Mauritania Trans-Sahara Expedition

Upon your arrival at Nouakchott Airport, you will meet our representative, who will greet you and transfer you to your hotel. When the whole group is at the hotel, your tour leader will brief you on the tour itinerary and the components of this Mauritania expedition. Our cultural tour of Mauritania is about to start for you to explore the marvels of this Sub-Saharan destination. Dinner and accommodation will be at your hotel. Welcome to our Mauritania active tour.

Our Mauritania expedition will start today with an exploratory trip to Arguin. Wake up to the lively oasis activities to enjoy mingling with locals. We will have breakfast and ride our land cruisers toward the Banc of Argan, visiting the Nouamghar and Chami villages on our way. The Banc of Argan is a major breeding site for migratory birds traveling from Europe and North Africa to the tropics, including flamingos, broad-billed, sandpipers, pelicans, storks, terns, and many more, the very few to mention. Much of the breeding is on the sandbanks of these lagoons, including the islands of Sidra, Niroumi, Nair, and Arguin. The surrounding waters are some of the richest fishing waters in western Africa and serve as nesting grounds for the entire western region. The afternoon will be devoted to enjoying a dip in the Atlantic Ocean at the stretched promontory of Arkeiss Beach.

We will wake at dawn to start our cruise. We will drive about 18 miles to meet our boat in Iwik and start our cruise sailing to explore some exotic small islands and watch thousands of birds nesting, perhaps some dolphins and gazelles. In the afternoon, we will return to the mainland and camo in Iwik, reflecting on a great adventure day cruising the offshores of Mauritania. This area is known to be one of the best fishing in West Africa.

Wake to the lively oasis activities to mingle with locals. We will have breakfast and ride our land cruisers toward the Banc of Argan, visiting the Nouamghar and Chami villages on our way. The Banc of Argan is a major breeding site for migratory birds traveling from Europe and North Africa Qwikto the tropics, including flamingos, broad-billed, sandpipers, pelicans, storks, terns, and many more, the very few to mention. Much of the breeding is on the sandbanks of these lagoons, including the islands of Sidra, Niroumi, Nair, and Arguin. The surrounding waters are some of the richest fishing waters in western Africa and serve as nesting grounds for the entire western region. The afternoon will be devoted to enjoying a dip in the Atlantic Ocean at the stretched promontory of Arkeiss Beach.

We will take off early in the morning to take on a day of mostly off-road travel. Our real adventure starts here as we encounter bumps and shifting sand pockets. This is the typical way on this terrain. Just a reminder, this is what you signed up for on this active Mauritania tour. So your cooperation is very well appreciated. We will encounter the Sahara desert's unique natural sites, small encampments of pastoral nomads, and perhaps the longest train in the country, Mauritania. By the afternoon, we will reach the impressive monolith Ben Amera village, where we will set camp. Here, you can enjoy the Milky Way and the ethereal sky seen at best like nowhere else. There will be no light to disturb your contemplation. Enjoy a night in the Sahara is all there is to say. Dinner and accommodation in camp.

After breakfast, we will take off to a picturesque town, Overlanding some great canyons and valleys to Terjit. Terje is an oasis in the proper sense: a desert spring or other water source), 45km by road south of Atar. It is nestled in a gorge on the western edge of the Adrar Plateau, with the palm grove stretching a few hundred yards alongside a creek, which emerges from the mainspring. Terje is part of the commune of Maaden in the Aoujeft province or county.

There is a modest entrance fee, and tourists can pay to stay in tents in the palm grove. It is often used for the few visitors who venture to explore this magnificent oasis in every sense of the term. Charm, freshwater, and shade are great places to take a break from the ruggedness of the Sahara Desert. Historically, it has been used for religious ceremonies, especially wedding ceremonies and the coronation of a few African princes. We will camp overnight in the oases to enjoy an ethereal night under the African skies. A local family will cook dinner for our group.

After breakfast, we will hop on our land cruisers to the overland northeast of Mauritania to explore the Chengetti region in the heart of the Adrar Region. Adrar is a traditional region of central Mauritania of a low central massif with noticeable cliffs that rise to about 800 feet (240 m) above sea level. The terrain is arid and almost unsuitable for farming. However, sufficient water is at the base of the uplands to support date palm groves oases. During the wetter part of the year, millet, sorghum, melons, and vegetables are cultivated in some oases and valleys of the Adrar. We will trek across breathtaking Saharan landscapes with some stark rock formations, encountering some Berber settlements of nomads and semi-nomad pastors, not to miss the Dunes of Guetti. Historic sites include Ouadane, formerly a caravan and gold-trading center, and Chinguetti, an ancient center of learning and Isl?mic teachings. Dinner and accommodation will be at your Guesthouse.

Our day will start with an overland trip toward Ouadane, about 50 miles, traveling north to explore some of the natural wonders of the Sahara Desert. We will stop at an old crater with circular rock formations called The Eye of the Sahara. We will also visit the town of Ouadane, which has historical highlights. The Ouadane library is worth stopping by. Chinguetti and Ouadane are UNESCO World Heritage Sites because they are vestiges of the once-flourishing civilizations that existed during the era of the Trans-Sahara salt trade. Both towns were learning centers when Muslims led the world in science and technology. Today, they oversee decaying books. We will return to the guesthouse for dinner and a comfortable night.

After breakfast, we will go overland, exploring another day of our Mauritania expedition. We will travel across the picturesque Sahara landscapes towards M’heirith, a large oasis with baobab and pale trees. We will visit some breathtaking canyons and prehistoric paintings. A brief stop at Tewnechert Oasis, taking a break at its marvelous palm grove. Dinner and overnight will be at a local guesthouse in M’heirith.

After a trekking journey, we will take a break at Atar town to visit its landmarks and market, reminiscent of a great time of camel caravan fairs. Atar has a vivacious Market. It’s the only stocking area for pastoral nomads living in the Adrar area. It’s a significant military base for Mauritania. We visit some historic landmarks and places walking in the city. Atar is known for its silver nomadic Jewelry and beads. Dinner and accommodation will be in our house

The last destination of our adventure tour of Mauritania will be Nouakchott. After breakfast, we will drive down to Nouakchott. Our local guide will be expecting to take us on a guided tour of the capital of Mauritania, exploring historical sites, the national museum, and the colorful colonial central market to close our Nouakchott city tour in the market to do the shopping for Mauritania arts and crafts which is abundance in the capital city of Nouakchott. Dinner and accommodation will be in our hotel.

Our time has come to say goodbye to you, and we hope you had a wonderful discovery tour of Mauritania. We will transfer you to the airport for breakfast and assist you with your transfer. I bid you goodbye, hoping to see you again on another Mauritania adventure tour. We hope you enjoyed visiting Mauritania, and our tour met your expectations. See you soon back to visit us in Mauritania.