US$

2999/ pp

Gerewol Festival: The Heart of Africa

Chad

Dates:
1 - 8 October 2025

Activity level:

1. Easy. Not much walking, no long driving, take your time and relax.

2. Moderate. Considerable walking, some days may include long drives.

3. Challenging. You may have to take some risks and to fit the requirements.

Duration:
8 days

Group:
12 ppl

US$0 / pp

Gerewol Festival Holiday in Chad

Few Western travellers will ever get to experience the Gerewol festival – one of the most spectacular in Africa, yet one that has barely been changed over centuries. This week-long festival occurs when the semi-nomadic Wodaabe people travel across the Sahel on foot, camel or donkey, and come together to feast, dance, race and – ultimately – to find a lover or a partner. The classic image from the Gerewol festival is one of the young men with elaborately made-up faces, ‘displaying’ to young women in order to attract them. Not only does this Gerewol festival holiday allow you to experience these rituals, but having worked in this area for several years, we have built up plenty of local contacts and friends, meaning we are welcomed as guests and are able to camp beside them in this incredibly remote region. You’ll be immersed in life far from the mainstream, combined with centuries-old traditions and rituals; this is a highly unique opportunity to see the world from a completely different perspective and experience the deep traditions of Africa.

Itinerary

N’Djamena → Durbali → Gerewol festival → N’Djamena

Day 1: N’Djamena

Arrive in the capital of Chad today, and transfer to your hotel (Le Meridien Chari or similar). You can choose to stay here and rest up for the adventure ahead, or to head out and explore.

Day 2: Durbali

Drive across the Sahel to the Durbali region where the Gerewol festival is celebrated by the Wodaabe people. We’ll camp here overnight.

Day 3-7: Gerewol festival

We have five full days to experience the Gerewol festival – a celebration which has barely changed for centuries. The Wodaabe from across the Sahel region congregate in the area with their cattle for what could be described as a mass courtship ritual. Unusually, it is male beauty that is prized by the Wodaabe, and the young men wear traditional jewellery, feathers and make up before performing in front of the young women – a fascinating spectacle. There will be plenty of dancing and singing, and perhaps some camel racing, as well as plenty of time to meet local people and share stories with them about the culture and rituals. You can also head to one of the Sahel’s most important markets, in Durbali.

Day 8: N’Djamena

We return back to N’Djamena, where day use rooms are available to freshen up. After heading out to a restaurant for a final farewell dinner, transfer to the airport for your onward flight home.

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What's included

Accommodation

1 night at the hotel (Le Meridien Chari or similar)

6 night at the camp

Meals

Day 2-7: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Breakfast and Lunch

Guided tours

Five full days of Gerewol festival experience

Transport

Transfers as per itinerary

Support

24/7 phone/WhatsApp support line

English-speaking guide

ABTA and ATOL bonded

Not Included

International flights

Meals not mentioned

Optional tours and activities

Personal expenses

Why Us

Watching camel racing, singing, dancing and male beauty contests

Camping in the Sahel

Meeting the Wodaabe tribespeople

Durbali market

Drive across the Sahel to the Durbali

Witnessing the Gerewol festival

Our reviews

Aubrey DeSouza

Australia

World Cup - Qatar Prior to our trip to the World Cup to Qatar, we were given helpful advice to plan the trip with staff of World of Discoveries (Wofdi). The Trip was very organized with good ground support and did not have any problems. The Wofdi was always just a "what app" away which was comforting and helpful Aubrey and Marilyn DeSouza

Gabriel Carvajal

Mexico

My cousin and I attended the first Mexico soccer games of the 2018 World Cup and World of Discoveries was excellent. The lodging accommodations were great and centrally located. The personnel were wonderful. Thank you Tim for taking care of all our request. I was very surprised to received a message at 3 am informing me that our car was outside waiting to transfer us to the airport. That is the level of service that we received from World of Discoveries. Great company that made our trip even more memorable since it was absolutely hassle free.

Cecilia Soares

Germany

World of Discoveries was a godsend. They were with us every step of the way. Through them we got good hotels, good drivers and most importantly all our mobile tickets to the Euro 2024 games came easily.

Linh Taylor

Australia

We had such a wonderful time traveling with World of Discoveries. We were there for the World Cup in addition to touring. The company did an amazing job at communicating before, during and after. We felt very safe and taken care of our entire stay. We would highly recommend the company.

Arturo Chaltelt

USA

WOD is a company you can trust and feel comfortable asking for anything to make your experience better. I just traveled to the 2022 World Cup with them and it was a blast. Everything nicely coordinated and great constant service and communication.

Zain Ali

USA

GREATEST TRIP EVER We had the most incredible experience. World of Discoveries made our trip to Qatar for the World Cup so easy and enjoyable. Mike helped us with any questions we had before the trip and anything we needed during the trip. The rest of the staff was so helpful and nice during the trip that it removed any worry we had during the trip so all we had to do was sit back and enjoy the wonders of the trip. I would highly recommend them for use in any trip. By far, this was the best trip I have ever been on and they played a HUGE role in making that the case. GREATEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!