How to get out Niamey
One of the last wild giraffes in West Africa peeks under a tree
Giraffes West Africa's last surviving giraffe herd is just 45 minutes outside of Niamey (near Koure) and guided tours are available.
Baleyara, roughly 2 hours east, is home to a large and vibrant crafts market on Sundays. A must-do daytrip. On other days, however, the rural town is barren and there are no hotels.
Boubon, 25km northwest on the route towards Tillaberi & Gao, is a city known for its pottery. Soil it taken from the banks of the river and formed into many different household potteries, set out to dry, and baked in large open pits. Wednesday is market day here, and the easiest day to find public transport from Niamey. Other days, it might be necessary to take a bush taxi to nearby Relais and then take a pirougue to Boubon.
W National Park is a massive park named after the 'W' shape of the Niger River in it and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Simmilar to the large game parks of eastern Africa except that the landscape is less open and more shrub-filled and forest-like and there is less of a presence of large herbivores than E.Africa. Three hours south of Niamey, it could easily be organized as a day-long trip, but to fully enjoy the park, an overnight stay is recommended. The conservation project ECOPAS is working to improve the park's infrastructure, protect its inhabitants, and attract tourists. ECOPAS's Niamey headquarters can be consulted for tourism info (tel. 72 53 48); they also sell printed books/guides for/about the park.
Agadez While a considerable distance away (1000km), there are frequent bus connections to this city which once was the most popular tourist destination in Niger. The city itself is safe to visit, but due to the ongoing Tuareg rebellion, travel outside the city is not allowed. A permit may be necessary, so consult local authorities before taking a bus. A military escort is necessary for part of the journey to protect against bandits, don't worry, though, as travelling this route is safe (with escort).
|
This is a guide article. It has a variety of good, quality information including hotels, restaurants, attractions, arrival and departure info. Plunge forward and help us make it a star!
|
|
This article may contain pieces contributed by people external to Wikitravel, namely: users of World66 and
|
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Niamey
