Niger : Foreign Office Advice

[ferdi]

Hello Nitsuga,

it's nice there, I came from Fachi to Termit a few weeks ago. Mr. Gerhard Göttler told me, there are also (big?) turtles, but I didn't saw them.

Ferdi

[niceguynik]

There seem to have been people who've recently done the Libya-Niger route.

Does anyone know of anyone (or online accounts) who has done the Tunisia-Algeria-Niger route recently?

The FCO are understandably cautious about safety issues but what is it like there on the ground at the moment?

Thanks for your advice!
Nik

ps For bonus points, any recommended medical insurance companies for FCO blacklisted countries (for a UK citizen)?

[Chris Scott]

:The FCO are understandably cautious about safety issues but what is it like there on the ground at the moment?"

I dont believe the Algerian section would be any more dangerous than it was 2 years ago - after all you get a guide and (jn the north?) an escort all the way to In Gz.
Just make sure you stay with the guide and dont pick up any priceless bits of pottery!

For Niger - see above

I think people are going Libya-Niger because it may be cheaper than Alg guides and they can do some piste in Libya on the way to Niger (plus I suspect it it is an interesting route).

Chris S

[Chris Scott]

Getting back to the origin of this thread, I've just had a report pointed out to me about an attack in the Air in October which may explain the FCO uprating their advice for Niger.
http://www.irinnews.org/FrenchReport...n=Afrique_de_\

Chris S

[PeterM]

A new incident - one of the "classic" robberies, reported by AFP:

http://www.izf.net/izf/AFP/francais/....5ck8kjb7.html

[venu]

English version of Chris' report above

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?R...tCountry=NIGER

[Budrinna]

Have been recommended not to give assistance
to tourists willing to cross the Libya/Niger border.

Regards
Budrinna