can small 2wd car get djanet from north?

[gregor]

hello.

is possible to ride on small 2wd car (fiat126) from toggourt to djanet in january?

car is small (600ccm petrol, air cooled, two cylinders, 600kg weight)
but we wanna just ride for fun with few motorbikes and one/two 4x4.

[priffe]

You certainly can, if they will let you.

Tarmac is rough on some stretches btw Illizi and Djanet. And there may be some sandy spots, too.

[gregor]

who can not let me?
gendarmerie on the border or guide or police or...?

[Chris Scott]

Perhaps he means visas. I know other Polish people have been getting nowhere with Algeria. If you want to go in January I would get on it now, if you haven't already

Next time I will start process 4 months in advance - like for Iran...

good luck

Ch

[priffe]

Getting the visa and the prerequisite guide is a good start.

Then you hope the algies won't close off the desert you aim to visit for 'security' or any other reason.
In Africa it helps being cheerful, patient and flexible....

Btw I heard that the plateau is still closed for tourism but expected to open around new years
inchallah

[Chris Scott]

My man just told me the authorities say it may be open from 17/12 to 17/01.

Sounds like they might station some army up there for that peak time to cover the winter trekking groups. 'Peak' being of course relative these days.

(fyi we are talking about the rock art plateau NE of Djanet where only mules go - not the Fadnoun part with the road)

Ch

[gregor]

so my visa are ready for 11people group now. it takes 2weeks in our consulate.
so, it was not so bed as it sounds before;D

[priffe]

You will have a great experience
keep us posted how it went

[Tomek]

Originally Posted by gregor

so my visa are ready for 11people group now. it takes 2weeks in our consulate.
so, it was not so bed as it sounds before;D

Great news. Could you please tell us which tourist agency sent you invitation letters?

Tomek

[gregor]

hi.
it is a tanezrouft agency.
little bit hard to communicate with them because always out of office.

if u wanna right mobile phone let me know, i send u private message or something else.

ps. remember abt "right" filled visa application in our consulate, do not write abt south and bikes;D

[Richard Washington]

See thread on the In Amenas event:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...r-amenas-68346

I would be surprised if the Illizi province in Algeria wasn't subject to very restrictive travel dictats after this episode. Some pistes are still closed following the 2003 kidnappings even though those areas have been event free since then.

[priffe]

That road south from In Amenas to Illizi along the Libyan border would be hard to protect for travellers don't you think? I have a feeling it will be a long time before I can ride it again.
And since the piste down from HBG (since 2003) and the crossing from Tam are closed Illizi and Djanet would then be out of reach for us.

[roro]

Originally Posted by priffe

That road south from In Amenas to Illizi along the Libyan border would be hard to protect for travellers don't you think? I have a feeling it will be a long time before I can ride it again.
And since the piste down from HBG (since 2003) and the crossing from Tam are closed Illizi and Djanet would then be out of reach for us.

About the road (N3) from In Amenas to Illizi, I've done it last October without any problem (with security checkpoints, for sure).
But after the kidnapping in In Amenas, things can change for a while.
IMHO, the main problem for travellers in Southern Algeria is (after the assault in Amenas) not the road but to obtain their visa for the South: Algerian authorities can prefer to don't have new problems with tourists.

RR.

[Richard Washington]

Originally Posted by roro

IMHO, the main problem for travellers in Southern Algeria is (after the assault in Amenas) not the road but to obtain their visa for the South: Algerian authorities can prefer to don't have new problems with tourists.

RR.

I agree. There will be a lock-down on permissions after this, partly because Algerian authorities will argue that the road is difficult to secure.

But I also think the following is true:
AQIM and affiliates don't really have the resources to run a country and fight a conventional war and so the kind of thing that has happened at In Amenas may occur more often now. It is the way that AQIM will speak back. That does make being in the desert more dangerous than it was before.