getting from Tam to Agadez
 

Does anyone know if it is possible to fly or get transport between these two towns,also is it now safe to travel independently in the AIR Mountains.Thanks for any help.

For a good public transport tale, check out
http://www.sahara-overland.com/routes/transnorth.htm

It is definitly possible (between Tam and Agadez) to go overland. If you want to fly, there's a one weekly F27 flight with Air Algerie between the two towns (check at www.airalgerie.dz)

Desert taxi to Ain-Guezzam. Beautiful scenery but tiring trip because of the cramped taxi (a land cruiser with 10 people aboard). Spent night in Ain-Guezzam sleeping in front of the gendarmerie post. The commander was a very friendly man (january 2001). Had a hard time crossing to Assamaka : on the morning, nobody was going there, except for ludicruous prices. So we set out on foot did the 50 kilometers in one day with compass and GPS. The algerian border post is halfway and makes a nice rest. In Assamaka, found a date truck going to Arlit. Slept on the sand there after eating some bread and a goat brochette (that's about all that is available in the dusthole that is Assamaka). The contrast with Ain-Guezzam is impressive as one really enters another world when crossing the border. Set out in the morning and had a wonderful ride on top of the truck !

The Air mountains seems okay. I went with a guide. Doing it independantly would be a problem as public transportation is something you can forget there : apart from a weekly truck, most villages are very isolated.

jim@liotier.org

Oh yeah, I forgot : in Assamaka, the immigration officer will ask you for a "tourist tax" in order to stamp your passport. He will even threaten to strike out your visa. This is obviously an extortion attempt. Be firm and don't pay. We did not and had no problem although it took us 15 minutes to negociate.