Travel guide Chad

The boule is the traditional Chadian dish par excellence. Whether made from millet, sorghum, rice or other cereals, it's the staple diet of a traditional Chadian family. Made from cereal flour, water and salt, it's as easy as can be to prepare and accompanies sauces and stews.

These are the highwaymen who ambush vehicles on the roadside and rob the occupants. There are quite a few of them in the country, and some roads, such as the one between Sahr and Zakouma National Park, should be avoided without an escort. In the event of ambush, it is advisable not to resist.

Alongside conventional petrol stations, you'll find roadside stalls displaying bottles of various sizes containing petrol that's cheaper than the traditional network. Beware: the contents of these fuel bottles are not certified by anyone, and original blends are quite common.

An Arabic term for surprising pockets of water dug into the sand or sandstone and fed by the rare rains that make the Sahara so exceptional. These gueltas, the fortresses of the Chadian desert, are usually guarded by stunningly shaped rocks. In the heart of the Ennedi lies the most famous, the Guelta d'Archei.

Arab term for the large goatskin wineskins used by nomads to carry fresh water during their meharées. They were generally made by women, but it's hard to find them nowadays as they've been replaced by containers that are unfortunately mostly made of plastic.

What Chadians call a kanoun is actually quite different from the traditional clay kanoun so common in North Africa. The Chadian kanoun is generally a simple iron receptacle in which charcoal is placed. The whole thing is covered with a grate on which the cook places her frying pan or stewpot.

Bargaining is a well-practiced art in African markets, and Chad is no exception. So never hesitate to negotiate a price - the seller will respect you all the more. In any case, when you pretend to leave, you'll often get the floor price from the shopkeeper who doesn't want to miss out on a sale.

Matabich, better known to us as bakshish, is a fairly common practice to facilitate all kinds of procedures. Customary chiefs may also charge you a fee if you ask them for the right to visit a specific area within their jurisdiction. Magazines and medicines are often useful.

This term comes from the Arabic méhari, which designates the saddle dromedary, the one used for desert travel. It is the noble animal par excellence. White, slender and haughty-looking. A méharée was originally an expedition on the back of a dromedary, and nowadays, by extension, an expedition in all-terrain vehicles.

A term frequently used in Chad to designate light-skinned visitors. This expression, which you'll often hear in the mouths of children as you wander around, comes from the Peul ethnic group, who were the first to refer to these light-skinned people, who constantly referred to Jesus of Nazareth, as Nassara.

Chad does not have a very efficient road network. The main roads are sand tracks in the desert and dirt tracks in the rest of the country, which is a real handicap for domestic travel, especially during the rainy season. A local guide is strongly recommended when venturing onto these tracks.

Small three-wheeled vehicles used as cabs in most towns. Since the beginning of the ^21st century, they have become widespread, starting with the city of Abéché, and compete fiercely with the famous "clandos", which are less comfortable and more dangerous. The name Rackcha is derived from the word Rickshaw, which designates these vehicles in Asia.