Hi People.

This is my first big trip and I’d like some help with, which way?

I’m a bit undecided at which route to take when I get into morocco towards the end of November. If my money stretches, I’m not due back until February 7th so, I’ve got enough time for a few options to be available to me. I’ve spent the last couple weeks slowing typing out the routes M1 to M13 from Sahara Overland, as doing them all would make a good ride!

I’d like to be in Tan-Tan for Xmas, relax for a while, and then do the coastal route down the Western Sahara heading for Dakhla. I’d stop for a while, turn round and start the long coastal run home.

Now, times pressing on and it’s not long until I go, leaving Portsmouth on 5th November heading for Spain, down to Portugal for a couple weeks then, push on to Algeciras for the Ceuta crossing.

Now, this is where I’m becoming undecided, do I…..

(1) Carry on with my original plan…. From Ceuta, ride up to the start of M1 then ride all the rest ending up in Tan-Tan for Xmas. (night time tempretures, cold in a tent.)

Question:: What’s the best route from Ceuta to the start of M1 at Guercif to Ain Benimathar ?

OR -

(2) I don’t do M1 through 13; I do a longer ride further south
Morocco (coastal run), Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia. (warmer a night maybe ?)

Thanks in advance, I could do with a couple suggestions…

Regards
Shaun

The problem with camping in winter is (a) it's feeking cold, and (b) it's a long time to spend in a tent. The weather this year in Morocco has been terrible with a cold, wet spring and a cold, wet autumn. La Nina is apparently the cause.

Sunset in Morocco will be around 5:40pm and the next 45-60 minutes are really dangerous for riding--animals with no lights, grand taxis with no lights, etc. If you want to carry on past sunset you should stop for an hour or so to have a meal or rest, then only carry on with real caution.

But that means you will be pitching your tent in the dark. Personally I would look for cheap hotels and only use wild camping as a last resort.

I really like southern Morocco and Western Sahara as far as Dakhla. I've only been further once and found Mauri to be the pits and Senegal a bit boring and expensive (but lovely and warm).

Tim

PS: M4 is now mainly tarmac

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Hi Tim

Yeah, cold, I’ve been thinking about that. It seems plane wrong heading off on a bike in November! I’ve only got about 1,800 euros to last the 6 weeks in Morocco! So, the accommodation will need to be a good price. I know it’s difficult to say but, what do-you think will be an ‘average’ cost of a bed for the night in the little villages.

Shaun

When we were there a couple of years ago we intended to camp most of the time, however the many Auberges were so friendly and such good value, that we only spent six nights camping out of 19 days in Morocco!

I think we were about £7 a night for a good meal (always a tagine of sort!) and sometimes were entertained by our hosts with music and banter. Breakfast is normally simple bread and honey or suchlike. Great Value!

The only bad experience we had was from the "proper" hotels in the towns, which were poorly maintained and badly run.

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Fraser