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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

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


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 20 Feb 2005
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Tangier-Dakar
I,m planning to ride down to West Africa and spend some time there, and not spending any extra time in Morroco this time. How many days should I plan to spend riding from Tangier to Dakar. I,m riding solo on a BMW GS650, and plan to stay on sealed roads as much as possible.

Thanks.
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  #2  
Old 20 Feb 2005
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its 3,500km. some of its a bit dull so you might as well do big days eg 800-1000km. we took 7 days, but you could do it in much less as this included some sightseeing. there's a filling station 80-100km before the Mauretanian border: fill up and stay here so you can go 600km to Nouakchott without going to Nouadhibou. also try to find someone coming north who wants to swap Mauretanian for Moroccan money as there's only one money changer at the border! the road isn't completely tarred, yet, but we got from Nouakchott to the border in 5 hours.

to avoid the major hassle from Mauretania into Senegal at Rosso, turn west/right along the river for a hundred odd km to Diamou. they're still greedy, there, but much less threatening.
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  #3  
Old 20 Feb 2005
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Hello to all

I´m planning the same route to dakar, but i,m going with may land rover. When you say to avoid Rosso and go through Diamou, i try to locate this city with Mapsource and i can´t find any city with this name. I think it´s the route between Kiffa and Kayes.
Can you confirm that?
Can you explain why everybody avoid Rosso?
Thankyou very mutch
Carlos
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  #4  
Old 20 Feb 2005
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your spelling is incorrect. If you look on a map the alternative border is just on the coast near Rosso. The turn off for it is easy to miss, so get GPS points from someone on the way (or go with someone who has GPS).
We went through Rosso (no GPS so missed the turn off), and it was a bit of a nightmare and I was glad there were two of us.
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  #5  
Old 21 Feb 2005
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I didn't go through Rosso cos I know too many people who have been that way. basically, you leave one country and cross the river and then the guys on the other side have got you cornered cos you're not going to go back across the river into the unloving arms of the guys you just left so you get badly ripped off. as Doug says, head west. its a small right turning off the main road. my GPS was out of action at that time so I can't give you a grid ref, but don't wait till town to ask directions cos everyone knows to rip you off!
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  #6  
Old 21 Feb 2005
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Rosso is known for really bad hassle from border guards and any other people by the border. I can confirm from my own experiences. Although we didn't cross there we ended in front of the gate in Rosso cause we missed to junction to Diama. My mate got stuck with his van and it took us a long time get rid of the guys waiting there for tourists. It was the only time on the whole trip when they were as impertinent to open the door and jump into the car without beeing invited. Not speaking of the funny time I had on the bike while waiting... A few teams of this years PDC were forced to cross in Rosso and ended after nearly a whole day there in escaping and beeing shoot at them. But that's a different story...

There is a petrol station when coming into Rosso, just 300m or so before you reach the gate. The road to Diama looks a bit like the entry to a courtyard, on your right hand side just after the petrol station, direction west.

The road is a lot of fun if you have a proper off road bike but still easy enough for a normal overland bike. I can only recommend it, it's a very nice ride through the national park. Loads of flamingos though.

Happy travels
Kudi

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  #7  
Old 22 Feb 2005
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Quote:
Originally posted by lrmud:
Hello to all

I´m planning the same route to dakar, but i,m going with may land rover. When you say to avoid Rosso and go through Diamou, i try to locate this city with Mapsource and i can´t find any city with this name. I think it´s the route between Kiffa and Kayes.
Can you confirm that?
Can you explain why everybody avoid Rosso?
Thankyou very mutch
Carlos
Hi
Before you hit Rosso there is a checkpoint between this post and the garage is the space, this is in fact a large taxi/bus park and is usually full of cars and people, they will try and persuade you to use the ferry, ignore them, head for the far left corner of the park where you will pick up the track which leads to the village of Keur Massene and Djarma, the kids in the village will then point you the way to the barrage crossing. this track thro national park is teeming with wildlife and worth the trip for that reason alone
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  #8  
Old 22 Feb 2005
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This is what you write about the Rosso borderpost:
- Unloving arms,
- hussel,
- nigthmare
- glad we where two
- you,ll get ripped off
- frigthing

Whats actually happening at this borderpost?
What can one expect?
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  #9  
Old 23 Feb 2005
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dizzie:
This is what you write about the Rosso borderpost:
- Unloving arms,
- hussel,
- nigthmare
- glad we where two
- you,ll get ripped off
- frigthing

Whats actually happening at this borderpost?
What can one expect?
All the above can happen. Rossso has the reputation of being one of the most corrupt borders in Africa, although,I do know people who have gone thro with not too much strife at all.You could always try it and find out for yourself.For more insight, go to the Plymouth Dakar website
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  #10  
Old 23 Feb 2005
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Dizzie ... just go and try it! remember 1) you're not "safe" till you're on the road to Dakar on the other side 2) we all told you so

as an Ozzie might say, you'll be buggered, mate.
ta det rollit
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  #11  
Old 23 Feb 2005
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Maybe its my english... :-)
I have no intensions of testing my luck. It was just that I tried to understand what kind of show they where putting up at this particular border. I will not try to enter Senegal via Rosso, especially not after reading the Plymouth Dakar experience. Thanks for the info.
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