Guarded Car Parking in center Marrakesh, next to the Koutoubia mosque 5 minutes from Djemaa el Fna Square, Morocco

This is a nice place where you can leave your car as long as you want. Prices are fixed on a big board so no surprises like in so many other places in Marrakesh. Price for full day and night is 36 Dirhams, around 3.5 Euros. This time while I’m in town, the car is staying there for almost 3 weeks now and no problem. There’s a 24hours guard looking for the cars.

Printable file: Map Marrakesh

4×4 Morocco Travel: Atlas and Sahara Desert 4 days Tour

As I moved to Morocco recently and due to work reasons I now have to explore the country a lot, and, be with my clients to make photos and new itineraries around the country in their 4wd.

My last trip was 4 days with ” Marrakech Expedition 4×4” from my friend Ali whom along with his brother started this transport agency specialized in the southern part of Morocco. We went away for 4 days where I had the opportunity to talk, discuss and interact with them while traveling in their tour, and more or less the trip goes like this:

Atlas and Sahara Desert 4 days Tour.:

Day 1: Marrakech - Telouet – Ouarzazate = 200 Km total with 32 Km off-road
Day 2: Ouarzazate - Skoura Oasis - Kelaa Mgouna - Boumalne - Todra Gorges - Tinjdad -Touroug - Erfoud – Merzouga = 350 Km Total with 35 off-road
Day 3: Merzouga - Rissani - Alnif - Tazarine - Nkob - Draa Valley - Zagora = 360 Km Total with 90 Km off-road
Day 4: Zagora - Ouarzazate - Marrakesh = 350 Km Total

Everyday you mixed a bit of off-road as we were driving a nice 4wd Toyota Land Cruiser, and we pass from the big city of Marrakech to the other side of the Atlas Mountains arriving in Ouarzazate. Next day we went to Oasis Skoura to enjoy the nice palm groves and small little oasis in the middle of the palm trees. Omar was quite a friend as we left Ali in his office in Ouarzazate. Now both of us continued the trip south to Merzouga but passing the most beautiful canyons in Morocco: Gorges du Todra. We got to the desert to enjoy the Sun Set in the dunes. We made a lot of photos and are now sleeping in this nice hotel in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. There’s a chance to choose from sleeping on the hotel and take a camel trekking excursion into the dunes and overnight in a traditional nomad tend. The next day we headed to Zagora making the ancient Sahara track between Merzouga and Zagora. This is an extreme travel as the landscapes are pure and untouched, the real thing is here, this is the Sahara. We got to Zagora by the end of the afternoon. And that was it we now drove from Zagora all the way in the Draa Valley lunching in Ouarzazate with Ali who came to join us in a small nice restaurant near his office. We got to Marrakech around 6pm. Nice trip.

On this picture above, we stopped in Gorges du Todra to have a small snack and there were some donkeys in the river. Very nice place.If by chance you want to travel to Morocco and try this tour out please check their website at: 4×4 Morocco

Driving in Cuba, Havana Rent Car in Cuba: Hyundai Athos, 3780km exploration in the Caribbean Island of Cuba

You see the powerful machine we rented??!! The big, the Magestic, Amazing: Hyunday Athos

After spending almost a week in Havana my friends and I decided to skip the capital and start some serious island exploration. The best way to get to know places is definitely by driving. We can basically stop wherever we wish.

After an intensive search in Havana and after taxi around the city to check out all the prices, we found out that they do not change a lot as the existing companies do all belong to the state; they are state owned enterprises as every other in Cuba. No private companies exist in Cuba.

So after an hour on a taxi looking for the best deal ( and actually after a couple phone calls ) we end up staying with CUBA CAR – CAR RENTAL. This is a tiny office located aside a Servicentro ( Gas Station ) and exactly facing the Malecón Avenue. The guy that talked to us was nice and understood that we wanted the cheapest.

Hum…looks a bit smaller on this picture

Car Rental, CUBACAR
Carlos León
Pnto Servicentro 23 y Malecón, Havana, Cuba
870.2257

Prices car rental Havana

1 to 6 days = $55CUC per day
7 to 13 days = $50CUC per day
+ 14 days = $45CUC per day

After a short conversation with the car rental employee, I quickly got to know some quick fact about car driving in Cuba. Basically and apart from common sense, we have to watch out for some tricks on Cuban roads.

Farola Highway, from Baracoa to Guantanmo, East Cuba

Driving in Cuba: Do’s & Don’ts

• Don’t pass the speed limit due to the large amount of people walking on the roads also during the night, tons of animals passing the road, people on horses, cows, dogs and all other farm animals you can think of. Also the police will probably stop you;
• If so, do not be rude to police. They will be a mirror of your first behaviour. Smile, say hello “Hola! Como está? And you’ll just be fine. If they stick to the ticket just cry and they will let you go;
• Some roads are in really bad conditions so watch out. If you go light and you like speed, you have to take in count that you can find a huge hole that you’ll have no time to break or reduce speed;
• Never be out of a spare tyre. Always fix the problems you have with tires;
• Maybe you’ll want to give a lift to some one, there are thousands of people hitch hiking or waiting for transportation. Cuba has no criminal activity like other western countries, so hitch hiking will be pretty safe;
• Be safe and always have the fuel tank half full, better off like this than getting no fuel in certain towns of little villages;
• I mean, of course you can go a bit faster than the speed limit ;
• Stop and by fruit and drink fresh fruit juice whenever you see someone doing it or selling it on the side of the road, this will be one of your trip highlights
• Cuba and it’s tropical weather can be tricky so just in a sudden a storm can come and your visibility will be really bad not to talk about the amount of water that will quickly flood the roads
• Yes! Get a car and discover Cuba by your own!

Road conditions in Cuba are OK if you stick to the big main roads, I mean, OK concerning that even a secondary road in Morocco is much better than the highway from Santa Clara to Havana. Road signs do not exist so you better start practicing your Spanish accent, open that window and start asking direction to where ever you wish to go.

Road in the country side of the Island

Now, if you decide to go and drive trough the small yellow road ( yellow on the map corresponding to smaller roads, rural itineraries ), well, there were times we wished the trip would end, and, times where basically the road disappeared like from Moa to Baracoa. To go to Baracoa people usually take the southern road from Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba, but as we were driving clock-wise on the island, we had to pass the northern access to town of Baracoa, the first place where Cristobel Colon once arrived.

In almost 4000km driven, we had 3 flat tires, had to buy a new tire that got destroyed and had to switch another one in Pinar del Rio in the rental company.

We were sleeping along the way, while choosing a place to be the next destination, we were using Lonely Planet book for directions but as soon as we got to any town center, we would just follow our instinct and look for a place to stay. We only stayed in one “private house” that was publicized in LP. Al the other ones we just searched and talk to people directly, discussed prices and whenever we got good deals, we stayed.

More or less or trajectory was going around the island on a clock wise circle which I now point out the places where we slept for 2 weeks during the time we rented the car: Remédios ( 2nights ), Playa Santa Lucia ( 1night ), Baracoa ( 4nights ), Santiago de Cuba ( 2nights ), Camaguey ( 2nights ), Trinidad ( 2nights ), Viñales ( 3nights ).

Driving with storm in Cuba

We put fuel for 9 times in the following locations: Havana, Santa Clara, Cayo Coco, Manatí, Moa, Santiago de Cuba, Sancti Spiritus, Piñar del Río and Bahia Honda ( where we just put $5 CUC to get us to Havana to deliver the car ). We spent exactly $187 CUC which is around 150EUROS. We drove 486km on our first day of driving, from Havana passing 3 hours on the beach in Varadero and heading to Remédios where we stayed for 2 nights.

Road to Cayo Santa Maria north of Remédios

We delivered the car on time, and, by surprise hit the NUMBER 1 TOURIST to get back without 1 police ticket!! We were the first to get back on this office without 1 car fine, and even more surprising to them was that we rented the car for 2 weeks! Who says Portuguese drivers are bad? In Cuba at least…

Driving along the Caribeean Sea, Southern Cuba

Driving in Cuba, Havana Rent Car in Cuba: Hyundai Athos, 3780km exploration in the Caribbean Island of Cuba

Prices in Cuba, Cuban Dollar CUC Convertible Prices

Prices in Cuba, Cuban Dollar CUC Convertible Prices

In Cuba there are 2 currencies, both actually called Pesos Cubanos because they are both Cuban of course, but one, the lowest one is called Peso Cubano and the highest one is called Peso Convertible aka CUC. Things in CUC are more expensive but you can’t escape this currency as some things can only be bought in with this money.

On an average look at prices in Cuba, things are expensive for Europeans, Australians and Americans. But, things are really really really expensive if you’re Cuban.

You have to be careful as sometimes things are mark in Pesos Cubanos and you end up paying with Convertibles. Don’t be cheated in “Casa do Chocolate” ( Chocolate House ) in Baracoa! Prices there are in Pesos Cubanos where you can eat all you want with 3 more friends and not spend more than $0.50 CUC, but they will probably ask you for CUC money. Say no and pay in either Pesos Cubanos if you have, or in small CUC coins. No CUC bank notes accepted but coins are ok.

This is a small list of CUC things I bought during my trip around Cuba, all in CUC dollar:

Havana
Ballet Ticket $20 CUC
Centro de Arte Cubano $5 CUC
Cubalse Oro Negro Gasolina: Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC
Tienda Panamericana: Shorts $17.10 CUC
Doña Blanquita Restaurant: Beans African Style $2.0 CUC
Doña Blanquita Restaurant: Fresh Fruit Juice $1 CUC
Chocolate bar $0.85 CUC
Water 0.5litre $0.45 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet$ 6$CUC
Cash Withdrawal Commission for $100 CUC: $3.24USD
Museo de la Revolución $5 CUC
The church tower at La Havana Cathedral $1 CUC

Las Tunas
Cubalse Oro Negro Las Tunas: Car tyre $47.55 CUC

Remédios
Museo de la Música, Casa Alejandro García Caturla $1 CUC

Guantanamo
Postcard $0.70 CUC
Erotic Cuisine Recipes Book $4 CUC

Santiago de Cuba
El Morro Car Parking $1 CUC

Trinidad
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Camaguey
CD Thelmary $7.10 CUC
Shirt $12.25 CUC
Little coin purse written Cuba $1.60 CUC
Postcard $0.50 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Baracoa
Tienda Panamericana: slippers $6.35 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Manati
Cubalse Oro Negro: Gasolina Regular 1Litre $0.80 CUC

Sancti Spiritus
Servi Cupet Cimex Colon: Gasolina Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC
Servi Cupet Cimex Colon: Bottle of water 1Litre $0.70 CUC

Ciego de Avila
Servi Cupet Cimex Jardines del Rey: Gasolina Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC

Toll Tickets Cuba Prices, Estación de Peaje Cuba
FICAV Toll ticket Matanzas-Varadero $2 CUC
Toll ticket Cayo Santa María $2 CUC
Toll ticket Cayo Coco $2 CUC
Cayo Jutía entrance $5 CUC per person

Tourist Trap: Koktyube Cable Car not working, Almaty

Koktyube Cable Car not working can ruin your plans on enjoying a splendid way up the hill to see Almaty from above. While i was there and due to the last earthquake that destroyed all the cable car structure this very nice hot spot in town was not working.
when working this cable car costs around 100T and runs from 11am to 7pm. you can enjoy sun set in town.
this cable car is located right after the palace of the republic on dostyk up to koktyube which means green peak, where the huge TV tower and TV transmitter centre is located. this TV tower surrounding is of limits.from the top of this hill which is the foothill of the zailiysky alatau mountains you can appreciate an amazing bird view of Almaty city.

At Least Do This: well.. do like i did, just go up the hill, walk in this small paths passing local poor neighborhoods and hills, rivers, dirty holes and rivers, piles of garbage and marijuana fields. or just go on the road up. in this case if it is still closed due to the precarious situation of the structure the police will not let you go up so you better just go up the hill in the bushes and enjoy until the police comes and pick you up.

Bus to Moscow, Russia Transportation

Info taken from Way to Russia website
Arrival / Departure by Bus
Schyolkovsky Bus Terminal, Moscow
Telephones: (+7 095) 468-0400, 468-4370

The main Moscow bus terminal is located just next to Shchyolkovskaya metro station (the last station to the east on the dark blue line). You can get a bus to almost any Russian town and city from there. When you get inside the station, you’ll see signs in English and Russian in front of you. The timetables of the buses and ticket sales offices are on the right, the luggage storage rooms and cafes are on the left. You can leave your luggage for 20-30 rub ($0.7-$1) a day, the luggage storage is closed between 23.00 and 6.30, and they have a break from 14.00 to 15.00.
The Shchyolkovskaya bus station is opened from 6.30 to 23.00.
For bus schedules between Moscow and other cities featured on WayToRussia.Net guide, see Transport / Domestic Bus Schedules.
Directions: go to Shchyolkovskaya metro station (the last station to the east on the dark blue line), take the first carriage from the centrum. As you walk out, there’ll be many stalls and little shops around, and a bit further - a large building with “Avtostantsiya” written on top. That’s the bus station.

Website: http://www.waytorussia.net/Moscow/ArrivalDeparture.html

Trains to and from Moscow

Info now taken from Lonely Planet website
Moscow has rail links to most parts of Russia, most former Soviet states, numerous countries in Eastern and Western Europe, and China and Mongolia. Moscow has nine main train stations, all with metro stations on the spot.

Website: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/moscow/get.htm

Getting There and Away: Moscow Russia

Info now taken from Lonely Planet website, as it is very useful and good info here it is:

If you’re coming in from an overseas flight, Sheremetevo-2 is the airport you’ll fly into; there are also four airports to handle travel to domestic destinations and the ex-Soviet states. There’s a network of comfy-enough buses that run to places within about a 700km (435mi) radius of Moscow. The city also has 9 main rail stations, and you can jump on trains to most parts of Russia and Europe as well as China and Mongolia.

Sheremetevo-2 airport, 30km (20mi) northwest of the city centre, handles flights to and from places outside the former Soviet Union. There are daily flights by numerous airlines to and from nearly all European and many other world capitals, and many provincial cities, too. A flight from London or Paris takes about three hours, from New York about 10 hours. Four Moscow airports are devoted to flights to and from places within Russia and the other ex-Soviet states. Check-in for flights within the ex-USSR is supposed to close 40 minutes before take-off, but be sure to reach the airport well before that.

International flights from most Moscow airports incur a departure tax which is included in the price of airfares. You can get to all five airports and the city centre cheaply by a combination of bus and metro or suburban train, but if you’re going early in the morning or late at night, or have a lot of baggage, you’ll probably need a taxi. The easiest approach is to arrange an airport-city transfer through a travel agent; you’ll pay no more than an average taxi fare.

Moscow has rail links to most parts of Russia, most former Soviet states, numerous countries in Eastern and Western Europe, and China and Mongolia. Moscow has nine main train stations, all with metro stations on the spot.

Buses run to a number of towns and cities within about 700km (435mi) of Moscow. Buses are reasonably comfortable but to most places they’re a bit slower than trains, and less frequent.

Website: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/moscow/get.htm

By Car: St. Petersburg to Moscow 713km

I drove myself from St. Petersburg to Moscow. I got out of St. Petersburg around 6pm and got arrived in Moscow around 12pm the next day after I stop to sleep a few hours on the way.
The road consitions are bad altouhg it is supposed to be the Intra-states highway conecting Leningradskaya Oblast’ + Novgorodskaya Oblast’ + Tverskaya Oblast’ + Moskovskaya Oblast’.
All the way from St. Petersburg is about 713km with really bad road conditions, bad weather (in my case as I went in winter time), lots of insane truck drivers and small LADA drivers passing like rockets. I was stop by police once and nothing really happen, just the normal police check out asking for the papers and passport.

On the way out of St. Petersburg there are many Radars and police controling the speed, so go slow even if you dont see the speed limit signs. Always inside city limits I went about 50km/h or 40km/h when signs told so. In major roads I have never passed 80 or 90km/h.

On the picture you have one of the first things i remeber seeing when entering Moscow. This huge dirty truck and the war memorial on the left side as I was waiting for the lights to go green. Yes Yes remeber that even with all cars passing some crazy guy can come against you passing his red light!
Enjoy driving in Russia hehehe and good luck. Just open your eyes and you´ll be fine.
I drove total 4680km on my trip…nothing happen and im still more sharp than before hehehe.

Site for road distances in Russia

Moscow By Metro: Metro yes is the good way

Yes this is the way of going around Moscow. Moscow is big and its subway its one of the biggest and the oldest in the world. It runs quite good and youll end up going everywhere you wish around the city centre and its suburbs.
Tickets cost 13 rb and you have a paper electronic ticket to go with.

SUBWAY MAP OF MOSCOW

Moscow By Taxi, Car: Car traffic

This is the most insane way of getting around Moscow. If you wish to get a few more white hairs please go ahead. As I arrive in Moscow knowing nothing about where I should go or not, I had to go a bit inside the city to get some information on how to get to my hotel. As i found out I shouldnt have made so far and had to go back a dozen of kms again.

As I got stuck in traffic i had to wait at least 1h30m to go out of it and go back on my way. This wasnt too bad as my experience going out of Moscow direction Vladimir took me almost 3 hours a bit after dark… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!

Transportation: Border Senegal-Mali

This is a choice you have, passing by foot your actually getting yourself inside the long hours train from Dakar. The train will also pass here, the border city of Kidira. You can get out in this city Kidira and walk to the Senegalese officers get a stamp and head the bridge that separates both countries. The first city on the Mali side is Diboli and just a couple of hundred metres before you have the Mali costumes officers and to get a stamp you have to go to the police station in the city after. You don’t get the stamp on the border exactly but have to go and look for the police station after when you get to the nearby town.

Again if you’re coming with a car, make sure you have a less then 4 years old car or the carnet de passage.

The Carnet de Passages en Douane is an internationally recognised customs document that, if accepted in a country, entitles the holder to temporarily import a vehicle without the need to pay the appropriate customs duties and taxes. A Carnet is required for most transcontinental journeys and you must obtained one in advance of the journey.

Transportation: Taxis and Buses in Western Sahara

Taxi are quite faster than buses. Some places dont even have buses. Prices here usually are not over charged.

Agadir-Layoune 150dirhams
Lauyoune-Dakhla 150dirhams (+-15euros)

I know there are taxis that will take you from Dakhla to the last Police check point in Bir Gandus. They will drop you off in the border as you can see on the picture (taxis are those red mercedes). i also know that a taxi will cost around 100euros, cos you have to pay the taxi driver back to Dakhla. From the border to Dakhla (if you’re coming from mauritania) can be cheaper if you make a good deal.
be careful with taxis, these region is know to have people getting kidnapped or robbed.

you can also get direct buses from northern morocco to south morocco in moroccan western sahara. Try CTM bus company.

Transportation: Bring your own car to Western Sahara

You can easily go with your car. be careful not to hit a landmine. after the first Moroccan police checkpoint you have 7km with bombed road and sand. as soon as you get to the first Mauritanian police checkpoint you have even worse desert tracks to get to the second police control house and “duane”. from there to enter Nouadhibou you’ll need a guide cos you don’t know the way into the sand. even with GPS it will be hard to pass due to the large amount of landmines.

Transportation: Dakhla border with Mauritania (Bir Guenduz)

I know there are taxis that will take you from Dakhla to the last Police check point in Bir Gandus. They will drop you off in the border as you can see on the picture (taxis are those red mercedes). i also know that a taxi will cost around 100euros, cos you have to pay the taxi driver back to Dakhla. From the border to Dakhla (if you’re coming from mauritania) can be cheaper if you make a good deal.
be careful with taxis, these region is know to have people getting kidnapped or robbed.

Transportation: Hitching to Mauritania - Western Sahara

If you go to KM 40 after dakhla in Western Sahara, where the police checks for peoples ID, you can get a ride from tourist going south. many people sleep in dakhla to leave in the morning to Mauritanian border. I got a ride to this Moroccan point and from here got another different ride. Be careful with rides from local people. there are news that some tourists, backpacking were killed while hitch hiking in western Sahara towards Mauritania.
remember that from dakhla to the border is almost 400km.

BUS in the Atlas Mountains: Tinerhir - Todra Gorges - Tamtettoucht - Agoudal - Imilchil Morocco

You can get the bus from Tamtettoucht to Ait Hani -15 dirhams

and Tamtattoucht-Tinerhir 15 dirhams (1.5euros)

Why went on top of the roof of the Mercedes van? Inside I counted more than 25 people and also on top of the roof with 3 people, there were 14 goats…

It was very cold. I remember you this is the Atlas and it also snows here.

If you want to experience the real Atlas mountains, you can take several of this vans inside the mountains. after ait hani, 20km from tamtettoucht the asphalt road is over until a few kms before the berber village of imilchil near the islit and itslit lakes. while in Tamtettoucht, this Berber village once a secret from the atlas, now a hotel poping berber village, nevertheless extremely beautiful and scenic, you can choose from many other hotel from Auberge Bougafer. It should be about the 3rd hotel on the right, in front of hotel baddou. auberge bougafer is the 2nd hotel build in this small berber village that counts with about 1000 nomads only inside the mountains, that during the year run down to by goods and go back to the mountains where they have huge herds of goats and camels. Tamtettoucht is good to stay for 2 days or just to stop for one night on the way to other less explored villages. a night in this family auberge costs 15euros for half board. very nice food, funny guys, great music as they play music for you. berber music live in the mountains. great experience. a must while starting and getting use to atlas mountain berbers. check out the website: auberge bougafer

Some pictures about Tamtettoucht aka Tamtattoucht:

photos taken from the website “People of the world” from the project “Free Men of Morocco“, a photographic insight on Berbers in Morocco.

Imilchil :

there is a huge market a few times per month in imilchil. you will be amazed about the goat market. imilchil during the winter is also very nice. once in imilchil try to reach hotel chez bassou. the best in town from all others. try this link here: hotel imilchil. in this hotel you will get family ambiance, where both bassou and his wife will take care of you. you will also meet his children. bassou is a official mountain guide so he can also guide you through the mountains at an affordable price. each day camping / trekking /hiking in the mountains costs around 25 euros per day per person all included. one night on his hotel rooms, very nice one with private bath costs around 15 euros half board.

crossing the mountain range from tamtettoucht to imilchil:

you can do this trip for several days in a row stopping in different villages. if stoping in agoudal search for Chez Ibrahim auberge. the only in the village, very nice guy and you’ll probably pay around 15euros for halfboard with room. there are lots of activities you can do in agoudal. this small village lost in the high atlas is unreachable during the worst winter times. although if you can manage to get a strong 4×4 and some good weather you might reach there. i already pass there during winter with a small town car. lots of snow on the tracks but if you drive slowly you might reach and actually pass until imilchil.

Auberge Ibrahim
52403 Agoudal, cercle d’Imilchil
Province d’Er Rachidia, Maroc
Tél. : 00 212 (0) 35 88 46 28
GPS : N 32°00”735′ / W 05°29”321′
Mail : aubergeibrahim@ht.st

photo taken from the website of this hotel guesthouse in tineghir: http://avenir.tineghir.net

Transportation: Europe -> Africa Ferry - Boats

This is the fastest way of going to Morocco. The Boat just takes half hour. When i go by car I always go to Ceuta cos gas is half the price than in Spain and Morocco. Ceuta is an independent city that belongs to Spain. Tax-free zone.
The boats going from Algeciras to Africa are quite different depending if you’re going to Ceuta (Autonomous spanish city in North Africa) or to Tangier (First Moroccan city on the North). Boats going to Ceuta are good quality, fast, clean and the ones going to Morocco directly are 3 times slower, not dirty of course (sometimes the bathrooms stink), but built maybe 30 years ago. instead of actually spending 30 minutes inside the boat you can spend up to 3 hours. Its up to you. If you’re going by car you should avoid tangier because is much quite easier to enter from Ceuta, but if you’re going walking and public transport you should go to tangier. price to tangier is a bit cheaper also.

The other option is to go directly from Tarifa or Algeciras to Tangier. This way all the passport formalities will be done inside the ferry boat. As soon as you arrive you’ll be already in Morocco so you don’t need to do much about border formalities.

Transportation: Boat Dakar -> Goree Island - Senegal

This is the boat that takes you from the port of Dakar to the UNESCO Island of Goree. The ticket costed in 2004 5,000.00 XOF (CFA)
Communauté Financière Africaine Francs=7.62245Euro .
There are boats living every 30 minutes to a 20minutes journey to the Island. If i remember well, the last boat should be around 8 or 9pm. make sure you get it back to dakar or else you have to stay in the island until the next morning. this a guesthouse near the harbour.

Transportation: Train Dakar -> Bamako

There is a very well known and legendary train in West Africa, it is called the Dakar-Bamako train or the Eastern Ocean-Niger service via Thies, Diourbel, Tambacounda and Kidira until it reaches the capital of Mali, Bamako.
Trains from Bamako leave 10am Wed and Sat. The journey can take 36hours up to 70h… Fares to Dakar from Bamako are about 25,000CFA 2nd class. Once you’re on the train you can upgrade your ticket to have a sleeping wagon. If you ask you’llmaybe have a student discount (in case you’re a student).

Transportation: Hitchhiking to Mali

This is the border crossing of Senegal to Mali in Kidira. On the city you have dozens of cargo trucks getting their douane ready to pass Mali and maybe go all the way to Niger and Burkina Faso. I bet these drivers will be more than glad to give you a ride on their truck for free, but they will even like it better if you offer some money up front. Check if you already have your visa done, or if you don’t need visa before just a stamp on the border just not lo let the truck driver waiting for you to take care of formalities. Usually trucks stay on the border up to 2, 2 days until papers are ready. You would have to wait in the city or just get a truck going already with papers done.

Transportation: Bush taxis and Buses-Senegal

Most public transport in Senegal is by bush taxi or taxi brousse in french. You have different vehicles making themselves as buses or little buses. They are: Peugeot 504, a van with 7 seats; normal cars usually white like old Mercedes minibus or Saviem; a camion (truck like the one on the picture) that carry dozens of people on the back cargo part. You will travel faster and more comfortable in the Peugeot 504. Minibuses are better for shorter journeys and give you the change of getting to know the people. You will get to know people on longer journeys.
Autogares or gares routieres are well organized and you cant miss the bus no way. any way you should always ask to many different people as the normal Senegalese person will not tell you he doesn’t know, preferring giving you the wrong direction.
Big Buses 40 sits operate between bigger cities but they are hard to et. Dakar has great bus system.
From the norther border with Rosso you have taxis to Saint Louis.
Inside cities you have an excellent bus system, its the Transport commune. You can go everywhere inside towns and cities with this kind of buses you can see on the picture. This should be an easy way for shorter journeys and you’ll have a great opportunity to see local people interacting.
For bigger trips you should choose bush taxi or taxi brousse.

Transportation: Boat Rosso to Rosso-Mauritania>Senegal

You have to take a boat from Mauritania to Senegal. This is a very thrilling trip has you are actually passing your way from the Arab/Moor influenced countries to the real “Black Africa” This is the first black people country on west Africa coming from north: morocco, western Sahara and Mauritania. The boat takes 10 minutes to pass but about 1 hour or even 2 to get in..

The boat cost 500UM for each person and 1500UM for each car.

Be careful with your things, from now on things in terms of robberies get worst, the situation in Mauritanian border city Rosso is the worst in Mauritania by the way…

Transportation: Boat trips - Senegal

In the north part of the country you have the big Senegal river which will have to be passed thru if you want to get to little villages and towns on the other side. You pay around 500CFA or 1000CFA to pass yourself or a car on these boats. The majority of these boats are human force powered and you should participate on the ritual, BE CAREFUL with you hands not to cut yourself on the iron wire that holds the boat. You can get a bad cut on your hand pulling the boat. You should grab the wire pull and get it loose, grab it pull loose, not sliding your hand on it! remember this as it will make you free from cuts like my friend did, he got a huge cut on his hand. West Africa is not the place for you to cut yourself in a place where maybe other people also cut themselves right?

Transportation: Road conditions - Senegal

4WD cars are the best to drive in Senegal. West African roads are not in good shape. Roads in Senegal are BAD on the way from the Border Rosso north, to Saint Louis, you have +-100km of roads full of craters. The road heading North aside the Senegal River all the way to Ouro Sogui and Matam is in really bad shape, better to go off the road than actually going on the few asphalt left on the track. After Ouro Sogui near Matam and going all the way to Kidira and Tambacounda the road is very ok, no problem with this one. Going south o Niokolo Koba (except on the Park itself where you need a 4wd to make many trajects) is ok. The road to Velingara from Tambacounda is ok. From Velingara to the border with Gambia no road just tracks full of holes and red sand and dirt.
From the gambian border to kaolack road is not good, expect many hours to make just a few kms. From Kaolack to Thies is ok and then to Dakar is good. Dakar to Saint Louis is more or less ok.

On the picture you have a broken road between Matam and Kidira that was taken by the strong waters of the recent rains.

Transportation: Border Senegal-The Gambia

This is the border with Gambia south in Casamance after Velingara town. Here things run pretty smooth and people are quite relaxed about tourist due to the few number of them actually passing countries here.
If you come with car you will need carnet de passage en douane, unless you can make the head police understand the document is only for cars older then 4 years (which is not, but he doesn’t know the law), so you just saw you pay the duane for the car and you want to enter. Its nice to have some pencils and t-shirts which they will love if you say you will give them that after you have the douane for your car made of course.
Coming by foot, you have transportation in Velingara going to Georgetown, or you can just hitching which I think will be ok since I haven’t seen much dangerous things in the country…

Transportation: Border Senegal-Mali

This is a choice you have, passing by foot your actually getting yourself inside the long hours train from Dakar. The train will also pass here, the border city of Kidira. You can get out in this city Kidira and walk to the Senegalese officers get a stamp and head the bridge that separates both countries. The first city on the Mali side is Diboli and just a couple of hundred metres before you have the Mali costumes officers and to get a stamp you have to go to the police station in the city after. You don’t get the stamp on the border exactly but have to go and look for the police station after when you get to the nearby town.

Again if you’re coming with a car, make sure you have a less then 4 years old car or the carnet de passage.

The Carnet de Passages en Douane is an internationally recognised customs document that, if accepted in a country, entitles the holder to temporarily import a vehicle without the need to pay the appropriate customs duties and taxes. A Carnet is required for most transcontinental journeys and you must obtained one in advance of the journey.

Transportation: Carnet de Passages en Douane - Mali - Senegal

The Carnet de Passages en Douane is an internationally recognised customs document that, if accepted in a country, entitles the holder to temporarily import a vehicle without the need to pay the appropriate customs duties and taxes. A Carnet is required for most transcontinental journeys and you must obtained one in advance of the journey.
This is a document that prevent people of selling their older cars in poor countries where after a few years what they only have on their roads are pieces of junk cars making roads even more dangerous. Senegal, since 2001 has a law that   older than 4 years will need this document that even embassies around the world don’t know it actually exists, so make sure you have it if you have a car older than 4 years. unless you want to stay on the border. there’s another solution about this which consists on paying for police escort border to border, like Senegal-Gambia, Senegal-Mali, Senegal-Guinea, for this you have to pay around 450euros for each vehicle to pass and you have 2 days to pass the country with a police on your back the whole way.
I got myself stuck in Diamba border in December 2003 with a Nissan Patrol 4WD and had to come back… I went again with a 4 year old Opel Corsa which already passed without a problem.

Transportation: Border Mauritania - Senegal

Rosso Border. This is well known to be the worst place to enter Senegal. From all border passages, the border here in Rosso is quite messy and full of corrupt police officers in both sides, Mauritania and Senegal.

Coming from Mauritanian Rosso, you have to make all your documents signed from the head chief police, and remember not to give your passport to the wrong guy, it can just disappear. give your passport when 2 people police men are with you, follow them even if they say you can’t pass, this way you can always follow them and when someone blocks your entry say loudly they have your passports to stamp! this way everyone will know reducing the probabilities of getting your s robbed and being ripped of for it to appear again.
After Mauritanian formalities you have to get a boat to Senegalese Rosso which will cost you 1500UM for a vehicle and plus 500UM for each passenger.
On the Senegalese side things get worst eve. If you heard people talking about corrupt police force but never saw them in action, here is the perfect place to meet them face to face. open your eyes and open your hears baby, cos you’re going to give money away…
For entrance policeman that stamps your passport will ask you for money…doesn’t exists in other entrances to Senegal like in Diamba or south in the Gambian border.
Police will tell you how the customs are closed and you have to stay there 2 days without passing unless you give double to costume staff. Don’t give your passport away to the men that are in the border telling you they will take care f everything for you just for an exchange of money, you can do it by yourself.
IF YOU COME WITH A VEICULE OLDER THAN 4 YEARS YOU WILL NOT PASS INTO SENEGAL! you need carnet de passage.

Transportation: 4WD Car (4×4) - Mauritania

This is the best way to travel all around Mauritania.
Mauritania is bounded west by the Atlantic Ocean, north by Morocco, north-east by Algeria, east and south-east by Mali, and south by Senegal. Around 40% is Sahara Desert, 30% semi-desert. There is a narrow band of fertile land along the Senegal river.
Area: The total area of Mauritania is 1,031,000 sq km (398,000 sq mi).
There are no roads connecting the north to the south and the only way you have is either the train to Choum-Atar-Nouakchott or the Banc D’Arguin National Park crossing desert tracks with sand dunes and beach paths…