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
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Kankossa, no crossing for cars

by sachara

We passed Kankossa at the westside. After we spent the night in the acacia woodlands, we discovered early in the morning a track to the Karokoro river at the eastside, We found out, that there was a lot of water in the river, so we couldn´t cross the river with our two cars.At the riverbank we saw these nicily decorated pirogues in bright colours. There were no boatsmen around, but we hadn´t time to spend here or to cross either, because we had to reach Kiffa in time and to continue to Tidjikja the same day.

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Kankossa, wetlands

by sachara

In the area around Kankossa in the south of Mauritania is a permanent wetland of about 1500 ha. This wetland is situated in the valley of the Karokoro, which seasonal river flows from Kiffa to the Senegal river west of Kayes. The river is frequently blocked by sand deposits, but in years of high rainfall the river can fill up to 50 km north of Kankossa. In the centre of the depression around Kankossa is a vegetation of acacia woodland. In the water you can find water-lilies. And the banks of the wetland are lined with vegetable gardens. And livestock find here a year-round supply of water.

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Nomad tents in the south

by sachara

Travelling the first KMs in the south of Mauritania, we had sandy tracks, sometimes in ondulating grasslands, sometimes in the sand.Instead of small villages with thatched roofs like in Mali, we saw at this side of the border Mali-Mauritania the first white nomadic tents in different sizes and forms. Now we knew for sure, that we arrived in Mauritania.

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Bordertown in the south, Ouid Yenjé

by sachara

From Kayes in Mali we decided to take the track straight to the north in the direction of Kiffa in Mauritania. Concerning the map we should pass Aourou in Mali and Kankossa in Mauritania for the border formalities.It was a picturesque track, passing a wonderful landscape with many baobab trees, dry riverbeds and lovely Malinese villages like Djeribou and Karakora. In the villages the friendly people showed us the next track in the direction of Kankossa and Kiffa. But at the end the tracks we took leaded too much to the west. After people showed us a crossing point in a river, we arrived in Ouid Yenjé.At the police post in the village they said '' Welcome, you are in Mauritania, this is Ouid Yenjé''. Leaving Mali, we didn't see any Malinese police post or bordertown at all. Ouid Yenjé is a small dusty town without any or many facilities. After the stamps and formalities in the small...

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Off the beaten path is...

by pmeurice

Off the beaten path is everywhere, but go near Nouakchott to the daily coloured fishing expedition of the Mauritanian sailors, that is people who are launching pirogues in the ocean risking their life every time... incredible live show.

Ouadane Ouadane Ouadane has...

by titti

Ouadane Ouadane Ouadane has some of the most impressive ruins in Mauritania: ancient walls, old mosque, and houses of former inhabitants. Unfortunately it is being completely destroyed, since people moved to Atar looking for job and leaving the old city almost completely desert.

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Chinguetti About 700 years...

by titti

Chinguetti About 700 years old. Unfortunately the old city has almost completely been abandoned since the camel caravan disappeared.Ancient builing are being completely ruined by carelessness since a lot of people moved to Nouanchott or the new town. Sand is everywhere. Walk around with no destination and be captured by the magic atmosphere. Touristically speaking, the main attraction is the old mosque. However the entrance is forbidden for non muslim.

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Tidjikja Founded in 1680,...

by titti

Tidjikja Founded in 1680, Tidjikja is on the road from Nouanchott (610 Km), to Chinguetti (350 km). Lively market where to buy food and water, before moving to the desert. The old mosque is off limits to non–Muslim. If you’re lucky (and show respect), you could be invited to visit a house. It’s interesting to see that people didn’t completely lose their nomadic habits; they set tents in the courtyard and still perform many domestic activities there.

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I´m not going to recomend a...

by ctv881

I´m not going to recomend a exact place to go, what i think most of people miss when going there it´s people interaction. It´s not enough going there just for doing a nice tour, camels or some other exciting experience at the desert, but for me the best moments of my trip were to share activities or whatever with different cultures, not only maures but also other black tribes in the south. Do not miss.A place which is not usually visited is Diawling National Park which is close to Keur Massene (small town at the southwest).Very interesting (sensational birdwatching)And finally, i recommend you to see fishers arrival (aprox. 17:00 p.m.) at Nouakchott. Perhaps the only it´s worthy at this big city. The contrast of colours and atmosphere is great.

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through Mauretania by car

by jigeen

When it comes to security, Mauretania is not very safe at the moment. Also, it is very risky to do this trip alone. A convoy with good landrovers and people who have technical skills will be helpful.

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

The Place

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

Experience Mauritania
 

Questions and Answers

christinenoel profile photo

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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