Priffe and Burden, lots of very useful information contained within this chat. Thanks a lot.

I fancy that if I do end up going as far as Mali I shall be taking this route this time. If I may, I have a few questions about things you've mentioned:

1) From Kayes what's the preferred route down to Bamako at the moment. I note other people are wary of the Diema region.

2) When an escort was proscribed from the border, how far did you have to take it?

3) Any recommended navigational tools for the pistey bits? Or is it a case of following the biggest track and asking in the villages?

Many thanks, from Cordoba this time,
Matt

If you have the time, taking the road along the river Senegal to Bafoulabé and then continue along the Bafing to Kita and then Bamako is much more amusing then the RN1 over Diema.

yeah, and it seem Mauri closed it's borders with Mali due to that

Closed due to what sorry? Is this Ebola? Do you know if it's shut both ways?

ye, due to ebola case in Kayes ... however seems the border is open again

Hi again,

Thanks again for all the wealth of info so far. Any chance anyone has an update on the Mauri/Mali border?

Also, while I'm asking, last time I checked Mauri was doing visa-on-arrival at the border with Morocco. Is this known to be the case currently? (I should have thought to double-check this before getting to Dakhla!)

Thanks again,
Matt

Hello hello,

For the sake of other traveller's wondering the same question I asked in my last post on this thread, the Mauritanian border is issuing visas. The only option appearing to be 30 days for 50 euros.

The car importation procedure appears to be going through a curious patch, and currently only 15 days is on offer, despite the 30 day visa.

Of course, 15 days of insurance can't be bought, only 10 or 20 :)

Appologies for spelling, can't figure how to set the computer here to English.

Fwiw, I heard yesterday from Selibabi that the border is closed for people travelling north. Going south is ok.

visa:
30 days 50 euros
365 days 125 euros
another option which slips my memory in between
these are the prices for whities, for toher people it's half of that beer
laissez-passer for ther car: ususally you only get 7 or 10 days on the border
but then you can prolong it up to 3 months in Nouakchott or other cities like Atar, etc...

insurance: well, hehehe, it's more like Monty Python or buy one much cheaper in Bou Lanouar, some 60 k's due west

My name is James, Portuguese,

I go to Dakar with a group of Portugal, and then I was thinking to go to Mali and Burkina Faso,

Aduanes the borders between Mauritania and Mali are open?

Mali to Burkina Faso are open?

I am very grateful if you help me ...

Hi Tiago,

when are you heading down?
I'm leaving Portugal in early January heading Mauri - Senegal - Mali - Burkina.

From what I hear borders are opened and no problem...but things can change quickly...there's been a new outbreak of ebola in Mali!

But better to hear from somebody on the ground.

Cheers,
RN

German car sellers use the route from Kiffa ( Mau) to Kayes (Ma)because there is only a police control on that border. No stamps in your passport, no laissez passez either. From Kayes they take the route to Bafoulabé (ferry and it's man powered, so it will take you more than 1 hour, if you're lucky:) ), than to Manantali and than Bamako. After Manantali it is about 100 km piste! Piste will take about 3 1/2 hrs.

Good Night Friend ...

I leave for Portugal on 26 December with a group and we go to dakar, dakar in the regressor must have a border or Rosso Diama with this group and hence I am thinking then to Mali and Burkina ...

My car Land Rover 300Tdi

My email sent by MP

If you want to join us we were satisfied ...

What nationality are you?

My email tiagofernande@gmail.com

I talking portugues and I'm a Portugues boy

hug

Yep, I wondered if the insurance was even needed in Mauri, so I only bought the shortest available, to see if I'd get asked for it, and of course about two dozen checkpoints later I have not been.

Everyone at the border was claiming that the old laissez-passer has very recently been made unavailable, and the customs house was full of very frustrated polish car exporters, pan-african traders, and one nutty old german with a truck full of medicine (apparently), all who where expecting to get a laissez-passer.

The only papers avaiable were some kind of transit document (15 days, I got) and took about about an hour and a half to produce once you set the wheels in motion.

Thanks again everyone here. Still weighing up my Mali options.

on the coast through Mauritania from Nouadhibou to Senegal
 

Hi guys,
wishing to drive from Nouad. to Senegal very beginning 2015. anybody can help with recent news about safety in driving a car straight from north to south on the coast? got some info but very difficult to understand how it really is.
many thanks to anyone that may help!
:)