Hi folks

We're currently in Morocco and plan on getting to the Mauritanian border in 2 weeks time (circa early November)

We plan on travelling from Nouadhibou east to Atar / Adrar region, and then from Atar down to Nouakchott and on to the border with Senegal.

Can anyone confirm if this is a safe route, and if there is anything I should be aware of?

I've had some advise against using the Rosso border crossing and rather go to Diama instead. Any comments on this?

Thanks in advance for the help

Cheers
Steve
www.overafrica.org

As safe as most things in Africa - Rosso is 'safe' but a pain in the neck!!! Diama would be 'easier', please don't pay the Senegalese authorities, you'll make it all the more difficult for anyone behind you!

I'd keep an eye on any news developments if you're worried about Mauri; Mauritania News - Topix is a site I use for a lot of places to see what's being reported.

Have fun!

Kira

I'll be in Mauri with a group of bikes in about three weeks time.

The Atar region is fairly close to where there's been recent 'terrorist' activity and the murders of an army patrol. I'm not saying don't go there, but just be aware that security checkpoints could be cumersome in that area as the police and army will still be 'twitchy'. I would probably think carefully before going there myself, mostly because of the likelyhood of additional hassle from army checkpoints. There is also little doubt that some fairly dubious characters have operated in the area, so stay alert if you travel there.

However don't be put off Mauri. I can't recall problems ever being reported on the north south road from Nouadhibou. The people are mostly great, the desert is awe inspiring and I've never felt threatened. I was there early this year, a couple of weeks after the much publicised killing of a French family and encountered zero problems.

Advice re Rosso border is simply don't use it. You need to be pretty focussed to use this border as it can be extremely intimidating. If you want to give it a go, it's best to attempt it at the crack of dawn (before the guy in charge of customs, and therefore scams, wakes up).

As for getting through without paying money, good luck! I went through it once. I paid very little after negotiations, but it was very time consuming. Refusing to pay anything would probably result in a wait that could span many hours or in some cases, days. These guys are experts in the hustle game and to be honest if you refuse to pay anything they'll think you're wierd and pile on additional delays/problems (even the locals pay something - how do you think that customs and police officials earn their money? Take a European head off when considering these things. Border officials mostly don't get much, if any, salary for the job; it's this that fuels the rotten scam culture that exists at every level, where some jobs are 'opportunites' to earn money rather than salaried positions).

The trick as always to to balance a possible willingness, if it becomes necessary, to pay a small tip or a 'fee' for services against allowing yourself to be ripped off by the opportunists that exist in these places.

Go to Diama. What you do is travel to Rosso and as you enter the town there's a fuel station on the right. About 100 yards beyond this is a turning on the right down a dirt road. There's often an army guy there who will point you in the right direction. Keep your eyes open for the turn off; go too far and you'll arrive at the Rosso border post and ferry port.

There's 100 km of pretty reasonable piste through possibly one of the most oustandingly beautiful national parks in West Africa before you arrive at Diama. There are very few (if any) hustlers at Diama and a fairly relaxed procedure. You pay a small fee to ride/drive in the national park before you get to the border, (but don't get ripped off, this should be cheap) and there's a local 'tax' of a few Ougies to pay before leaving Mauritania, again don't allow yourself to get riped off (you get a receipt). On entering Senegal there's 'fees' for the police (about 10 euro and a 5 euro fee to get your carnet stamped). They give receipts (even though it's probably still a scam). It should not cost too much to get through. Don't pay more than 5 Euro to the guy who looks after a 'gate' at the Senegal end of the dam (he'll ask for 10 Euro). This is definitely a scam, you can try and get away without paying, but again, good luck.

If you don't have vehicle insurance a very pleasant and friendly woman sells this from a large tent just behind customs. She'll make you a cup of good coffee, or sell you soft drinks or a and then proceed to charge you a premium price for insurance. It's all very polite.

Unless you've bought insurance in Nouakchott, then you can't avoid this - about ten miles down the road is a police checkpoint and the first thing they ask for is:- insurance!

(BTW, this woman sells insurance that will cover you for all of West Africa)

Enjoy Mauritania, it's a terrific country with very dignified and friendly people, though with heart breaking poverty.

We'll be at Zebrabar on 20th November. This is a travellers auberge just south of St Louis, Senegal and the most wonderful place for a respite. If you're in the area at the time look us up for a !

Regards

Craig

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We paid less: Diama piste to Senegal

Tim

__________________
"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)

Steve I endorse everything Craig says. You can actually get insurance at the Mauri/Maroc border post (Mauri side) and they will forward date it to when you plan to arrive in Senegal. Surprisingly it's not a rip off either.

Just don't do Rosso period. You will ('specially in your truck) be hasseled and hasseled and made to pay. Just don't do it. Somewhere I have the GPS point for the turn off to Diama and I'll post it when I can. Actually the Piste isn't in the National Park so the so-called tax is a scam (basic rule is that anything in Euros is a scam). The park starts just where you turn left off the piste just before the border. I reccommend you doing the last half of the piste early in the morning just when the birds start to congregate as the sight of all them forming into huge flocks is just fantastic.

When you get into Senegal and get pulled over (as you will be on the way in and out of St Louis) just don't pull your truck off the road and don't speak French either. The cops will soon get fed up if you've half of Africa behind hooting.

Q

I think the turn off to Diama in Rosso is here:-

N16 30.732 W15 48.742

Thanks re insurance. Definitely best to get it before you enter Senegal.

Craig

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Hi folks
Thanks for all the info... please keep it coming, and and all advice is much appreciated!
Cheers
Steve

That waypoint is correct, but it's not at all clear where to go from there, so also stick in

N16 30.784 W15 48.944 and N16 30.628 W15 49.178

There's a wildlife lodge at Keur Massene at approximately N16 33.240 W16 14.223

The park paypoint is N16 22.654 W16 20.456

Tim

__________________
"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)