Niger

Visited: January 2013

Duration of visit: 5 days

Capital city: Niamey

Population: 18.5 million (2013)

Niger travel blog reading time: 7 minutes

• Traffic chaos, a lively atmosphere, friendly and welcoming locals in the capital Niamey.
• Tracking giraffes by motorbike in Kouré Giraffes Reserve.
• One of the poorest countries in the world, where slavery is still in practice.
• The ongoing Touareg rebellion creating insecurity in the north.

With a land area of 1,267,000 km square kilometers, Niger is the largest country in West Africa. The country got its name from the Niger River, the third-longest river in the continent. The Niger River, unlike the Nile with its murky waters, remains clear along its entire course.

The Sahara Desert covers nearly four-fifths of Niger, making it one of the hottest countries in the world. As a result, a nickname the Frying Pan of the World is very appropriate.

Desertic, remote and unfertile lands are some of the factors that make Niger one of the poorest countries in the world.

Typically, poor Nigerois eat only one meal a day – millet patties with sauce in the evening. During the rest of the day they drink a millet porridge. If they can afford, they might have beans and rice or rice and sauce for lunch.

My trip to Niger was part of a three-week journey that also included Togo and Benin during the European winter of 2013.

None of these countries are popular tourist destinations. Niger especially ranks very low on any bucket list. The country also struggles with an unstable security situation and has limited tourist infrastructure.

With low expectation, I focused mainly on Niamey and Kouré Giraffes Reserve.

Niamey is one of the least visited capitals in the world. Its remote location, limited attractions, and lack of exciting things to do keep most travelers away.

The capital of Niger, home to over a million people and located on the banks of the Niger River, is known for its chaotic traffic and vibrant street-seller atmosphere. I enjoyed its friendly locals, ancient mosques, palaces, and bustling markets.

Diverse mix of cultures, majestic scenery and fascinating history around Niger River kept me in the city for 4 days. Since the southern side is almost entirely residential, I decided to skip it altogether. I settled into a basic hotel near downtown, on the northern side of the Niger River.

I usually avoid mediocre museums and exhibitions unless they focus on a topic that truly interests me. For that reason, the Musée National Boubou-Hama was not on my list.

The highlight and the only landmark that justifies a visit is actually the Grande Mosquée. The mosque was a gift from ex-Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi in the 1970s. The most dignified structure in Niamey is not protected with high walls. Built from radiant adobe, the structure features a series of intricately designed archways. Its vibrant green dome remains untouched despite years of harsh Sahelian sun and dust.

Apart from Friday prayers, the mosque was mostly empty. A few kids linger around, offering tours, information, and conversation for a small tip.

I found a relaxing Niger River cruise to be the best experience in Niamey. The river offers a tranquil escape from the bustle of the city, granting a distinct view of the shorelines.

I didn’t need much time to negotiate a decent price for a simple canoe. Many tourists spend tens of dollars for motorized canoes, while I preferred a calm non-engine ride that wouldn’t necessarily take me far.

Muhammad’s canoe was unstable, and water kept seeping in through the narrow gaps in its structure. Besides rowing, he also had to scoop water out of the hull. When I offered to help, he smiled with real relief.

The most memorable scene I recall from Niamey is the sight of local fishermen and the houses along the shore of the Niger River in the late afternoon. The whole view was illuminated by a stunning sunset.

The Kouré Giraffes Reserve lies just over an hour from Niamey. I reached the park easily by local bus, which dropped me right at the entrance. I walked to the park gate, where a group of rangers were enjoying a midday nap. Several days had passed without any visitors arriving.

The ranger quoted me prohibitively high fees to enter the park and hire an all-terrain vehicle. It was far more than I was willing to pay just to get closer to the giraffes.

I knew there was an option to drive around on a motorbike as well. I pointed to a shadow under the trees where a couple of motorbikes were parked. My French was too basic to understand all details, but they got my message. I was looking for an adventure; luxury in climatized Landcruiser was out of the question.

After half an hour of negotiation, I got a motorbike with a driver who transported me around the park. The cart path quickly turned into a sandy track that grew narrower by the minute, until it disappeared altogether. The driver never adjusted the speed to the deteriorating surface conditions.

They didn’t provide a helmet for either of us. I had no choice but to hold on to the iron frame under my seat. I squeezed myself close to the driver to make it easier for him to keep the balance.

Twenty minutes later, I spotted the giraffes’ heads moving in the distance. Their slow, elegant walk kept them ahead of our motorbike. The driver parked in the shade and told me to follow them on foot if I wished. He settled back on the seat, openly admitting: “I need a rest.”

The highlight of my visit in Niger was watching these elegant animals up close. They never make sudden movements, but calmly and gracefully search for leaves in the tops of the trees.

The groups of giraffes were small, and one of them even included a baby. The only giraffe species found in West Africa differs from other species by its slightly smaller size and much lighter coloration. Because giraffes in Kouré are used to positive human interaction, visitors can approach them much closer than in most African parks.

There are about 300 giraffes in the reserve and, surprisingly, the number has been constantly growing since 1996, when only 50 giraffes were counted. Kouré Girrafes Reserve is one of the biggest success stories for conservation of animals on the vast hard-scrabble rim of the Sahara.

For me, watching giraffes from behind a tree and quietly following them on foot felt completely different than observing them from the comfort of an off-road vehicle.

On the way back, we stopped in a remote village where people live in primitive huts that are raised on strong wooden sticks to avoid flooding in the rainy season.

The village seemed abandoned at first, but within a few minutes many children and women approached and surrounded me in disbelief. With my driver’s help, we exchanged a few basic phrases. Someone brought an improvised ball, and we started kicking it while naming the world’s best soccer players.

Niger is one of the world’s poorest nations and has long struggled with political instability. Military juntas, tribal tensions, and terrorist groups shape much of its modern reality. It has never been a truly safe country to visit. Reliable information is scarce, making it difficult to plan a trip or reach its most remote landmarks.

From its own dinosaur to the world’s tallest mud-brick minaret in Agadez, Niger is an impressive destination in theory. In practice, security issues, high travel costs, and the lack of tourist infrastructure make possibilities very limited.

Because of security reasons, I focused mainly on the capital city of Niamey and the Kouré National Park.

Agadez and Zinder were too complicated to reach on this trip, but I hope to visit them once travel becomes safer and easier.

Niger has the world’s highest birth rate (8 children per woman), and although child mortality has fallen, poverty hasn’t improved. As climate change, insecurity, poor education, and women’s marginalization persist, the economic situation could become even worse.