Zakouma National Park in Chad... any good?

Autobot

Has anyone ever been to Zakouma National Park in Chad? I'm going to be going through the country on my way between Cameroon and Niger, and was wondering if it is worth spending an extra day or two to take a quick safari. Is the park well-run? What are prices like? Are there knowledgeable guides and game drives available? Or is it not worth the bother? If not, are there other game reserves in central Africa that I should visit? Thanks for help.

Ella Johnson

This reply will no doubt be too late for Autobot, but for those interested in Zakouma National Park it has a reputation for being one of the best national parks in Central Africa and a great success story as far as the conservation of wildlife goes. Enormous efforts are being put into protecting the elephant population, which has been tragically decimated by poachers; at Zakouma tourists can find the largest elephant herds left in Central Africa, as well as a great variety of other wildlife. It isn't easy to get to the park as the roads in Chad are bad and tourism infrastructure has not been developed, but once in the reserve visitors should be very impressed. The best time to go is in March and April - during the rainy season between June and October it is impossible to visit.

annavd

For those interested in visiting the park, you can find more information here.

If you are heading to Chad, I highly recommend making a stop at Ennedi and Gaoui. More on these attractions here!