Chad / République du Tchad / جمهورية تشاد – Let’s explore here
Chad is a large, landlocked country in West Central Africa, about five times the size of the UK. It is comprised of Saharan desert in the North, and savannah in the South of the country. The Tibesti Mountains in the North are home to Emi Koussi, the highest mountain in the Sahara (11,204 feet). Lake Chad, located in the West of the country was at one time larger than the Caspian Sea (the world’s largest inland body of water) – although it’s now 99.99% smaller due to overgrazing and desertification.
It has a long, rich and very troubled history, involving much political instability, resulting in it now being one of the least developed and poorest countries on the planet. It shares land borders with Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan.
What currency do they use in Chad?
InChad they use the Central African CFA franc, although US Dollars are also accepted. Cash is widely used. The use of credit / debit cards is not widely accepted outside of the capital, N’Djamena. Traveller’s cheques are not readily accepted. There are few ATMs in cities and towns throughout the country.
The Central African CFA franc is used in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
What language do they speak in Chad?
They mainly speak Arabic in Chad, although French is the official language, though not so widely spoken. English is not widely spoken.
What time zone is Chad in?
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
Do I need a visa to visit Chad?
We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!
What’s it like to drive in Chad?
We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂
Current travels
Our current planned route takes us close to Chad, and we may make a detour to visit the country, probably from either Niger or Cameroon. Although due to the current turbulence in the region, we may visit at another time. Whenever we do visit, hopefully our journey will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂
Is wild camping legal in Chad?
Yes, wild camping is fine in Chad.
If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know!
And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!