👋 Hello Guys! We're Charlon and Charlotte, two digital nomads traveling around the globe. We're both from the small island of Malta .... Gozo, to be exact. We've been on the road for over 2+ years, hitting over 30 countries in the process. The Iron Ore train has been on our bucket for some time now, and we thought it would be even better if we got to share this experience with other travellers. 📍 About the trip Now, this is all still up for debate. What we know for sure is that we'll be meeting in Nouakchott, Mauritania's capital, and spend the first night there. We'll have a driver meeting us to drive us around, and the following day we'll embark on a 750 km journey to Zouérat - the start of the Iron Ore Train. The journey by car takes 10 hours, so we thought we'd stop somewhere in between, explore something cool and spend the night. We'll do the Iron Ore Train on Day 4 of the trip - which should give us enough time in case the train doesn't work on the day, etc. Better safe than sorry (i.e. missing a flight). We'll spend the rest of the days exploring Nouakchott and other places of interest like Banc d’Arguin, etc. I'll do a draft itinerary, but it's all up for discussion. We'll have a driver with us, so it's really up to us to decide what we want to do and explore. ✔️ The cost includes: 🛏️ All Accommodations as per the itinerary (Shared rooms) 🚗 Atar, Ouadane, Chinguetti 4x4 2-day Tour (Incl. 1-night stay in a bivouac tent, dinner, breakfast) Let me know if you have any extra ideas or feedback for this trip! Looking forward to meeting you.
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Trip Itinerary
1
Nouakchott
Day 1-3
We'll probably be on the same flight to Nouakchott, sort out a taxi, and go to the hotel for the night. All flights seem to arrive late in the evening, so it might be smart to sort out a taxi beforehand. Take the first day to soak in the city! 🛏️ Accommodation | Auberge Triskell - Shared Bungalow with another traveller (2 single beds) + Breakfast
2
Atar
Day 3-6
Word is that there are plenty of shared taxis and minibuses that leave to Atar. Total around 6 hours drive. This way, we can divide the trip between Nouakchott and Zouérat (The start of the Iron Ore Train). Apparently, the town has an earthy bazaar and sprawling crafts markets. 🛏️ Accommodation in Atar | Shared tent with another traveller (2 single mattresses) After sleeping in Atar for a night, we will leave on a tour with a 4x4 vehicle to Ouadane and Chinguetti, exploring the famous mosque, library, sand dunes, and more. We'll sleep one night in a bivouac in the desert, with dinner and breakfast both included. The tour will bring us back to Atar, where we'll spend another night before embarking on a journey to Zouérat. So, to summarize, it would be: 1 night in Atar 1 night in a bivouac tent (shared) 1 night in Atar
3
Zouérat
Day 6-8
We'll sort out a taxi or minibus from Atar to Zouérat. It's set between the great beige and brown bluffs of the Tiris Zemmour ranges in the northern reaches of the country. The place has long been known for its proximity to some of Africa’s richest mineral reserves. We will spend the night here before the Iron Ore Train tomorrow. The accommodation for the second night will (hopefully) be the Iron Ore train.
4
Nouadhibou
Day 8-10
The official departing time from Zouérat is 11 am, but I was told that it has never departed before 12-12:30 pm and, unofficially, they say the train can leave at any time between 12 pm and 6 pm, or even later. Assuming things go smoothly and there isn’t any breakdown, the journey takes 18-20 hours from Zouérat to Nouadhibou. This means that we should reach Nouadhibou on the next day between noon and 18.00 We'll spend the night in Nouadhibou and the following day too to explore the area. 2 nights in total. 🛏️ Accommodation | Hotel Room with another traveller (2 single beds) + Breakfast
5
Banc d'Arguin National Park
Day 10-11
It looks like this is an unmissable spot. Here is what a certain blog says about it: Banc d’Arguin National Park is Mauritania’s only large-scale national park. And boy does it deserve the title! A vast patchwork of low sandbanks and rock-speckled beaches that drops down into the waters of the Bay of Arguin on the extreme northern fringes of Mauritania, it’s famed for its booming biodiversity, which is highlighted by the sheer amount of migratory birds that pass this way each year. Spotters can see the likes of sandpipers and flamingos, pelicans and terns in the shallows, while it’s thought that the population of nesting birds here is the highest in all of West Africa! It’s also the home of the traditional Imraguen folk, who can often be seen bobbing on pirogues between the sandy islets and the lapping waves. We can sort a day tour and a cool place to spend the night.
6
Nouakchott
Day 11-13
Back to the capital, Nouakchott. We'll spend another two nights here to explore before getting our flights back out of Mauritania. Plenty of stuff to do ... Camel market, mosques, football match.. etc. 🛏️ Accommodation | Auberge Triskell - Shared Bungalow with another traveller (2 single beds) + Breakfast
Trip Summary
Accommodation
Hotel & Camping & Hostel
13 days trip
Nouakchott, Atar & 4 more
Transportation
Train
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Mauritania
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