So I finally made it to Niger last month, honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I booked those flights. Figured I’d share my raw travel notes since everyone keeps asking what it’s actually like on the ground there.
First Things First
Landed in Niamey on this rickety old Air Niger plane bouncing like a kangaroo on landing. Straight off the bat – forget any fancy tourist infrastructure. Got my visa at arrival counter after standing in a puddle of leaked AC water for 45 minutes. Pro tip: bring cash, ATMs eat cards like candy.
Niamey Grind
Woke up at 5AM buzzing from jetlag, decided to walk to Grand Market as sun rose. That stroll taught me more than any guidebook:
- Teenage boys pushing wheelbarrows of onions shouting “Allahu Akbar!” at 6AM
- Street vendors doing kickboxing warmups beside steaming cauldrons of millet porridge
- Ministry buildings painted pepto-bismol pink behind razor wire
Haggled for a wooden giraffe statue later – vendor laughed when I pulled out USD. West African francs or nothing here folks.
Desert Madness
Took this bush taxi to Agadez – twenty people crammed in a Toyota Hilux with goats strapped to the roof rack. Driver chain-smoked Benson & Hedges while dodging potholes big enough to swallow Rhode Island. When we hit the Sahara dunes, I swear I saw camel caravans moving like ants across this ocean of sand. Paid some Tuareg dude $20 to ride his camel at sunset while he sang desert blues into the wind.
River Reality Check
Booked a Niger River cruise expecting luxury boats. Got a leaky pirogue canoe instead with suspicious brown water sloshing at my feet. Guide pointed at hippos yawning – just 15 feet away – and whispered “if we tip, swim like hell.” We drifted past kids washing motorbikes in the river while women beat laundry on rocks. Felt like floating through a National Geographic episode.
Last Night Chaos
Tried finding this famous Maquis grill joint near Kennedy Bridge. Wandered alleyways smelling like grilled goat and diesel fumes until 9PM. Finally ate greasy brochettes under bare lightbulbs while stray cats fought over scraps at my feet. Total cost $1.50 – best meal of my life. Got “lost” walking back to hotel on purpose just to watch the city breathe at midnight.
Would I go back? Tomorrow if I could. Niger isn’t a polished tourist destination – it’s raw, gritty, and real as hell. Show up humble, move slow, keep expectations at zero. The magic happens when plans fall apart.
