"Niger - A Desert Safari" a Niger Travel Page by ajayzener

I entered Niger from the Malanville border from the Benin side. One thing that strikes you as soon as you reach there is that, although being an international border this place is quite and deserted. At the delapidated immigration counter the officer takes less than 2 mins to clear you off and you are on your way into Niger crossing the Niger river at the border.

After the border the first city that you cross is Gaya. This although a city is nothing bigger than just a junction and after you cross Gaya what you see on both sides of the road is just dull brown sand with short bushes covered with sand....the road is deserted, and you may find a car every 5 mins , but the road is excellent and straight..you can just cruise ahead. Niamey, the capital city is a 3-4 hr journey from here....

As you start reaching the city of Niamey, the roads get busier. The city is vast with big roads, but there are only few big building at the centre of the city. The city is flat otherwise. The people of Niger are more conservative and traditional compared to the coastal african countries of Benin, Ghana and Togo. The city is brown with hardly any trees and dust striking you all the day long. There is lots to discover in this city. Market places, people and the traditions will intrigue you.