West Africa to Timbuktu

[martin8708]

Hi there, does any one know if travelling from Morocco to Mauri and then into Mali is possible with the TVIP or D16 issued in Morocco? I would like to try and avoid the dreaded carnet if possible to keep costs and paperwork to a minimum. Will I be pushing my luck with-out a carnet , or is it a fairly safe document to gain entry in a French African country ?
Any more news on the kidnappings in Mauri, or has any one travelled that way and picked up the general vibe in that area ?
The journey is still in it's early planning stage - so no dates set yet
Many thanks for your help .
Martin.

[Miquel-Silvestre]

I am back from Mali one month ago.

viajes de invierno. Barcelona-Dakar

lifetime motorbike trip (by segments)

You do not need CDP at all but you should get Mauritanian visa in advance, no available at the border.

Morocco and Western Sahara, no problem, good food, good people, beautiful scenery and you can do free camping.

Mauritania. I didn´t feel good vibe at all. I met no friendly people. I run out of petrol 220 km north to Nouakchott and was not funny. Take enough gas to run the whole way to Nouakchott from the border (about 600 km) just in case the Gas Station is empty.

My advice, if you have enough time, is to go to Mali tru Senegal instead of Mauritania. Saint Louis is a nice place to visit and is like paradise (!!) after the driest Mauritania. Another advice, take the Diama piste rather than the Rosso ferry to go into Senegal.

Mali is easy to go in. You can get visa at the border but is more expensive than getting it in advance. I got no import permit for my bike. It seems they do not care at all about bikes.

Good luck.

[silentboarder69]

Just a thought, it is a pain getting the carnet, but more of a pain if you need it and don´t have one...

If you´ve been with your bank a long time, sometimes they will underwrite the carnet which is much cheaper than the insurance option.

[martin8708]

Hi there - thanks to Miquel and Silentboarder for your responce , I took a look at your website links just to get a flavour of what is to come .
I was reading in Bradt's Overland Africa that West Africa does not seem to need a Carnet to travel around and that a TVIP is all that is required .
My plan to to use Timbuktu as a destination is probably more for the romance of travel rather than a practical place to go .
Has any-one else been through Mauri / Mali recently ? and was a carnet a requirement ?
Many thanks again- Martin .