The Ennedi Plateau in Chad, located in the northeastern part of the country, is one of the most spectacular and surreal sights; they can be compared to a sculptor’s garden, made by nature.
This enormous plateau consists of layered sandstone, which, by the force of wind and water, has been turned into monumental shapes of rocks, arches, and canyons that look like nature created another planet.
The Ennedi Plateau is still one of the most off-beat regions in the Sahara desert and one can consider it to be practically a wilderness. The trip to arrive at the plateau is quite an experience in so far as it involves travelling through the desert, and a bumpy ride. But for those who take the time and trouble that is needed then they will rewarded with one of the most spectacular forms of wilderness solitude.
Climbing the Ennedi Plateau implies driving through nicely cinematic scenery, searching for petroglyphs that are believed to be thousands of years old, and meeting with the representatives of the nomadic culture who inhabit this area.
Despite the conditions, this natural formation provided shelter and was populated by people long before the modern era; hence, the visitors can see clear paintings that depict hunting and common people’s lives centuries ago.
It’s also important to note that a few desert crocodiles have been found in the few water sources existing in the Ennedi Plateau. These crocodiles have also held their ground in one of the most arid regions of the world and therefore, tourists find them quite unique.
These include a combination of striking gullies, arid savanna and desert, history, and extremely hard terrain, which all make up the aesthetically bespiring Ennedi Plateau, one of the fascinating and rewarding destinations to visit in Africa. That is a territory that is not often explored, and when it is done, you get a sense of another worldly kind of feel.
Mark