Salt caravans - Agadez to Bilma or other
 

Hey guys.

Anyone knows anything about Agadez to Bilma salt caravan? Does it still happen, at what scale, and is it possible to join? How is safety nowadays in this part of Niger?
Any usefull contacts for a fixer in Agadez?

If that's over or too unsafe, any info of some other camel caravan going on anywhere in Sahara? I've been to Chad 3 years ago and heard that there are many smaller caravans going on in the north. But something that could be tracked and organized to join, and as reliable as it gets?

A contact of any reliable tour agent or fixer in Niger would also be well appreciated!

Many thanx!

Salt Caravan Chad and Niger
 

Hello Davor
This reliable agency offers an accompanied tour in Chad
https://www.indigoreisen.ch/Sonderreisen (Switzerland)
18 Tage
Salzkarawane Faya Largeau
Wird 4 Monate vor Reisebeginn die Mindestteilnehmerzahl von 2 Personen nicht erreicht, wird die Reise abgesagt.
Falls die Reise stattfindet, ist Anmeldeschluss 2 Monate vor Abreise.

Die Reise beginnt in N’Djamena, der Hauptstadt des Tschad. Von hier aus fahren Sie durch Sahel– und Saharalandschaften Richtung Norden nach Faya Largeau. In dieser Oase wird Salz abgebaut. Dieses Salz ist ein lebenswichtiges Mineral für Mensch und Tier.

Mit Ihrem Reisleiter zusammen suchen Sie in der Oase eine Salzkarawane, die Sie mitnimmt, und ziehen dann mit ihr von Faya Largeau in den Süden ins Wadi Achim und in das Gebiet von Ati.
Sie sind ca. 8 Tage mit der Salzkarawane unterwegs.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Werner Gartung Oase Reisen Germany:
Another provider who took part in the big salt caravan through the Tenere to Bilma wrote a book about it could be helpful for Niger

Good luck!
Ursula

btw: Danakil and Taoudenni are probably too dangerous at the moment

Thank you Ursula, this is very helpful. I contacted those links for Chad.

Regarding safety, you say Danakil and Taoudenni are too dangerous, but do you think Agadez is not?

Has anyone been there since the military junta took over the power?

Niger or Chad ?
 

Hi
Gartung / Oase Reisen offers an off-road vehicle tour between Agadez and Bilma in November 2024,
but mentions mandatory military accompaniment
«Dennoch fahren ab Niamey Soldaten in zwei Pickups mit – das ist Vorschrift.»
https://www.oasereisen.de/reise/tour...nere-im-niger/

Maybe you can translate his page with a program?
I've also read about the obligatory escort in Niger on other sites.

I haven't been to Niger for a long time, but I've been to Chad every year and again next winter.
I judge the situation in Ennedi to be less dangerous than between Agadez and Bilma.
But you never know what to expect, these aren't just little boring Sunday trips...

All the best Ursula

Niger
 

another reliable travel agency in Germany is planing to visit Niger this winter - so it must be quite ok
https://desertreisen.de/reiseprogramm/afrika/niger.html
(off-road vehicle tour)

>>> Kosten für vorgeschriebenen lokalen Begleitschutz = the tourists have to pay the mandatory escort

Would be great to revisit amazing Tenere, no one's been there for 10 years, afaik.
But 6000eu for 2 weeks in the desert?
I suppose the Wagner escorts take their bite ;-)
Maybe they have restored security too?

I've traveled with Desert Reisen (in Chad, back in November 2022). They organize a fairly good tour, but are pricey, although the quality of their tour leaders is a bit erratic. Mine was well past retirement age, and seemed to have memory problems. I heard that the tour leader on a different one of their trips was spectacular, extremely knowledgeable, capable, and personable.

Fair warning, the vast majority of their clients are German speakers (not surprising considering they're a German tour company). You might end up in a group that speaks little English, which can be a fairly isolating experience when you're out in the remote desert for such a long time. Of the 9 people in my group, 3 spoke fluent English, 3 spoke a little English, and the remainder almost none at all. The tour leader spoke basic English, which was good enough for important communication, but attempts to carry on a conversation were mostly a failure. Obviously, its always a roll of the dice with any group, but language barriers can be especially frustrating when there's very few opportunities to go off on your own (in urban areas, etc).

I'd likely use Desert Reisen again, and I've honestly been eyeing that Niger tour perhaps for 2025.

salt caravan in northern chad
 

A documentary about a camel caravan to Demi in northern Chad by and with
Philippe Frey
who, among other expeditions, crossed the Sahara from west to east on horseback or camel in 9 months
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6mWEydPtiI


and

the great photos of Jean-Luc Manaud (legend in English)
of the Salt Caravan in Niger from Agadez to Bilma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGnD8TGJVDw

Ursula

salt caravan in Mauritania
 

Mauritania - Aoukar
In the 1990s we could still see salt caravans near Tichitt.
They moved from the salt pans through the Erg Aoukar south to Ayoun, Nema and even Mali

https://up.picr.de/48181245vv.jpg

https://up.picr.de/48181246ws.jpg

PS the Moorish camel saddles are a story in themselves....

Ursula

Here's one (already mentioned?) in northeastern Chad which someone was asking me about. Never heard of it, but 21 days for 5000€.
I would not be surprised if they hire in Spazi vehicles and guides.

https://kumakonda.com/trip/salt-cara...ition-in-chad/

I'm told this agency says Ounianga is no longer accessible: stone-throwing locals have told them to push off.
One interesting thing about Chad: afaik jihadists who are the scourge of neighbouring countries have never got a foothold there.
The two may well be related.

Kumakonda runs excellent tours.

Also there have been security problems there for a whilr. I wad up that way in November 2023, and a few villages were known to be violent hostile to outsiders.