Zakouma isn’t paved, the landscape is rewarding, mostly dominated by savannah and Sudano-Sahelian vegetation. Due to the road conditions, it takes around 7 hours to reach the park in a comfortable 4WD. If time allows in the afternoon, you will go for a P.M safari before nightfall in the Zakouma National Park that is ideal for visiting during the dry season, which lasts from November to May. You will spend the night in Tinga Camp.
Zakouma National Park Tinga Lodge
Spend a full day exploring the incredible Zakouma National Park, one of the most notable landmarks in Chad. This 3000 km² park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including Savannah Elephants, Kordofan Giraffes, Roan Antelopes, Lelwel’s Hartebeests, buffalos, Black Rhinos, Lions, Leopards and many other mammals. The avian life in the park is also abundant, with species such as Black-breasted Barbets, Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, Cranes, Ibis, Herons, Pelicans, Egrets, Storks, and eagles. Enjoy a full day safari and spend the night at the Tinga Lodge.
Zakouma – Mongo P.A.M. Guest House
Today we leave the park and head back to Mongo, a journey that will take around 7 hours. Upon arrival, we will have a sightseeing tour of the city, which is nestled in the middle of a mountain circus and located on Mt Guera. Mongo is the second largest city in the country, surrounded by numerous villages that have managed to preserve their customs and traditions despite the outside world’s influence during the Jihad era. Depending on the time, we will visit the local market, the Cathedral St Ignace, the Mosque, or a farmer family in one of the villages adjacent to Mongo. If we didn’t have the chance to visit the ‘Queen Mountain’ on the way to Zakouma, we will visit it today. Overnight at P.A.M. Guest House.
Mongo – N’Djamena Radisson Blue N’Djamena
Today we embark on a journey back to N’djamena, a city located 450km from Mongo. The road is partially asphalted and offers a diverse range of landscapes, including dryland vegetation and mountainous regions. Along the way, we will make stops at various villages, where we will have the opportunity to meet and interact with local tribes, learn about their way of life and culture. Nomadic pastoralists and farmers can also be spotted along the route, still practicing traditional farming techniques and other ancestral modes of agriculture. After the long drive, we will arrive in N’Djamena in the evening and enjoy dinner at the hotel before spending the night.
N’Djamena – Dourbali – N’Djamena Radisson Blue N’Djamena
In the early morning, we will embark on a culturally rich visit to the Fula tribe in Dourbali. Dourbali is located approximately 100km from N’Djamena, and is the core village of the Bororo tribe, known for their annual Gerewol Festival, a spectacular and colorful event that takes place in September. This visit to the Fulani Village will be an authentic way to meet the locals, learn about their culture and history, visit their chieftaincy, farms, and markets, and even witness a traditional fantasia performance. As we conclude the visit and make our way back to N’Djamena in the late afternoon, this will be the end of our tour.
N’Djamena – Gaoui – N’Djamena Radisson Blue N’Djamena
This day is dedicated to exploring the village of Gaoui, a small community located just 10km outside of N’Djamena. Known for their mastery in pottery, the village is home to the Gaoui Museum which showcases the intricate and unique pottery pieces created by the local artisans. Visitors will have the opportunity to witness the pottery-making process firsthand as they stroll through the village, visiting the workshops of local potters and observing their techniques that have been passed down for generations. After exploring the village, we will head back to N’Djamena for lunch, followed by an afternoon city tour. N’Djamena, the largest city in Chad, is home to a diverse population of over one million inhabitants, most of whom are of Muslim faith. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the picturesque mosques, including the Grand Mosque de N’Djamena, which sees a large number of worshippers on Fridays during the P.M. prayers.
N’Djamena – Lake Chad – N’Djamena Radisson Blue N’Djamena
This day, we will embark on an excursion to Lake Chad, one of the most important wetlands in the region, known for its rich biodiversity and economic importance to the local communities. We will depart N’Djamena early in the morning and drive to Guite, the Lake Chad harbour, where we will board a boat and sail to the first island of Siaka. Here, we will visit the local fisherman communities and learn about their way of life and the challenges they face. We will then continue our cruise to the island of Kinaseroum, the largest and most cosmopolitan island on the lake, where we will have the opportunity to interact with the diverse communities of Malians, Nigeriens, Senegalese, Burkinabes, Cameroonians, Ghanaians and other fishermen who rely on fishing for their livelihoods. Despite concerns about the negative impacts of climate change on the lake, visitors may still have the chance to spot some aquatic wildlife including crocodiles, hippos, birds, and rare species of fish. We will also visit a crocodile pond and meet with the local chief before sailing back to Guite and driving back to N’Djamena in the late afternoon.
N’Djamena – Doungia – N’Djamena Radisson Blue N’Djamena
On the final day of the tour, depending on the schedule of your onward flight, we will pick you up at the hotel a few hours before your departure time and drive to the airport for check-in. However, if your flight is scheduled for later in the evening, we will make the most of the day by taking a scenic drive to Doungia. This small village is located along the banks of the Chari River, which is one of the most important tributaries of Lake Chad. During the rainy season, the river is navigable for almost 800km and is home to many fishermen villages. In Doungia, we will embark on a pirogue ride over the Chari River and visit some of these villages, taking in the sights and sounds of the local communities. The Chari River was first explored by a trio of British explorers in 1823, and this visit will be an opportunity to experience the natural beauty and rich history of this region. In the evening, we will return to N’Djamena and the Radisson Blue N’Djamena for a final night before departure.
