I suspect the Europeans have turned the screws, as what do the Algies care? Near Oran we saw a tanker on its way to nearby Morocco - filing up off a bowser! Cars with up to 4 jerries in my group talked their way out of it.

In 2007 they got quite heavy arriving in Genoa with a batch of jerries - to the point of calling out a lawyer at midnight or something. This is where a 200L sub-tank pays off.

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Algeria reopens Hoggar Mountains (Magharebia.com)
So what are we waiting for just go go go!

"Groups of tourists travelling in the south of the country are no longer escorted by gendarmes, according to Djeribi, who also represents Tamanrasset travel agencies.
...
Figures released by the Ahaggar National Park Office indicate that the number of tourists visiting the south of Algeria has fallen sharply since 2009. Visitors dropped from 4,210 in 2009 to 788 in 2010 and then zero in 2011 for the Hoggar Plateau. The situation has been almost the same for the Ahnet Plateau, with tourist numbers plummeting from 1,259 in 2009 to 384 in 2010.

"We are just coming out of two dead seasons. The losses have been huge," Djeribi said. "Now that the plateau has been reopened to tourists, Algeria will once again feature in magazines as a destination and tourists will finally come back.""

Wonder if that means we can cross Tam - DJanet legally without escort? I will ask around.
I also wonder what this was all about, and whether the situation really changed in any tangible way two years ago, or now. :confused1:

In 2010 the Algerian military/intell intercepted comms from AQIM who were planning to abduct tourists on the piste between Djanet and Tam. The tourists were escorted out and restrictions put in place. At the time the UK FCO restricted travel south of Arak (a small settlement about 2hrs drive north of Tam).

AQIM still exist, of course, so I expect the relaxation being reported is a function of pressure from tourism sector (where, in addition, unemployment leads to its own security risk to the state via AQIM recruitment if not riots) and time since that last scare.

If AQIM keep a focus on the Aid worker sector and Spanish and Italian captives, then tourism may free up a bit - till the next incident. Safer in Algeria now than in 2 years time I'd say. Safer being relative....

Sounds like inaccurate reporting to me, plus a bit of upbeat PR spin in an attempt to get things moving. Not unlike what we heard from Agadez a couple of months back, just before escaping PGF Libyans started flooding across the Tenere.

Where is 'the Hoggar plateau' exactly? If they mean the Atakor (Assekrem, etc), then that certainly wasn't closed last Feb when we drove up and over Tam to Hirafok with no gendarmes or hassle of any kind.

I think they are regurgitating recent news (probably in this thread somewhere) that Tassili-Hoggar region (SW of Tam) was declared open after being closed a couple of years ago - possibly as it was on the way to the Niger border. See map below - also known as Taghrera. That was a popular area judging by the amount of toilet paper in the dunes, and was a mainstay of mostly French fly-in groups (along with a quick one to Assekrem). I think it was the French 'ban' on Algeria fly-ins after Germaneau and Areva grabs in Niger, that really finished off Tam tourism. I am not sure what their 'FCO' says currently.

(To be fair it took me a few years to fully appreciate the difference between Tassili-Hoggar/Taghrera and the Hoggar [Atakor] and Tassili N'Ajjer).

Not sure what it means in regards to opening the Tam-Djanet routes. Doubt that will change.

I'm also not convinced AQIM threat has been erased in the area. They raided an AQIM safe house in Abalessa (NW of Tam) a month after we passed through from Ahnet (or so I read) and the Italian woman was grabbed on the Djanet side at the same time. Safe areas are IMO far from southern borders which offer quick escapes for AQIM raiders - and not hanging around too conspicuously in towns like Tam for too long.

Ch

Attached Images

 

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Fyi, there's a new 200k map just out on the Hoggar and Taghera/Tin Tarabine region.

See Maps (about halfway down the page) for details.

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

I am hearing that Switz for sure - and possibly Germany and Italy too? - have just suspended issuing visas for the desert ('Grand Sud'), probably as a result of Mali events. Although a week before that an NL visa was also refused.
Brit visas were issued up to last week (applied weeks before).

Presumably a temporary measure.

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

I'm told from another source in Tam that pretty much all European visas for tourists heading to the south of Alg have been stopped.
Why or for how long no one knows.

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Hi there,

About visas for DZ.
I called the embassy in the Hague. (netherlands)
They have to wait for instructions before they will give out visas.


Greetings,
Wilmar