Atar ---> Tidjikja and Tidjika--->Oualata
 

Can somebody tell me how many days is necessary for these two stretches ?
I know it depends of the driver and the car , but I want to know these durations , driving 5 or 6 hours a day and not at maximum speed .
Thanks for your replies .
To Grove : I'll recontact you when I'll be sure about my timing .
RR.

Alternative
 

On the subject of cadeaux, you can always say that your friends are coming up later in another 4wd (be unspecific I suppose), and will pay them double!

Tee hee hee!

Sam.

so that was you was it, git!!!!!!

Atar-Tidjika: 4 days i relaxed tempo according to Chris Scott (the book)
Tidjika-Nema (passing Oualata): 8 days.
Grove

Hi,

The above mentioned time contemplates relaxed visits to Rachid, Tichitt, Oualata and several attractions along the pistes (guelbs, crater, rock engravings).
If you're in a worry, Atar-Tidj can be done in 3 days and Tidj-Nema can be done in 5 to 6 days. The Dakar guys do Tid-Nema in just one day ;-)

Outstanding pistes, especially the Tidj-Nema!

Cheers,
José

gone with the wind
 

Hi !

1- RIM traveling alone shouldn't be a problem, however if you are off-piste or very remote places, if something goes really wrong it can become pretty delicate. In the other hand traveling in remote places 1 car solo gives you a much more intimate feeling with the place, you feel you are very very small and you can also feel you are very big.

2- We did Tidjikja - Chingetti in five easy beautiful days, buying goats on the way and and using the S2 land rover grille as a grill. We meet about 6 vehicles, mostly other tourist. Beware of the small misprinting regarding coordinates in that route in Sahara Overland, it can be very confusing and unexpected.
Why running if you don't really know where you going.
--thanks José B for your help--

-Tidjikja - Tichitt in 1 long day (we had to follow a TLC) and 2 days in the way back. Very few traffic. We wanted to to continue to Nema but after a while came back to Tichitt, since it was a bit too much for our overloaded old landrover. Too bad, since it was fascinating. Next time !

If I had a defender 110 td5 in order -and the basics for that route- I'd not doubt going single car until Nema. Nowadays we have synthetic guerbas and Thurayas !

Take it easy ! Good luck !

Thanks to everybody for your infos ......

RR.

>>>>Beware of the small misprinting regarding coordinates in that route in Sahara Overland, it can be very confusing and unexpected.

fyi these errors (along with other corrections) have been corrected in the first reprint sold since last December.

Updates page is here:
http://www.sahara-overland.com/typos/

Chris S

Mauritania
 

Hi,
I did more or less exactly the same route - two of us two KTM 640s. Actually for the frist month we didn;t meet a single other traveller on the pistes down through Morocco. The frist other travellers we met were in Nouadhibou. Then we cross to Choum, Atar, did a circuitu around the Crater (6 days), back to Atar, down to Tidjikia and then due south to the Senegal River (crossed in big canoes at Bogue to Senegal.

We didn't get ripped off or asked for gifts anywhere in Mauritania, had T with several groups of soldiers and police on the way and actually I felt safer there than anywhere I've been really... that was, until near the Senegal border where things got a bit mroe tricky and felt a bit more hostile. Getting across the Senegal River was a real challlenge and ended in a huge village row with various local boat owners, Mauritanian and Senegelses police arguing about who had the right to charge us or demand cadeaux.... quite funny in retrospect but not at the time.

I was suprised how remote a lot of the route felt. Atar to Tidjikia in particular was very quiet and I think in the six days this took us we saw maybe four other tourist vehicles and a few camels... that was it ! So although in theory this is not a really difficult route it was pretty remote and if we had had mechanical probs or run our fuel (fuel is a real problem on that route for unsupported bikes) we would have been up the creek ! Absoluetly spectacular though. Can't wait to go back !

Anyway, if it is any help I have all the routes I did in my GPS memory still so I could forward the track if anybody wants it.

enjoy !

Simon

Mauritanian visa at border post
 

Hi,
If I'm coming from Mali , can I get the visa at any border post ?
At approximatevely same cost than coming from Morocco ?
Thanks for your reply .
RR.

i dont see the reason to tip the police
 

they are just doing some paper checking. if you have all the paper, why u have to give the gift. i can say almost all Mauritanian gendemarie or military on road checkpoints are quite friendly to foreigner.

Hi Simon,

I'm planning more or less the same trip for the next month
or so. Your track log could be very useful to me, would
you send it, please ?

Thanks
Mario

Hi nomiskx
I would too be interested in Your track log

Grove

Mauritania
 

Hi all,

We had a slight difficulty with customs on the border of Mauritania and Morocco as they wanted a 10 Euro import tax for our car. When I asked for a reciept they got really upset. I did have a Carnet which they weren't happy about.

We then had a policy of not giving any gifts, we got stopped every few miles and they said , "Nice mobile phone." I agreed, smiled, shook some hands and carried on pleading poverty (Which was true).

We never felt threatened in Mauritania, the people were great. Always trying to be as helpful as possible and even giving us directions etc. I wouldn't venture into the desert without a GPS (Car) and a back up one (Handheld). However, I wouldn't every say we felt alone.

We pulled off the new desert road and drove about 2km to park up for dinner and while we sat having some soup a nomad came walking by and we shared some food with him. He was very grateful. So it was almost impossible to be alone. Even while going for a wee someone woudl walk by.

However, we stuck mainly to recognised roads and routes as it was out first time in the Desert.

Andy

P.S. It rained and rained in Janaury of this year. I am trying to organise going back in early 2008. I suspect I will not be able to get 7 weeks free before then.