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Hi every one, we are after as much information as possible for a trip we are doing in 2009 from Blackpool to Banjul. We are travelling through France, Spain, & Portugal, Then on to Africa, Morrocco, Western Sahara / Mauritania, Senagal, & finally The Gambia. We would welcome any travel advice, roads, stopovers, avoidances, In fact ANY INFORMATION particulaly for the African leg. Many Thanks Sandy

Are you by any chance getting carried away with "Long Way Down"

PS. Welcome to the Crazy Club

Actually NO just to many flights over these countries, now its time to see and touch

Be oh so careful crossing the desert,when I crossed on the difficult route de tezenrouf from Sothern Algeria to Goa in Mali the local police checked the vehicle all over to ensure we had enough fuel and water.Quite reassuring.

Navigation is key especially if you have a sandstorm,visability when we crossed was down to under a 100 yards for three days in a row which made the metal markers spaced at one kilometer intervals invisable.

During that crossing three French gentleman we had meet in a landy got lost and disorientated,there bodies were found two weeks latter.Crossing the sahara is not to be taken lightly.

During the day theres an incessent wind that blows preatty much all the time,the flys during the day will drive you nuts but nightime in the Sahara is utterly magical,the lack of pollution make the stars look close enough to touch.It does get cold,down to freezing when I crossed in late November.

We also had an awful rain storm that caused bad flash floods,no people hurt but we lost some possesions.

By the time we reached the s-Sahara we were driving across millions and millions of dead or dying locusts.Also when camping in the rock desert we found large areas infested with Scorpions while other areas were free so before pitching camp have a close look at the lye of the ground.

Having said all that im glad I crossed the biggest desert in the world,it gives you a tremendous sense of achievment.Have a peep at my homepage for some photos.

No advice but it sounds like and amazing trip.  I hope when you do it you keep a diary and post it so we can all read about your big adventure.

Valerie

Travel in Africa is dangerous theres always some petty police/army/border guard looking for a bribe on some trumped up offense,think ive been arrested in Africa for non existent offences about a dozen times.

You will also be threatened with physical violence,get ill get ripped off and have peeps trying to steal things.Its all part of the adventure.

Food and water cant be trusted,many of the dates in the area are riddled with maggots and the rice can have incredable long worms in.

Most of the sahara is in fact a rock desert with relatively little sand,we drove for 7 days dawn to dusk over the great central rock plateau without seeing a hill,a sand-dune,a tree.A totally flat featurless void.

Have you experience of travel in remote or underdeveloped areas?Africa is far harder to travel in than South-America or Asia,its like nowhere else.

Hi psandy60

You can do it the hard way and fight your way over dunes and through sand storms, die from lack of water or food poisoning etc etc.......OR, you can take the route you mention, as it is tarmac all/most of the way...[did it last spring and going again in a few weeks]. That is not to say it will not be a great adventure........For real info you are on the wrong site. Try sahara-overland.com and chat to the experts.

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Hi Debbym, i think i sent you an e-mail to your homepage address if you read this can you let me know if you can help

many thanks sandy