Ennedi Massif

The undisputed highlight of any trip to Chad is the Ennedi Massif. This huge sandstone formation has ancient rock art, pre-Islamic burial mounds, contemporary nomadic life, weirdly eroded landforms such as pinnacles, arches and mushrooms, and the iconic canyon Guelta d'Archei. In October 2022 we experienced the area greener than our guide had ever seen it before, thanks to the generous rainy season of this year. Situated deep in the Sahara, it takes 3.5 days of solid driving on mostly unpaved roads to get there from the capital N'Djamena. We stayed for 4 days, wild camping in a different lovely location every night and driving & hiking all day between the sights.

Rock art is everywhere. Some are engravings, but mostly there are clear paintings in red and white. You can crawl into rock shelters and caves to come within touching distance of the rock paintings. I even inadvertently put up my tent next to a rock wall and later noticed there were two camel paintings next door. The most characteristic images of this region are the "flying" camels and horses, some mounted by riders. The best ones are at Terkei (flying horses in red) and Bichagara in West-Ennedi (flying camels in white). One morning we even saw a living flying camel plus a rider speed by our camp!

The eroded landforms resemble parks in Utah such as Arches NP and Monument Valley. They are known by names like the Cathedral and the Labyrinth. We visited arches such …

The Archei region, which is now presented under the name "Ennedi Massif: natural and cultural landscape", is also rightly known as "the Saharian Garden of Eden".

Huge sandstone cliffs, pillars, arches, labyrinths, towers, guardians, of all shades of reds, yellows, browns, golds...absolutely AMAZING!

This amazingly well preserved mountain range at the Southern border of the biggest desert in the World, is not only incredibly beautiful: it is also home to some of the most amazing rock art in the World, dating 2000 to 7000 years back, in such vast quantities and so well preserved that it is often refered to as "the open-sky Louvre", after the famous French gallery.

The place is scarcely populated, and mainly by nomads whose life hasn't changed much since their ancestors painted or engraved those rocks. Beautiful place, beautiful people, ancient culture preserved and still alive...the Ennedi is spectacular in so many different aspects.

The Ennedi Massif also hids gems of biodiversity: plants and animals have managed to survive there for more than 4000 years since the Sahara became arid again. The lucky visitor who has an early start can even spot the last Saharian crocodiles in the guelta of Archei!

bear in mind that it is not so easy to get there: one has to fly to the capital of Chad, N'Djamena, then -with an official TO- drive the whole way to the Ennedi (at least 3 full days in a 4x4). There, there is no infrastructure, so you will sleep in a tent, …