 Texugo_100.jpg)
To see a list of all the great authors who have contributed to this article, as well as previous versions of this article, visit the page history.
License
edit
Niger Travel Guide
Niger is an arid, landlocked West African country with a population of 11,000,000. It is bordered by Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Chad and Libya. Niger is a former French colony which was granted independence in 1960. The land is mostly
desert plains and dunes, with rolling savannah in the southeast.
desert plains and dunes, with rolling savannah in the southeast.
edit
Highlights
edit
Getting Here
By plane
By train
By car
By bus
By boat
edit
History
edit
Government
edit
Money
edit
Geography
edit
Weather And Climate
edit
Culture
edit
Food
edit
Accommodations
edit
Education
edit
Work
Volunteering would be your best bet here, as many people in the rural areas have been hit by drought.
edit
Communications
edit
Health And Safety
The Centers for Disease Control is an excellent resource for authoritative advice on health issues for travelers to Niger.
Drink lots and lots of water while in Niger because the dry heat will dehydrate you and you won't realize it. It is the best preventative step you can take. Bottled water is available in most of the cities but in a pinch, city tap water is well-chlorinated (this is according to one traveler; another American who lived in Niger for two years says never drink unfiltered water anywhere! - that includes ice!). Be particularly wary of well water as it can be dirty.
Wear loose clothes, big hats, and lots of sunscreen. If in doubt, wear what the locals wear.
Malaria, including encephaletic malaria, is a problem, and is chloroquine resistant in Niger. Take your prophylaxes, use heavy-duty insect repellent (DEET is best, though nasty), and consider carrying a mosquito net (although they are horribly hot). If you are in a well-screened room, simply spray the room with readily-available insecticide 15 minutes before entering (like when you leave for a meal) and all your existing mosquitos and other critters should be dead.
Giardia, and much worse -- dysentery -- is also a problem. Be wary of any roadside food, unless you buy it hot off the grill. Even items fried in oil could make you sick if the oil has been heavily used and is old. If ordering a salad, asked if it was washed in eau de javel (household bleach) as that will kill anything nasty. Also, never drink unfiltered water (and no ice!).
Schistosomiasis is present in most water bodies in Niger, so travelers should avoid going in the water everywhere -- except chlorinated swimming pools.
In case you were unable to stay healthy, the Clinique Pasteur (situated in front of the Lycée Fontaine) has clean facilities, sterile needles, and competent, sympathetic doctors.
The Clinique Gamkalley and many other clinics are around, however, you may need to watch out for dirty needles, over-prescription and aggresive staff.
Drink lots and lots of water while in Niger because the dry heat will dehydrate you and you won't realize it. It is the best preventative step you can take. Bottled water is available in most of the cities but in a pinch, city tap water is well-chlorinated (this is according to one traveler; another American who lived in Niger for two years says never drink unfiltered water anywhere! - that includes ice!). Be particularly wary of well water as it can be dirty.
Wear loose clothes, big hats, and lots of sunscreen. If in doubt, wear what the locals wear.
Malaria, including encephaletic malaria, is a problem, and is chloroquine resistant in Niger. Take your prophylaxes, use heavy-duty insect repellent (DEET is best, though nasty), and consider carrying a mosquito net (although they are horribly hot). If you are in a well-screened room, simply spray the room with readily-available insecticide 15 minutes before entering (like when you leave for a meal) and all your existing mosquitos and other critters should be dead.
Giardia, and much worse -- dysentery -- is also a problem. Be wary of any roadside food, unless you buy it hot off the grill. Even items fried in oil could make you sick if the oil has been heavily used and is old. If ordering a salad, asked if it was washed in eau de javel (household bleach) as that will kill anything nasty. Also, never drink unfiltered water (and no ice!).
Schistosomiasis is present in most water bodies in Niger, so travelers should avoid going in the water everywhere -- except chlorinated swimming pools.
In case you were unable to stay healthy, the Clinique Pasteur (situated in front of the Lycée Fontaine) has clean facilities, sterile needles, and competent, sympathetic doctors.
The Clinique Gamkalley and many other clinics are around, however, you may need to watch out for dirty needles, over-prescription and aggresive staff.
edit
Getting Around
There are no railways in Niger.
Of the 10,000 km of highways over 2000 km is paved and efforts are being made to improve some of the sections that have previously been in repair. One can travel from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso all the way to Diffa, near Lake Chad on roads in decent to tolerable condition. The road from Niamey to "Park W" in the south is paved. The Zinder-Agadez route is being repaved after being in severe disrepair for years. The Birni Nkonni-Agadez-Arlit road is in poor shape.
The country has 27 airports/landing strips, 9 of which with paved runways.
From mid-December to March the Niger River is navigable for about 300 km, from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin border.
Taxi's in Niamey run either 200 francs if the distance isn't too long, or 400 francs for a going almost across the city. At the airport in Niamey though they have a monopoly and the lowest you'll get a taxi for is 3,000 francs, and that's if you haggle a lot. If you go South from the airport you'll hit a main road and for 100 to 150 francs you can get a ride from a beat up van to the Grand Marche.
The Nigerien government has recently set up a bus service along the major routes of the country. While taking cars is exciting and interesting, they are dangerous, extremely hot, and more expensive. Plus, they are forced to pull over after midnight due to banditry. Because these cars often only leave in the evening, it can take several days to travel a relatively short distance. The large buses are brand new Mercedes buses and they carry a soldier at night so they may drive all night long. In addition, due to their large size, they can skim over potholes that would destroy the smaller vans.
There is almost no possibility to rent a car in usual sense, although in 2005 a Hertz franchise came to Niamey and rents Toyota RAV4s. Also you can rent full-size cat-cat (4x4 SUV from French: quatre-quatre) with a driver/guide, but in most cases you will have to arrange with companies that organise expeditions.
Of the 10,000 km of highways over 2000 km is paved and efforts are being made to improve some of the sections that have previously been in repair. One can travel from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso all the way to Diffa, near Lake Chad on roads in decent to tolerable condition. The road from Niamey to "Park W" in the south is paved. The Zinder-Agadez route is being repaved after being in severe disrepair for years. The Birni Nkonni-Agadez-Arlit road is in poor shape.
The country has 27 airports/landing strips, 9 of which with paved runways.
From mid-December to March the Niger River is navigable for about 300 km, from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin border.
Taxi's in Niamey run either 200 francs if the distance isn't too long, or 400 francs for a going almost across the city. At the airport in Niamey though they have a monopoly and the lowest you'll get a taxi for is 3,000 francs, and that's if you haggle a lot. If you go South from the airport you'll hit a main road and for 100 to 150 francs you can get a ride from a beat up van to the Grand Marche.
By bus
The Nigerien government has recently set up a bus service along the major routes of the country. While taking cars is exciting and interesting, they are dangerous, extremely hot, and more expensive. Plus, they are forced to pull over after midnight due to banditry. Because these cars often only leave in the evening, it can take several days to travel a relatively short distance. The large buses are brand new Mercedes buses and they carry a soldier at night so they may drive all night long. In addition, due to their large size, they can skim over potholes that would destroy the smaller vans.
Rent a car
There is almost no possibility to rent a car in usual sense, although in 2005 a Hertz franchise came to Niamey and rents Toyota RAV4s. Also you can rent full-size cat-cat (4x4 SUV from French: quatre-quatre) with a driver/guide, but in most cases you will have to arrange with companies that organise expeditions.
- Tidene Expeditions, BP 270 Agadez, +227 440568, fax: +227 440 578
