In Jan 2010 we did the same: got the visa same day with a simple hotel reservation to Algiers, drove to the Northern border (since we really had to go to Algiers first) nobody asked a single question about where we were going and if we had a guide or not.
Things change. Especially if you announce you want to visit Le Grand Sud and since you need to have a guide there and you need to have a complete itinerary they are aware of your plans. One car might do the way you did but you can't really do the same with a group of cars.
g.
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