The area around Tillaberi is one of Niger's most important rice-growing zones, taking advantage of the Niger River's annual flood cycle and the irrigation schemes that now supplement it. Paddies stretch along the river valley for several kilometres, and in the growing season (roughly July to October) the landscape is startlingly green against the surrounding Sahel scrub.
A walk or short drive south of town through the rice fields offers a different perspective on life in this part of Niger. You will encounter farmers, their cattle, and the elaborate network of channels that makes cultivation possible in an otherwise arid landscape. It is not dramatic scenery, but it is genuine, functional and far from the tourist trail.