Safari in Ennedi

the Eden of the Sahara

Ennedi is a vast conservation area that covers over 50,000 square kilometres in the northern deserts of Chad.

The reserve is officially called the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve, which reflects the fact that traditional tribespeople also inhabit these lands, alongside the desert wildlife.

The Ennedi Massif is an area of prominent sandstone outcrops, with dramatic arches and labyrinthine canyons, which famously contain hidden desert oases, known as gueltas. The presence of these year-round water sources enables the existence of an unusual range of desert flora and fauna, leading to the area being known as the Eden of the Sahara.

As well as around 500 different plant species, Ennedi is home to Barbary sheep, honey badgers and desert hedgehogs, as well as 180 species of birds, including red-necked ostriches and Sudan golden sparrows.

The gueltas are famously home to a tiny relic population of West African crocodiles, which fell to just four individuals, but which is now again on the rise.

The Ennedi area is home to around 30,000 semi-nomadic people, a mix of residents and seasonal visitors, who are entirely dependent on the ecosystem for their way of life.

The guelta pools are also critical watering holes for large herds of domestic camels.

The mountains also contain some fascinating rock-art sites, that tell of the millenia over which this remarkable area has been visited and valued by humans.

Threats to these unique ecosystems, including poaching and unsustainable harvesting, are being combated by African Parks, a large non-governmental organisation that has a great track record in protecting remote areas.

Ennedi is best visited during Dec-Mar.

The Ennedi area itself is best during the long Oct-Jun dry season. The converse Jul-Sep green season can be surprisingly wet, with up to 325mm (13”) of rain in August.

However, the vast majority of visitors combine Ennedi with the Zakouma area to the southeast, where the best time of year is the Dec-Mar late dry season.

Tourism is not well-established in Chad and there are very few facilities of any type.

Most trips therefore take the form of private-guided expeditions, typically starting and ending at the capital, N’Djamena, and splitting ten or more nights between Ennedi and Zakouma.

These trips are inherently expensive and adventurous, meaning that they tend to appeal most to experienced safari travellers, who appreciate what it takes to get into a frontier territory like Chad.

private-guided expeditions only