Niger sits precariously on the edge of the Sahara, a barren windswept land ravaged by drought and colonial conquest, yet somehow surviving against the odds. Lt’s a country of aristocratic desert nomads, skilled artisans and s race tall, lithe people so physically beautiful that even the men enter beauty contests. With unmissable sights like the stark beauty of the Tenere Desert and the ancient caravan town of Agadez, Niger is a vital element of the Saharan experience.

November to February, when it’s cooler

Exploring the labyrinthine old mud-brick quarters of Zinder and Agadez Enjoying the bustle and colour of Zinder’s weekly market Searching for wildlife in Parc National du W Hearing the stories of the Tuared around the campfire or beneath the rock art of the Air mountains Watching the sun set over the mighty Niger river from a pirogue in Niamey Seeking out the silent gravitas of deserted villages and vast sand dunes of the Tenere Desert and Djado Plateau in the Sahara

Read ln Sorcery’s Shadow: A Memoir of Apprenticeship Among the Songhay of Niger by Paul Stoller-a very readable, often humorous, and detailed account of his fieldwork among the Songhay of Niger

Listen to the impassioned vocals and masterful musicianship of Moumouni in his album Alatoumi

Watch The Sheltering Sky, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, which was filmed in Niger

Eat dates, youhurt, rice, mutton, rice with sauce, couscous and ragout

Drink tea or a Flag beer

Bonjour (hello)

Desert nomads; camels; uranium mining; dinosaur bones; the Tuareg; the Fulani

There are five principal tribal groups: the Hausa, Songhai – Djerma, Wodaabe, Tuareg and Kanouri; camel racing is a favourite Tuareg sport

To win attention of eligible women, single men participate in a ‘beauty contest’ The main event is the Yaake, a late-afternoon performance in which the men dance, displaying their beauty and charm. Dressed to the hilt, they form a line with blackened lips to make the teeth seem whiter, lightened faces, star-like figures painted on their faces, braided hair, elaborate headwear and all kinds of jewellery. Tall, lean bodies, long slender noses, white even teeth and white eyes are what the women are looking for.