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Alsahara
expeditions
MAURITANIA :
TWO WORLDS FRONTIER
- 15 days -
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CIRCUIT Nº 4 (7 days extension)
1 -Flight to Nouakchott. Reception at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
2 -Nouakchott -Terjit. Camp. Full board.
3 -Terjit - Chinguiti. Lodge. Full board.
4 -Chinguiti - Wadan. Lodge. Full board.
5 -Wadan -Tanuchert. Camp. Full board.
6 -Tanuchert - Amodjiar Canyon - Atar. Hotel. Full board.
7 -Atar - Akjujt - Benichab. Camp. Full board.
8 -Benichab - Tiulit beach - Nuamgar - Luik (Banc d’Arguin N.P.). Lodge. Full board.
9 -Banc d’Arguin National Park. Lodge. Full board.
10 -Banc d’Arguin N. P. -Timirist cape - Nuakchott. Hotel. Breakfast.
11 -Nouakchott - Butilimitt. Camp. Full board.
12 -Butilimitt - Rkiz - Mederdra - Keur Massene. Camp. Full board.
13 -Keur Massene (National Park Diawling). Camp. Full board.
14 -N.P. Diawling - Nouakchott. Hotel. Breakfast.
15 -Nouakchott - Return flight. Breakfast.
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For many people the Sahara desert is nothing else than a set of dunes to the infinite. A daring traveller will feel stimulated by the variety of landscapes continuously changing and will reach an exciting condition that will let him or her to enjoy all the aspects of this bare world. Here the mountains and the plains, the rocks and the sand, the wind and the sun, all elements blend together in this fantastic setting. You’ll hear the disconcerting sound of the silence that wander about this territory heavily populated in days gone by, when hunters ran across large green meadows and where their marks can be still found today. The desert shows up itself like the biggest outdoor museum that we can imagine.
Here we’ll find the living history in the way of other cultures with lifestyle models already forgotten by the western world. The nomads, in their isolation and with their ferocious will of preserving their identity, are the last keepers of traditions that date back to the dawn of the humanity. We are still in time to learn many things from them. | | Prices of land services | - Per person in double room: 1755 Eur (2 pers) - 1560 Eur (3 to 6 pers) - 1365 Eur(7 to 15 pers)
- Regular Tour: 1300 Eur per person.
- 325 Eur extra per person in single room.
| | Departure Dates | - Dates of Regular tours with guaranteed departures (from 2 to 15 pers):
2007: 30/06, 07/07, 21/07, 04/08, 11/08, 14/08, 01/09, 08/09, 15/09, 06/10,20/10, 31/10, 01/11, 17/11, 30/11, 01/12, 22/12, 26/12 & 28/12
2008: 05/01, 19/01, 02/02, 16/02, 01/03, 15/03, 20/03, 05/04, 19/04, 30/04, 10/05 & 24/05
| | Services included | - -Full board except in Nuakchott.
- -Accommodation as specified. Double rooms with bathroom and air conditioning in Hotels.
- -Camping equipment : double or individual tents, mats and kitchenware.
- -4x4 cars fully equipped for crossing the desert: Toyota Land Cruiser or Toyota Hilux pick-up with double cabin or similar. Each vehicle carrying 4, 5 or 6 people depending the car type.
- -Local French/English speaking guide-drivers with a large experience in tourism and a wide knowledge of the desert. Some of them with a basic knowledge of Spanish.
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| Services not included | - -Mauritanian Visa.
- -Museum fees. National Parks fees: Banc d'arguin (10 Eur), Diawling (10 Eur).
Sail rental (75 Eur for 7 people) - -Drinks and spring water. Tips.
- -Meals in Nouakchott.
- -Any other expense not specified.
| | Itinerary | - Day 1- NOUAKCHOTT.
Reception at Nouakchott airport and transfer to the Hotel.
- Day 2- NOUAKCHOTT - TERJIT. Full board. 436 Km (270 Miles), 4/5 hours.
Once we pass Akjoujt plains the road climbs up the Adrar Mountains with their particular shapes to end in the small village of Terjit where we’ll find a green and leafy oasis squeezed between the mountains with hot spring waters and a nice pool for bathing. The place looks like it had been taken from one of the tales of "The Thousand and One Nights". Overnight in a camp with traditional tents.
- Day 3- TERJIT - CHINGUITI. Full board. 125 Km (77 Miles), 4/5 hours.
We’ll leave this beautiful place. As the road ends in Atar we’ll keep climbing along a winding track to reach the Ebdu pass and shortly after Chinguiti surrounded by the dunes. This is the 7th holy city in the Islam world. It is an oasis lost in the border of the huge “Erg”. In the past it was the true capital of the Moor people but today is a dying city being sadly covered by the inexorable advance of the sand dunes. The city was declared by the UNESCO part of the humanity heritage and since 1981 several houses are being restored, where there still are some private libraries belonging to the families of the tradesman that lived in the city in the caravans ages. In the outskirts under the palm trees vegetable gardens grow up surronding by the dunes. Overnight in a lodge.
- Day 4- CHINGUITI - WADANE. Full board. 120 Km (74 Miles), 4/5 hours.
Following the “Batha” (watercourse) bed we’ll get into the green vegetable gardens towards Erg Ouarane, one of the most beautiful landscapes of the Sahara. We’ll drive almost all the time across the sand dunes without any track as a reference. Fifty kilometres (31 miles) after we’ll reach the dead village of Tinigui where still a holy family lives close to a well. This family removes the devil from the soul with particular and effective techniques. The inhabitants of this land are camel and goat shepherds who live with just the basic things to survive in this hard environment. Meeting with them will be unforgettable. The city of Wadane suddenly appears in a natural walled hill that dominates an oasis grew in the down watercourse. In the ghostly remains of the old village it can be felt the isolation of the missing cities of the desert. We’ll visit the local museum having a look to the large collection of handwritten books and documents and other equipment of its glorious past. Overnight in a lodge. - Day 5- WADAN - TANUCHERT. Full board. 80 Km (50 Miles). 3/4 hours.
Nearby Wadan there is a peculiar crater landform called Guelb er Richat whose origin is uncertain, being the most accepted theory a meteorite crash. To have an idea of its dimension it should be seen from the air since from land is not possible. The long valley of the Wadi of Ouadane goes to the East close to the crater to get lost in the desert soon after. In that dry river-bed is The fort of Aghouedir, built by the sultan of morocco in the cross tracks used by the caravans. For that mission the Sultan sent some soldiers commanded by Xoder Pacha, an andalusian “morisco” (baptized Moor) that together with many others was thrown out of Christian Spain in XVII Century. We’ll keep driving passing by nomad camps nearby the well of Hassi Tiba. Again cutting across the dunes we'll head towards Jebel Herrour, a narrow mountain range that cuts the erg in half, reaching the oasis of Tanuchert. Overnight in a camp with traditional tents. - Day 6- TANUCHERT - AMODJIAR PASS - ATAR. Full board. 170 Km (106 Miles). 5 hours.
Leaving the sand behind we’ll drive along a stony track towards Amodjiar Canyon where in the rock shelters primitive people left their history painted in the walls. Giraffes, elephants, cattle and dancers will make us to revive the wet past of this impressive territory. Afterwards we’ll walk a few kilometres down the canyon pass to enjoy the amazing views. Back into the car and at the end of the track we’ll reach Atar, the capital of the region, where we’ll do a visit to the local market in the late afternoon, always well supplied with goods from Trans Saharan trade. Overnight in a hotel. - Day 7- ATAR - BENICHAB. Full board. 330 Km (200 Miles). 6 hours.
From Atar we will visit Azugui, the former capital of the Adrar, where within its walls and under the shade of the palm trees people still honour the tombs of Almoravide warriors that went to Spain in the XI Century. Across the stony valleys of Adrar we’ll reach Akjujt, a village almost abandoned where there are still old gold and copper mines. From there we’ll keep going to the west towards Benichab. The access to the village is not an easy matter due to the fact that it is surrounded by numerous dunes. Camp. - Day 8- BENICHAB - LUIK (BANC D’ARGUIN NACIONAL PARK). Full board. 250 Km (156 miles). 6 hours.
Without tracks to follow and just keeping a S-W heading parallel to a string of dunes we’ll get closer to the sea. Skirting former lakebeds after 100km (62 miles) we’ll finally find the village of Tiulit in the coast. Afterwards we’ll run along the beach, something that can be only done in low tide, to get in Nuamgar where the entrance to the Banc d'Arguin National Park is. The inhabitants of this place are the Imraguen fishermen, a small community of 500 black people full time dedicated to fishing using very old techniques, helped by the dolphins. We'll visit Timirist Cape and the village of Iouik, a fantastic shelter for migratory birds. Lodge with traditional tents. - Day 9- BANC D'ARGUIN NATIONAL PARK.
Free day to walk around this palce and watch the see birds. In Luik the Imraguen fishermen offer trips around the islands in rudimentary sailing boats. Lodge with traditional tents.
- Day 10- BANC D’ARGUIN N.P. - TIMIRIST - NUAMGAR - NOUAKCHOTT. Full board. 280 Km (192 miles). 5/6 hours.
Leaving Luik and bordering the park marshes we will visit other places where the Imraguen are. The track pass near the isle of Tidra. From Tessot on the dunes move towards the sea following the direction of the main winds (N-E). To leave Timirist Cape we’ll need to cross the peninsula of Rgueiba. The blue sea contrasts with the sand dunes where the waves break, a pretty landscape frame to end our trip across this country where you can still feel a medieval lifestyle. The Paris-Dakar rally used to give us some crazy shots of these beaches along where we’ll come back to Nouakchott. Free evening to rest and hang around the always interesting hustle and bustle market and fishing port. Hotel.
- Day 11- NOUAKCHOTT - BUTILIMIT. Full board. 155 Km (96 Miles). 3 hours.
We'll rest in the morning and after lunch we'll leave Nouakchott using the Trans-Mauritania road, also called "hope road", a very important road built with European Union funds with many recent settlements of nomads that went there during the drought years and who begin to discover the sedentary and urban life. The first part of the road cross big dune strings N-S oriented which leave corridors in between where the settlements are. We'll get into the big Trarza Erg where an important emirate grew up long time ago. The road is often cover by the sand. Butilimit is one of the most traditional villages in the country built with clay. We'll camp in a group of dunes near the city. Camping.
- Day 12- BUTILIMIT - RKIZ - MEDERDRA - KEUR MASSENE. Full board. 260 Km (161 Miles). 6 hours.
Through an amazing track that runs over the dune strings we'll get into a region where we will see more and more trees –acacias- as we go in. Yes, we’ll be entering the Sahel hence we’ll see this territory more populated by the Trarza nomads many of whom still keep their mother tongue, the Berber, since this old emirate wasn’t conquered by the warrior tribe of the Hassanies who brought the Arabic language to this part of Africa. Further south we’ll cross a thick forest to get on the Senegal river banks. From there we’ll run straight to the west until the comfortable Keur Massene site camp.
- Day 13- KEUR MASSENE (N.P. DIAWLING) Full board.
Walk around the National Park where we’ll watch plenty of birds and many other animals. We’ll continue untill reach a group of bug dunes. Camping.
- Day 14- KEUR MASSENE - NOUAKCHOTT. Breakfast. 240 Km (149 Miles). 4 hours.
Leaving the green area of the Park we will head back to the north into the desert to return to the capital Nouakchott. Hotel.
- Day 15- NOUAKCHOTT.
Transfer to the airport and boarding assistance to the return flight. End of our service.
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Nouakchott, Mauritanie
MCAT/D.Tourisme nº57
Zone Art. 31 B.P. 419
Phone: +222 6306207
Fax: +222 5295527 |
alsahara @ alsahara.com
| Europe Sales & Marketing
Director: J.L. Escolano
Madrid, Spain
Phone: +34 91 5474794
fax: +34 91 5594394
escolano@alsahara.com
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