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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #16  
Old 30 Sep 2015
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Hi. I will start tomorrow the piste towards Atar. I am pretty scared about the sand but will try very calmly on my own...
Will tell you more...
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  #17  
Old 2 Oct 2015
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Sorry and happy to write that I had to quit.
By far it has been the most dangerous place I have known.
For me it was impossible to deal with the sand carrying so much water and gasoline for 650 kms of nothing.
I tried to make it by the railroad but it seemed very easy to get a puncture and the train passing almost toaching me scared me to death.
Spent three hours for 30 kms and saw nobody. When it was flat I tried the piste but always ended surrounded with sand and falling, taking everything off the bike to lift it watching the precious gasoline spilll. Dehidratation would have come very fast.
Will never try anything like that.
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  #18  
Old 2 Oct 2015
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That's a difficult track to do alone on a loaded bike, even if the nav is easy.
I remember even in November we had to stop to let the cars cool down.

You know you can put it on a train to Choum, like they used to do with 2WDs before the road to NKT.
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  #19  
Old 3 Oct 2015
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Gracias Chris. Yes I knew about the train but had to try for myself.
Found a very special auberge in Nouakchott, just 500 meters North of the port de peche, by the beach. Impossible to miss, with huts and restaurant and perfect to visit the port just walking the beach.
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  #20  
Old 5 Oct 2015
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Hi there,


I too plan to travel from Morocco to Senegal. To me the easiest way looks like following the coast line. i.e. Tah-> El Aajun->Dakhla->Nouadhibou->Nouhakchott->Rosso.

Would that be a good option safety wise?

Thanks for the help.

Cheers
Adrian.
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  #21  
Old 5 Oct 2015
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It's by far the easiest: tarmac all the way.

There are tracks inland in the Western Sahara part of Morocco (good report here - quad fuel mule needed) but if you mean safety in terms of falling off and hurting yourself, better to stick the the road.

Tracks also lead inland once in Mauritania but, as you read above, hard work alone on a bike due to the fuel range needed.

If you mean safety as in getting kidnapped by AQIM-type gangs, it's never happened in Morocco and exceedingly unlikely in Mauritania now if you stick to the highway where checkpoints will rush you on from Nouadhibou->Nouhakchott in a day. It will be over before you know it.
The Brit FCO's current 'red zone' on the WS-Mori border is not helpful.

You may find Diama crossing downstream from Rosso less aggro. See the sub-Sahara forum. No visa now for Senegal, as you may know.
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  #22  
Old 6 Oct 2015
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I have to admit that info about "no need visa to Senegal" is not correct. It works only for EU citizens. For me (russian) and for one of the travellers I met (swiss guy) visa is still required. And NO, they don't give visa at the border, only in embassy.

And no matter that they cancelled visa payments - you will pay "service fee" at the embassy which is 10800 ougiyas (~40 euro) in Nouakchott for example.

Speaking about Diama - it is more easy to cross border here, BUT. You have to go through national park. Which is leads to 2 things. 1) You will pay entry fee (not at the entrance, but in the middle, at police checkpoint). 2) You got to be a tough enduro guy if there was rain days before, because 20km of road is MUD.

As for about Rosso border cross - don't mess with any helper. Official ferry price is 40 ougiyas (~11 eurocents) and every other prices is bullshit (we met one guy who paid 5000 ougiyas for nothing, he even doesn't get his ticket). The border control will try to make money out of you so it's your decision - to wait or to pay. We decided to wait and it tooks 1,5 day.
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  #23  
Old 6 Mar 2017
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Border west Sahara-Mauretania
I passed there several days ago and notice any securety issues at the border. Take a fixer - Arturo is a good one probybly 50 years old.

The only astonishing thing was a Polisario stop just after no mansland. We made pictures and had fun with them. Nice guys.

Edwin
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  #24  
Old 20 Mar 2017
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Polisario
Update: my french friends just passed again the border and had this time troubles with polisario. My friend did have a sticker of Marocco on his hard case. Polisario forced him under gun fire to take it of, he sticked it on the polisario car and than they exploded, immediatly the UN forces came to calm down the incident, nobody understood why a stupid sticker can make them furious!
It's sensible there, take care, laugh as we did the way to etc.!!

It happened the 19th of march 2017
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  #25  
Old 7 Jan 2018
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Tensions returning to Guergarat
https://translate.googleusercontent....itz7-Vibd-L3-g
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  #26  
Old 11 Mar 2019
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I spent a week riding around in "the southern provinces of Morocco' (Western Sahara) during January 2019. I didn't go further south than Dhakla, and I didn't go off paved roads. But I did ride around quite a bit there.

In my opinion, the former Western Sahara (in fact, all of Morocco) is safer than a small village in rural Switzerland. The police have the area very well controlled, there are traffic stops about every 50 km on the main roads, and at the entrances to towns. The police are very polite & efficient - they recognize you are a tourist, have a quick look at your passport, and wish you a good voyage.

The main road down to Dhakla was in the final stages of being totally rebuilt when I was there. When it gets finished, it will be on par with any Swiss or German roadway - level, smooth, well engineered, and good sightlines.

I have no knowledge of Mauritania, I did not go south of Dhakla.

Michael
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