Niger

Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa, home to the eponymous Niger River. Despite the country’s political turmoil and public unrest, there are incredible landscapes to explore, the warm hospitality of its native people who live a life unchanged for thousands of years on the edge of the Sahara, and herds of Africa’s most impressive animals, namely elephants and giraffes. Travel sensibly with professional tour guides on private routes, and you’ll get an excellent glimpse into one of the best unspoiled wildernesses in Africa.

Its capital of Niamey is one of the least densely populated capital cities in Africa and can be a good place to base yourself for a short stopover before heading into the desert. In the North of the country lie the Aïr Mountains, a unique selection of mammoth flat-topped mountains and spatterings of Neolithic cave art. In the heat of the Sahara rise the oases of Zinder and Agadez. These old towns were once key destinations along the trans-Saharan trade route and are a great place to witness traditional Hausa architecture. Although there is so much beauty and nature in Niger, safe travel through the country still cannot be recommended.