Thanks for your reply. Did they approve that visa on the 13th of January? I ask because my expiry date was 3 months after the day it was issued. I think it's based on that rather than a calculation of 'well he asked for 30 days and said he will arrive on this day'

I'm going to be in Tunis in a few days so will go to the Algerian embassy there to talk to them about what they think. Also, I'm hoping to be able to get another 30 days in country, so and that surely can push it past that original expiration date... so it's not too important.

Algeria is definitely opening up for some reason. Maybe it's just the periodic cycle of things until the next set back.
Got some spam today from a 'northern' Algerian travel agency (ie; they charter southern outfits so don't really know the Sahara; like Libya in the old days)

But out of interest was a 9-day tour between Tam and Djanet (> Assekrem > Hirhafok > Amadror > Afara > Dider > Essendilene >).

I thought this transit was closed. Maybe it is and they're winging it, but it's a small glimmer of hope for the classic southern circuit.

The guy I mentioned in my Dec 18 post paid @2000 for an escort/fixer to drive up from Tam and do a 13-day Ghardaia-Djanet return. So about the same as what I paid last time I did a car/moto trip.

Thanks Chris for these news,
Can you us link to this agency, just to see?

RR.

Here it is Djanet and Tamanrasset Tour with Expert Algeria, Algeria's Leading Tour Operator
i am sure the price will be crazy.

No, it was approved after then and based on the date of arrival I specified on the application form.

Thanks.

RR.

I heard today Bouteflika has dissolved/shut down the DRS, Secret Services.
To be replaced with "DSS".
Some things may change as the old guard leaves, for better or worse.

My guy down south tells me this route is closed but they keep asking, as ever.
So 'Expert Algeria' may be just bluffing to perhaps steer you to a northern tour which can be run.

I see the cadaverous Mediène - head of DRS - was retired last year.

Hi Chris,
I agree with you, unfortunatelly.
RR.

Tamanrasset Djanet
 

Tamanrasset and surroundings are indeed normally closed for foreigners. There was a European woman who was not allowed to leave the airport of Tamanrasset... She didnt expect...

But sometimes if you are lucky, you can leave the airport and you are allowed to visit the surroundings. So you never know in advance if you can enter or not.

Now the Tuaregs of Tamanrasset seem to organize desert trips in Tassili (area of Djanet). Tassili is no problem to visit. And very securised.

Because of security reasons I would not advise to go to Tamanrasset, a big town (especially if you are a foreigner). If you follow the news of Algeria, it's always there that things happen (banditry, weapons, ...). The chance to be kidnapped in that area is also much bigger... The border with Mali is not far away... It's of course just an opinion.

I was in Tassili two week ago.

my speculations
 

I take your point LT, but I've always had the feeling it's down to the governor of the province or wilaya and how they're allowed to run it. Tourism must make very little money these days, compared to other forms of income, legal or otherwise. You do wonder if the drop in the price of gas/oil on which Alg economy depends may have an influence, or will do soon. Alg knows they have a world-class resource in desert tourism, but they also know too well the risks in managing its security.

I admit it's a big town, but it's hard to think that Tam - at least 400km from a remote border - is any more risky than Djanet - a short distance from what we're told is lawless Libya. At least in Mali/Niger you hear of French/US bases or operations, although I can believe there may be more internal banditry around Tam, associated with drugs smuggling.

Tam wilaya is huge of course - more than twice as big as UK - and comes east right under Illizi province where Djanet is. And compared to Tam wilaya, you'd think the topography here either constrains your movements or makes lots of hiding places, but more kidnappings/attacks have happened in Illizi province than Tam town or even Tam wilaya, and yet tourism is allowed to proceed around Djanet, which seems paradoxical.
I suppose the plateau/Essendilene/Tadrart are easily defined places in which to keep track of tourist movements, but then so is Atakor/Tassili Hoggar.
I got the impression years ago that what occasionally comes across the piste between the two towns is either better hidden from the tourist gaze, or it may all be simply based on inter-wilaya rivalry.

Tadrart (the region of Tassili and Djanet) has 3 or 4 gates and all controlled by the military. Djanet is also a small village of 10 000 inhabitants. And everybody knows what is happening there (traffic and so on)

Tamanrasset is much more difficult to control with 100 000 inhabitants of different nationalities, and the way to Mali, to Niger and to the north.

And if you follow the Algerian news: there is a lot more happening in Tamanrasset than in Djanet.

You are right, the kidnappings happened in Illizi in 2003. But in that time there was no military, nothing. Everything changed since the attack in In Amenas.

A little remark: it has nothing to do with inter-wilaya. It's the government (foreign affairs). It's maybe hard to believe. But it's really for protection. How more tourists, how more chance of getting kidnapped (to Mali).

How things change... For worst in this particular case.

In 2002 (or 2003? The year of the HUGE rainstorm in Algiers) I was in Algeria for work reasons and I was both in Algiers and Tanmarasset. The local people with whom I was meeting, both in Algiers and Tanmarasset were very nice and took me to see several places both around Algiers and, most of all, around Tan. We went to the desert and some small villages, Tan was a safe city where they took me to dinner and things were just ok, I could walk the street with no problems at all. Except on what regards extended tours outside Algiers to the East, never anyone mentioned anything about security, kidnappings, whatever unusual risks a westerner incurred by touring the place. Now even local authorities don't want one to set foot outside Algiers or Oran.

How things REALLY changed in such short time.

Hi all

I got back from Algiers on 25 Jan and will post a summary and links to pics/videos in the next few days. Galling to see mention of touring in the South - we so wanted to go, but couldn't get confirmation that we'd be allowed out of Tamanrasset city. When we asked ONAT and a couple of other tour operators in Ghardaia about it, there was talk of a Spanish guy who'd gone to Tam I think on 26 or 27 Dec and had spent 4 days trying unsuccessfully to get on a tour of Assekrem / Hoggar, but he wasn't allowed to leave Tam city. What wasn't clear however was whether he'd prearranged something before flying to Tam, or had gone to Tam and then tried to arrange a tour from there.

So we had to settle for Algiers, Constantine, Batna, Ouargla, Ghardaia, Timimoun (and the surrounding countryside), Beni Abbes, Bechar, Tlemcen, Oran and back to Algiers.

In the meantime - when I collected my 30-day visa last month, I too asked how long it was valid for and got told that it was 90 days ie enter the country any time in the 90 days after it was issued and stay for up to 30 days, but would need to be out of the country by the date of expiry. Hope that makes sense.

Cheers

Mark

Sorry, coming in full of ignorance...right now you don't think it's safe/possible to ride through Niger and Algeria towards Oran and Gibraltar?

Thanks for your help.

Manuel in Luanda planning the way back to France.

You can give it a go, Manuel, but chances are as a foreigner you won't get beyond Tahoua or Agadez as, afaik the border beyond Arlit is closed to non locals. And then you have to have your visa and escort in place for Algeria.
I have not heard of a tourist crossing in either direction for years.
Head for the Mauritanian coast for the only guaranteed crossing to the north.

Thanks Chris,

LAst thing I want to do is to put my life at risk and risking the lives of people who would then come to look for me. Mauritania here I come ;)

I think the last one here on the HUBB who made it through was Kobus in 2010.
Robbed but unhurt, going south.
Since then noone has even tried? Too bad.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...h-2010-a-49299

I was in Agadez last year and I was urged to continue north, but couldn't find anyone trustworthy enough to go for it.

I have just come back from a 2 week trip to Algeria. I flew with Turkish Airlines via Instanbul and started by spending 2 nights at the Hotel Colombe in Oran (an excellent hotel). I then took the train to Algiers and spent the night at the Hotel Suisse before flying down to Djanet with Air Algerie.

There I had a 4 day excusion organised by Essendilène Voyages. It was me, the guide and the cook in a 4x4 and it cost 100 Euros a day. Everything was really well organised and I had a great time.

I then returned to Algiers with Tassili Airlines and spent a further 2 night at the Hotel Suisse. It wasn't possible to buy tickets for a domestic flight with Tassili Airlines through their website or even by phoning them up - payment had to be at one of the offices in Algeria. I wanted to make sure I had a ticket before I left though, so in the end I bought a ticket through the very helpful services of Formule1 Voyages in Oran (sending the money by Western Union).

After that I took the train to Constantine and stayed at the Ibis Hotel for 2 nights. After that I spent a night in Souk Ahras and then returned to Constantine for a night at the Novotel and flew back home the next day.

The time in the desert was the highlight for me, but otherwise the warmth and hospitality of the people really made it an excellent trip.

Thanks for the report L764. May I ask what nationality your passport is and how the visa application went? Did you declare the fact you went to Djanet?

Many thanks

I have a UK passport. I applied for the visa by post and got it in about 10 days with no problems at all. I included an itinerary with the visa application but didn't say anything about gonig to Djanet, based on some comments I'd read here.

I don't know if it would have made a difference if I had said I was going to Djanet, as I didn't have any problems when I was there. No one asked me any questions at Algiers airport, either when checking in or at the departure gate. When I arrived at Djanet airport the guide was there. All they did at Djanet was make a note of the tour operator and when I would be flying out again. When I took the plane back to Algiers they just made a note that I was leaving.

I spent just over 3 weeks on my bicycle in Algeria, entering in the east in Tébessa and leaving in the west in Ghazaouet.
1. Crossing the border involved sitting around for 4 hours 'pour votre sécurité' while the price worked out was happening. By the time it was done, it was 9pm and I wasn't allowed to stay there that night, or cycle in the dark so my bike was put in a gendarmerie SUV while I had to go in a regular car. Dropped off in Tébessa at the hostel which is where I learnt that auberges are amazing and cost 200-500 dinar a night (€1 was 190 when I entered).
2. A few days of cycling by myself with nothing more than a couple of curious gendarmerie driving past me and waving me down to see my passport.
3. Went past a checkpoint just west of Jijel where I was flagged down and spent a couple of hours in the police station while they did their thing. From then until Mostaganem I had the gendarmerie with me at all times as a forced escort.
4. Gendarmerie presence was mainly two SUVs, but peaked at 4 regular SUVs and some form of an APC. While their presence was OK at first, it got excessive (including them trying to escort me when I was going to pee by the side of the road) and spoilt my enjoyment of the country as my interactions were seriously limited by them with people being much less curious about speaking to me than they had been in the short time before the escort.
5. Main advantage of the gendarmerie was that thanks to them I found myself checking into a couple of auberges that had the 'complet' sign up.

The country didn't feel dangerous to me, but who knows. They weren't with me in the border area with Tunisia which the FCO colours red, but were in the parts where it's green.

Home | OneBikeOneWorld you can see my more detailed map on there.
Hello Algerian police presence | OneBikeOneWorld and the next couple for me rambling about the police.

The oued at Djanet is filling up today
https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...5a&oe=57E26924

Weather, rain and dust
 

Nice weather over Djanet.

Here are two images from the SEVIRI instrument on the geostationary Meteosat satellite.

The rain seems to have resulted from a cluster of thunderstorms which built over the Erg d'Admer on the afternoon of 23 May 2016. These storms built on the northern edge of a large dust outbreak and then issued there own rain and dust which you can see in the second image from today (24 May).

Dust is pink. Deep clouds are red. Ice is black.

There are interesting feedbacks that happen between the storms and the dust. The loop on short timescales (hours to days) goes like this:

1. storm builds and issues rain which causes lots of evaporation of water in the extremely dry desert air below the unusually high cloud base (often 5km in the Sahara compared with 1 km over, say, UK).
2. The rain evaporates, leads to cooling through latent heat exchange and a huge mass of cold air hits the desert surface and rolls off along the desert surface as a gravity wave. The cold air with winds around 15m/s lifts huge amounts of dust into the atmosphere
3. The dust sets up heating gradients around which further outbreaks of thunderstorms occur in the moistened environment from the evaporated rain
4. the cycle can repeat itself 3 or 4 times over 2-4 days.

On longer timescales (months to many years) the feedbacks are as follows:
1. a dust outbreak leads to preferential development of a storm (see above)
2. the storm provides rain, especially along escarpments like that at Djanet
3. runoff and flash floods (see Priffe's posting) bring fine material which deposits in the flood plain ready to be blow away in the next dust storm.

It gets interesting when you are in a sandstorm and then a heavy thunderstorm on top of it.

Three weeks ago I have returned from short Algeria trip - few days in the north, few days in Djanet area. North independently, the desert with local tour agency. No hassles, very smooth and pleasant trip (including the visa procedure).
I have tried to visit Hoggar as it is on offer by more than one agency but the authorisation was not granted. Its definitely closed.

Hello,

I am actually now here in Algeria (business) and a few days ago I was also in Ghardaia. So what I can tell is that during the business we got from Ghardaia Airport to Hotel a military escort, but this is related to the government rule, that when for business reason foreigner are visiting statet companys that they have to protect everytime each movement with military escort.
On the late evening we went by ourself with the local translator with the taxi into Ghardaia center without escort. So i did feel more save there as in Germany in some particular areas in Dortmund :-)
I know only if you would like to go from Algiers by yourself to Ghardaia and probably further (but i wasnt) you have to call the police and inform them about Name, how many people, number plate and so on.
So during my stay here if someone needs more infos I can go in Algier to the Government and get some latest news.
Sorry for my bad english but I hope you could read it.

Thanks to all for this great forum what i actually found during seachring for my planned africa trip with in the future, Greetz Thomas

Coming back to Hoggar soon?
 

From El Watan:

"A une question relative à la possibilité de relancer le tourisme réceptif, le ministre a répondu que de nouvelles mesures seront prochainement prises pour alléger les procédures liées à l’octroi des visas aux touristes étrangers. Ces procédures, a-t-il expliqué, seront étudiées par une commission mixte, présidée par le Premier ministre, qui se compose des ministères des Affaires étrangères et de l’Intérieur.":

Extrait d'El Watan....May be we can have a little hope....cool4:

Message - El Watan ... 82_258.php

RR.

Hi folks,
I can confirm that. One of my algerian friends talked last Thursday to Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and "minister promised to make easy for tourists to get visa as son as possible. As before you will need only invitation from tourist agency and you send it direct to Embassy".
I will go to Djanet soon but we got the visas based on current procedure with "attestation" issued by Foreign Affairs in Algiers.
I will write when the procedure really changes...
Artur

Look forward to any update! Like many I hope for the day when we can travel unescorted and enter the country more easily.
Nick

Which basically translate in Algeria still not being interested in tourism. I can ride in Tunisia without such invitation or visa. Same with riding Morocco. Show up at the border with a valid passport, get greeted with welcomes and enjoy your trip... So, it looks like Algeria is (again) missing the boat... ;-(

Lee

I get the feeling that self drive tourism can happen in the not very distant future
Someone should be a test pilot
I may volonteer... :)

I am awaiting anxiously. What about reopening the border between Morocco and Algeria too? ;-) Some families have been split for 20 years on each side of the border.... This is Sahara by godsake... ;-)

You mean without an escort? I think that is very unlikely.

Indeed. Basically anywhere South of Touggourt requires a special authorization and an escort.

And last year I couldn't even get a transit visa to cross from Oran to Touggourt / Hazoua (Tunisia). I had to have invitations and hotel reservations.

Likewise - I can't see conditions changing in Algeria for a long time. Not with Libya and N.Mali in a lawless state. Even if Algeria's neighbours had things under control, it would still take years to loosen the requirements to the extent that free travel was possible. These things work like a ratchet - easy to tighten, harder to loosen. It will take an era of stability in the region plus a change of guard in the political circles in Algiers to do away with the current restrictions. To me that constitutes decade(s) not years.

Well why not. Algeria is about to change the old guard. Boutef is near the end.
The Moroccan King is anxious to improve relations with Africa and is currently visiting a slew of countries to improve trade, establish moroccan companies and banks. And Morocco is set to retake their seat in the African Union.
One of the most urgent questions to resolve is the status of Western Sahara.
This and low oil prices will leave Algeria in the dust unless they change their position on Morocco and WS. Open border with Morocco would bring a dramatic change and improve trade and tourism.
There are protest movements in In Salah, Ouargla and Guardaia. Algiers used to throw money on those problems. Now they have to actually do something.
Three reasons behind Algeria’s stagnant tourism industry | Global Risk Insights
And there has been very little terrorist activity in Algeria since In Amenas. Soon four years ago! Some things are improving.

I admit ending the sulk and opening the border with Mk would be a great idea for local trade and tourism [except the hashish would flood into Alg!], but won't it just be a new old pouvoir as keen to repress any type of Spring and maintain hegemony? Look at Egypt.

With the current state of the neighbours there is little to be gained and much to be lost by letting the likes of us wander around this huge country in full autonomy, like we used to pre-2003. How does that benefit the economy of the south? Barely at all.
Escorted desert tourism may recover - then there will be another 'event' and it will retract again for years. South Alg is too big and rough around the edges to allow that to happen. And some European tourists were irresponsible in the old days - imagine how it would be now. After all, we accepted escorts in the Tenere and the Gilf for years before.

Actual local money-making tourism = swish lodgings and resort holidays up north, like Tunisia or Mk, with nearby tourist souks and 'tea with bedouin' excursions. Alg is starting from the ground up on that one (like Libya did) and IMO the northeast is more risky than the south.
The oil price will come round eventually. They just have to sit tight.

Morocco I admit is moving forward. Lots of infrastructure like the big solar plant near Ozt ('interdit' to visit we were told) and plastic bags banned in shops - sort of. Good on Mk but these two countries are poles apart.

Very little terrorist activities since In Amenas could also be interpreted as no one there to attack and/or clamping down hard to return confidence to the petro biz. I suspect Moroccan secret police is the same.

I don't know if you're talking about the one not too far from Ouarzazate. I wanted to have a look last year but when asking around Ouarzazate, nobody seemed to know where it was located... ;-)

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...tozkyrv3jp.jpg


In terms of domestic security, Morocco as started establishing guidelines in regards of who could be titled "Imam" and what discours can be spread. Wahhabit ideology is no longer permitted, but Morocco can't yet outlaw mosque funding from Saudi Arabia. Malian imams are now trained in Morocco, and taught to preach against rigorist Wahhabism usually spread in Mali...

On the East Coast, Tunisia has voted out the Muslim Brotherhood two years ago, but immediately got plagued by ISIS piling up in Lybia after US/UK/France's attack against Khadafi's sovereign Lybia (well, now Europe greatly misses Khadafi).

Algeria, I don't know what they are doing. Looks like their turmoil started in 1830 with the French colonization and genocide of its population by general Bugeaud, then followed by the bloody war in the 1950s and early 1960s against the French, but haven't yet managed to escape almost two centuries of violence. Algerian secret police not being kind either until these days. Human rights not being high on their list of priorities. So sadly, It will take more years until Algeria opens up to tourism... ;-(

Been reading your posts.

All I can say is that I am dreaming of, one day as soon as possible, been able again to sleep under the stars in the deep Sahara. I was lucky enough to visit south Libya and Algeria in few occasions. Missed Niger and Mali. I hope to be back there soon.

Morocco is beautiful, but south Algeria is another thing.

Nic

Just returned from Djanet, we had a very pleasant and hassle free three weeks in the area, a re-make of our very first Sahara voyage 25 years ago. We were free to visit any place as we pleased between Djanet and Illizi without any restrictons, have managed to see many remote and very rarely visited sites in the Central Tassili.

The restrictions to access the Tamrit plateau have eased somewhat, it is now possible to visit the sites of Jabbaren via the Akba Aroum on a day-trip, but you have to be down by sunset, overnighting on the plateau is not permitted. It is doable but a rather long day, one is acutely aware of every bit of pedal anatomy by the time the bottom is reached.

Visas this year were a breeze, stamped in the passport two weeks after application without the need to call them.

Trip account wll be up the website in a couple of weeks.

Hi,

" We were free to visit any place as we pleased between Djanet and Illizi "
Can you more precise?
For exemple did you go to Afara,Tamedjert,Thiodaine,Tamera,oued Imirou,etc...
And did you cross erg Admer?
I suppose you fly to Djanet, not with your car...

RR.

Yes, flew in/out of Djanet (though flying to/from Illizi is also an option).

We did the old piste from Dider to Imirhou (making long treks from the piste to some sites 10-15km away), then back to the RN3 on the new Imirhou piste along the foot of the Fadnoun, up to Illizi then about 100km to the W of Illizi along the Oued Samen piste. Return was mainly on the RN3, going off-road to visit the Aharhar Tasset region. My understanding is that continuing to Afara/Tamedjert is possible, plan to do it in the spring.

All with one car and a driver, no issues with police/checkpoint. In Illizi I received a call from the police chief at the local hotel inquiring about our plans, after I explained that we will not go any further north and will return to Djanet the call ended with a cordial bon voyage.

Interesting to hear about this improved track. I followed it intermittently on Google a couple of years ago, but see it appears much clearer now, and with fresh trackside excavations ('2016' imagery 'piste Aine Tihoubar')

I recall Imirhou south to Dider was very rough going (compared to Tarat in the other direction) - and that was on bikes.
It appears like they're improving it's continuation on the west side of the N3 towards Oued Samene watershed and maybe Tamajert too (there's an old track there - followed it once ages ago, but it soon washed out).
Is that what you mean by '100km west' Andrasz? - or the regular 'Graveyard Piste' of kidnapping notoriety? Whichever, it's all good news for access.

I known Wustenfarher (German tour op) is heading from Illizi for Afara region this January - their first visit there since 2011.
We've already booked him for a year from now, by which time we're hoping Tam wilaya may be accessible too.

Look forward to the trip report.

Hi Chris,

Indeed the N3 to Imirhou track is much improved, it is an entirely new construction alongside the old track with a thick foundation of locally quarried shale that makes good going (the whole track from the N3 to Imirhou may be done in two hours) except where the rainfall washed the whole thing away (maintainence not being one of the strong points of the fine continent).

The Imirhou - Dider piste is dismal, the last time it saw any maintenance must have been in the forties (marked as 'motorable' on my 1952 AMS 1:250k map which is based on the 1937 200k IGN, though with the comment 'Road classification should be referred to with caution' :)). But it is indeed passable if chosing the right speed, even a 2wd could do it (with a little road-building in places).

From what I know there is a much improved track leaving the N3 at Tasset and continuing via Afara to Tamadjert, plan to see that area in the spring. The track you refer to west of the N3 is actually surfaced now till Ifni, I have no idea of the condition beyond (but the main route to Tamadjert is now from the south via Afara)

The track we took west from Illizi was the end of the 'graveyard piste', we visited a very remote but fabulous site along the Northern Tassili. They are also in the progress of improving this track towards the Oued Samen, some stretches were already tarmaced, lot of constuction stations along the way.

All in all, everything seems rather relaxed in the area, at least this appeared to be the message coming over from both the military in Djanet and the police chief in Illizi. The only place in the area which still is a big no-no is to spend anything more than a day on the plateau above Djanet (and of course the Bordj Hawass to Tam track is firmly closed, even to locals). The Tam wilaya is a completely different game, from what I've heard there the restrictions are still increasing.

So a few things are actually happening in old Algeria. ;)
Now how about this:

-A major container port is being built in Cherchell starting early 2017.

-Tamanrasset to be developed as a hub for air transport

http://www.seanews.com.tr/news/16254...-box-port.html

I happened to be looking at Il Khalil, smuggling base right on the Alg-Mali border and last resting place of my Hilux from 2006. Probably looks more like this now.
The whole place is now surrounded by a defensive wall while inside many compounds are pockmarked with shell craters. They say since 2013 right up to now MUJAO and the MNLA have been fighting over it.

I assumed it was the Algerians shelling it to keep the hoards at bay, as they've built their own defensive berm right opposite Khalil, continuing along the border in either direction. And Bordj Moktar itself is surrounded by a south-facing berm. But perhaps it just a NIMBY move to contain the nearby fighting.

And there's tarmac now from BBM halfway SE to Timiaouine and all the way north, halfway to Reggane or more. Soon Alg will be like Morocco - we'll be complaining that all the great pistes are now sealed.

Hi Chris,

"we'll be complaining that all the great pistes are now sealed"

But between those great pistes there is a lot of space to drive on!

but with authorizations.....


RR.

Article about tourism in Tam
 

Les tour-opérateurs face au blocus: Toute l'actualité sur liberte-algerie.com

(English)

Hi,
Yesterday I received the information that Algerian goverment thinks about opening Tamanrasset area (Assekrem, Hoggar, Immidir) for foreigners from 1st of January 2017. Maybe.
Regards
Artur Urbanski

Fly in - Ride with a Tour Operator - Fly out.

Is it how most of us want to ride in Algeria? As long as adventure riders will have to go thru a tourism agency, Algeria might remain off limit for most of us.

Hoping to see how things evolve in Algeria, ;-)

Algeria - Tadrart
 

Hi folks
I just came back from the expedition to Algeria (organised by me)
27 days on the road
4 toyotas from Poland to Tadrart and back
a little trouble with ferries canceled and delayed because of the storm
3 days with escort from Taleb Larbi to Djaned, sometimes fast, sometimes very slow (especially segment around Hassi Massoud), it is immposible to do it faster. The gendarmerie wants to put you up at the hotel, of camping site be at your post and doesn't let you nowhere move. The robust conduct only allows for getting about the city and it in the company of the guide or somebody from the hotel. Irritating, but it is simply a part of the expedition and one should accept it.
Then 7 days in Tadrart with freedom only with our guide
Very good service carried out by Timtar Voyages, many matters which could go badly stayed rescued and everything ended successfully. I recommend the cooperation with Timtar. If Tammanraset will open I am moving with them on the 100%.
3 days retuned with escort from Djaned to Taleb Larbi with detour to Ghardia and Beni Izguen.

Border crossing enter for 4 cars and 11 persons 2 hours in Taleb Larbi.
Exit 0,5 hours
Insurance for car 30 EUR, for bike 15 EUR
100 EUR - 15 000 DZD in Taleb Larbi, even 19 000 DZD in Ghardia. Negotiate all the time, I like it and it is possible to take better conditions out

Diesel - 20,42 DZD, Super - 34,72 DZD

Food cheap
Accomodation cheap:
Camping Zeriba - 2000 DZD room
Hassi Messoud, hotel Petrolier - 1 500 DZD
Beni Isguen, Pension Akhar - 2 000 DZD

A German trucking report here.
https://translate.google.co.uk/trans...-text=&act=url
See the onward link in the link, also

Trossman was also in the same area same time with bikes. All went well it seems (we're going with him in a year).

Beautiful photos.

I saw his bike trailer at Zeriba camping in Djanet and fresh bike traces in Tadrart.
Wish I could go with you for putting my word out ;)

New galleries from Tadrart:
http://www.joniec-team.pl/galeria,238.html
http://www.joniec-team.pl/galeria,244.html
http://www.joniec-team.pl/galeria,246.html

Djanet: Unfinished business from 2016
 

Hi all

You may remember that we were frustrated not to get to the desert but now, over a year after this post http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...1-8#post528413 we are due to go back to Algeria and this time visit Djanet and the surroundings:

Idaren Canyon and Ihrir lakes too (north side of Djanet).
Detailed itinerary:
El Berdj wadi
TADRART
El Berdj Canyon, Helicopter Mountain, engravings in El Berdj, Wan Tabaraket diunes, Moul'N'aga diunes, Moul'N'aga pillar
Piramidion, Moai heads, Tamezguida - the highest arches in algerian Tadrart, Wan Izzawaten (Valley of the Trees), In Intihaq diunes
Inlagen arch, "Circle" valley, Tin Merzouga dunes
Hedgehog stone, Bouhediene, Wan Izzawaten, Injaren Canyon, Adilati diunes
Tigraghart
NORTH OF DJANET
Timghas (The dents), Tilalilen, Tikoubene
Essendilene canyon, Idaren canyon, Ihrir lakes
Dider stone

and map attached. Anyone have any comments / suggestions?

NB: it also appears we aren't going to Assekrem or Hoggar. Are we missing out by this?

Mark

Its great news that these trips are going ahead again.

But careful about posting such precise details online, especially for trips close to the Libya/Niger border.

Safer to tell all afterwards.

Go for it. You are not missing out on anything. AFAIK Tadrart provides an ultimate desert experience.

Hi,
Hoggar and Tefedest are open for tourist now.
Best Regards
Artur Urbanski

I think not doing the Assekrem is a shame - just my thoughts. If you're really short on time and a competent driver/rider, it's a 2.5 hour drive each way so can even be done in a day...

So, open or not open?

RR.

Hi,
They were opened to the public on the 1st of January 2017.
You can check in Tamanrasset. Only these areas are open for foreign tourists.
Best Regards
Artur

Even with my car:scooter: or only by air?
Sorry my 1st question was not accurate enoughdoh
RR.

Hi all

Got back on Sunday after my trip around Djanet with Torre.pl, led by Artur's wife Madga.

This has been my best trip to Algeria and indeed the best trip anywhere for quite some time. Every day of the 2 weeks I spent there I did something special, saw something special and met someone special. I'll put the pictures and videos online as soon as possible.

Mark

I have been pondering an Algeria trip down to the south next year. What time of year would be best to go, Feb-Mar or Oct-Nov?

I've found November best. Oct can be too hot and even late summer storms.
By March the winds are back.

Great, thanks Chris. That question answered. I had been planning for autumn anyway but was willing to be flexible if the weather was better earlier in the year.

I guess the next question is to go with an organised group, if anyone is planning a tour, or assemble my own small team of friends and hire our own guide. I am definitely not a 'fly and drive' type, so will only go if I can take my own vehicle(s).

Only just seen these further posts. Chris / Tembo - I can DEFINITELY confirm it was windy in March! By day it was about 30 C (but a dry heat, so you didn't really feel it) and down to 10/15 by night. They were saying that when they did the same tour at end Dec 16, they had frost on their tents in the mornings.

I also met 2 foreigners in their own vehicles (German and Austrian) in Essendilene Canyon and they had a local guide in a 3rd (local) vehicle.

I can 100% recommend the local guide and agency that Torre.pl used. PM me if you want further info.

Mark

Just back from a nearly 3 week trip to the Tadrart & Central Tassili, weather was a very plasant 25-30C except for two days when it went over thity, nights were cool and almost no wind. A howling sandstorm brew up on the afternoon of the last day causing a hasty retreat to Djanet, but other than that everything went smoothly.

Officialdom is still unpredictabe, of our party of ten all but one received the visas more than six weeks before departure at six different embassies on three continents, one (applying at the Frankfurt consulate) never received it, as usual no denial or explanaton given just 'waiting for the approval from Algiers'.

Up till a few months ago day-trips were allowed to Jabbaren on the plateau above Djanet, this time it was no-go, again as usual without any explanation.

There was conspicious military presence in the Tadrart, but no controls anywhere between Djanet and Illizi, everyone appeared very relaxed just like last November. Apperently things are quiet in Ghat accross the border, people with relatives there told me there have been no problems there other than the 'incident' with the two Italian airport contractors.

In summary things do appear to ease up a bit, but still pretty unpredictable, one must always have a plan B & C just in case.

Trip account will be in the works soon.

Question: How long would you allow for the drive from Oran or Algiers ports down to Djanet? I am trying to rough out a plan for the trip. I would like to have a couple of weeks in the Hoggar region so, have to plan around the transit times. Thanks...

Tembo - allow 2 or 3 days each way.

From Algiers to Djanet = 2.5 hours by plane and from Ouargla to Djanet = 20 hours by bus, although obviously it would stop for the odd break here and there.

Mark

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2017/apr/26/ludwig-jindra-saharan-africa-1930s-in-pictures

Just been sent this lovely trip down memory lane. Not only about Algeria, but it mentions Touaregs, so.....

Tembo,

it took us 4 days do drive (in our cars) from Taleb Larbi to Djanet (the first day we arriverd at Taleb Larbi in the afternoon and were forced to sleep just behind the border).

On the way back it took us 3 days.

When driving your own vehicle your speed depends on the Gendarmerie.
Some drive 110km/h, some 60km/h. The time of setting off and settling for the night also differs each day.

If not for the escort, one should cover this distance in much shorter time.

Also take note that driving from Algiers or Oran down south may take more time because Northern Algieria it is much more populated. More cities means more posts and more speed bumps which may alter your average speed.

NEws...
 

Hi,

I've found this map from British Foreign Office which shows that Algerien Sahara is now almost secure:


Just have to wait for getting visas (except for Djanet's Willaya, already open for us).

RR.

How bizarre, given previous and currently adjacent country maps which are all orange or red (no map for Morocco).
Or maybe they too will change in the coming days.

... updated information and advice about the threat from terrorism following a review of the way the UK government describes the threat from terrorism in all foreign advice pages

Is Boris Johnson investing in Algerian resorts ahead of getting the boot?

Well spotted RoRo.

Do you have to drive with escort all the way from the border? Ouch.
I thought a guide in the car would be enough.
Esp since it is all in the green now :)

For the moment at least the French MAE map (below - source) shows Alg like most others see it (including the FCO until recently). Typically OTT and broad brushed as govt travel advisories tend to be.
That FCO map really is quite misleading unless green has taken on a new meaning. The truth as we know lies somewhere between the two advisories.

I am going to plan on having to accept the escort and the time/speed limitations. I expect by November 2018 the rules will have changed again for better or worse. Will just stay flexible and adaptable.

Back from Djanet
 

Good news!

I just visited Djanet with my family (2 adults, two children, one of 11 and one 14 years old).

We had a wonderful experience. We visited the Tadrart region and the Essendilene canyon from Djanet. (total of 6 days, 5 nights
The trip was organised by Zeriba voyages.

I visited Algeria before in 1999,2002, 2003,2009, 2013.
Getting the visa was very easy this time.
Me and my wife decided that we would go if the application of the visa wouldn't be a problem.
The border between Libya/Niger and Algeria seems to be more secured by the military.

Go now while you can!

Greetings,
Wilmar and Esther

Algeria in November 2016
 

Had a rather busy spring, but I have finally managed to complete our 2016 November Tassili n'Ajjer trip account: http://www.fjexpeditions.com/expeditions/past/tassili16/tassili16.htm

http://www.fjexpeditions.com/expedit...li16/P8570.jpg

Nice picture!
RR.

Possibility to get to Ahaggar and/or Tassili without a guide?
 

I'm considering a trip to Algeria. Some of the most beautiful places - Ahaggar and Tassili national parks are in southern Algeria. I know that it's not recommended to go to the borders or near the borders at the south but I'm curious if it's possible, at least, to get to Ahaggar and/or Tassili from Algiers by our own. We would rent one (or better two) 4WD's so roads without a tarmac shouldn't be a big problem if there are some (except sand dunes). I heard that there are army/police checkpoints (I suppose something similar to Western Sahara).

What do you think about this idea?
Is it possible and doable?
Do you have any advices which can help us?
Any experiences?
Any ideas about route and places to visit?

Everything is appreciated.

Thank you very much!

We drove as far south as Illizi without a guide, in our own 4x4 in 2009. The chief police came out to greet us and said we were the first to do so since the kidnappings of 2003.
But further south was impossible. "Ici le Grand Sud!"
I doubt anyone has come that far without a guide after that, since the security situation has mostly deteriorated.
Algeria is not like Western Sahara, the landscape is very different, and much more exciting. In algeria you have huge sand deserts and wild mountain ranges. And there is no territorial conflict, and no mines, just a nagging feeling of insecurity after numerous kidnappings and other incidents. The gendarmes will want to know exactly where you go and your itinerary, with an official guide, before giving you the paper.
Try it and see how far you can get on your own. Worst case you will be obliged to take a guide along all the way from the border. Renting in Algeria? not sure you will find 4x4, and they may not be happy with a regular vehicle being used offroad.

In the dunes off the tarmac you will have a guide, and it will be money well spent.

Amazing photos, thanks for posting

business as usual
 

Fwiw, just had it reconfirmed from an Algie agency.
Foreign tourists can't cross from one wilaya to another overland (eg: Tam - Djanet), but they can fly.
Much of Illizi wilaya is open as we know (and is bigger than Tunisia)
In Tam wilaya only the Assekrem excursion is permitted.

I am assuming you can still drive overland from the north with a group down to Tam (with mandatory escort) and then set off to tour around the Assekrem area freely (with local guide attached)?

Yes, along the highways.
Should have clarified that crossing wilayas on the piste is what is restricted. And also within wilayas there are additional off-road restrictions such as all of Tam except Assekrem and, I believe, the Graveyard Piste (A2) and the Tarat piste (A3) in Illizi wilaya.
That still leaves plenty to see in Illizi, IMO: from Tamajert all the way to the Tin Merzouga dunes on the Libyan border.

Well, that's workable then. A bit of a pain but doable. Since our trip won't be until next year, maybe things will continue to loose up. Not terribly likely but one can hope....

We are planning our trip to the south for next year and have just accepted that we will be taking a guide along. So that is being factored into all our planning. I am not especially bothered. First my French is pathetic and I can only manage a couple of Arabic phrases...so having someone who can speak to the Gendarmes and help us source supplies when needed will be helpful. Someone who knows the south and the best routes to the best views will obviously come in handy. Algeria is a lot different from Morocco I suspect. The Grand Erg's there are only ever a few miles across and towns/tar roads close by. The south of Algeria is pretty sparsely populated and vast regions of nothing but mountains and desert, so getting lost or breaking down might have more serious consequences. So happy to have along someone with local knowledge.

The challenge I think is to find the right guide that we get along with and understands he is not leading the trip, but providing us with advice to make smart choices and suggesting good routes. Also, and this may be a stretch, helping us not get ripped off by scams or 'tourist' pricing in towns. Finally with good English language skills so we can communicate with him and are sure we are understood. So part fixer, part guide.

So, a key part of our trip planning is looking for this guide. If we find the right person, through other's recommendations or our own investigations, we will certainly refer other business to them...so incentive for that person to provide a good service.

I have been working with humanitarian NGOs around the world for about 20 years and whenever I travel for work to remote locations, I am always travelling with local staff. I almost always enjoy the company and definitely appreciate the local knowledge.

Tembo,

The difficult part of your specifications will be the knowledge of English, there is hardly any among the guides who is able to speak anything but the absolute basic.

There is only one fellow I know in the entire South who is fluent, his name is Salah at Essendilene Voyages (essendilene.touareg (at) noos.fr). You may discuss your needs with him and perhaps persuade him to join (might be a problem as he is running the office of Essendilene and he cannot get away for extended lengths). Mentioning I reccommended him will probably help rather than just coming from the blue.

As for the rest that is not an issue, last November we went around with Salah's father (I do speak a little french & arabic), he perfectly understood his role (which was to take care of any officialdom should the need arise - it didn't) and just followed our plans as requested.

(Trip account here: Tassili N'Ajjer, Algeria - November 2016)

By the way we could access the 'Graveyard piste' (A2) from the direction of Illizi without any special permits and proceed more than 100km towards the west without any checkpoints or questions asked, we were probably the first foreigners on that route since '03.

It appears that between Djanet and Illizi and within the boundaries of the Wilaya one is free to move with a local guide as one pleases. This spring we visited Tamadjert, again no restrictions or officialdom along the way. The only encounter I had with officialdom last November was at Illizi, where we checked in to a hotel for a night instead of camping out during a rather nasty sandstorm. The chef du police called in the morning inquiring about our plans, once I told him we will return to Djanet the way we came the call quickly ended with a cordial bon voyage. The only place where paperwork is taken seriously are the military checkpoints in the Tadrart, where the permits issued in Djanet are scrutinized and checked against the passports, but all in good spirits (apparently these permits can be obtained without problems by local agencies).

Andras is right about the guides - commonly they'll speak French, especially the older guys who are more reliable. But no English apart from Salah.

I would not worry about getting lost. Unless you have your own specific itinerary (unlikely as you don't know the area), your guide will follow a tried and tested route through Illizi wilaya which will be old hat to him but deliver all you want in spades between Tamajert and Tin Merzouga. We will be doing a version of this route this January.

[Interesting to hear A2 is open from Illizi; a great route. But I wonder if it's open from the BoD end where it cuts into Tam wilaya for a few miles? I was just about to ask someone that.]

Depending on the number and state of your vehicles (usually massively over-equipped by local standards), I believe a sat phone is the only reliable rescue device. Have the number of the agency, so the guide can talk to them even if you can't, and tell them what's up.

You may find it useful to get hold of an old copy of Sahara Overland which described a few routes in that area.

Maybe your experience with NGOs (and their purported budgets) is different, but being allocated an amenable guide is as much a lottery as it is with travel companions. Once you're on the piste he will effectively be leading you and probably know the best tracks, camp spots and so on, even if you disagree at the time. Some can have their own agenda (visiting family and friends out bush; taking short cuts), but with no language or local knowledge you will be pretty helpless but who knows, it may improve your experience.

In my experience there is no need for a fixer – if you have problems you get resourceful and people will be helpful if there are any around. And the scams you talk of are very rare as a tourist as Algeria is not like other Maghrebi countries – another part of its appeal. On the way down the Gendarmerie may insist you stay in a hotel (little choice on your approach route) or camp (for free) by a police station.
Once on the piste (or south of Illizi) the only towns you will visit are Illizi and Djanet, plus maybe Bordj el Haouas. But it would be good to get a French-speaker in your group. I've found this massively improves things and avoids misunderstandings.

It will be the local agency you will be dealing with. You won't know the guide until you meet him, probably a gnarly old Tuareg living on three peanuts a day and who happens to be available. His driver may be a younger flash harry who may have ideas (and driving styles) of his own.

I remember the first time we hired a guide in Algeria (before GPS and before it was mandatory), we suspected he was dicking us about. I can't recall the reasons for this resentment, but I think it was just an reaction – as you may be having – to being led after years of DIY. Plus he was not a chummy Tuareg. But we would have struggled to follow the four-day route without time.

By the way, I presume you know that your agency escort/guide in their own car with a driver will cost up to €150 a day. This includes the 3+ days it takes them to come up to meet you at the Tunisian border (or Algiers) - and the three days back after leaving you back at the border.

I've also just been told you get an additional Gendarmerie vehicle escort from the border to Illizi and back, after which you guide takes over on the pre-approved route. My group had this last time in 2011 on the west side. They found the Gendarmerie changeovers at various district boundaries irksome.

On a first visit to a county like this you have to accept that things will not go exactly as planned – most usually vehicle problems. So better, within reason, to treat it as a valuable recce just and go with the flow.
Unlike nearly all other North African countries, desert tourism and guiding is run by desert people, not northern entrepreneurs, and has been that way since it started. Despite all the aggro in getting and driving there (only China is more complicated) they know the game and know what tourists want. For most Saharans Alg a firm favourite.

Boatloads of good feedback there gentlemen...much appreciated. Also, apologies to Milano for highjacking his thread a little bit.

So my main takeaways so far are:

- Bone up on my French (my wife and I were thinking of taking a conversational French course anyway)

- Manage my expectations of the guide issue

- Don't let the relatively minor potential headaches interfere with actually enjoying an area I have always wanted to see.

Friends,
Which alg agency would you recommend to get guides for a bike trip in the Djanet region? I've searched in past posts, and I see that several recommended agencies seem to have closed.
Among those mentioned in recent posts that are still operating I see Zeriba, Timtar, Essendilene... which would you recommend?
And what is the normal price for a guide and 4x4 per day?
Also, I was told that guides must now travel with their own car from border to border are not allowed to travel on client's cars. Anybody can confirm this? My party would be flying in to Djanet while bikes arrive on a van, and I was hoping that the mandatory guide could come in the van from the border to Djanet, to save some $.
Thanks!

I've used or contacted all those three over many and have found all of them responsive and reliable. Essendilene have an English speaker and I think Tidjani at Timtar might speak English if pushed.

I got through to another long-established agency in Illizi recently. Took months until bombarded with fax and email and texts. All going well - prices and date agreed - then stopped replying to anything. This can be a common scenario though I prefer to write (in French) than speak on a phone.

Another one was Desert Reisen - expat Tuareg in Germany. Writes only French (or German) but straightforward, detailed replies. They can do you a escort/guide for €150/day. I get a feeling that is high as being Europe-based, they take a cut. Dealing with Alg-based, like the others mentioned, might to be less but was at least €100 in 2011.

As I mentioned in another reply, what seems like a big commitment for Alg first timers is all in a day's work for crews down there. They know their job and IMO the surviving Alg agencies have a good level of professionalism with more than enough experienced drivers, cooks, guides, solid Toyotas or camels and crew to go around.

For bikes I would specify a pickup to carry unrideable bikes (unless your van is doing the whole tour or bikes are light enough for the roof).

Also, you want to be sure you can get those bikes into Alg without owners present.
Worked for me at Taleb Larbi (Nefta) in 2007 but not at Algiers the next year.
It can be done (our guy is doing it next Jan via Taleb) but requires the right paperwork and sweet-talking in French. There seems to be no national rule; regional customs chiefs decide.

Guides now in their own car sounds plausible.

Thanks a lot, Chris for your long comment!
RR

english speaking guide
 

For our trip in January this year Mr Tidjani from Timtar hired a guy called Noureddine (nunokazza x hotmail.fr) from Djanet. Fluent in English. A very goog knowledge of Tassili. He is a painter.

He is also connected with with Tinariwen Tours
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004782258596

Paintings
 

These are his paintings:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Tiknaren...=page_internal

Algerian visa in UK
 

fwiw, a bunch of us got our visas in the UK in just a week with no problems (submitted and collected by one of us - letter or email of permission required to do this).
In other words, with fewer complications than expected.

Hi Chris,

Have you planned to travel with your vehicles?

Which agency toget your visas and which route have you gave?

Thanks,

RR.