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Meridiela.

Fachi

An isolated Ténéré oasis with a walled ksar, halfway across the desert crossing.

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Typeoasis
WhereAgadez
Nearest cityAgadez
Best seasonNovember to February
Time to allowA day or overnight
Getting thereIn the middle of the Ténéré; desert crossing, guide and convoy required
EntryGuide and permit fees

Fachi is an oasis in the middle of the Ténéré with no road to it and no settlement anywhere near, a walled ksar of salt-block and mud building at the foot of an escarpment with date palms and salt pans around it. The Kanuri people who live there have worked salt and dates for centuries and the caravan route between Agadez and Bilma passes through. Dunes surround the oasis on every side.

What you actually see

  • The walled ksar - the old fortified settlement of salt block and mud.
  • The escarpment - the rock wall the oasis sits at the foot of.
  • The salt pans - the workings that give the oasis its trade.
  • The surrounding dunes - sand closing in on all sides.

When to go

November to February is the cool season and the caravan period. Summer heat is extreme. The oasis is reachable only as part of a desert crossing.

Honest expectations

There is no road and access is a multi-day desert crossing with guide, convoy and permits. Facilities are effectively none and everything must be carried. Water at the oasis is for the residents.

Nearby

Bilma is east, and the Tree of Ténéré site is west.

What to pack for Fachi

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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