Mauretania, Mali questions

[Bartosz]

I have question about possibility of travel to Mauritania (Atar, Nouakchott, Kiffa), then Mali (Bamako, Mopti, Bandiagara) in the hotest months: July and August.
Is it possible or will be real temperature torment and strugle with rain season.
Have you any experiance with this subject?
I travel by Defender and do it ussualy not in summer time. I was few time in Africa and Asia, but I really don't have any info about summer in Sahara (except LP guides)

Bartosz

[Ituri]

There are serious travel advisories for some of the areas you want to go in Mauritania. Check with your embassy. YES... it is REALLY REALLY HOT and when it rains, it's like getting into a hot shower with your clothes on. Some roads flood so badly they become impassible. Check your route, especially in Mali... while Dogon country is beautiful in the wet season, I can not imagine it on a bike.

[mhoey]

Hi

I will do it quick, sorry I only have info on West Sahara, Mali & Mauritania, was there in 2009 and 2010 on a bike heading down south to Cape Town:

1:Use your common sense when travelling in Mauritania, but be nice with the people except the ones trying to **** with you!
2: Don't travel at night
3: Stay at campsites in Mauritania in Nouakchott & Nouadhibou
4: Was in Atar in 2009, nice basic city and people (stay at Bab Sahara - guy from Holland is the owner it). Bring extra fuel when going to and from Atar from Nouakchott, no fuel stations on the way!
5: For me Africa is hot all year ;oP but especially in September I remember the West Saharan desert was a struggle, but what an experience. Remember to hydrate often and you will be good! I remember going all the way from Europe to Nigeria before it started to rain. I was begging God for the drops when they fell. Never had I been so hungry for rain!
6: You will meet a lot of check points going down, the officers are nice and polite and often just want to talk!
7: Was in Bamako in 2010. Nice town and plenty of things to see and do, you will find no problems here. But again use common sense like with any other big city in the world!
8: Don't use LARIAM for malaria. I got so sick of it!
And BTW: if you contact your embassy, they will just tell you to stay home and close the door. They told me!

Sorry I couldn't help telling all those things, I see now u only asked about the climate in the hottest months!

I am sure you will have a great trip in Africa.

I wish you a good visit to Africa, I sure miss it!

ATWJ - mhoey.eu
mhoey

[moggy 1968]

if you like orange pyjamas and a short haircut crack on, otherwise all the advice is stay away

[barothi]

Originally Posted by moggy 1968

if you like orange pyjamas and a short haircut crack on, otherwise all the advice is stay away

Could you please be more clear about this? Is the road through Nouakchott to Kiffa and down to Bamako unsafe? I am also heading to Mali without a carnet and need to take that route.

[bernardo feio lightweight]

Hello

We did …, Nouadhibou; Choúm; Atar; Chinguetti; Taoujafet; Tidjika Kiffa, Keys, Tambacounda; Bafata, Bissau in August 2004 with land rovers SIIIs

In Mauritania the temperatures were high but supportable if you don’t stick in the sand dunes to many times. To make is short: it’s ok for driving but to hot to hard physic efforts… In Atar region we catch a LOT of rain and sand storms and we had some difficulties with flooded pists and roads.

Going Sought to Mali we also catch flooded pists and roads but again not too hard for a 4x4 but slow and time consuming

If needed I would go again in August

Bernardo Feio

[mhoey]

Originally Posted by moggy 1968

if you like orange pyjamas and a short haircut crack on, otherwise all the advice is stay away

I'll also like to hear some more details behind what you are saying, have you been there recently?
It is normal that people are affraid of what is going on in Mauritania/ Mali or in Africa. I asked in this forum as well in 2009/ 2010 after been talking with my embassy and other people who said I shouldn't go!
After that period I went to Mauritania 3 times, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Atar, Rosso border and Diama Dam border and I tell you what, today I am happy I did it!

Are you affraid that by visiting the country you will be linked to Alqaeda by your goverment?

ATWJ - mhoey.eu
mhoey

[Bartosz]

Thank you friends for useful infos.
I don't fear about going to Muretania and Mali, mostly I worry about high temperature in summer.
Of course there are many bad infos from goverment sites and other oficials groups.
Much of that is not true. Most of people were good and friendly in every place I wisted during my travels.
Little deliberations is recomended. Better don't say where and when you want go in Mauretania and Mali.

Bartosz

[moggy 1968]

I was last in mauritania 2006 so not that recently. at that time is was very safe but since then there have been a number of kidnappings, carjackings and indeed murders. these are well documented around the internet on credible sources. (not sure but Chris Scots Sahara Overland website may have more info) the foreign office is giving strong advisories against traveling in these areas and has been for some time.
this is why the paris dakar was moved elsewhere
In particular the new (not so new now)tarmac coast road is considered very dangerous
I've been in some very dodgy places in my time and I loved western sahara and the frontiers town feeling in the towns so I don't mind a bit of excitement but I think I would avoid this area for the time being.
yeh, you might well meet some very nice people, I certainly did, but they aren't the ones to worry about. All you need is half a dozen bad guys and it's endex for you.
ultimately you have to weigh up the options and make your own INFORMED choice but bear in mind you don't operate in a vaccuum. if it all goes pear shaped it will be someones job to try and get you out again.
how do you justify saying that info from government and other organisation sites is untrue. where is your evidence, or is it just that you don't want to believe it because it doesn't fit with what you want to do.
you need to do rather more research than read LP. they are not geared up to the sort of travel you want to do. travelling in july/august is the worst time you could travel and I think you will find it very uncomfortable unless you are very acclimatised.
my trip in 2006 was in April and even then temperatures were in the 40s. I found it ok, but I had been in temperatures upto 65C for the year before that. the guys I was with, young fit soldiers, found it quite tough. At the time you are intending to travel 65C is entirely plausable and digging a vehicle out in those conditions is properly horrible

[henryuk]

The FCO in the UK advises against 'all but essential travel' to an awful lot of great places. Of the places I've been in the past this generally meant a very interesting country with great people.... so much so I might use their 'danger list' for planning my next big trip.

Staying safe on the road? take a bust up old bike and a big smile!

[moggy 1968]

I don't taske FO advice (they advise against travelling to my wifes home country!)
Reseach the trip yourself, THOUROUGHLY and draw your own conclusions, because it's your life.
A trip suddenly won't be quite so much fun when your the subject of someones home movie

[priffe]

Maurice Freund of Point Afrique thinks that Atar in Mauretania is the safest place to go in all of Sahara at this time. There is a thread about it.
I think he is in a good position to know - so let's all go to Mauretania this year (I am on my way )!

[henryuk]

Sounds good, just don't p*&s anyone off too much, I'm going there in 2012!

I can definitely confirm: LARIAM is pure poison, plus it doesn't even protect you in some countries like Niger, learned it the hard way
best (by far) solution: go to a decent pharmacy in the country your at and get the newest curative medicine (most of them are developed in China and produced in Switzerland)
since my lessons I don't ever use preventive drugs, only curative
test regularly

oh, so what, the big Atar party, when exactly? am on my way