Chad: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Chad feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 36 written places.
Courteous and unhurried; greetings stretch long and the heat sets the timetable.
✓ Considered polite
- Shake hands with the right hand and ask after family before any business
- Greet with Bonjour or Salam - both are understood in N'Djamena
- Accept sweet tea when offered - refusing outright disappoints your host
- Dress modestly everywhere - covered shoulders and knees for both men and women
✗ Better avoided
- Eat or pass anything with your left hand
- Photograph anyone without asking first
- Show affection in public - even couples keep it discreet
- Expect fixed prices - market bargaining is expected and good-humoured
Worth knowing
- A government permit is required for photography - arrange it before pointing a camera anywhere
- Central African CFA francs in cash rule - cards work almost nowhere
- Shops close through the hot early afternoon and reopen around 16:00
- The local Gala lager is served in some N'Djamena restaurants and hotel bars
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.