Crossing the sahara east to west???

[roro]

Hi Landygirl and Yves
At last , I've found my old Ign map (In salah) : Abezzou is indicated on it as a "not identifiable waterpoint".
It's not Tejmout but Tadjemout ( also on Michelin map ) on the old road beetween Arak and In Salah .
The spelling of African places isn't an "exact" science .
Same thing for Tehelgin :Tiguelguemin on these maps .
Yves : sorry but I doesn't think that erg tahoulahin and erg Mehedjibat are the same ; so where is Erg Tahoulahin ?
Same question about Tagala : I did'nt found it on my maps .
To Yves : I doesn't know very well the use of this kind of file but I've seen the coordinates of some points : OK with the map .

RR.

[ursula]

the Erg Tahoulahoun is on the east side of the tar road, NE from Erg Mehedjebet. I walked from EM to ET and had to cross the road.
Ursula

[Yves]

Hi,

>Tagala is a must
its not a place, it's food ;-)

>It's not Tejmout but Tadjemout ( also on Michelin map ) on the old road >beetween Arak and In Salah .
Yes, it is the old abandoned oasis of Tadjmout

>Same thing for Tehelgin :Tiguelguemin on these maps .
Yes, probably the biggest permanent guelta in Algeria.

Yves

[roro]

Sorry for my mistake : I know "taguela" , of course .....(same question of spelling) .
Thanks for the pictures of Tadjemout and Tiguelguemine and for the indication of erg Tahoulahine .
RR.

[Landygirl]

See my separate thread on Libyan transit visas.
Bel

[rob_hutch]

Originally Posted by Landygirl

Hi Per

Let me know if you'd like more info on our route so far and our route southwards. It might help you with your planning.
Good luck
Bel

Hi Landygirl

Have enjoyed reading all your posts in the last few weeks as they have been so helpful. We are planning a similar trip in 6 or 7 months time perhaps along the same route.

I have replied to one of your posts on another thread too requesting any further info where we can follow your trip (website/blog?)

Otherwise you mentioned 6 months to Tunisia - seemed like a long time to me as you mentioned 17 days in Algeria... Besides the month in Tunisia with all the waits, where did you spend all the the other time?

ps Hope your Libya crossing goes well

Thanks

Rob

[Landygirl]

Hi Rob
No blog or website, I'm afraid. Too much admin for an IT world escapee! I just write letters en masse to friends and bore them senseless.
Yes, 6 months to get as far as Tunisia is a long time. We started in Morocco (crossed from Algeciras to Cueta) and spent 2 1/2 months there. It was too long to spend, but a good starter to the trip as we didn't travel large distances, had snow and desert experiences and had a chance to get used to each other, the car and life on the road. No bad thing, really, but Morocco did suck up quite a bit of cash.
We took about 3 weeks through Western Sahara and Mauritania to rush to Dakar for me to catch a flight to Cape Town for my sister's wedding. A huge pity to miss out on Mauri inland, but you win some and lose some. About 3 weeks in Senegal and then into Mali, where we had about 6 weeks or so. Mad dash across Niger to get to Algeria and then a long wait in Tunisia for visas, etc. Another pity to have to spend so long in one of the more bland of North African countries, but again, it's win and lose. We're now in Egypt and are going to be delayed again as the ferry to Wadi Halfa, Sudan, only goes once a week, on a Monday. C'est la vie.
Let me know if you need more info. Are you driving or biking? How many of you are there?
Bel

[rob_hutch]

Hi Landygirl

We will be driving (red LR Defender 110) - just 2 of us in the vehicle but hopefully we can hook up with others at various points.......

You had previously mentioned (in another thread?) that you had to courier passports to London (?) to get Algerian visa and that it was expensive. Any other info on this topic? eg how long did it take and from where did you do it?

In hind sight was there anything you could have done to get visa's eg. Algerian and Libyan beforehand or to reduce waiting time for visas - without repeating any of the previous info on Libyan transit visa as I appreciate this can't really be done in advance (without going down the tourist visa/with guide route?) Also I believe not ALL your time in Tunis was due to waiting on visas..........?

Hope the trip is going well

Regards

Rob

ps. thanks for info re border x'ing Libya/Egypt too - keep 'em coming

[Yves]

Hello Rob,

it is now possible to obtain a transit visa for Algeria in Agadez. 7 days validity I think, but have to check.

All best, Yves

[rob_hutch]

Thanks Yves

Spotted similar reply from you too in previous thread.

Regards

Rob

[Hadi Bkai]

Hi Pete.

if your friend still planning to pass Tunisia to Egypt visa Libya, i can manage for rerquired visa, border formalities, paperwork and guide as well.

Hadi

[kalikellett]

Hi Landygirl,
Reading your unusually optimistic crossing across the Algerian sahal, I am for the first time, considering this Hogger route.
Please can you affirm that the route is open, Jan/Feb2009, and not unsafe (the best way i can think of saying it)
Avoiding Libya, we considered starting Tunis. following Chris Scott route.
Where can i get more information about this actual route?
From Marsailles crossing onwards?
Travelling in Toyota Landcruiser.

Thanks

Rachel

Originally Posted by Landygirl

Hi Per
Your route is the exact opposite of the one I'm on at the moment. We've spent the last 5 months travelling through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Niger and Algeria. I'm in Tunisia at the moment and we're heading to Libya when we've got our visas and then on to Egypt, through the Sudan to Ethiopia and heading in a southerly direction, zigzagging our way down the East side of Africa. We're planning to be in Cape Town by Christmas. Wish the trip could be longer, but we're limited by money.
A note on the Libyan visa. I checked at the Libyan embassy in Tunis and it's possible to get a transit visa, which enables you to travel across the top of the country (along the coast). You don't need any invitation or guide commitments for a transit visa. You just need a letter in Arabic, explaining who you are and why you need a transit visa. You submit this to the embassy, along with a copy of your passport. They evaluate your request and if given the OK, issue a transit visa for the cost of 31 Tunisian Dinar. I'm in the process of writing the letter and have to find someone to translate it into Arabic. I'll let you know how I get on with this. Watch this post. It may be possible to do the same thing in Cairo.

Of course, this option means we have to miss out on the Libyan desert, which would be fantastic, but the costs are too high. Algeria worked out cheaper so we decided to spend our money there. We went with Tanezrouft Voyages and we had an amazing trip with him into the Hoggar and then travelling northwards through the desert via Assekrem to In Salah. From In Salah, it was a bit of a trek to the border (1200km in 3 days) and the drive through the Grand Ergs was incredible. We were escorted all the way from Ain Guezzam (Niger border) to Taleb Larbi (Tunisian border). Algeria is the most wonderful country - the scenery is spectacular and the people are very gentle and friendly (careful in El Gorlea though). Mohammed, our guide, read us very well (we were travelling with a guy on a motorbike that had endless battery and wheel problems) and changed our itinerary when he saw the state of the bike on arrival at Ain Guezzam. Our itinerary enabled us to have as much experience of the desert as possible, given our money, time and bike limitations. I've travelled with guides before and I can't recommend Tanezrouft highly enough. It was an awesome trip.
Let me know if you'd like more info on our route so far and our route southwards. It might help you with your planning.
Good luck
Bel