Hello to all
I would like to organize a trip around Senegal, Guine, Mali and Mauritania on the next september with 3 or 4 land rovers and i would like if is a good month to make the trip or if is better to do in April, because the weather and the heavy rain in this locations. We don´t like tarmac and we would like to do offroad and dunes and desert. We only have 25 days to do this trip and we need to run faster from Portugal and if the weather is bad with a lot of mud and streets closed, we can´t do so many kilometers.
Thankyou for your help and have a good 2005 with many adventures :-)

Carlos Soares
Portugal

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Carlos Soares
Portugal-Lisboa
www.burundiexpedtions.com

Carlos, I would say the best time to go is shortly before or after Christmas.

Mali especially gets very hot as you get closer to April - we travelled back from Ghana to Europe last year through Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritania and by February -March time it was quite hot even then - 42.6 degrees Celcius @1300Hrs in the SHADE - on a typical day.
It would often be 40degrees by 0800 in the morning.

The weather in Morocco will be quite cool this time of year - especially in the Atlas, but it was quite comfortable in the Sahara, with nice cool nights - and some Fires required !!!

Why not spend Christmas in the Sahara - I cant tihink of a better place to be !!!

Also if you like motorsport - check out the route for the Paris Dakar and maybe do some spectating in the Sahara, we hooked up with them in Tidjikja last year and it was great to be there.
Cheers
Grif

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Ex RAF Regt, Ex Dragoman, LRE Instructor,
LR 90 300 Tdi Overlander
Suzuki DR650 Overlander
..and Bloody Nice Bloke!

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Hello Grif
Thanks for your answer and can you tellme the number of days i will need to do the piste between Nema, Tidjika and Atar. I have the waypoints and the route for GPS, but i need to know if is possible to run fast in this pistes, because we have only 23 days and we like to visit senegal and Mali. Then the return to Portugal we need to run fast.

Thankyou very mutch
Carlos

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Carlos Soares
Portugal-Lisboa
www.burundiexpedtions.com

Hi There, we did Atar - Tidjikja - Allow 4 nights for this trip.
Then we went Ayoun el Atrous to Nioro Southbound.
Kayes to Kiffa Northbound -we did not do Tidjikja-Nema.
This is a long stage - about 6-700km ? so it was too much time for us to do - also the Paris Dakar was racing at this time Tidjikja -Nema with no GPS and they were having lots of trouble - vehicles everywhere ! so we stayed clear of this route - a Kamaz is bigger than my 90 !!!

The route from Nara - Akor- Sokolo- Niono- Segou was one of the highlights for me - very little development and friendly people in traditional villages - the kids didnt know the word Cadeau - which made a refreshing change.
Its a good way to get out to Tombouctou without going into Bamako.

Bamako - Kayes - Kiffa was a great trip for driving better terrain and navigation required - but too slow for you - Nioro - Ayoun will be better - especially if the asphalt is finished - for a quicker way home.


If you have a time constraint just be aware that Mauritania is slow going for everything - often there are fuel shortages and Visa delays which can mess your plans up - and lots of checkpoints !!!

I think you will struggle to do that many countries in 25 days, I would not go to Senegal, but do a loop in Mali instead.

Its up to the Individual - but I would get Insurance in both countries - a few checkpoints ask for it - some German guys we met in Bamako drove without and it cost them alot of Euros and problems.

Cheers Grif

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Ex RAF Regt, Ex Dragoman, LRE Instructor,
LR 90 300 Tdi Overlander
Suzuki DR650 Overlander
..and Bloody Nice Bloke!

[This message has been edited by Gipper (edited 17 February 2005).]

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

All these people in such a hurry!
Hi Grif, howzit?
Just to add to Grif's experience from last year, the tar from Nioro to Ayoun is finished and it's really well made. But the track from Diema to Nioro is very, very bad (an extra very for good measure).
We did the run from Ayoun to NKT with only one checkpoint the whole way, the tar's ok but not great in places. Got stoned by a kid in one of the villages on the way, not encouraging.
Oh yes, Diema - Didieni has to be one of the scaryest roads in WA, 180km of HUGE corrugations made by artic lorrys! Watched one get his trailer sideways at full tilt and save it! If you try and skim over those your car won't last long.
Good luck

Luke
knackered old 4wd camper
nice mountainbike
and back at work...for now

Hello
One more time, thanks for your informations and maybe i only do in September, the pistes on Mauritania. I will read very careful your informations and maybe in the next year with more time, we try to visit Senegal and Mali.
In your opinion and experience, to do Morrocos, Mauritania, Dakar, Guine Bissau, Bamako, Pays Dogon, Nema, Nouakchot and return to Portugal, how many days we need to do this trip? Remember, in the next trip, we don´t need to do pistes in Mauritania. We would like to reserve the time to see Senegal and Mali.
We would like to have more time, but we only have 1 or 1,5 month, because our work :-(
Thyanks very mutch for your help
Carlos Soares


[This message has been edited by lrmud (edited 20 February 2005).]

__________________
Carlos Soares
Portugal-Lisboa
www.burundiexpedtions.com

Carlos,
If you want to get out to Dogon, then I would miss out Senegal and Ginea on the way out, then see how your time goes and if all is well do them on the way back. In 25 Days you will have to do a lot of KM quickly, so have a plan if things are going good and one if things are taking too long - You have to stay Flexible in West Africa - Everything changes constantly.
Cheers
Grif

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Hello Grif
We only have 25 days and i made two plans. On the first plan, we go to Morroco, Western Sahara and Mauritania. In Mauritania we go to Atar, Chinguetti, Tidjika and Nema and come back to home to Kiffa, Nouackchot, Nouadhibou and Portugal. We have a lot of Sahara between Atar and Nema an i think this is a good trip to do in 25 days.
On the second plan, but I do not believe that is possivel, we would like to do Nema, Dogon, Bamako and Kiffa, but i think it´s impossible with only 25 days. What do you think about this two plans?
If we can´t visit Mali this year, maybe we do another trip to visit Mali, Guine and Senegal, because we don´t have to "loose" time with Mauritania and the Sahara.
Thankyou for your help


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Carlos Soares
Portugal-Lisboa
www.burundiexpedtions.com

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Carlos Soares
Portugal-Lisboa
www.burundiexpedtions.com

Carlos, the first plan is fine you will love the Mauritanian Sahara. As you say, the second is a lot of KM in 25 days - but you could do it, you will not see very much though.
Cheers
Grif

------------------
Ex Rockape, Ex Drago,
LR 90 300 Tdi Overlander - Lighter than CF 80 Fridge
Ex Suzuki DR650 Overlander *Stolen - L185 KDA *
..and Bloody Nice Bloke!

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca