Edition 45: Winter 2008/9

My first taste of West Africa was actually of its far east, and it wasn’t too pleasant. Although very exhilarating – we’d just rounded the northern side of Lake Chad and crossed into Niger at the most remote and desolate frontier I had ever encountered – the process of repeatedly digging out ‘Mr Harry’ (a friend’s 1982 Land Rover) had led to me ingest rather a lot of the desert itself. Suffice it to say, it was not the most appetising of meals, especially as it was more like silky powder than sand.
 

Despite having had our passports stamped many hours earlier in Mao, our slow progress through the soft stuff meant we had no hope of making it to Nguigmi before sunset. With little shelter available, we made camp next to a desiccated tree. As I set up my tent to shelter myself from the wind in this stark, barren landscape on the fringe of the Sahara, I spotted something that was absurd: an aquatic mollusc shell. Soon my eyes began to focus on dozens more of these scattered skeletons in the sand, each with varying amounts of their elegant turbinate shapes exposed. Considering we were at least 100km from the nearest standing water, I was truly spellbound.

Over the following months, and again on a subsequent trip, West Africa proved itself to be one of the most surprising regions I have ever visited. Perhaps this is because it lacks the bevy of world-famous parks and tropical islands like those of East and southern Africa, making visits to West Africa more about the journey than about any single destination. Even for those who come just to see the Sahara, one of the region’s greatest attractions, it is usually aspects of their travels within the desert that lead to the most enduring memories. And while Timbuktu may not be all it is cracked up to be, the expedition required to reach it is certainly legendary still. What makes travel in West Africa seem more daunting to many people is that it’s almost impossible to foresee what part of your trip will give you the greatest pleasure. For me, that is why it is such a rewarding place to explore.

Even this edition’s authoritative feature article, A guiding light to the best of the west (page 32), can’t spoil those enchanting and all-important little surprises that you’ll encounter while moving through West Africa. Its goal is to highlight many of the most alluring places you can stop at while on that most memorable of journeys. How you connect the dots, and where you find those exceptional, intrinsic experiences, is all up to you.

Matt Phillips