15 Days
4×4 and trekking
Chinguetti – Ouadane – Trekking – Atlantic beach
Cave paintings, views from the port of Amogjar, caravan city, ancient manuscripts, ruins of Ouadane, crater Guelb er Richat “The Eye of Africa”, Maqteir desert, nomads, camels, palm groves, Mauritanian tea ceremony at all hours, Adrar mountains, oasis with thermal baths, Atlantic beach, port and fish market, museum, typical markets
The desert begins immediately after leaving Nouakchott. We will drive along a tar road passing through Akjoujt and the Adrar Mountains until we arrive in Atar. After a stop, we will continue on the track to the old caravan town of Chinguetti. The seventh holiest city of Islam, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Chinguetti has several libraries containing manuscripts of incalculable value. Camping in the dunes around Chinguetti.
From Chinguetti, our journey will take us across 120 km of fesh-fesh, the true sand dune desert without tracks, to experience the isolation of the lost cities of the desert. In Ouadane we will visit the ruins of this old caravan town. Camping in our haima (nomad tent).
Before the intense heat of the day, we will drive to the enormous crater of Guelb er Richat, with a diameter of about 40 Km. In the afternoon we will continue to El Beyed to visit this incredible prehistoric site, which authenticates the presence of human beings in Mauritania as many as 700.000 years ago. Camping in our haima.
Our first visit today, surrounded by the sands of the Maqteïr desert, is Mount Aderg. Afterwards we will drive along the beautiful Sebkhet Chemchane (salt valley) to the village of Jraif, famous for the coranic school of Cheik Mohamed Fadel and its manuscripts. Camping in our haima.
A short ride will take us to Atar, the capital of the Adrar region, home of the largest market in the area. We will drive on through fascinating landscape to the villages of Oujeft and Maaden, where our camel caravan awaits us. Camping in our haima.
Our small caravan will start in Maaden. We will climb the plateau of Taerza, with its alternating stony and sandy areas. Reaching the beautiful palm tree forest of El Gleitat, we will visit its rock paintings and the enormous sand dune field of Amatlich at the bottom of Mount Ibi. Between dunes, palm trees and table mountains our caravan will continue to the breathtaking pass of Tifoujat and the Oued Abiod, the white valley. The seventh day we will arrive in Terjit, a little paradise with an inn under palm trees where we can relax after our efforts in its thermal water pools. The average walking time of this trek is 5-6 hours per day – approximately 15 – 20 Km. Throughout the entire trek we will be camping. The last night of the trek we will sleep in the haimas of the inn in Terjit.
We leave the Adrar Mountains and reach the oasis of Benichab. Here the water is 90 meters deep and is bottled as mineral water for the whole country. Along the dunes, we will arrive in Tiouilit, a small fishing village on the Atlantic Ocean. Here we will look for the perfect beach dune to set up camp.
We will be back in Nouakchott during the morning hours with enough time to visit the markets, the museum and the bustling fishing port. Departure in the evening.
Accommodation:
• 15 nights, 14 days
• 2 hotel nights, 2 in guest houses, 11 camp nights
Minimum group:
• 2 Persons
Includes:
• Airport transfer
• Accommodation
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner (no alcoholic beverages)
• Camping gear (Haima (nomad tent), igloo tent, matresses)
• Transport in 4×4
• Camel guides and camels during the trekking
• Guide
• Cook
• Entrance fees
NOT included:
• Air Ticket and fees
• Visa for Mauritania (120, – Euro at Nouakchott Airport)
• Travel insurance
• Tip
• Any other unspecified cost
Itinerary:
Due to the special nature of the trip, the itinerary may be changed at the discretion of the guide if there are justified grounds to do so. Travelers must be aware that conditions during the itinerary are not always predictable. Potential delays at border, mechanical problems and the poor state of the highways can give rise to undesirable adventures. We will, of course, do everything within our power to minimize any possible inconveniences. .
Accommodations:
The itineraries include descriptions of four types of accommodations:
– hotels, in which you will always be in double occupancy tourist class rooms,
– guest houses with collective rooms, where we try to have maximum two persons
– guest houses with haimas (the typical nomad tents) which are the typical guest houses found in small cities with collective haimas where people sleep in sleeping bags,
– camping in the haimas we take along as part of our equipment or in igloo tents.
The guesthouses generally have common bathrooms and the provision usually includes enough water for a daily “shower” except on long trips where the guide will indicate the scarce water days.
Meals:
Breakfast consists of coffee or tea and bread with jam or cookies. Lunch is picnic style with sandwiches, salads and fruit. In the cities, dinners will be at restaurants where we sample typical dishes such as couscous and rice with fish. On the camping trips, there will be rice, pasta, etc. with vegetables, fresh fruit and of course the typical “mechoui”, roasted lamb.
Guide:
The guide will provide orientation and information throughout the trip as to what is most interesting to see and visit. He will organize the trip and resolve any unexpected events related to the route that may occur.
Group:
The make-up of the group can be quite varied. There may be people of very different ages, experienced and inexperienced travelers, people traveling alone, couples or groups of friends.
Due to the nature of the trip, we suggest having a certain spirit of camaraderie and cooperation in specific tasks such as setting up and taking down tents, clearing up camping equipment, etc.
19.11. – 03.12.2016
24.12. – 07.01.2017
08.04. – 22.04.2017
04.11. – 18.11.2017
23.12. – 06.01.2018
07 – 09 persons: 2.160, – Euro per person
10 – 12 persons: 1.960, – Euro per person
Single room supplement: 100, – Euro
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