Giraffes
West Africa's last surviving giraffe herd is just 45 minutes outside of Niamey near Koure and guided tours are available.Baleyara
roughly 2 hours east, is home to a large and vibrant crafts market on Sundays. A must-do daytrip. On other days, however, the rural town is barren and there are no hotels.Boubon
25km northwest on the route towards Tillaberi & Gao, is a city known for its pottery. Soil it taken from the banks of the river and formed into many different household potteries, set out to dry, and baked in large open pits. Wednesday is market day here, and the easiest day to find public transport from Niamey. Other days, it might be necessary to take a bush taxi to nearby Relais and then take a pirougue to Boubon.W National Park
is a massive park named after the 'W' shape of the Niger River in it and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Simmilar to the large game parks of eastern Africa except that the landscape is less open and more shrub-filled and forest-like and there is less of a presence of large herbivores than E.Africa. Three hours south of Niamey, it could easily be organized as a day-long trip, but to fully enjoy the park, an overnight stay is recommended. The conservation project ECOPAS is working to improve the park's infrastructure, protect its inhabitants, and attract tourists. ECOPAS's Niamey headquarters can be consulted for tourism info tel. 72 53 48; they also sell printed books/guides for/about the park.Agadez While a considerable distance away 1000km, there are frequent bus connections to this city which once was the most popular tourist destination in Niger. The city itself is safe to visit, but due to the ongoing Tuareg rebellion, travel outside the city is not allowed. A permit may be necessary, so consult local authorities before taking a bus. A military escort is necessary for part of the journey to protect against bandits, don't worry, though, as travelling this route is safe with escort.
