Mauritania

[Nick Sanders]

Hi Guys
I've ridden across Mauritainia in 2006 - 9 a few times but am a bit rusty on up to date knowledge. Could anyone kindly advise me on security, on the road to Nouakchott but also to the oases in the eastern areas? Many thanks. Nick

[Nick Sanders]

Guys
I have been to Mauritania about 6 times - still don't know it well - and it's always been a great and safe place. Has anyone been very recently, maybe some of the nearby oases, as I'd like to go back next July. I'll come back and update everyone about it still being a great place but just want to check up on good stuff that might not have reached the FO Travel Adviseries. Thank you.

[ferdi]

Hi Nick,


two weeks before, everything was fine (from Gueguerat to Selibaby/Mali via NKC). You need a lot of "fiches" (around 40 for my route). Last year the same via Ayoun el Atrous. Two years befor via Atar/Tijikja/Kiffa also the same.


Greetings
Ferdi

[Lovetheworld]

Please refer to this section: North Africa - Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB

[Tim Cullis]

Hi Nick

Some photos (near the end of the thread) from your 2008 trip: S10 Carry on Dakar!

Peter Buitelaar from Bikershome ran a small group at the end of last year across Mauritania and into the oases of Chinguetti. No reported problems, see pics at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1143203935854503/

[Bandit GS]

Hi Nick Sanders. I crossed Mauritania last November (4 months ago) on my way from Spain to Senegal. I got into Mauritania through Guerguerat border crossing and got out through Diama, and some days later, I did the same in the opposite sense of travel. So I crossed it from north to south, and then from south to north.
I had not a single problem in terms of security.
But there are 2 points to be considered:
1. The "fiche": you'd better take 50 copies.
2. Absolute lack of petrol between Guerguerat border crossing and Nouakchott, this is 450 kms.
Enjoy your travel.
Jorge.

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[Nick Sanders]

Thanks Bandit, good man. I'll post any info I have on the site for you to use...

[Nick Sanders]

Tim, thanks, very kind of you sir. What needs to be on the fiche? Anyone know?

[Bandit GS]

Here you are, this is the "fiche" I took (it's in french):

Take, at least, 50 copies. You'll need them in southern Morocco (Eastern Sahara) and Mauritania.
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[Jay_Benson]

What are the fiches for and who wants them?

[Bandit GS]

Originally Posted by Jay_Benson

What are the fiches for and who wants them?

They are for the police. You get stopped many times a day. You write on the fiche the info they need, so when you get stopped, you give them the fiche and then leave. In case you don't have the fiche, they must write the info by hand.
It's a way to make it easier and quicker.

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[PanEuropean]

Originally Posted by Jay_Benson

What are the fiches for and who wants them?

Agreed, exactly what Bandit wrote above. But, there are some additional subtle benefits that come from having all those fiches on hand, and presenting one to the police / military / whoever that stops you at a inspection point:

1) You make the cop's job a lot easier - they appreciate the workload reduction.

2) You get through the checkpoint a lot faster.

3) Presenting the fiche to the cop / military implies that you know they will be there, and conveys a certain amount of respect to the cop / military.

I rode all around Morocco in February of this year, and must have handed out about 40 of those fiches. I always got a smile, and frequently a thanks, from the person I gave the fiche to.

There's a trick to making the process work well: Stuff one fiche into your passport, at the picture page, AFTER you finish the security stop, but before you ride off down the road. That ensures that at the next stop, you can present your passport, vehicle permit (importation permit in the case of Morocco) and insurance quickly and easily, and the cop finds the fiche exactly where you put it, at the picture page.

Michael

[7800]

Hi Bandit

Thanks for the fiches, Are they for 2 peoples information on each one and sorry for being a dumbass but what do they say in English?

[mossproof]

One fiche per person. Name, date and place of birth, occupation, nationality, passport number, issue place and date, expiry date, the police number they give you when you enter Morocco, vehicle make, model and registration number, there's a good excel spreadsheet on UKGSer by maestro Tim Cullis that fills in multiple fiches on an A4 sheet - saves a lot of typing. Scroll down to #16.
https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...-Knowledgebase