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North Africa Route Advice
How’s it going forum!
I’m planning a trip at the end of this year (September & October) where I’ll be travelling through Morocco, Western Sahara and potentially Mauritania. I’ve given myself around 45 to 50 days to complete this journey. For reference, I ride the unkillable klr - 01’ klr650, version c7. I’m proficient when it comes to the bikes maintenance and troubleshooting and pretty much have all the mods done to it. I’ve found some good nuggets on this forum concerning adv information. Now I’m all for the challenge of reading through 100 threads and putting together an interesting, and challenging route. Considering that I’ve never done this route before I’m levering the opinion of those who have. Is there a discussion on this forum that outlines the best route for the three countries I’ve listed above? Not necessarily linking all three countries together; it could be three different conversations for the three countries. I’m not looking to hit a couple big name destinations and then pop through into the next area, more looking to absorb and visit the less known and more remote areas that someone with two weeks wouldn’t be able to fit in their itinerary. In addition to this, I’m looking to buy or download a pdf version of the Morocco and Sahara overland books. I live in a small town where amazon and similar websites state a month or two for the paperback. I’ve posted this question in a couple forums, don’t be surprised if you see it twice. All the best, thanks in advance. |
A similar question was asked a few days ago.
A lot will depend on your experience of remote travel, off road in deserts. September can be very very hot, in 2019 we saw over 50 degrees in the Western Sahara, Mauritania will be hotter again. You can do all 3 on tarmac roads and still have a good time although the return back north through the WS may be a bit boring as theres only 1 road. Gandini is just publishing his new guide for Mauritania and also has some covering the WS that are a bit older. But inland WS isn't somewhere for beginners or solo travellers imho |
It causes some confusion where the same posting is made to several forums. We can see all the posts, so there's no need to do this and I have removed the duplicates.
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Hello Dunz:
Welcome to the HUBB community. For a trip of the distance you are planning (north end of Morocco down to Mauritania) you are going to need a new set of tires at some point during your journey. See this post I made a few years back for information about how to get motorcycle tires in Morocco: Awesome Service from MotoPlus, Casablanca. It would probably be prudent for you to write MotoPlus well before your trip to confirm that they have tires in the size you need. Big, expensive, "first world" motorcycles like the KLR 650 are extremely rare in less affluent countries such as the three you mention. This means that it's difficult to find parts for them, although you will have no difficulty finding shops who can work on the motorcycle (change tires, make repairs if you have the parts, etc.). So do be sure to carry out all necessary preventative maintenance before you leave on your trip. If you have any doubt about how much life is left in your chain, sprockets, brake pads, etc. get those parts replaced before you begin your trip. Based on my own experience riding down to the Western Sahara / Mauritania border, settlements & services (fuel, water, food, etc.) are few and far between once you get south of Laayoune. I suggest you obtain a 'Camelbak' water bladder for your own hydration, and don't ride past any gas stations if you have less than half a tank of fuel remaining. The village of Dhakla, about two-thirds of the way down the coast of Western Sahara, is quite tourist-oriented and has a lot of services. You might want to plan on taking a few days rest there before setting off towards the Mauritania border crossing. Michael |
Appreciate the response Michael.
I plan on resetting the clocks to zero for all maintenance jobs on the klr before my trip; valves, tires, the things you mentioned and other small bits and bobs. In terms of spare parts i've checked out a list on this forum and will modify it to fit my bike. Budget and route planning have been my biggest challenges thus fur. I plan to wild camp so camping grounds or hotels can be checked off the list. Without fuel, how much can i expect to spend a day on food and water? I've budgeted €1/litre (conservative estimate) for water but food is where i'm unable to find an answer. It would be a mix of buying ingredients and "eating out". Is €15/day sufficient or would you bump that up to €20? I'm guessing maroc will be more expensive. Apart from that i've got the other costs covered, but can you think of any hidden costs a first timer for a trip like this could of forgotten. Oh yeah, and insurance. Can you share any details you have. Stay blessed, Leo. |
My luggage setup doesn't aid "extreme offroad riding" so i'll stick mainly to tarmac. I've got previous moto camping experience; my systems are all in check. Any recommendations on the routes; i'm looking for a tried and tested route that's been completed by previous adv riders.
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Sticking to tarmac you wont have any problems down through Morocco and the WS. The main road south has plenty of fuel stations along it so no worries on running short.
Theres an active bike/off road club in Laayoune who are very helpful if you need anything. Look up ASML on social media Dakhla is a big modern city so a good place to stop before crossing into Mauritania |
noted. thanks for the help! This is a brief question but how many total kms would you think a trip through morocco, ws and Mauritania be? I've budgeting for 10,000kms, too much or too little? Going off 200 to 250 kms a day.
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well its 2400km from the north of Morocco to Mauritania so it will depend on how far you drive in Mauritania but I don't think 10 000 will be far off
My trip this Spring was 15 000km in 94 days |
Is there anywhere i can read more about your trip? I'm particularly interested in hearing about the route you took!
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theres some basic info on my website, facebook and instagram, Amazigh Overland. No detailed track info mostly just overview maps and photos
My Spring trip was mostly in Morocco with 5 days in the WS. But that was an organised tour customised for some customers of mine who then headed onto Mauritania for a few week. |
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You will need to purchase the obligatory liability insurance for Morocco when you get off the ferry at Tanger Med port, before you even leave the port area. There are several insurance kiosks there just about 100 feet after customs & immigration, they all sell the same product for the same price. I can't recall exactly what I paid for it but I think it was about €100 for one month. If you look through the Morocco sub-forum here on the HUBB and also the Trip Paperwork sub-forum you will find all the information about insurance that you could ever want, along with current pricing. Last time I was in Morocco (2019), Google Maps didn't work there, it was blocked (for security reasons) in all of Morocco & Western Sahara. So perhaps consider getting some kind of stand-alone mapping program that can run on your smartphone using map data that is stored on your smartphone. Sygic is one such program, I use it and it is very useful. I don't know what the rules are concerning wild camping in Morocco or WS, I suggest you read through posts in the Morocco sub-forum to research that. I'm also not too sure whether wild camping would be a good idea in a desert environment. You encounter enormous swings in the temperature in deserts. When I worked in central Algeria as an aircraft pilot, I would have to clear frost off the wings of the aircraft before takeoff at 7:00 in the morning, but at 3 in the afternoon the same day the temperature would be greater than 40°C. Hotels are not expensive in Morocco & WS if you stay in the same places that the locals stay in. Morocco & WS are "cash" countries - credit & debit cards are only accepted at places that cater to tourists. There are ATMs everywhere, you can use your home ATM card to withdraw local cash provided you make prior arrangements with your home bank to ensure that you can make international ATM withdrawals. Keep in mind that as TheWarden mentioned, it's 2,400 km from Tanger Med port to the Mauritania border. That's about the same distance as Paris to the Greek border. I don't know where you plan to start from, but as an example, it's 2,000 km from Paris to the ferry embarkation point at Algeciras. Those are seriously big distances. One other thing you need to think about - and be financially prepared for - is "What is it going to cost to repatriate my motorcycle (and yourself) if you get into an accident, or drop the bike, or you have a serious mechanical failure of the bike, or if you get sick or injured and can't ride home?" Don't overlook this, and don't underestimate the what it might cost. By way of example: Today, I was riding from Switzerland to Vienna, to drop my motorcycle with a friend in Vienna before flying home to Canada next Wednesday. At noon hour today, a coolant hose deep within the engine blew out on my moto (a ST 1100) just as I was crossing the Swiss border, the first time I have had an on-the-road failure with this motorcycle in 20 years & 235,000 km of riding. It is going to cost me CHF 1,200 (about €1,200) to get the motorcycle trucked to Vienna on Sunday, plus another CHF/€ 400 for unplanned hotel & food between now & Sunday... in other words, a total of CHF/€ 1,600 that I had not expected to spend. Although that is a painful sum, at least I can afford it - could you? Do you have that kind of money in your bank account to draw on if things go terribly wrong enroute? Along the same line of thinking, have you investigated health insurance coverage for yourself when you are outside of Europe? If you were to have just a 'minor' accident that resulted in a broken bone, you would be royally screwed if you didn't have insurance to cover the medical & hospital bills. I don't mean to discourage you from your trip, but you really do need to think of these things if you plan to go riding outside of Europe. Michael |
What a response!
Concerning your first point, is the liability insurance still obligatory if i have maroc on my bikes green card? As to western sahara and mauritania how does insurance work there? Whilst entering into ws, and considering it's not recognised by the un, is there a boarder of some sort or not at all? For mauritania i'm assuming from what i've read i can just pull up and get the visas at the boarder. The wild camping hotel debate had me torn in half for a couple days; ultimately i went with the wild camping option for two reasons: the first being funds; i could save a couple hundred euros which would allow me to travel more, the second being the experience and finally the third is bike safety/maintenance; i have a tent with a "centre compartment" used to shelter my klr. It gives me peace of mind and regular bike maintenance is a breeze when you're sheltered from all sides. Health insurance is on my list but i've yet to dive into it; considering the vast amounts of information on this forum i guess it won't be a problem. For reference, i'm based near Marseille and will take a ferry from there. |
3rd party vehicle insurance is the minimum required for Morocco and the WS, either green card or locally purchased insurance will cover you. Morocco and the WS is one insurance doc.
Don’t be tempted not to bother with insurance, if you get caught they will confiscate your bike and if you are involved in an accident the it’s straight to prison for no insurance. Wildcamping is fine outside of National Parks and not permitted on beaches. If it’s private property you need the owners permission. Recently they haven’t tightened up on camping along the coast in the WS for security issues. Repatriation options is worth considering. I was involved in repatriating a seriously injured biker earlier in the year and we will need to deal with getting his bike out of the country over the next month. |
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Morocco (& WS) are quite heavily policed and therefore reasonably safe places to visit, but once you get into Mauritania, you are truly in the third world. Again, best to get some advice about the personal security aspects of wild camping in Mauritania from someone who has been there recently and camped there recently. Quote:
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Michael |
Thanks for your help; i'll make sure to get health insurance and repatriation!
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Heat is going to be challenging. I plan on travelling in the morning to avoid quite literally burning. What about connection? How much are the sim cars and how often do you get good connection. I'm adamant to document this trip so it's pretty important for me.
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SIM cards a free of charge but some chancers may charge you a bit for setting them up. Data is €1 per GB and the network is generally good. Maroc Telecom is better in remote areas, the organ fe and INWI having the least coverage. In the WS signal is pretty good along the coast road and very patchy inland.
If your from Marseille you will know there’s direct ferries from GNV and Le Meridionale. Although personally I would drive to Algeciras over taking a GNV ferry again. |
Leo:
One thing that you need to be aware of, in other words, to fully understand, are the rules concerning temporary importation of your moto into Morocco and the obligation you have to remove the motorcycle from Morocco when you leave the country. I'm not sure that you are familiar with what is involved, so I will try to explain it. Forgive me if you already know about this. In lesser developed countries (e.g. Ukraine, Turkey, all the North African countries), tourist vehicles are temporarily admitted into the country free of duty and tax, but records are kept of the temporary importation of the vehicle and the owner is obliged by law to remove the vehicle from the country when they leave themselves - otherwise, there are significant financial penalties imposed. The reason for this is that in these countries, there are quite heavy duties and taxes imposed when residents import vehicles, and the countries want to make sure that a tourist does not sell or otherwise leave their vehicle behind when they leave the country. If all goes well on your trip, there is nothing to worry about: you ride in, customs makes a note in your passport that you came with a vehicle, and when you ride out, customs checks to make sure you are taking your vehicle with you. Where problems arise is when for one reason or another (sickness, injury, accident, pandemic, mechanical breakdown, urgent need to return home due to family emergency) you want or need to leave the country without taking your vehicle with you. In such cases, you will not be allowed to leave the country without paying substantial fees for import duties, taxes, and fines. Although there are some circumstances in which you may be allowed out without your vehicle (e.g. emergency medical repatriation), you will still be obliged to eventually either get the vehicle out of the country or pay the associated import duties, taxes, and fines. Do be sure that you understand what your obligations are in this regard, and do be sure that you have a fairly large emergency supply of cash available to you in your home bank account that you can draw on via local ATMs in case things go wrong and you have to get your moto shipped out of the country by truck or other means. To give you a perspective on what can go wrong, have a look at this post I made about problems I had in Tunisia after I evacuated from the country early in the COVID pandemic and had to leave my moto behind because all the ferry services were shut down: Tunisia - repatriating my moto after the COVID pandemic. Michael |
Paneuropean, you need to keep up with local info! What you have posted is incorrect.
Morocco stopped requiring you to leave with the vehicle many years ago. It has been well documented here. If you wish to leave without your vehicle the you need to complete the work paperwork with customs. The vehicle must leave before 180 day TVIP expires but prior to that the owner can leave freely We assisted with the repatriation of an injured biker at the beginning of the year. His bike is still in the WS and has another 6 weeks on the TVIP. The right paperwork just needed compeleting. . |
Hi Warden:
Thanks for that correction and update, I apologize for posting out of date information. The general point that I was trying to convey to Leo remains the same, though: that a vehicle owner needs to be financially prepared to recover their vehicle from Morocco (and other countries mentioned) if for some reason they have to unexpectedly leave the country without taking their vehicle with them. Michael |
I'm interested in hearing the reasoning behind driving through spain instead of taking a ferry?
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I was going to ask how different travel youtube channels manage to leave their motorbikes there. However, apart from the fact the information is outdated, i'm glad you mentioned it as this wasn't something i had thought about.
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I understand exactly why he feels this way. I took a GNV ferry from Genoa to Tanger Med 8 years ago. It was a two-day trip with a stop in Barcelona along the way. The vessel was not well maintained, there were safety violations everywhere, the food on board was "less than appealing" and very expensive, and the ferry was packed with Moroccan families (big families, with lots of kids) who were carrying enormous amounts of luggage with them. It was, in fact, almost hilarious to look at all the cars in the lineup at Genoa waiting to board the ferry. They were jam-packed with goods inside, and the roof of almost every car was piled high with merchandise. See the photo below (my moto is the one on the right) and look at the roofs of the vehicles - they were all like that. I paid extra for a single cabin (highest category of cabin) for myself, and I am glad I did, because the common areas of the ship were pandemonium most of the time, with kids running & screaming, people sleeping on the floor all over surrounded by their belongings, etc. You can expect a similar demographic on the ferry from Marseilles. I do recommend you purchase a single cabin for the journey. If you have a choice of ferry companies, DO NOT choose GNV. Having said all that, I recommend that you take a ferry from France rather than riding south to the bottom of Spain. Taking the ferry will avoid a lot of wear and tear on your moto, most especially wear on the tires. It also makes sense to take a ferry from the closest point to where you live because by doing that, you won't be fatigued when you arrive in Morocco. Spain is a big country to have to ride across. Michael Boarding the GNV Ferry in Genoa https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...720&fit=bounds |
That was my train of thought. Nearly 4,000 kms there and back from where i am. Would be close to 4 to 5 days, there and back. Can you recommend a reputable ferry company? It would be the first time taking the ferry with my motorbike. Any important things i should know?
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GNV ferries are petty old and dirty, food is horribly expensive on board. They also have regular cancellations and long delays. Le Meridionale get better feed back on their service.
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An Atlantic Route report to nearly the RIM border from just before Covid.
https://sahara-overland.com/2020/04/...antic-highway/ Desert camping sounds a nice idea but note that WS can be windy 24/7 and one of those huge 'bike hangar' tents will be shaking all night. I'd sooner use roadside lodgings while being prepared to bivi if needed (bag & mat). Quote:
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Until you get past Dakhla, every settlement will have a shop where you can buy tinned fish, cheese-like triangles, sugary drinks, long-life biscuits and other snacks plus fresh flat bread, sometimes pre-boiled eggs and whatever fresh vegetables are around. The sandwiches below cost me <€2. Quote:
I took a packed GNV ferry from TanMed to Sete just prior to Omicron shut down (the last for months) and found it fine. Food was great and no more overpriced than any long-haul ferry (get the pre-paid vouchers). No it's not like hopping over to the Isle of Wight but 'TIA' as they say. In my experience it's exceedingly rare to be expected to share a cabin on a Med ferry with strangers. https://adventuremotorcyclinghandboo.../ap2321-1.jpeg https://adventuremotorcyclinghandboo.../ap2355-1.jpeg |
Would you recommend a smaller, more discrete, low profile tent compared to the "bike hanger" tent I had in mind? A concern I have is leaving the bike outside the tent when camping. Perhaps a smaller tent with a tarp combination for added shade and motorbike protection is more appropriate? I'm saving 5kg on weight as well by switching the set up.
Currently running a mitas 09 rear, and tkc80 front; 100% tarmac and gravel roads for now. Mitas, like you said, is holding up surprisingly well. TKC on the other hand, isn't anything spectacular. Thanks for your input. |
In addition to my previous response, how are the mosquitos in the area?
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To paraphrase Logan Roy: 'they are not serious tents'.
For years I have politely bitten my lip about these ridiculous 'bike hangar' tents for motorcycle overlanding applications. Thanks for giving me permission to let off stream ;-)
While I would always use a lightweight bike cover (< 500g) when on the road for reasons of bike discretion when camping or lodging, the idea of travelling far with these ungainly Zeppelins seems nuts when you think of the added bulk, weight, cost, erection time and poor stability in winds. I hear the rationales of 'security' or 'working on the bike in the rain' but they seem lame to me. That said, I would use a roomy 2-person tent with crossover poles so it stands up by itself in places where there is no nice grass and soft earth for secure pegging. Something like the Hubba Hubba or it's many knock offs so you can fit all your clobber inside overnight. I would also consider a tent which you can erect either the outer only (for rain / more space) or inner only (against insects) but these are harder to find.(Vaude's old Odyssee was one). You may well find once in the desert it's far more agreeable to lie on your tent than in it. There are no mozzies in the desert, but there may be as you near Senegal. And anyway, mozzies do not guarantee malaria. Your tyre choice sounds spot on: longevity on the back and some loose-terrain grip on the slower-wearing front. |
Some of the worst mozzies I've ever encountered were about 100km north of Laayoune, but that was fairly close to a water source. Usually not a big problem and the strong winds can help keep them away when camping.
Plenty of scorpions around so always look carefully before packing up if you've left anything out overnight. For the most part they just hurt, a lot, but non lethal unless you have an allergy. |
My goal is to keep this trip as simple as possible; especially gear wise. Keeping it light, keeping it simple. I’m aiming to fit everything (apart spare fuel & water) in my g+g aluminium panniers. You mentioned an interesting point about laying on the tent rather than in it. Doesn’t a small/cramped tent feel like a furnace? How cold can I expect it to get in the evening and later on? Originally I had planned to take a hammock/tarp setup instead of a tent; to elevate myself from the creepy crawlers. However, after careful consideration I don’t think trees are that common in the desert haha. What about the snakes & scorpions, I’d appreciate information concerning the frequency of encounters, where I’m most likely to see them and when.
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You’ll be lucky to see any snakes, they tend to keep away from people. Scorpions are a bit more frequent but not a huge problem.
Just check underthings when you pack away camp. Overnight temps in September and October will be fine usually but weather patterns have been crazy the last year. April we regularly saw temps in the mid 40’s but overnight was averaging around 20. The historically averages seem out last autumn and this spring. |
Got it. Did you carry an anti venom tool for your trip? When temperatures start to get that high did you notice your bike act differently? To mitigate the effects of heat on my bike & myself, I plan on travelling in the morning.
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Never carried anti venom. Although snakes and scorpions are around with a bit of care you can keep the risk of a bite/sting very low.
The majority of scorpions in the region are non lethal to healthy adults. During lockdown in 2020 3 people on he campsite were stung and although they said it hurt at lot they were fine. If you see a snake just keep a safe distances. I travel in a 4x4 so cant help with heat effects on the running of a bike |
As said creepy crawlies are a much over-rated worry compared to the many other potential perils, though they are more active in hot months like Sept/Oct.
As long as the road is good, just keep riding up to 40°C or more. What is the alternative, especially if camping? If the bike gets hot, slow down. Riders often under-value this. Less rpm = less heat. Better for the tyres too. If the bike gets very hot, park into the wind with the engine running. In fact keep the engine running when making short stops (or until the fan stops). I've found a Trail Tech temperature gauge is a good idea for desert biking. Establish a normal reading on cylinder heading or water hose - then you know what very hot is and if you should do something about it. When I suggested laying on the tent I was hinting to not bother bringing a tent at all. Use a ground sheet, good air mat and make a headboard/windbreak for your head with your panniers. A much more agreeable way to camp in the desert, providing it's not windy. |
You've been sharing some gold nuggets with me!
Pretty much answered my question concerning the heating issue. There's not much one can do to avoid it when temps get high, but knowing how to monitor and act accordingly is where it's at. I could potentially rock a ground sheet, air mat and tarp setup; using the motorbike (sidestand facing away) as support. I would carry an extra bivy bag for wind. The tarp would be the "piece de resistance". Of course it would serve for sun protection in the afternoon but big enough to be used as and planted as a tent. What are your thoughts about hammocks? Will there be enough opportunities for me to plant it between trees or does the lack of these justify the weight reduction? Do you recommend a place where i can grab a temp gauge? |
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Unpacking from the last trip I found I had packed the gear shed, not the tent. Just as well I hadn't needed it. :rofl: |
Many riders consider hammocks, few actually end up using them.
Best suited to rum adverts and the jungle. Look for a moto temp gauge on Ebay - there must be loads of Trail Tech knock offs. |
Got it. I also had a question about food and cooking. I won't be staying in any hotels, but, i definitely will be eating out everyday. I'll only be cooking meals for a late night snack or when the area is remote and eating out isn't an option. Considering packing a camping stove with gas takes up a considerable amount of space would making a fire be appropriate? What are the rules around this?
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No rules against fires in the desert. The problem is finding anything to burn.
If by gas you mean 'camping gaz' then you'd be much better off with either a bike petrol stove like coleman featherlite or a trangia burner dish + an 'X' stand. Weighs next to nothing but slower; buy alchohol from pharmacies. Both will benefit from windbreaks. |
I’ll see what I can find; thanks! Fires In the desert, ok! But what about fires in Mauritania or Maroc?
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Photos follow:
1- Consider one of those- 2-Then you can follow your nose in the morning to find local bakers - 3-But not too much when you need a loo... a stick is useful for making your own hole in nature- better than this IMHO 4-Fresh food ( meat) if you've the stomach and a sharp knife 5-My tent ...before it 'disappeared'... 6-and the aftermath ... great until the skies opened up and my 'bedroom' turned into a swimming pool - I froze until sunrise- lesson -take a lightweight tarp and a pair of nylon 'tent peg bags' to fill with sand ( or sand pegs!) - and a syntetic sleeping bag ...and yes there was a small pank of wood under my sidestand. |
and if you break down, a hand full of dollars will get you transport. 1$ and 5£ are best.
Fires can be magical but best keep them very small or better still, leave any wood for locals. If you find camel dung, that burns too and leaves an interesting aroma |
Was this in maroc or mauritania? I'm contemplating not bringing the stove and instead taking bits and bobs to make fires. Only concern is drawing any unnecessary attention. What are the rules and regulations on brining knives? Pocket knifes ok? No bixed baldes?
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Stacks of info and pics sent by whatsupp bier
More to come (info that is , you're not getting my beer!!!):Beach: and there are dodgy people lurking... |
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