Gerewol Festival: The Heart of Africa

country_flag

Chad

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

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

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

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

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.

Show less

Persons:

0

Rooms:

0

Close

Choose an option

Why Us

Watching camel racing, singing, dancing and male beauty contests

Watching camel racing, singing, dancing and male beauty contests

Camping in the Sahel

Camping in the Sahel

Meeting the Wodaabe tribespeople

Meeting the Wodaabe tribespeople

Durbali market

Durbali market

Drive across the Sahel to the Durbali

Drive across the Sahel to the Durbali

Witnessing the Gerewol festival

Witnessing the Gerewol festival

Our reviews
Trustpilot

Anna Buck

Great Britain

Wow ! Thank you WODFI Wow ! Wow! Wow! Varya and Mike - Thank you so so much for an unbelievable 6 days in Germany for the Euros. You helped us escape travel chaos and landed us some fabulous seats at the opening ceremony and Englands first match. The hotels were fabulous. Great breakfasts and positions. Constant updates from the WODFI team added to the smooth running of my Franks perfect 50th birthday present. A highlight was the welcome party in the oldest brewery in Munich. Loved it. Will most definitely contact you again, thank you so much . Anna and Andy ❤️

Erika Proano

USA

I decided to take my dad to the World Cup to watch Ecuador play and enjoy the opening ceremony. After some online research, I found World Of Discoveries and I am beyond glad I found them. I trusted them with all the details and our experience was exceptional. World of Discoveries personalized approach is something I beyond appreciate; the team was in touch and answer my questions super timely and very clearly (I had many many questions). I received guidance on next steps as we were approaching the world cup and I knew I was not going to miss any details because they were on top of everything. The World Cup experience was above and beyond what we expected. We didn't have to worry about anything, World of Discoveries took care of the logistics and planned everything for us! even our side trip to Dubai was unforgettable! Thankful to companies that deliver above and beyond expectations and help us make memories that we will cherish forever. I can't wait for our next adventure!

Gaz Roulston

Australia

EUROS 24 Can’t recommend WORLD OF DISCOVERIES highly enough My daughter and I joined them in Munich before travelling to Cologne then Berlin From the moment we arrived in Munich it was the full 5 star experience. They took care of every aspect of the trip from transport, tours and activities. Varya and Mike instantly made you feel welcome and included like life long friends, there chemistry and enthusiasm really do make all the difference. They have built an amazing team around them who are totally committed to making your trip the very best it can be I will defiantly use them again in the future

Jose Leonardo Ramos Mateos

Great experience in Qatar World Cup!!! Great service and support during our trip to Dubai and Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup!!! Helena for the first contact and reservations coordination was just perfect! Michael, Varya, Irena, Anastasia and all the support staff made a great Job and made us feel safe, happy and satisfied with the service and the tours we got. The full tour included welcome party, Desert dinner and show, tour in Dubai and a perfect logistics for travel between Dubai and Qatar. We had no problem with the FIFA hospitality tickets… Simply a perfect and unforgetable trip!!! We will for sure hire World of Discoveries services again soon!!

John Campbell

Scotland

We booked a tour for Euro 2020, in July 2021, tickets, accommodation, Hermitage and Cathedrals tour, all A++++. Great service, super support, nothing too much trouble at all, used the agency twice now. Super happy.

Jorge Oller

Costa-Rica

Our experience with World of Discoveries has been impeccable. From Qatar’s World Cup onwards, they will be our #1 choice. Varya, Iren, Nathan, Damon, Iren, Lina; Anna and all the rest of the Wofdi team: Thank you!