‘The Gerewol and the Wodaabe’ Chad 3-10 October 2020

Once a year in Chad the Wodaabe come together in a festival known as the Gerewol. This is a beauty pageant for the men so that they might be selected by the women of the tribe. The women are usually younger and the men are seen as fair game in a society which is polygamous and polygynous. The men adorn themselves using a diversity of facial paint colours and the whites of the eye and teeth colour are particularly important. So too their outfits which are embellished with beads, buttons and baubles in the brightest of colours. Mirrored tunics and hats add to the exuberance and adornment. The overall appearance with the paint, makeup and outfits can only be described as feminine from our cultural perspective.

They dance like male peacocks or other such birds who exhibit their plumage to attract females.  The male beauty ideal of the Wodaabe stresses tallness, white eyes and teeth; the men will often roll their eyes and show their teeth to emphasize these characteristics. They are animists at heart and this may be why they emulate the animal kingdom.

It is a festival seen by few and we travel to a remote area of the Sahel to immerse ourselves in their traditions.

Services included

• Meals/Cook – breakfast, lunch and dinner for the time of the tour with the exception of those in N’Djamena. Meals will also include water and soft drinks.
• Government permits
• Wodaabe permits for the festival.
• Local taxes
• Transfer to and from the airports to the hotel.
• Photo tour leaders and very knowledgeable English speaking guide.
• Accommodation as listed above but this may change but we will endeavour to maintain similiar standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you’re used to elsewhere. Tent, mattress included but your own pillow, sheet/sleeping bag are required
• Travel by Toyota land cruisers (4×4) or similar.

The cost of the tour is €5450. To reserve a place there is a deposit of €1000 based on 4-6 people travelling. Payment is possible by Bank Transfer and also by PayPal, in this case an additional 5% will be added to cover the transaction fees (PayPal).  The final balance is due three months prior to departure. There is the option of a luxury camp but this costs substantially more.

Services not included / additional costs.

• International flights
• Alcohol and meals in N’Djamena
• You will also need some extra money for tips for drivers, cooks, guides etc. Approximately US$15/20 per driver/guide/cook per day. This shared between all participants.
• Visas – We don’t arrange visas, but if an invitation letter is necessary then we will arrange this for you. If you need any advice with visas then please get in touch. A visa agency such as Travcour (travcour.com) or (https://www.visahq.co.uk/contact_us.php) can assist. There are found in several countries
• Airport taxes – If there are any departure taxes to pay that are not included within the cost of your ticket, you’ll need to pay these yourself.
• Travel insurance – this is essential. Chad is one of the countries where there is foreign and commonwealth travel advice warnings but this trip has been running for several years with a very reputable agency (European/Chad based) and is deemed safe.

I will send out medical forms, gear lists, additional information on the tribes, travel liability forms at a later stage.

If you have any questions please contact me by email or telephone trevcole1@me.com +353872825851