Chad
 

Hey all,can anyone point me in the right direction.Im looking for a reliable tour company in Chad to arrange a 1 month trip in July.Hopefully heading to Tibesti and Ennedi depending on security situation.Any help at all would be appericiated.

Cheers.

Try Chad Evasions in NDJ but be prepared to be shafted.

Ch

Thanks Chris,any idea of how I can get in touch with this company?Or is there any other cheaper waying of touring Chad,I know that guides are mandatory for Tibesti,Ennedi.

Cheers.Philo.

Google for them - they're there somewhere. I get a feeling they have the tour scene sewn up but maybe otyhers know better.

North Chad is not cheap or easy - otherwise we'd all have been there by now ;-)

http://www.sahara-overland.com/country/chad.htm

Ch

As Chris suggested, Tchad Evasion is probably your best bet. I have not done anything on wheels with them yet, but on all my dealings with them they come across as very professional. The owner is Mr. Moussa Mahamat and is e-mail address is tchad.evasion_at_intnet.td (replace _at_ with traditional symbol.) Good luck.

Jorge Serpa
Ndjamena, Chad

We used Tchad Evasion for a scientific trip to the Djourab in March 2005. They charged us an arm and a leg and then some.

They supplied 4 vehicles, one new hilux 4x4 twin cab, which we abondoned on the way back when it just wouldn't go anymore (not helped by one of the drivers removing the air filter on the piste to make the car go faster), 2 x 60 series TLCs, one of which left NDJ without 4x4 and a 75 TLC which broke repeatedly on the piste. The cars were bad and 2 of the 4 drivers did not know how to drive on sand.

The good parts were that the cars all had good tyres (though someone forgot to tighten the wheel nuts on the 75 so the studs sheared on piste - one of many hasles). The team leader from Tchad Evasion, Hassan, was simply the best Saharan guy I've come across. He drove beautifully on the most difficult of terrain and kept a ragged gang of drivers and vehicles together very very well. I reckon we'd still be there without him.

Moussa must have known that he could send out a crap gang with one good guy and some how pull it off.

A word of advice with Moussa. He's a tough guy to do business with and knows there isn't much competition in NDJ. If you make an agreement with him, then have it in writing and iron out all points of complication prior to arriving. He'll use any grey areas to ramp the price once you are in the capital and time is ticking. This is what he did to us and it broke the bank with our trip.

One more thing....

Its unlikely that Tchad Evasion will do a July trip. We squeezed one in in Feb/March. But this was already late for them. Everyone has a big holiday in June/July. Its hot then and the rains make the approach road difficult. I'd go November to Jan. I'd never go in April/May.

Richard, As I said on my post, my opinion on Tchad Evasion is based on talking with them about a few things, nothing road-tested yet. Thx for your words of advise, I will keep them in mind. On his competion, I understand that there is a new group of Italians doing stuff in the Ennedi. If there is still interest out there, I will try to find out more about them. On the dates, I totally agree with you, July is a tough month to do anything at all around here!

Jorge
Ndjamena, Chad

Thank you everyone for your input.JSerpa could you give me anymore info about that gropu of Italians in the Ennedi,have changed trip dates to Sept / Oct.

Cheers.

These Italians are called S.V.S. They also have an office in Agadez. And they work together with suntours from Germany, that offers organised trips to Ennedi (www.suntours.de). That's all I know.

Gerbert

Hi
I just came back from Ennedi with SVS today. This is not a new agency, rather an old one: Spazi d'Avventura. The founder is Piero Rava from Milano/Italy, the main adress is
info at spazidavventura.com
Ursula

Thank you all for replying to my Chad questions.

Im am now booked in for Ennedi trip leaving on the 2nd Nov with Suntours.I tried Chad evasions but they wont do a tour unless they have six minimum.Chad evasions are actually not much cheaper than suntours.I would love to do the whole region by myself but it just seems like too much of a hasslle and would probaby cost roughly the same.Ursula,How did you find your trip??Did you make it up to Tibesti???

Cheers.Again.
Phil