Day 1. ARRIVALS.-
Arrival at N'Djamena airport. After completing customs procedures, we'll head to the hotel to rest. Our team will be waiting for you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Briefing and preparation for the upcoming adventure.
Accommodation at Hotel Irrisor.
DAYS 2 and 3.- BOUDOUMA ETHNIC GROUP
We'll immerse ourselves in the world of the Buduma people, known as "the grass people." Spread across the countless islands of Lake Chad, this resilient community of about 100,000 individuals offers a unique opportunity for cultural documentation and photography.
The journey begins by exploring the islands of Lake Chad, home to the Buduma. Our focus will be on capturing images that showcase their impressive resilience and their intact culture, which has survived despite external pressures. Documenting their relative isolation will highlight how they've maintained their ancestral ways of life while many other ethnic groups have mixed or adopted Islam or Christianity.
Photography opportunities abound with the two major clans, Kuri and Buduma, as they roam the vastness of Lake Chad in search of islands for their cattle to graze. Through our lenses, the Buduma's movement patterns, conditioned by the rainy and dry seasons, will be captured, highlighting their search for food and prosperity in this important aquatic ecosystem.
Chances to photograph their herds will present themselves, documenting the importance of these animals in Buduma life. Images of the Buduma preparing dairy products from their cattle, a primary food source for the community, will offer insight into their daily routines.
Fishing activities will be another focus, observing and documenting as they use nets to catch fish in the lake's waters. If possible, learning about and sensitively documenting their beliefs, including their devotion to the god Kumani, will add depth to our understanding.
Throughout both days, the Buduma's unique aquatic lifestyle will be a central theme. Their homes and the papyrus canoes they use to navigate between the lake's islands will feature prominently in our photographs. The images will also document the environmental challenges they face, including the evaporation of the lake's waters due to climate change.
Accommodation in Camp.
Day 4.- RETURN TO N'DJAMENA
After breaking camp, having breakfast, and saying goodbye, we'll return to N'Djamena, arriving at noon. In the afternoon, we can rest at the hotel or walk around the city, doing some sightseeing.
Accommodation at Hotel Irrisor.
Day 5.- N'DJAMENA – GEREWOL
En route to the great plateau of central Chad. At this time, the end of the rainy season, several Wodaabe family clans, a nomadic group known for the importance they place on personal appearance, gather each year in the surroundings of Dourbali to hold an impressive beauty contest or festival known as Gerewol.
Accommodation in Camp.
Days 6 and 7 .- GEREWOL
The Gerewol, a highlight of many photo tours and photographic expeditions, is a multi-day ceremony featuring a series of different dances and songs. Men dance and compete to be the most beautiful, while women act as judges and can choose their future husbands, offering unique opportunities for capturing stunning images. It's a remarkable event for socializing and finding a partner before these nomadic pastoral families go their separate ways in search of better grazing lands.
Photo tour participants witness men immersed in preparations from early on, dressing in their finest attire and painting their faces with ochre, providing excellent subjects for portrait photography. During the ritual, they open their eyes and lips wide to show the whites of their teeth and eyes, thus impressing the women and creating dramatic visuals for photographers.
The Wodaabe are characterized by three vital axes: the first refers to personal appearance, the second to their cattle, and the third to their family and clan relationships, considering themselves the most beautiful people in the world.
Over these days, photo tour attendees will understand why they are an unmistakable ethnic group: men wear robes and turbans, while women wear black dresses. Both display numerous geometric facial tattoos, offering a wealth of photographic opportunities for those interested in cultural documentation and portraiture.
Accommodation in Camp.
Day 8.- GEREWOL – N'DJAMENA
After breaking camp, having breakfast, and saying our goodbyes, we'll return to N'Djamena, arriving at noon. In the afternoon, we can rest at the hotel or walk around the city, doing some sightseeing.
Accommodation at Hotel Irrisor.
Day 9 .- INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT, DEPARTURES
You will be taken to the airport at the time of your departing flight.
