Algeria
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Travel Tips
Stay south of the El-Oued-Touggourt-Ghardaia road and east of the Ghardaia-In Salah-Tamanrasset-In Guezzam road. Elsewhere a small but potential risk still exists. Despite what you are told, the Algerians are extremely welcoming. There is Internet access in El-Oued, Touggourt, Hassi-Messaoud and Tamanrasset.
Andrzej Bielecki (Aug 01)
Moving About
Hitchhiking is very easy with the trucks, and nearly always the first one that passes will take you! You are not expected to pay, but be polite and offer - they will refuse anyway. From El-Oued to Touggourt and from Touggourt to Hassi-Messaoud there are only taxis, as the national bus company seems to be on the decline. On several routes (mainly in the north) there are private bus companies.
The more you head in to the south, the smaller the traffic. Between Hassi Messaoud and In Amenas there is a weekly bus on Friday evenings but there are no taxis, as it's too far away. From In Amenas to Illizi there is a minibus twice a day at 7am and 4pm. From Illizi to Djanet there's a minibus twice a week. The road is surfaced the whole way to Djanet.
You can easily consider taking the plane, because the fares are ridiculously cheap. No one takes the bus on long distances, everybody takes the plane.
From Djanet to Tam there are no buses or trucks but occasionally a 4x4. BEWARE: the only people using the 4x4's are smugglers and illegal Malians and Libyans - everybody else takes the plane. The 4x4's charge 2500AD (food and water included in the price), and take three days (750km of unpaved road), but it's worth it. You simply share three days of "non-touristic" but normal Tuareg life in a fantastic environment. I definitely do not advise single women to take this trip, however, remember, it's a hard life in male-only traditional Muslim society.
Tamanrasset: Once a week on Sunday morning there's a connection with Agadez, Niger.
Every day a 4x4 leaves from the outskirts of the town of Tamanrasset for In Guezzam. Ask the direction they are heading. Food, water and tea are included in the price. You will be very warmly welcomed by the police, as you are everywhere in Algeria. Talk with these people but its better to bring newspapers - remember that these people (all come from the north) are more than 2500km away from home in a desert village, where there is nothing!
From In Guezzam, it is 5km to the border post and you can walk if it's not too hot. But the border post (and the village) of Assamakka in Niger is much further away, some 25km from the Algerian police and customs.
Andrzej Bielecki (Aug 01)
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