Mauri border moved

[Kevin]

The border moved at the end of December, the new piste is as follows.

Leaving the tar in Morocco keep driving straight ahead for 1 km, past the small parking. The piste now goes straight ahead instead of turning off to the right and is well marked. The piste may have a lot of very soft sand which is no real problem in a 4x4. In a 2WD turn off to the left in the direction of the scrap heap (about 500m away) and drive in a curve back towards the piste. There are no known mines in this area. After 1 km or so it is possible to see the first gendarmarie building with the antenne.

The police tend to ask for 60 Euros for a visa but you may pay only 50.

From the new border post to the junction is good tar all the way.

[Gipper]

50 Euro - that is crazy to pay so much Bachsheesh - you must not pay so much for a border.
Do you ask for official reciepts or what the money is for - that Cash is going directly into there pockets and makes it harder for the next person to enter for less.
use your head, not your money.
Grif



------------------
Ex RAF Regt, Ex Dragoman, LRE Instructor,
LR 90 300 Tdi Overlander
Suzuki DR650 Overlander
..and Bloody Nice Bloke!

[Sam Rutherford]

EUR50 is the correct figure - as confirmed by any Mauritanian embassy, and the receipt they give you for it at the border. It is cheaper if you get your visa in advance at an embassy - but then they might ask to see your carnet - which you don't get asked for at the border.

Sam.

[Chris Scott]

"use your head, not your money."

Steady on matey, that guy has been up and down that border more times than the rest of us put together and dropped in some useful info.
Like Sam says - its not unusual to pay higher visa fees at a border than in advance, but it has it's advantages.

Ch

[RichLees]

50EUR is about 60USD which is what I paid at the embassy in Dakar. there were plenty of other charges to dodge at the border (Diama, not Rosso!) and it was worth paying in mauretanian money as the guards would have stiffed us for Euros.
on Chris' point of paying at borders ... we came from Mali into Senegal as some others were going the other way. they were fined 15EUR each for having entered Mali to even ask for a visa. including the fine, they were paying the same as us as we'd paid more for our visas at the embassy in Ethiopia.

[This message has been edited by RichLees (edited 05 March 2005).]

[Gipper]

OOPS
Kevin,
Apologies, thought you had paid 50 Euros to get your VEHICLE through border - not for Visa - misread your words. - For a while at that Border post there were a couple of Douane blokes trying to get money out of travellers - especially if you were getting a Laisser passe - trying to get 30 or more Euros out of people. Thought they had ripped you off.
Thanks for the info.
Cheers
Grif