Africa trip

You _do_ know about the Western Sahara situation ? What Morocco considers to be "southern Morocco", is considered by others to be an occupied area. This is a restricted area, lots of land mines - you'll probably need military escort to go there. How easy it is to cross the border to Mauritania I don't know, but I'd guess it could be very difficult.

That might be one of your smaller worries - see above.

How old are the kids ? Doing this with small kids will be hell, both for the adults and the kids.

Three weeks is certainly possible, but it sound like pushing it. Border crossings in Africa are quite unlike anything you'll ever see in western Europe, and can, at worst, take days. Also, when travelling in areas like these, _I_ like to spend some time exploring things around me - 3 weeks on a trip like this won't give you much time for that. You can't expect to travel very far in a day, raod contiditions will often be unpredictable - changing between bad and awful.

Sounds cramped - 6 persons in a disco means you won't have much space for luggage. (Do _NOT_ put too much weight on the roof. Given the "quality" of some of the roads in the area, you'll be asking for trouble.

---Ketil (having done a round trip through Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco in '92)

andrew

im a long way from an overland trip to kenya but my first leg would be to follow your route down into gambia. this is nice resource you may have come across

also have u checked new groups? theres a fairly robust overlander community out there so have a rummage.

a friend writes for rough guide and he was nothing but positive about teh atlantic route. still things change.

it seems western sahara is mined but teh army escort you through the fields in convoy so not a huge worry and al lpart fo teh adventure. how old are the kids?

i would allow yourself more time. travel is not about getting anywhere quickly and once your away from those lovely roads a different kind of time takes over!

bon voyage i say. life is just an adventure after all! and i wouldnt get to bogged down in RAC info, once your there things have a habit of working out!

ted

Hello, First about Maurinanie: since may 2000 there is no military escort anymore to get into Mauritanie. The border formalities at the Moroccan - Mauritania border are also easy. In the pas only the North-South crossing was possible, now a days you can get form Mauritanie back to Morocco without a problem. There are indeed mines the first part after crossing the border, just don't leave the road there. You need a visa for Mauritanie which you can get in Casablanca or at the Mauritanian border, but better get it in Casa. There is a very good site about africa

It also has various forms.The book from Cris Scott, Sahara Overland is considered to be the 'Sahara bible'. Als the book in French 'Mauritanie au GPS' is a 'must' (much gps routes) for the Western Sahara. Good luck! Fred Huge

"teddave" schreef in bericht news:bpl2f4$ghv$ snipped-for-privacy@sparta.btinternet.com...

Hi,

Thanks to everyone who has replied. My children are 12, 10,4 and 2 and we have decided to postpone the trip for a year so that my youngest one can take it in. I suspect we will do the trip in my Land Rover Discovery and nto stray too much off piste. I guess i shall be doing a lot of beach fdriving and maybe even a Car Mechanics course before we set off. i am starting to learn Arabic and French.

Andy