Advise, Assistance Anyone around??

[smokinrider]

I have a trip planned provisionally for the middle of december 2006.
A rough rought and itinnary are planned but any other advice will be gratefully received.

I hope to get to Morocco for mid december and will meet my missus there over the xmas period. Around the 28th ill send her home and head off on the bike.

Looking to head down through morocco to western sahara using the m13 route from Sahara Overland (O/S) by Chris Scott

Then down through Mauritania with a bit of exploration of sites and places of interest. From Nouadhibou In mauritania i want to get to Atar following the railway rought, around the north of Aoukar Basin to Nema. Is there any route / border crossing from nema into Mali to get to Timbuktu? I understand there is so from timbuktu on to Gao and then north into Algeria, again i understand this is possible but if anyone knows any different please let me know. What is the situation re guides for m/c travellers?
Hopefully if all goes to plan then it will be north to tunisia via the routes in S/O then from tunisia across to france then back home to the uk.

Q1 Am i mad??? dont answer.!!
Q2 Is this sort of route feesable in 2-3 months?
Q3 Anyone about to join me in part or in full??
Q4 Do i need a carnet? if so for what countries?
Q5 Do i need to obtain visas in advance or can they be obtained locally?
Q6 Can anyone recommend a good travel insurer based in the uk who would cover for this sort of trip?
Q7 Can Third party insurance be obtained in the uk for the bike or does this have to be done locally?
Q8 Is a guide necessary/compulsary for Algeria?

I know a lot of these questions are answered on here some of the info i have found here and elsewhere contradicts itself especcially re visas and carnets.

Ill be riding a fully prepped XT600 and have a lot of off road experience but no desert travel experience.

Ps i have read the AMH and SO plus countless other books on travel and overland trips so i wouldnt say im a novice but rather a well prepared keen better than average rider who needs to quest his wonderlust before i really do go insane. Need to experience our world before we destroy it!!

Many thanks for your patience in reading this and in advance for any assistance you all can offer.


Andy


AKA Smokinrider

[Yves]

HI,

Nema Timbukto is possible, done by locals. But the region is not secure.

>Q1 Am i mad??? dont answer.!!
No, unless you drive solo on the remote offroad sections (see Cool Karims adventures)

>Q2 Is this sort of route feesable in 2-3 months?
Yes

>Q4 Do i need a carnet? if so for what countries?
No

>Q5 Do i need to obtain visas in advance or can they be obtained locally?
Yes, for Algeria, transit visa in Agadez possible, but I don't know if in Gao, non in Bamako!

>Q7 Can Third party insurance be obtained in the uk for the bike or does this have to be done locally?
Locally in Algeria and Westafrice "Carte brune"

>Q8 Is a guide necessary/compulsary for Algeria?
Yes, South of Ghardaia in theory, with Agency normally from border to border.

All best, Yves

[Chris Scott]

Q2 Is this sort of route feesable in 2-3 months?
Yes
Q4 Do i need a carnet? if so for what countries?
No
Q5 Do i need to obtain visas in advance
Alg and ideally Mali yes, others at border
Q6 Can anyone recommend a good travel insurer based in the uk who would cover for this sort of trip?
Alg is FCO blacklisted so probably no
Q7 Can Third party insurance be obtained in the uk for the bike
No
... or does this have to be done locally?
Yes, but dont put too much faith in insurance, travel or 3rd party. You're on your own.
Q8 Is a guide necessary/compulsary for Algeria?
Yes.

Even with your reading and riding experience your route is pretty ambitious - not unlike my own first desert plans, but riding in the real desert the first time is quite a shock and keeping it together over such a distance will take some stamina and luck. Nema will require 4x4 support, M13 is a jump in the deep end (will know first hand in a couple of weeks) and Gao to Algie is not without risks. After that it's pretty easy.
See: http://www.sahara-overland.com/country

It may sound tame but IMO tooling around in south Maroc (and maybe Mori) will still give you plenty to think about before coming back another time to tackle the big route with experience and confidence.

Ch