The National Museum of Niger

Niamey's Musee National Boubou Hama spreads through gardens pavilion by pavilion, and its collection swings from deep time to desert legend: dinosaur skeletons from the Sahara's fossil beds - the region's great sauropods and the sail-backed Ouranosaurus among them - share the grounds with the preserved remains of the Tree of Tenere, once the world's most isolated tree and the desert's most famous landmark until a truck ended it in 1973, its trunk enshrined here like the relic it is. Around these anchors: costume and culture halls for Niger's peoples, craft workshops selling silver and leather at source, and shaded lanes that make the museum double as the city's favourite park.

What you actually see

• The dinosaurs - Saharan giants from the fossil beds.
• The Tree of Tenere - the desert's loneliest landmark, enshrined.
• The culture pavilions - Niger's peoples in costume and craft.
• The artisan workshops - silverwork and leather at the benches.

When to go

November to February for garden-comfortable visiting; mornings beat both heat and school groups. The craft pavilions keep working-day hours.

Honest expectations

Pavilions vary in upkeep and labelling is French-first and thin - a guide or prior reading lifts the visit considerably. The zoo section reflects means, not malice; judge gently or skip it. City travel practice follows current local advice as standard.

Nearby

The Niger riverbank, the Grand Marche and Niamey's craft centres.