Niamey's sights are manageable on foot and by taxi. The National Museum is the standout — genuinely one of the best in West Africa, with a crafts cooperative attached that sells work at fair prices. The Grand Mosque, the Corniche, and the Franco-Nigerien Cultural Centre fill out a solid two or three days. The Niger River itself is the most compelling backdrop: a boat trip to see hippos in the pools south of the city is the kind of experience that is hard to replicate anywhere else on the continent.