Discover the Moorish Sahara
A tough trip for the more adventurous traveller. An unbelievable experience but do not expect great facilities. Remote desert crossing, oasis settlements, away from mainstream civilisation. Stunning landscapes, camel trek and the civilisation of the Moorish nomads of Mauritania. Tarmac and desert piste, expect to have to help get our 4 by 4 truck through massive dunefields.
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Details |
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Price Includes |
(OE-6527-P) |
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Crew : 2 Crew & local guides as necessary. |
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Accommodation : camping |
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Meals included |
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Vehicle: Classic Dragoman truck (4 wheel drive) |
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5 day desert crossing via Atar, the ore town of Choum and the railway to Nouadibou |
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2 day recuperation in the Atlantic Port of Nouadibou |
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3 day trip along the Atlantic beaches where the desert meets the ocean |
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2 night stay at the ancient Ksours of Chinguetti with camel trip into the surrounding dunefields |
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Overnight stay at the stunning remote Saharan oasis of Terjit |
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Price Excludes |
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Please note that Kitty price starts from 150USD and it includes accommodation, camp meals and activities that the group take part in as a whole.
Based on the range that previous travellers have spent on this trip, we recommend you allow between a minimum of US$5 and a maximum of US$15 per day. The minimum is the basic amount a budget traveller would spend on limited drinks and meals when not camping, postcards, laundry, site and museum entrances, etc. The maximum would allow a much more “comfortable†lifestyle as well as covering the cost of optional extras up to US$50. |
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Countries / Places Visited |
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Nouakchott, Ksours of Chinguetti, Dunefields, the Ksour of Ouidane, Atar, Choum, Nouadibou, |
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Activities Included |
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Desert crossing, camel trekking, camping |
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Suitability / Level |
Demanding |
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Theme |
Small Group Travel
(Click to Search All) |
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Itinerary
& Highlights |
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Night 1 - 3: The beginning
Mauritania
Thousands of years ago Mauritania was covered in lush tropical forests and lakes. Today those forests have given way to an expanse of desert, and the lakes are filled with sand dunes. Most of Mauritania is covered by the vast sands of the Sahara and it is through this country that we make our Sahara crossing. This is a hard land to travel through and we stay well off the beaten track. The local people of the area are mainly Islamic with the majority being Moors of Arabic or Berber descent. Many of these are still nomadic or semi-nomadic and
historically were the ruling elite. To look at they are very similar to their cousins the Tuareg. The other indigenous people are the black Africans, who are made out of two distinct groupings. Firstly the Haratin or black Moors who were the slaves of the Moors and so have become culturally and linguistically intermingled with them. The other group are black Mauritanians or the Soudaniens, the peoples who live along the banks of the Senegal River.
Nouakchott
Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania and is the biggest city in the Sahara. It has some great colourful markets where you can buy all sorts of Saharan souvenirs. It also has beaches close to the campsite, some of
which are constantly packed with fishermen of various nationalities.
Terjit Oasis
Heading inland from Nouakchott we head up a good tarmac road towards the desert settlement of Atar. En route we head into the desert along desert piste to find the stunning oasis of Terjit. This classic oasis, with crystal clear waters, Moorish nomads and palmery is exactly as you would imagine a Saharan oasis. Surrounded by towering mountains, two streams dribble down the rocks and pour into a small pool. A small village slumbers on the edge of the oasis. This is a perfect place to chill in the heart of the Sahara.
Nights 4 - 6
The Dunefields & Adrar Mountains & Dunefields
Lying in the heart of the Mauritanian Sahara are the Adrar Mountains. They separate the dunefields of the Majabat El Koubra and Aouker deserts. This is a world that it is hard to believe has ever been inhabited and
yet these dunes conceal four of North Africa’s most important cultural centres: Ouadane and Chinguetti in the north, Tichitt and Oualata in the southeast. These old, stone-built cities date back to the 12th and 13th centuries and were once very prosperous. Today they hardly survive in this harsh environment but so great is their historic and cultural importance, that they have been designated ‘World Heritage Sites’. We will try to visit Chinquetti, historically an important settlements (or Ksours as they are locally known). We may also if time permits visit Ouadane. These ancient ksours were located on major caravan routes, and over the centuries turned into metropolises of trans-Saharan trade, especially in gold and salt. One kilo or salt would be traded for one kilo of gold and the rulers of Chinguetti would tax all traders using their routes. They had long established contacts with Morocco, Egypt and Arabia to the north as well as with the African states of along the Gold Coast, such as Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. Caravans from Chinguetti were often as large as 30,000 camels and besides gold powder and salt they would also carry wool, gunpowder, dates, millet, wheat and barley. From the south, as well as ivory, animal hides and ostrich feathers, the traders would bring one of the most valuable cargos, slaves. Chinguetti is the easiest of the ksours for us to reach but it is still a pretty inaccessible place. These remote ksours are very beautiful with some stunning architecture and buildings. Chinguetti has remains the most prosperous and stable. Music is still part of the soul of these ancient settlements. The local Moorish lute is still commonplace and the music of Vala, a famous musician from Chinguetti can be heard being played all across Mauritania.
Nights 7 - 11: Desert Explorati
Mauritanian Saharan Exploration
Unlike most operators who either miss out Mauritania completely or just travel along the coast, Dragoman prefer to allow our groups to explore this amazing country. We will spend about 6 days exploring the deserts of
the north of the Atar, travelling south of the railway line that links Choum and Nouadhibou. It is impossible to say what exact route will be taken through the desert; much will depend on local driving conditions, wind and rain (yes it does rain in the far south). This railway carries the the iron ore from the mines at Choum to the coast. This is desert exploration with NO tarmac routes and it will be tough. Expect to have to help get the truck unstuck. We will be camping in the wilds of the desert and their will be no facilities for four or five nights.
Nights 12 - 13
Nouadhibou
Nouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and a fairly rich town due to its iron ore shipping trade, also it is famed as a world centre of fishing. This is our entry and exit point to Mauritania in the north of the country. It is also our jumping off point either into the deserts of mauritania or into the no-man's land of the Western Sahara.
Nights 14 - 16
Desert Route & Nouakchott
We now take three days to cross the desert with a guide following a desert track which skirts the bird breeding ground of the Parc National du Banc d'Arguin. This journey is through the kind of desert that most people imagine - vast areas of shifting sands dotted with oases and palm trees, but for the most part utterly barren and totally silent. Camping in the perfect stillness of the desert under a brilliant star-studded sky is an experience you'll never forget. The most amazing part ofthis route however is driving along the beach where the Atlantic meets and Sahara, with the tall dunes of the desert tumbling into the waters of the ocean. Throughout this section of the journey we will encounter small fishing villages and encampments of Moors. At the end of our third day of travelling through the remote lands of the Moors we finally arrive back at our starting point and civilisation, Nouakchott. |
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Accommodation
& Centre Details |
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Half of the nights will be wild camping in the desert and half at campsites. (100% camping) |
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Holidays
Extras |
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