Tourism opening up in Mauritania

[lbendel]

L'Adrar mauritanien en toute sécurité !

Thanks in great part to the efforts of Maurice Freund (of "Point Afrique" fame), the French govt has agreed to stop discouraging people from going to Mauritania, by updating its official "traveller's advice" map :



(at Mauritanie)

See the FCO's version in comparison :


(at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mauritania)

Of course we knew this was political bullshit and it hasn't prevented us from visiting this country, but apparently it is of huge importance to (French) travel agencies, which can now legally send tourists over there.

Laurent

PS: at the same time, we hear news of a Frenchman abducted from Chad, which was supposed to be the safest country in Sahel. Let's wait for more information

[priffe]

Not a big difference between the maps, but important for Chinguetti and Atar of course.
It does affect liability and insurance.
They still consider the Malian border unsafe. Kiffa - Kankossa - Ayoun is ok though, no problems for years now.

[Cutrex]

We were four 4x4 in November: Nouadhibou-Ben Amera-Atar-Chinguetti-Tidjikja-Kiffa-Nouakchott-Nouadhibou. Most of it cross-country or along lonely pistes. No security issues at all. Frequent on-road checkpoints with friendly personnel, and lots of fiches to be given. They like to know the envisaged itinerary, and came in the middle of night to our camp near the Nega Pass 'to warrant our security' (great apprehension at their approach, though). Then warned to the next patrol after the Pass, who came to meet us.

In general, my advice would be to travel discreetly, but not to be 'overclever' by dismissing or lying to the gendarmerie, who in general only want to help. It is a matter of keeping the right temperature.

The most sinester stage was running late in the night along the railway. We were told that the Polisario behave as bandits. However, and fortunately, I have not any bad experience to this respect.

Wishing to come back.

Cheers,

Cutrex

[roro]

Hi,

Thanks for these infos.
And:
"we hear news of a Frenchman abducted from Chad" : Please, let us know more détails(when,where...), I didn't know this info.

RR.

[Diamond]

Hi, I am planning on flying into and then riding the iron ore train carts from zouerat to the coast.

Please may someone post the Google earth coordinates for the area where I can board the iron ore carts in zouerat?

Also I heard there are three trains leaving zouerat each day, if I am riding in the iron ore carts can I board any one of the three trains?

Does anyone know the approx leaving times from zouerat of the three trains? ( I understand only one of these trains has a passenger car attached)

Many thanks

Diamond

[Chris Scott]

Most people take the train from the coast and get off at Choum for Atar.
Once you're in Z, I imagine finding out will be easy enough.
This lot managed in 2016 Contact them.

Hard to believe they dig fast enough to fill three, 200-wagon trains a day; or there's a fixed schedule.
Maybe 3 a week? Or more likely when the wagons are full, like a bush taxi.
Looks quite cozy!

[vrecha]

In the spring 2017 there were three trains per day. Only the "morning one" had passenger wagon attached. It is best to ask about the schedule when you are there. Finding a "train station" once in Zouerate will be no problem, the people are very nice and helpful, anyway, if you feel you need a contact to help you, I can recommend one or two (but shouldn't be a problem if you just go, ask and arrange everything by yourself).

[Diamond]

Many thanks for your replies both.

I work in the mining industry (hence the user name), unfortunately if the iron ore price drifts further south over the next decade I think SNIM could be in trouble with there relatively low grade operations around Zouerate.

They already had a large 'efficiency drive'/cull of employees a few years back. But they still kept the plant throughput rate and number of trains a day the same. SNIM's breakeven iron ore price is ~60$/tonne after this recent cost cutting (versus ~20$/tonne for the big boys operating in the Pilbara region of Western Australia). So given the current iron ore price of 62$/tonne they are breaking even at present.

Given SNIM is a big chunk of Mauri's economy things could slide a bit over the next decade if they can't boost other sectors.