I’m back from a 11.185 kms round trip from Paris to Dakar and back with a little detour to Atar in Mauritania

The trip was 6 weeks long from April 22 to June 03 with stops to family in France.
I will write here all the details I think could be of interest for people planning this kind of trip, but I will skip the French part.

I made this trip solo on a Honda CRF 1000 DCT of 2017 with 37.000 kms at the start with Continental TKC70 tires, side cases and camping gear.
I haven’t had any technical problem except a leaking fuel canister and a broken zip on the tank bag, not even a puncture…

I really enjoyed this trip and received a great welcome from people in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, always kind, curious and helpful.
Only had (little) problems with a very few cops in Mauritania as I will write.

I took the ferry from Barcelona to Tanger med and the same on the way back from GNV

April 25: Barcelona
Camping Barcelona (40km from Barcelona ferry on the coast) 24€
A little bit noisy, the tent zone is small and if you arrive end of day get prepared to queue.
Had the worst pizza of my life at the restaurant.

April 26: Ferry Barcelona/Tanger
The ferry was supposed to leave at 12h.
The office to make the check-in opens at 9h! So no need to come 4h before as written on your e-ticket. You could even be there just two hours before like a lot did.
There is a boarding parking just before the offices, if you're with a car or truck you have to park before go make the check-in, with a bike you can register first and park after.
You need to have a printed covid pass or pcr test.
The ferry left at 1pm.
There are moroccan customs officers in the Grand Salon on deck 6, where you have to pass for your passport and vehicle there is a little form to fill.
You don't need to queue for one hour to do that when the ferry leave, like I did, the guys will be in the boat all the trip, just wait for the good time.
As I didn’t booked a cabin, I slept in the Grand Salon with sleeping bag, a lot of people did, absolutely no problem with leaving sleeping gear and clothes when you go for lunch or take a walk, friendly atmosphere.



April 27 : Tanger - Assilah
The ferry arrived at the port at 5:45pm local time, I get out at 6:15.
I drove to Asilah where I made a reservation at hotel Sahara but was closed when I arrived so I ended at residence Hotel Ibn Rochd, an large apartment for 250mad, it’s more that I wanted but I could hang my tent for drying ! Bike parked behind the hotel door with cameras and night guard.
Only one restaurant serving on the evening because of Ramadan, didn’t think it could be a problem, it’s going to be...
I bought a simcard of Maroc Telecom at the kiosk and get 20mad of internet for 7 days

April 28 : Assilah - Imintanoute
By the highway, boring but I already know the coast road.
Hotel Al Amane (125mad) very basic hotel in a non-touristic little city, very old bathroom.
Absolutely no restaurant serving…

April 29: Imintanoute - Sidi Ifni
I took a very nice trail until Argana to make a change from highway
Arrived in Sidi Ifni, city seems deserted, Ramadan and covid…
Hotel Bellevue, almost the only host, 200 mad room with sea view
Only one restaurant serving on evening, nothing for lunch.
I decide to stay here one more day until the end of Ramadan.









May 02: Sidi Ifni - Laayoune
End of Ramadan and the first café at a terrace at El Ouatia with people smiling again!
The beginning of Western Sahara and the Great South, check points and a lot of wind.
I started the “fiche” delivery, I gave about 50 or 60 copies of it on the whole trip!
Laayoune is modern and dynamic city and everybody is out for Aïd
Hotel Istanbul: 200 mad with bathroom, clean and modern but small room and no charm, 15 mad to the guard for the bike.














May 03: Laayoune - Dakhla
Hard day with a lot of wind, especially before Dakhla, but the landscapes are really amazing, immense..
Hotel Dakar, when I saw it I couldn’t choose another one, 150 mad with bathroom, quite good and friendly staff, bike parked behind door, in the middle of the market, not easy to find the way with the bike.
Still difficult to find a restaurant, it takes a few days after Ramadan to come back to normal, a lot of places closed.













May 04: Dakhla - Bir Gandouz
The tour of the Dakhla bay is really beautiful and even if it’s only rocks and sand the landscape is always changing, I love it.
Starts to find a lot of sand on the road, watch out at the top of hills it can be tricky and sometimes vehicles coming the other way are driving left to avoid it.
Hotel Barbas, amazing place with a huge patio where you can park your bike, 200 mad with bathroom 100 without, you can eat there, perfect place to prepare border passing. Met with two bikers going back up, I changed their Mauritanian money for euros as you can’t change it otherwise.
Be careful: no UL fuel in El Argoub station when I was there.









May 05: Bir Gandouz – Nouadhibou with border passing
The border is 50min from the hotel, I was almost the only one this morning, the Moroccan side is slow but straight, you get your passport stamped at the first building then you go forward and give passport and vehicle papers to another one, the dog sniffs your bike, just make a stop at the last gate where you give papers for the last time.
Then you arrived on the no-man’s land, a track with rocks and sand but quite short, I didn’t take the main track that seems deep sanded but the right one following a truck, no problem.
When you arrived on Mauritanian side you realize it’s another world, the buildings are run down and there are some people hanging there for nothing.
A guy called Cheikh came to me to offer his services , he’s well known for helping people passing the border, I told him I don’t really need help but he said it’s a very hard time for them and could make a good price to speed up the procedure. So I did it with him, he’s very kind and efficient, the normal price is 10€.
You pay 55€ in cash for visa, 10€ for Passavant (authorization for vehicle), 15€ for insurance
I’m sure insurance is useless in case of accident but it’s better to have the paper for police controls!
Everything is slow and confused but without problem.
It takes 2h for the whole thing and I was solo with a bike and there was almost nobody else! Be prepared to spend some time here.
Entering Mauritania and Nouadhibou…everything is run down and messy, the poverty of the country is obvious and Nouadhibou is supposed to be the economic capital of Mauritania!
Hundreds of antic Mercedes, steaming trucks, donkeys… There’s no rule for driving but it’s not aggressive, just get prepared to anything anytime. 40 years of motorcycle driving in Paris is a good practice so I don’t panic.
Out of the main road is mainly sand so it’s surprising at the beginning, I find my “hotel” in a very popular part of town, Auberge Sahara, I have a doubt about it at first glance but a nice place with very spartan room and shared bathroom: 250mru (6,3€)
Walking in town to find an ATM working and buying a simcard, everything is confused and lot of things don’t work but people are really helpful.
Everybody’s counting in old currency which is 10x what is written on notes, saying 1000 Ouguyia for 100 real MRU (except maybe in touristic places) When you buy water bottle, he’ll say 200, you give 20. You’ll get used to it.
Fortunately the very friendly lady at the auberge prepared a meal with camel for dinner, it’s not easy to find restaurants in Mauritania.



May 06: NDB - Nouakchott
Just when I left NDB, the famous iron ore Train arrived, incredibly long...
The temperature is rising fast to 40°c with the wind coming from the desert , I find it hot but I don’t know yet what is real heat!
The landscapes are still constantly changing, I really enjoy it.
The only place to take gas between NDB and NOC (Nouakchott) is Chami, several stations there with groceries. Watch out when you leave the station, there can be a lot of sand!
There are a lot of checkpoints in Mauritania, from Gendarmerie, Customs and GGSR (take care to this ones) entering Nouakchott a guy from GGSR (in grey camo) told me “I have to buy some tea” in French, I didn’t understand why but after a few times I realized he wants me to give him money to buy some tea, I smiled and just said I won’t and he let me go…
Nouakchott is totally different from NDB, a recent city with large avenues and modern buildings but the same antic vehicles and crazy way of driving.
Auberge Samira : 800 mru room with shared bathroom, it’s ok but not really maintained (covid was hard for them)
Be carefull! A guy who hang around in the auberge and seems friend with them try to scam hosts with border passage to Senegal! He tried to convince me that the Diama border was closed and that I’ll have to pass at Rosso and that without his “help” I would get stuck there, he could send paper to ministry, blablabla… bullshit! Of course the day after I pass the border at Diama by my own very easily and without paying anything. I heard him proposing his services to German people with 4x4 for 250$ per car! So I’ll ban this place.
Hard to find restaurants except pizzas and snacks… There are groceries and supermarkets around.