Travel Blog » Africa » Mauritania

Mauritania Travel Blogs

Background: Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA siezed power in a coup in 1984. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions. For now, however, Mauritania remains, a one-party state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black population and the Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.

Mauritania

Hostels in Mauritania
Latest Mauritania Blog Entries
Mauritania Photos

By Adventurouspirits
January 19th 2010

Mauritania a Country of Sand Africa » Mauritania

Senegal across the RIver

Mauritania For more details see our website www.adventurouspirits.com We had decided not to spend too much time in Mauritania due to the current political situation. The country has recently had a coup and although it appears to stable, there were 12 Mauritania soldiers killed in Western Mauritania the week before and tourism has suffered since the murder of a French family traveling through Mauritania. There is an 8 km sandy track through no-mans land between Morocco and Mauritania. We had been told only to drive the track with a guide as the area is heavily mined. But it was a [View Full Entry]

By Hobsausage
December 20th 2009

Mauritania Africa » Mauritania

No Mans land

Mauritania - 16 Days We crossed no mans land, the several kilometre wide area between the disputed borders between Morocco and Mauritania. It was pretty eirie at the border with so many exploded and abandoned cars and so many people in the middle of fluffing nowhere queing to enter Mauritania. Nouadhibou didnt have much to see but interestingly there were loads of shipwrecks off the coast that were used in insurance scams and we ended up staying with a really friendly guy from Senegal who gave us his house in the shanty town for a night, he went and stayed with [View Full Entry]

By stu dowell
December 15th 2009

Mauritania to Marrakesh in one easy lesson Africa » Mauritania

always there

Last night was spent at Camping Abba in Nouadibou, hit the town for a Chinese and a beer , returned home and snuggled up to the cockroaches and set myself for an early start.Well before dawn I awoke, don't know if it was excitement or apprehension, either way as soon as first light broke I was on the road. Got to the border post and filtered past the trucks, thought it was 24hr obviously not. Just as I got to the barrier a guard nodded and lifted it, I was first in, through the myriad of douane/police/customs/moneychangers and I was into [View Full Entry]

By stu dowell
November 25th 2009

Mauritania and the Sahara Desert Africa » Mauritania

Bedouin camping

Good day today all told, nice breakfast, chilled start to the day and rattled off 250km's, filled up and did another 100km by this time it was getting rather warm and the scenery had definitely moved into the desert/dune territory. Intuition told me to fill up at this little filling station even though 1/3rd full, good job i did because it was another 200Km before fuel, did pass one in the desert but had been shut for a considerable time looking at it.Was getting well into the afternoon and wanted to get to Tan Tan as was recommended an Auberge there, [View Full Entry]

By Bjorndahl
July 11th 2009

Finished in the Desert for Now Africa » Mauritania » Adrar » Chinguetti

Ancient City of Chingetti

So I have finished up my time in the desert with a camel ride in the Sahara around Chingetti. Left at 5 am and arrived in the nice quite town for about 7am. Was waived through all the checkpoints because our guide is a popular man (as he told us when he first met us). Spent most of the day relaxing and getting to know our roomates Olie from England and Corey from Calgary. They were there to checkout the city but would be leaving the next day. Me and Maarten would be doing the camel trip alone. Another amazing experience. [View Full Entry]

Guide Walking the Camels Away so they don't bother us while we sleep...

By Bjorndahl
July 11th 2009

Nouakchott Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

The Only Picture I Have of Nouakchott

Arrived in Nouakchott after a 6 hour ride in a small car with a soldier and some older funny men. Learned more about the history of Mauritania by reading my history section in the Lonely Planet I have been carrying around. This country is Desert almost completely so far. I hear it gets a bit more interesting on the border with Senegal. I have been thinking more about my last two major kind of adventures: The Iron-ore train and the camel ride. The train ride was exciting as I already noted. One of the best parts about it was being near [View Full Entry]

By kirkley
July 7th 2009

Escape from Nouakchott, Starring Dolph Lundergan Africa » Mauritania

lerneb

Escape from Nouakchott, a poem I just realized it’s April Fool’s Day. I have no one to tell. I rode back to Nouakchott on the back of a truck. I introduced Malcom, the Canadian, to the fast talking Boston/Mauritanian millionaire Sidi Boya. He’s been hired on to work on the presidential elections. I’ve taken to wearing gris gris. The Auberge erupted in madness. Frusturated marriage proposals. Mohammad was crushed, I was fearing for his health. Two French Senegalese attacked a Frenchman in the morning, wielding tire irons. I bought two bottles of whiskey and 24 beers from a slimy Frenchman. A [View Full Entry]

By Bjorndahl
July 7th 2009

Iron-Ore Train to Choum and then Atar Africa » Mauritania » Adrar » Atar

This is how I waited for the Train

Well, quite the experience. First I had to wait 6 hours at the train station because the shipment was behind schedule and it was more important than the passengers (makes sensen). Then when I finally got on the train, I began to experience the dust... My god. Lots of it. In my eyes, hair, ears, mouth. In all of my luggage. 12 hours. BUT it was a lot of fun. The train was an amazin experience. Now I am in Atar and tomorrow morning I leave for my camel ride! [View Full Entry]

By Bjorndahl
July 4th 2009

Philip: Border Crossing and into Mauritania Africa » Mauritania » Dakhlet Nouadhibou » Nouadhibou

No Man's Land

Wow, So I thought I was going to go into some kind of internetless void for a week or so because I was going to be too busy traveling and being tired. But then luck fell on me! So last night it looked like I was going to end up paying 350 Dirham to get to Nouadhibou, which takes 7 hours of driving plus border time. Martin and I were debating whether or not to try and hitchhike or take the offer from the man we met at the bus stop in Dakhla. We met a really friendly taxi driver who [View Full Entry]

By eddy15
June 3rd 2009

Bye Bye Mauritania! Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

On the Choum - Nouadibou Express!

So that’s it for Mauritania. I'm off to Senegal tomorrow. So the desert ended well. Evoku took me to his parents place in Atar the last night and got me in a cab to Choum the following day to catch a train to Nouadibou. Evoku’s family is very cute --- his wife, it turns out, is only 16 and they’ve been married for six years! Anyway, I find myself having strange paternal instincts, which must be due to a lack of intoxicants --- will cure that soon. So I got on the train with a feisty old Frenchman named Jacques. The [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Africa » Mauritania