Advice route Netherlands-Sierra Leone rainy season
 

Dear all,

Looked for as much advice as I can find on this but info is outdated or sketchy.
Last year I drove with a Nissan Patrol GR 2.8 TD HR 1997 to Sierra Leone, though it was in February and the roads were good (for African standards).
Here my itinerary from last year:

Dag 10: Laayoune- Dakhla 4900km
Dag 11: Dakhla-Nouadhibou 5350km
Dag 12: Nouadhibou-Tiguent 5800km
Dag 13: Tiguent-Diama (Senegal) 6000km
Dag 14: Diama-Dakar 6300km
Dag 15: Dakar (Plage de Ngor)
Dag 16: Dakar-Dar Salam 6850km (national park: Niokolo Koba)
Dag 17: Dar Salam-Koundara 7000km (national park, off the road). "Geen officiële grensovergang". Guinee.
Dag 18: Koundara-Dalaba 7350km
Dag19: Dalaba-Sainya, Sierra Leone 7550km
Dag 20: Sainya- aankomst Yele 7800km.

This year I am going again with (another) Nissan Patrol, Gr 2.8 TD HR, 1997. (I will stay 2 years in Salone and import it again).
And I am planning my route a bit. I will leave the Netherlands the beginning of august and plan to arrive in Sierra Leone mid September.
My only (little) worry is the rain and arranging a passavant into Guinee and Sierra Leone. I will not drive with a carnet. Anyone has any good contacts at the borders?
I have contacts at Diama border (Zargane) and Guinee Koundara (Foinke).
Which route and border crossings would you guys advise me during the rainy period? (Last time we crossed the border with Guinee through the national park, which will not be possible during rainy season).

Any help, tips, contacts (to stay f.ex) are more than welcome!

Cheers!

I have contacts at Diama border (Zargane) and Guinee Koundara (Foinke).


Diama should be ok to cross I would think, even in the rains ... but I'm more interested in your comment about Zargane who for the last 6 months has been taking 250€ from people at Diama, despite promising to do it at 150€ if people were in touch in advance!

Zargane seems to be in cahoots with the customs guys at Diama, please help us all out here if you have other ideas!

Hi Creer,

Yeah that I have him as a contact doesn't make him a friend. Last year we camped at the border because we refused to pay the demanded 300e for a police escort to the guinean border. The next day the customs gave us contact details of this Zargane, I had to take a taxi to St. Louis and get a bunch of stamps, also from higher custom officials and still had to pay a 150euro for a 5 day passavant. Really annoying. But it is true there is a law that prohibits cars older than 10 years (which my car obviously is). And 150 euro is still better than arranging a carnet.
Any tips for the other border crossings?
Like: how is the road from koundara to labe in the rainy season? Are they still working on it?
Dalaba (Madina Walu)-Sainya or through Conakry-Freetown? (more annoying officials I can imagine but better roads).

Since you are going to Sierra Leone and dont need to see Senegal, there is the possibility of going straight from Mauretania to Mali.
One possibility is Kiffa-Kankossa-Kayes.
The other is Selibaby - Melgue - Kayes.
This means about 70 kms easy off road, with a few oueds to pass.
Havent done this in rainy season though.
These border crossings are a breeze compared to Senegal.

Could be an option, though, I am a bit concerned about safety in Mali at the moment (probably nothing to worry about staying south of Bamako). And how to travel best from Kayes to the Guinean border?
If anyone has experience doing this during rainy period it would be really helpfull. Thnx

Diama in the Wet
 

Hi All,

I know most of the road to Diama has now been upgraded, but I thought the last 50kms (approx) through the National Park/Wetlands was still dirt? (i.e. that raised section with the steep bank that drops down to the water).

If that last section before the border is still not paved, I would advise against taking this road in the wet. I've done it several times and it is risky, it turns into a greasy muddy mess! I've seen locals abandon their vehicles having a go at getting through after getting hopelessly stuck.

Admittedly I've always driven this in a truck and not a 4x4 off roader but it is not much fun in the wet...

If the road has been sorted all the way then no worries!

Driving through west Mali is not a problem securuty-wise, no more than Senegal. No kidnappings.

There are new roads being built from Kayes south to Kenieba.
From Kenieba on to Guinea I am not sure, as I have never been that way.
There are roads on the map, but probably not paved and perhaps just mud tracks. Larger road is going over Kedogou in the corner of Senegal.
These Senegalese borders are much more pleasant to cross than the north.

It would take three days from Nouakchott to Guinea, about the same as going over Rosso/Diama then.

They might have been over-zealous, but I was in Nouakchott with Mauritanian govt. colleagues aiming to head for Mali via Ayoun - I was told in no uncertain terms NOT to go that way and they'd get the military to turn me around if I attempted it. I talked to a few others in Nouakchott who also advised me against it. Malian friends were relieved that I didn't go that way when I spoke to them in Bamako, the area around Nema isn't good at the moment!

Sadly that means meeting your friend Zargane though!!!

Hatter - Park Guide I gave a lift to before Diama told me that the (non-4x4) van would have made it in the rainy season too ... hence my reply here!

Haven't heard of any restrictions going over Ayoun the last few years, most of the traffic going to Bamako is taking this the "Route d'ëspoir".
I would be interested in knowing if one can bypass Senegal by going this route over Kiffa-Kankossa-Kayes or Selibaby-Melgue-Kayes in the rainy season, and then if there is a border post for Guinea in this corner of Mali. Otherwise one would have to go Bamako and south from there.

Creer, thanks for the clear advise. I will go over Diama again, just prepare for some delay possibly going with a cab to St. Louis again arranging the papers. I will try to contact Zargane before arriving there.
Any other tips for border crossings senegal Guinea in the rainy season?
And border crossing Guinea- Sierra leone in the rainy season?
And what about the border officials on the highway Conakry-Freetown are they nice?

Cheers

Senegal-Guinea: the Senegal side will be ok as the road is mostly new-ish tar. Quite a bit of the road on the Guinea side down to Labe is paved, but there is still a section before Labe through the hills that is dirt. Can be tough in the wet but there's always vehicles going through. They are working on the road.

Guinea-Sierra Leone: Pamelap border crossing is pain free and straightforward and the border officials are fine.

Suggest you wear your seatbelt and stop at any 'STOP' signs on the road towards the border at Pamelap as the police are dotted along this road and like to pull you over!

If this rort is going to be an ongoing rip-off, what is needed is some way of older vehicle owners collaborating to pass the border in a group and share this forced cost of an escort.


Persistence.

border
 

Hi Guys , is this rip of at the border apply to motorcycle too or just truck.
Thanks
Hendi

Well an escort is really not advisable if you want to visit the country....They can give you a passavant as well. But still, it is good to collaborate with other people if possible. Though, I don't know how many old (european) vehicles are planning to cross mid august but they are more than welcome to send me a private message to see if we can push (which will take time...) the officials to let us share the costs.

Passavant
 

On entering Senegal a Passavant valid max. 10 days. Irrespective of age is issued. This can be renewed 2 times 15 days each. Gives a maximum of 40 days. In Diama and Rosso there is touts in cahouts with customs to extort funny amounts of Euros of unsuspecting tourists. Its a scam. The cost for 10 days is 5000 cfa. Renewal is FREE. This can be done at the regional customs at Ziguinchor Dakar and St. Louis. It is true however, that the IMPORTATION of vehicles older than 10 years is forbidden. Just go YOURSELF to customs and ask for a Passavant. I drive a Nissan Patrol GR 2.8td 1993 with gambian plates. The traffic police is Senegal is on the take. Make sure that:
You wear seat belt At ALL times
Carry 2 TWO warning triangles
1 fire extinguisher
Make sure All lights are working including wiper washer !
Pay no more than 3000 cfa bribe !
The african official uses delay tactics. By showing you hv more time they quickly drop the price. Just unpack your tea kit or go for a cafe touba. Works like a charm.

If you state transit you might get only 2 to 3 days. Road condition to Salone except stretch under construction from koundara to labe should be trouble free. But with 4x4 i see no problem. I also hv info about passavant for Bissau.
Planning to visit Sweet Salone by road in January