Activities

Mauritania, which is three times the size of Germany, is more than 90% desert. And no doubt: in the Sahara there are many possibilities to travel a few kilometers on the ships of the desert. In addition to tea, chinguetti, the singer Dimi Mint Abba, clothes like the boubou and hawli, and of course Sunni Islam, the camel (Arabic: ǧamal) is a key factor in Mauritanian identity. Camels, specifically one-humped dromedaries, originated on the Arabian Peninsula and were introduced to West Africa at the latest with the expansion of Islam. For a long time, they were the only means of locomotion and transportation. For centuries, all trans-Saharan trade was carried out by camels. They transported salt, dates, gold and practically everything else that was traded. Even today, there is a salt caravan near Tichitt that heads south every year. Until a few decades ago, the Islamic pilgrimage, the Ḥaǧǧ, was also made by camel from Mauritania. It is said that from Chinguetti to Mecca, it took six months.

In addition, the camel also has another importance: the milk is drunk, the meat is eaten as an uncommon high end dish, the skin is made into leather. In Bilad Shinqit, there are camels in almost every village and countless places that are worth discovering by camel ride. We can organize tours in a flexible way in terms of time and place. We first ask each interested person the following question: are you interested in a camel trekking or a real horseback riding? In the first case, it is a guided tour at a leisurely pace, in the second, you ride the camel independently, even at a higher speed.

We offer camel rides mainly in the Adrar region. Everything is possible, from a camel ride of several hours to a two-day ride in an oasis, from Terjit to Mhaireth, through a circuit of several weeks (for example Chinguetti - Ouadane and back). We organize the entire tour with you. How many travelers, how many camels, how many camel drivers (guides), possibly a professional cook - everything has to be well planned in advance. We integrate camel trips into our tours or plan a completely new one, depending on your expectations.

Two points are particularly important to us. Firstly, the welfare of the animals. We pay close attention to the people we work with, the way the camels are treated and kept, and the distance we can make an animal travel per day. Secondly, a desert trip can be exciting and fun, but it should never be planned lightly. In any case, you are always accompanied by a guide who knows the area well and by modern GPS equipment. This way, nothing escapes you and, at the same time, we make sure that you don't escape us.

The great Arab poet Al-Mutanabbi once wrote: "The horse, the night and the desert know me." Other great literary figures also refer to the desert. Even the pre-Islamic Muʿallaqāt thematized the sea of sand again and again. So it's time for you to get to know the desert, too. And if you prefer horsepower instead of a dromedaries, the 4x4 tour seems just the right thing. Whether in the dawn, the glaring midday heat or the dusk doesn't matter. The Toyota HILUX is all-wheel drive and can do any time of day. And there is no shortage of suitable places for driving fun, after all Mauritania was the venue of the Dakar Rally from 1978 to 2007. Whether you make a desert tour an event in its own right or include this element on our larger tours is up to you. We are flexible.

The passenger seat bores you in the long run? Do you prefer to drive yourself? No problem. In Mauritania there are many possibilities to control your own four wheels in an action-packed way. The quad tours we offer start in Atar, Nouadhibou or Nouakchott. With the quad you are flexible. Whether at the seaside Ebbsandpiste of Banc d'Arguin or the dunes of Erg Amatlich in the Adrar, whether on the road or offroad. Whether a short adventure of several hours or a tour over several days - we have everything you need for your trip. You can easily add quad elements to an already existing tour; but there is also the possibility that we design a tailor-made quad tour for you. By the way, rubber on sand has a long tradition in Mauritania - from 1978 to 2007 the route Zouérat to Kiffa was part of the Dakar Rally.

Like snowboarding, but on sand. What sounds a bit bizarre has been a recognized sport with its own world championship for decades. Ironically, it was held in Germany between 1990 and 2007, on the "Monte Kaolino" quartz sand dune in the Upper Palatinate. Whereas in Europe you still have to search for sandboarding spots, there is no shortage of them in the Sahara. Therefore we are flexible in the choice of the dune and can combine this sportive event with the most beautiful landscape panoramas. There are plenty of possibilities, for example near Nouakchott, in the Erg Amatlich or the Erg Ouarane near Chinguetti. In a country that consists of 90% desert climate, many sand hills can be climbed before it goes adventurously down again.

Tea culture is pronounced in Mauritania and closely linked to everyday life and identity, so much so that it is hard to believe that tea only spread to Bilad Shinqit at the end of the 19th century. Mauritanians drink tea everywhere - in the city, in the countryside, on the beach, in the desert and even in the oasis. The sweet national symbol is embedded in and stems from the tea culture of the Maghreb. Thus, green tea with plenty of sugar and nana mint is also drunk in Mauritania. All the main terms associated with tea are also borrowed from Moroccan Arabic. However, it was possible to develop its own character in preparation and enjoyment, which is certainly unparalleled in its artistry. To make a good tea is often socially assumed. And after all, it has to be learned. The taste, the sweetness, the foam - many things have to be taken into account.

Especially the right amount of foam demands some experience. The way the tea maker juggles with glasses and teapots has something of a barkeeper's touch. And, of course, nothing works if the charcoal isn't made to glow. Besides the craftsmanship, there are some conventions to follow as a teamaker. Who is offered the first jar? When do I take the glasses, clean them and prepare the next round? Drinking is always three rounds. An important Mauritanian proverb: "The first glass is bitter as life, the second strong as love, and the third gentle as death". Well, as I said, there are many things to consider. So why don't we go for it? Learn how to make tea the Mauritanian way. Whether on the beach, in the desert, or the courtyard of a house in Ouadane, we can make this tea school very spontaneous and almost anywhere.

You can eat Mauritanian food anywhere in Mauritania. But in terms of the right atmosphere, the desert is unbeatable. Our Dinner in the Desert is possible all year round, only during Ramadan it even becomes a breaking of the fast for us, an Iftar. Mauritanian cuisine is fed by Maghrebi, Senegalese and French influences. Whether a fish dish like Maru Hout (also: Thiebouddiene), Maru Diuk (rice and chicken), couscous dishes, a Moroccan tajin or crêpe - for this dinner, variety is on the menu. Further on, appetizers and desserts are a nice addition. No need to mention that the preparation of Mauritanian tea will also be an important part of the evening excursion into the desert. No meal without tea! In the firelight and complete privacy you will get to know the beauty of the desert in the evening. But which sand dunes will ultimately form the setting, you decide. We can arrange our Dinner in the Desert in many places, e.g. in Nouakchott, Chinguetti, Ouadane, Oualata, Tichitt, Kiffa, Aleg. We will be happy to advise you on how to best incorporate the DitD into your tour.