Tourist Places to Visit in Arlit, Agadez, North Africa, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Arlit, Agadez, North Africa, Africa

Arlit is a town and the administrative centre of the Arlit Department in the Agadez Region of Niger. It is located in the north-central part of the country, situated around 240 km north of the regional capital, Agadez and 1150 km northeast of Niamey, the capital of Niger. Arlit is widely noted for its uranium mining, which was first discovered in 1969, promoted by the French government. Arlit holds two large mines, one is in Arlit itself and another is in nearby Akouta. The French company Areva NC is currently taking care of its both mines, including processing and transportation. Arlit is geographically positioned between 18°44′ N latitude and 7°23′ E longitude and experiences a hot desert climate.

Connectivity to Arlit:

Arlit has an airport, but that is only used for elites and mine workers. The closest major airport to Arlit is the Diori Hamani International Airport, which is in the capital city, Niamey, around 1900 km away from Arlit. This airport handles flights from and to, Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Ouagadougou, Istanbul, Casablanca, Algiers Paris and many other African cities.

Direct buses between Niamey and Arlit is not certain, better if one reach Agadez from Niamey and then, can take bus or pre-booked private transfer to get Arlit.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Arlit:

The mine of Arlit and other things in the town were the topic of the movie named Arlit deuxième Paris, which was directed by the Benin moviemaker Idrissou Mora-Kpaï. A novel, ‘The Yellowcake Conspiracy’, written by the British children’s author Stephen Davies, which also had links with Arlit. Restaurants and shops are limited in number in Arlit.

Things to do in Arlit:

Visiting mining sites
Walking
Day tours

What to see in Arlit?

Uranium mining sites in Arlit:

Everything of Arlit is focused on its mining sites as it is the backbone of local economy. Many sites are left and many are under operation, tourists can make day tour of the sites to learn the process of uranium mining. Better, taking the aid of locals.

Arlit Airport:

The Arlit Airport has an airport that was constructed with the main purpose of serving European workers employing at the mines of Arlit. The airport is modern, well constructed and visitors are allowed with a prior permission.

Agadez:

Agadez is one of the prominent cities of Niger, situated around 240 km away from Arlit. The city features many specialties that can be found in the local mosques, palaces and cultural centres of the city. The Agadez Mosque is a highly recognized structure as its structure is made with only clay. Other typical attractions in Agadez include the Palace of Sultan, Kaocen Palace, Heinrich Barth Residence and Mano Dayak International Airport. Agadez can be reached by bus from Arlit.

List of other places of interest in and around Arlit includes:

Palace of Sultan in Agadez
Agadez Mosque
Kaocen Palace
Heinrich Barth Residence
Mano Dayak International Airport
Cathedral de Maorey
Aïr Mountains
W National Park
Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve
The National Museum of Niger
Grande Marché
Centre Culturel Oumarou Ganda
Grande Mosquée in Niamey
Centre Culturel Franco-Nigerien

When to visit Arlit?

Arlit generally experiences a hot and dry climate year round and the best time to visit Arlit is from October to December.

Where to stay in Arlit?

There are hotels few in Arlit, so it is suggested for visitors to drive towards nearby Agadez to enjoy better hospitality services at upgraded hotel. Buses run between these two destinations and for the sake of comfort travel, visitors can hire a car. The prominent hotels in Agadez (around 240 km away from Arlit) are listed below: