Camel reports from Chad and Algeria

[Chris Scott]

Sahara Ov camel contrib, Alistair B has written up a report on a 4-week DIY camelling trip he completed recently in the Ennedi (Chad).

And part one of my recent visit to Algeria is here. The Hoggar bit will come later.

We were out in the desert for nearly 3 weeks, but from what I saw, Algeria was all fine (for those of us that managed to get visas), if more deserted than normal. No extra security or restrictions. We were the only tourists on the plane out, though ran into a Swiss group of walkers a day or two from Arak, as well as a bunch of Turks on Assekrem. There are plenty of Chinese engineers coming and going at the airports.

I was using a new agency, Ben Kada, and that worked out very well too. They told me Tassili-Hoggar (SW of Tam) is closed to foreign tourists (despite what's reported), as still is the route from Tam to Djanet which used to be BK's bread and butter. I got the feeling that camelling between the two towns could be pulled off, though (26 days). For vehicles the only big area still open is Ahnet with Hoggar-Assekrem, which more or less coincides with my car tour's route there a year ago.

Crossing to Niger from Tam is a no-go I was told - not least due to Libyan traffickers heading west across southern Alg and northern Niger.

Ch