Niamey

Get in

thumb|250px|A main road leading into the city centre

See

thumb|250px|Musée national Boubou-Hama

Eat

Be sure to try all the local specialties rather than only sticking to ex-pat restaurants. Niamey food is incredible, unique and not-to-be-missed. You didn't come all this way to eat the same food you get at home.

Drink

thumb|250px|They love Nescafe

Keep in mind that drinking alcohol is generally forbidden in Muslim culture, so take extra care to keep drunken inappropriate behaviour behind closed doors and out of the public eye. Most of the Western-style restaurants above also serve drinks, Cap Banga or Oxygène in particular have amazing river views, especially great around sunset. (See the "Eat" section)

Connect

Internet (slow) modem and satellite connection. Rate is about CFA 500/hour. Wi-Fi is emerging in the city and can already be purchased on a 'pay as you go' basis with scratch-off cards in the better hotels and in the city centre. Post/CourrierThe main post office is located on Rue de la Poste halfway between the Place de la Concorde/Assemble National and Place Monteil. DHL Express is located on Boulevard de la Liberte.

Respect

Proper attire: Dress is much more conservative than other West African countries. Look around to see how the majority of local people dress, and you can see it is offensive if you are not dressed conservatively. Shorts, above-the knee skirts, and tank tops should never be worn in the capital, in Hausa regions or up north. This will also help cut down on harassment. Note, as well, that people in Niamey dress as nicely as they can afford to, so it's not recommended to dress like you are "slumming."

Giving gifts: Think carefully before giving out “cadeaux” (gifts) or money to kids or even adults that you do not know personally, especially those that ask for one (genuine beggars excepted). Be aware that after you give out cadeaux, future visitors will be targets for unceasing and increasingly obnoxious demands for cadeaux, and Westeners will be seen only as a source of gifts. The annoyance you cause future visitors is probably not worth the trinket. Instead, give it to a reputable local charity or school to be distributed, or to a family that has done something nice for you.

Stay safe

See the warning box in the Niger article for information on the security situation.

General: Niamey is relatively safe, at least by Nigerien standards, but be aware of several things: Carry as little as possible. For men, watch your wallet in your back pocket. For women, be aware that they can cut the strap of your bag and run. The most dangerous places are anywhere the road crosses the ravine that runs through town, including next to the Stade (between the Stade and Katako), and between the Musée and Hotel Gaweye. Robberies are more common there because the perpetrators can disappear into the ravine. The water in the city is usually OK to drink, but sometimes not. To be safe, you can buy filtered, sealed PureWater (pronounced Pure-Watta) for 25 CFA per small bag. (Outside of the city it may be either 25 or 50 CFA). Ask at any stall that has a fridge.

Con artists: A frequent scam, anywhere in the city but especially near Petit Marché, involves someone coming up to you and acting like he knows you. He says his car or motorcycle has been in an accident and he needs 10,000F to fix it, or variations on this theme. If you don’t know the person beyond a shadow of a doubt, don’t believe him or her.

Go next

thumb|250px|One of the last wild giraffes in West Africa peeks under a tree Koure 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, 25 km 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 fired 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. Similar 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 (); they also sell printed books/gu…