You may have heard this term when watching the news about conflict in Africa or about desertification from the Sahara or something along the lines of other negative bits of news. In reality, the Sahel is one of the most diverse regions of Africa, stretching across the widest parts of the continent from Senegal to Sudan, encompassing fertile grasslands, semi-arid areas, bustling river deltas and hundreds of different languages and cultures. If you’re interested in reading more on the languages of the Sahel check out our blog on the topic here.
When using the term Sahel, this refers to geographic band of inland Africa from Senegal to Sudan, think countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger just to name a few.
Origin of the word Sahel?
The word Sahel comes from the Arabic word “sahil” meaning shore. This is because the Sahel region typically marked the end of the Sahara Desert or the shoreline of the desert.
What is the difference between the Sahel and the Sahara?
The Sahara refers to the massive expanse of desert in the northern part of Africa from Mauritania to Egypt. The Sahel is most of the region south of the Sahara and north of the lush green savannahs of the African gulf coast. The main differences between these two areas are rainfall, with the Sahel experiencing much more rainfall, leaving it much greener than the Sahara. The Sahel is also much more populated and much more culturally diverse than the Sahara Desert, most likely due to its fertile farmland and rivers which can support larger populations.
What countries are part of the Sahel?
The Sahel is not a political region with fixed borders and so the exact definition of which countries are included does change. General the Sahel includes Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria (northern areas), Niger, Sudan, Chad and Eritrea. Sometimes this is also extended to include nearby countries of Gambia, Cameroon and South Sudan.
Is it possible to travel to the Sahel?
Yes! Absolutely you can travel to the Sahel. In fact, several countries in the Sahel such as Senegal and Gambia are quite popular tourist destinations for people starting journeys in Africa. As a slightly more off-the-beaten path tour company, at Saiga Tours we also run tours in several Sahel countries including Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon. Travel to some parts of the Sahel takes pre-planning and patience and certain areas will also require you to have a guide or escorts. To make sure you have the safest time possible, contact us to join us on the best Sahel tours out there.
Is it safe to visit the Sahel?
In short, yes but with some areas that you should avoid. It would be unwise for us to say the entire Sahel region is safe to travel. Several areas are experience various forms of localised conflict and for your safety you should absolutely do research before hopping on a plan. Many border areas of the region are not considered safe for travellers and parts of Mali, Nigeria, Niger and Chad are considered too dangerous. We travel to these countries however with the knowledge that we only travel to secure areas. We would not bring anyone to areas that were genuinely dangerous or posed a risk to our travellers. It also goes without saying that for the time being it is best to avoid travel to Sudan.
If you’re wondering what to see in the Sahel check out our blog about the top sites in Niger and the top sites to see in Burkina Faso .
What is the climate like in the Sahel?
Hot, hot and hotter! This is on average not only some of the hottest places in Africa, but also the hottest average temperatures on the planet. While the Sahara will have higher extremes it also have more extreme lows. The Sahel on the otherhand stays hot all the time. Even in what they call the “cold” season is more similar to a European summer than any form of winter. Three of the world’s hottest capital cities all are found in the Sahel with Khartoum, Sudan, Niamey, Niger and N’Djamena, Chad all having average temperatures of 29C or 85F. If you’re looking to escape the cold and sweat like you’ve never sweat before then book that flight to Ouagadougou, just make sure you have a pool available.
How can you visit the Sahel?
Of course we are a little biased, however we think the best way to explore any region is with people who know and love the region they work in. That means for you joining a Saiga tour of the Sahel, such as this one we have right here departing in January 2027 will give you the best chance to do some extreme travel through some of the world’s wildest areas.
To secure your place and join us on a Saiga Sahel group tour, send us an email to [email protected].
