Senegal - Gambia and Senegal again
 

Hi everybody

In a few weeks I'll enter into Senegal with my small motorbike

I have the carnet the passage...

Someone told me that once you entered in Senegal from Mauritania (but I think is the same for the other countries) you have 48 hours (working days) to get to Dakar and obtain something like PASS AVANT (something like that)

Now my idea is to cross into Gambia before visiting the South of Senegal . What happen when I'll enter in Senegal from Gambia ?

Is just a legend the "48 hours to Dakar" ?

How far is from Nouackchott the "easy" border with Senegal ? I'll try to avoid Rosso

Thanks in advance to everybody

Myth
 

I passed through in 2008 on my bike and it was a myth, you have a carnet, stay as long as your visa/carnet allows!

Rosso is crap..! I was robbed there by a cop! Theiving bas**rd. There's another crossing point 60+ kms to the west.

I loved Dakar!!

You don't need a carnet in South Senegal, Casamance. You'll get a passavant for 10 days wich you can extend for 2x15 days in Ziguinchor. A carnet in South Senegal is not valid. It is the most easy going border in west Afrika. No problem. You are welkom.:thumbup1:

Bram.

www.manekunda.nl

Hi,

I was in that region in Feb. this year. We had a passavant valid for 48 hours that was newed to 10 days still in Saint Louis - no carnet.

Regarding the distances:
Nouakchott to the deviation to Diama piste is about 155km of tarmac.
Then a piste begins at N16.78956 W16.09954, looking like this for a couple of kilometers. A bit sandy but nothing special
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/medium/49165009.jpg

When reaching the Senegal river it is hard gravel until the border:
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/medium/49165022.jpg

It takes some 80km of light sand/ gravel until reaching the Diama border after leaving tarmac. Then it took us 4 hours to overcome Senegal's border!

Please check further photos in the link below. If necessary please PM me, I have waypoints and tracks.

So
from Nouakchott to the border is about 240 km

is the deviation well signed ?

the big problem for me is that I'm travelling with Vespa (something like Vespa) :(

So gravel it's fine but probably not after 160 km

Good news that I can extend the passavant in St Louis ... where do you have to go to extend it ? how much does it cost ?

To summarize every time I'll enter in Senegal no matter from which border I'll have a passavant valid for 48 hours and I can extend it in the bigger cities
Is that right ?

Thanks to everybody

Border crossing
 

We did the crossing a few days ago on motorbikes. We chose diama, as it was supposed to be more relax. And it was really easy. The Mauri side was a lot more aggressive for bribes than the senegal side, but still an easy crossing.

The gravel road was in good condition. A bit sandy at the start, but great fun with a 650. Looks like it could be hell in the wet, but rainy season is over here.

With CDP(Carnet), you get a passavant for 5000CFA, wich is valid for 48hrs. You have to go to the port in Dakar (Douane office, far south east corner of port), to get this extended. There they then fill out your CDP and you can then travel with it in senegal as you like. They guy in charge of the CDP's said we should not let them fill in the last part until we leave Senegal for the last time. We are currently in Gambia and the crossing was easy, no problems with CDP. Still have to see if same is true for the return into Senegal.

Rumors are that if you don't have a CDP, and only get a passavant you can extend this along the way and not just in Dakar. But can't confirm, and don't know what happens with multiple entries.

Not saying any off this is gospel. Is just our experience.

The rule is this: you're car with foreign numberplate is allowed to stay 40 days in Senegal in one year. You will get a passavant for 10 days wich you can extend two times for 15 days. For example in Dakar, st Louis or Ziguinchor.
Only in Diama or Rosso you need a CDP. There is a lot of corruption there.
There is absolutely no problem to cross the border from Gambia to the Casamance and back several times. I do it each year many times with my Dutch car. Without CDP, only with passavant for 2500cfa (4 Euro). That is the normal price. So you can go from Gambia to the Casamance, back tot Gambia and return tot north Senegal and even leave the country at Diama probably without showing you're carnet. You only need the CDP when you enter Senegal in Diama or Rosso.
So if you return tot north Senegal you will get a new passavant for another 10 days. Keep it with you together with you're already stamped CDP. So no problem, now you have two documents to show them when you are leaving the country and you are very safe.:thumbup1:

bier

Bram

www.manekunda.nl