Information is an
informed but personal interpretation (not necessarily
approved
by the
countries concerned) and believed to be correct at
the date shown above.
Wherever possible
use official border crossings, marked with the black
diamond
or expect the consequences outlined below.
For kidnappings in the Sahara, click this
Black diamonds shown
possible two-way desert border crossings. Many other border
crossings exist or are used, but are closed to non-Africans
or tourists without good connections. Grey diamonds show dubious border crossings such as Djado, for Algeria-Niger or Tessalit, for Algeria-Mali, closed to tourists in late 2009 one hears due to AQIM activities.
Blueish
lines show the three
main accessible trans-Sahara routes plus north Mali. You will notice there are far fewer than you would expect over such a vast area. Red lines show
borders which cannot be crossed legitimately
(some may be mined and you may be arrested or run into
bandits/smugglers/rebels/terrorists). Green
border lines can, up to a
point be crossed as long as you check into the nearest
immigration point. Some pass through extremely remote outlaw areas and
you still may get arrested or robbed, etc. As you can
see it's principally southernwestern Algeria and northern
Mali and Niger - not a place where that many go.
Note in late 2009 the border at Tessalit (north Mali) was said to be closed to tourists - you wouldn't want to go there anyway at this time. For a map of Med ferries to Morocco click this.
