Mauritania Off The Beaten Path

  Plenty of diesel and petrol. Pic by...
by pfsmalo
 
  • Plenty of diesel and petrol. Pic by hpy36.
      Plenty of diesel and petrol. Pic by...
    by pfsmalo
  • Sandstorm close by the Gare du Nord.
      Sandstorm close by the Gare du Nord.
    by pfsmalo
  • First pothole!! 2 rims in one go!!!!!
      First pothole!! 2 rims in one go!!!!!
    by pfsmalo
  • The Gare du Nord.
      The Gare du Nord.
    by pfsmalo
  • Another of the many Malian refugees in Mauritania.
      Another of the many Malian refugees in...
    by pfsmalo
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Tidjikja - Chinquetti, start of our deserttrip

by sachara

After we picked up our guide Baba, we finally started our deserttrip from Tidjikja to Chinquetti. One of the main reasons for me to come to Mauritania, was that this area intrigued me allready for a long time.Entering the desert, we saw this large empty area in front of us. Here we would travel for the next days till we should reach the desert towns in the north. I felt excited, but also curious, if we would manage.The track looked rather clear, but within a hour we didn't see the first car with Baba anymore and took the wrong track. We looked for a small dune and from here we saw the dust moving ........ the first car was coming back to look after us. In the meantime we got stuck in the soft sands near that dune and we had to push our car out. Luckily it was the first and last time, we had to do this .. The only problem was, that we forgot to turn the 4WD pins in the wheels. The...

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Entering Mauritania from Mali

by sachara

From Ouid Yenjé at the Malinese border we could easily follow the tracks in the grasslands. We drove first in the west direction and bended later more to the north. The only thing we knew, we must be somewhere between Sélibabi in the south and Kankossa in the north.It was really pleasant to drive in this grassy ondulating landscape in the late afternoon. More to the north in the direction of Kankossa the landscape changed into sandy plains with small trees without grass.We judged, that the distance to Kiffa was still about 100 KM, but Kankossa must be near. We decided to drive till dusk. We didn't reach Kankossa or maybe we missed it, so we made a bushcamp somewhere between the trees beside the track.

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Gueltat Zemmour ->To Layoune

by johnsakura

We got permission and headed to Gueltat Zemmour with army 4x4 on the front of us. Due to much sand also in this part (no road exists, or many parts are really in bad shape that is better to go into the sand), again my friends had to jump off the car and be transported on the army Toyota until Layoune.I hope this will help someone travelling to this region. Be careful and enjoy.

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“Le Mure” -> Way to Gueltat Zemmour

by johnsakura

You get to the wall and you have to deliver your passport to the Moroccan authorities. You stay under Moroccan army custody maybe even for a few days. Don’t go out of the asphalt as it has lots of land mines. You have to wait maybe up to a few days to get the permission to go inside morocco with army convoy just for you until Layoune to get a stamp from the airport costumes.This Moroccan army people are gentle polite and love to talk to someone, as it passes weeks in a row where they don’t see nothing exiting or new like a group of scared tourist coming from Mauritania hehehe.We were given water (which was already over for many hours), cheese, fresh bread and very tasty olives. WELCOME TO MOROCCO AND WONDERFUL PEOPLE!we camped in a small area free of mines.continues on next tip

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Fortress on the border -> “Le Mure" 36kms

by johnsakura

Fortress on the border with Western Sahara -> “Le Mure”NO Man’s LAND. BE careful be careful be careful. mines, pirates… old asphalt road broken by explosions at least 4 times until the “WALL”. 2 of the times was quite hard to pass. about 36kms.continues on next tip

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Bir Moghrein -> Fortress on the border +-56km

by johnsakura

Bir Moghrein -> Fortress on the border with Western Sahara (on Michelin Map it’s the star)We had to make 96km until a place known has "Le Mure" or "the wall" which consists of a thousand km wall separating Morocco from the land mines of the Western Sahara land, full of Front Polisario activist and many pirates that can appear and try to kidnap you or rob you in the middle of the desert.From Bir Moghrein to “the wall” was about 40km.There are blue marks for UN free of mines tracks that can be easily be done with 4x4. Altough some landmines mysteriously change place…This blue marks are just a few pilled stones on the floor that are painted in blue.There's a point on the map that you can see that is a star. That start is a local of interest. Here on the picture you can see which one is it. Its the exact point where Mauritania ends, and the no man's land between Morocco and lost and...

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In Bir Moghrein

by johnsakura

We got to the police check point on the town and stayed there until they stamped our passports out, and we knew that was going to be the beginning of our big adventure as there is no entry police control stop on the Mauritanian side and also on the Moroccan border. No man's land was coming.Right as you arrive in the village you have to make yourself a presentation to the police station. this may take a few hours and they will stamp your passpor and write something that you have arrive in Bir Moghrein. Stamp from the Bir Moghrein Army Post date etc...continues on next tip

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Zouerat -> Bir Moghrein +-440km (part 3)

by johnsakura

So this picture is from the cafe or restaurant on top of the Rich Mountains. This is the only stop existing in the way. Lots of kms without a living soul but here, incredible...This is divided in different parts. right side for tea and business men like Saharawis and Polisario. Then goes for a small shop with some food water and and other goods, then goes to the women part, men not alowed and like a hotel on the last door. sleeping area.continues on next tip

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Zouerat -> Bir Moghrein +-440km (part 2)

by johnsakura

Half the way you pass the Rich Mountains, where on top you have a small café that usually have some Polisario taking some tea, painting new car plates with new numbers. No I think this is where the problem can be for many people. This is one of the dangers, as many people know that many old Polisario fighters from the old times are very nice and believe in victory for Western Sahara in the future. This are good working people fighting for their belief. But also remember that Polisario has a lot, a lot of smugglers, criminals and bandits assassins that kidnap and kill… Also the young generation of Polisario are quite rude and don’t know what they are fighting for… (Again personal opinion after being with then for many hours. They were rude, opposite to the older guys who were very polite and talk about their beliefs, but not the young ones.)We were taken inside this wrecked house in the...

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Zouerat -> Bir Moghrein +-440km (part 1)

by johnsakura

I was coming by a small car and my friends which had to switch to a Toyota pick up truck due to the extreme weight on our small car, too much weight for the desert tracks that connected Zouerat to Bir Moghrein, making the total of 440km of tracks. After two days of discussion in Zouerat trying to head north to Morocco, finally we got a option. Moulay Sheriff was very friendly and helpful and got us a solution to put all our cargo and 2 people inside a local bus pick up truck. The car now would only go with 2 people inside which would be much better to drive on the desert tracks and the enormous amount of sand also found on the way. each person paid 1500UM for the 440km journey that too almost 20 hours. For me, well, I was the one driving, but for the ones on top of the truck, that was a hard journey.This is indeed the most impressive of all landscapes in Mauritania and indeed one of the...

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Unique Places in Mauritania

Top 3 Hotels in Mauritania

NOVOTEL NOUAKCHOTT  Nouakchott

 1 Review and 13 Opinions  Comfortable like all of them, this Novotel is a quite recent building in the centre of Nouakchott... 

 Hotels in Nouakchott

MERCURE NOUAKCHOTT MARHABA 3M  Nouakchott

 1 Review and 18 Opinions  When I arrived Nouakchott to settle there, I had to stay 6 weeks in the hotel. Services is OK,... 

 Hotels in Nouakchott

Hotel Ikrama  Nouakchott

 5 Opinions

 Hotels in Nouakchott

6 Hotels in Mauritania
 
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Reviews and photos of Mauritania attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Mauritania sightseeing.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Mauritania
  1. Nouadhibou Off The Beaten Path
  2. Nouakchott Off The Beaten Path
  3. Bir Moghrein Off The Beaten Path
  4. Akjoujt Off The Beaten Path
  5. Atar Off The Beaten Path
  6. Chinguetti Off The Beaten Path
  7. Terjit Off The Beaten Path
  8. Rosso Off The Beaten Path
  9. El Mamghar Off The Beaten Path

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Popular Regions in Mauritania

Region de Dakhlet Nouadhibou Off The Beaten Path  Region de l' Inchiri Off The Beaten Path  Region du Tiris Zemmour Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Greetings! I have a friend living in Nouakchott, and I'd like to visit her. I'm living in NY now, and I worry a bit about... 

sphynxxs profile photo

A: Well, as a foreigner you will stand out. but if you will stay in Nouakchoutt, security concerns should not keep you away. There are certainly areas to avoid as a... 

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