In late February, 2000, I traveled with four friends on a tour through the Air Massif and the Tenere Desert of Niger in West Africa. Our guide/driver was the exceptional Moussa Haidara. Our general handyman, storyteller, and cultural guide was Moustafa Umfana, and the master chef, Achmed Mohamed. We chose to have the Moussa arrange the entire trip itinerary, as well as purchase and plan all the meals. The following is a brief description of our voyage en brousse.

AGADEZ: We chose the economical bush taxi for the 900 km. trip from Niamey to Agadez. Alternatively, you may meet Moussa Haidara in Niamey for a day tour and then drive to Agadez. Another option is to fly from Niamey or Paris to Agadez. We spent the first full day of our trip in Agadez, independently viewing the city. We took a tour of the old mosque (an adobe structure which is 900 years old), visited the colorful camel market where desert nomads outfit their caravans, ambled through the old city, and viewed the many exquisite wares of the Tuareg silversmiths and leather workers. We were offered an audience with the Sultan, but missed this opportunity as we slept through the afternoon. We met Moussa in the evening and our tour officially began with a group dinner.

DAY 1: On our first day into the bush, we drove north along the Agadez-Arlit highway to Dabos. There we saw the 3500-4000 year-old giraffe rock carvings, which were featured in a recent National Geographic article. This is a fascinating glimpse into the past, with many different rock images to see: giraffes, cattle, people and lions. The giraffes, in particular, are unique and beautifully rendered. The National Geographic society recently completed a mold of the giraffes in an effort to preserve evidence of these pieces which, while in excellent condition now, are in danger of being destroyed by plunder. 

We continued north until we camped in the Talak valley just outside of Gougaram. There, we slept in a Tuareg nomadic encampment. This wonderful experience was possible because Moussa Haidara is a Tuareg who maintains close relationships with the nomads in the area. We were warmly welcomed and offered fresh camel's milk, goat cheese, meat, and rice. We spent the evening listening to a woman play traditional music on a stringed instrument made from a gourd, playing games with the kids around a campfire, and dancing and singing with the nomads.

DAY 2: Our second day we stopped in Iferouane. Iferouane is an oasis area in the heart of the Air Massif and site of an arts and crafts collective. The beautiful Hotel Tellit is also here, for those who wish a night of luxury. We chose to continue on to the dunes, where we saw over 10 "barewa" antelopes as we drove to our capmsite. We made camp in a sand bowl, and slept under a million stars on top of a sea of dunes. This was the Sahara and our first encounter was enchanting!

DAY 3: We woke at sunrise to see the dawn breaking across the dunes. We ate breakfast then climbed the dunes, which at 500 - 1,000 feet in height offer spectacular views of the desert and mountains. On our way out of the dunes, we visited some old rebel encampments and lookout posts. Here, we were told the history of the Tuareg rebellion of 1991-1993 and given a fresh perspective on this part of Niger's history. At midday, we stopped at the Adrar Chiriet, an impressive lone mountain, climbed some rocky mountains nearby and ate lunch. That evening, we camped near Saharan dunes which cling to mountains of white marble. Moustafa entertained us with riddles and tales of Tuareg history.

DAY 4: . At around 6:00 AM, our friend Moustafa began to thump the dunes with his feet to awaken us gently with the vibrations. We then scaled one of the surrounding marble mountains to catch the sunrise bathing the dunes to the east and striking the Air to the west. We drove past Tchintoulous where we saw fields of demi-lunes constructed for fodder banks. Later, we stopped at the ancient village of Assode that predates Agadez. Very little is known of this ancient village, and legend has it that on the Moslem holy day of Friday, invaders came and massacred the entire village. The survivors headed south and eventually founded Agadez.

We set up camp in the lush oasis of Timia that night. We toured the gardens and filled our bags with pomegranate and juicy red grapefruits. We ate fresh barbecued goat and onion soup by a warm fire under a palm frond hangar. After dinner, we talked about Tuareg romance, love, and marriage as we sipped tea until midnight.

DAY 5: This morning, we toured the gardens of Timia where wheat, date palms, citrus and a variety of other produce flourish, irrigated by wells with animal-drawn lifting devices. Next, we climbed up to the old French fort, Fort de Mussa, which offered a view of the surrounding countryside. After walking through the town, we hiked over the rocky hills following the streams until we came to the waterfall outside Timia. Here we enjoyed a brisk dip in the clear and seemingly bottomless pool and picnicked. 

DAY 6: Our final day in the desert we drove back to Agadez. One can fly to Niamey from Agadez or begin the voyage back to the U.S. with a charter flight to Paris. Whatever transporrtation you choose, you will be sorry to leave Niger, but filled with appreciation for this unique place and its people.