Conakry to Rabat

[Daunted Rider]

Sorry for the long post, but I got into writing it more than I thought I would.

Ride from Conakry to Rabat (March 23 to 4 April)

Bike: 2014 F700 GS with Metzeler Karoo 3 tires and TFX 141 SHOCK W/ HPA suspension upgrade.

Overall: This was a great opportunity trek because I live in Guinea and can’t bring my bike back to the US. So I was able to do the journey without having to worry about the return route. The first half the trip was more an endurance ride as I tried to get as far as I could each day and to the next hotel (which can be few and far between in West Africa). But I enjoyed having the set schedule of early days, skipping lunch, and pressing for distance. I became more in-tune with riding and ironically allowed me to unwind from work and separately from constant exposure to computers, smartphones, and daily life distractions. But after getting to Laayoune and feeling the strain of the long days, I slowed down my pace and enjoyed the scenery, small towns, good roads, and the freedom of many hotels and gas stations that Morocco provides.

Favorite Parts: Off road sections in Guinea, seeing Mauritanian Desert, exploring lower Morocco, riding the medina in Marrakesh

Least Favorite Parts: Traffic in Nouakchott (worst I’ve ever experienced), road to Nouakchott (at least in the moment.)

Things I’d do next time: Tizi n’Test Pass, more of Morrocco, more off road in Mauritania, use ioverlander.com for more camping.

Glad I had: GoPro (despite not knowing how to use it), cooling neck gaiter (key in the heat), Aether Expedition Jacket (very comfy, good ventilation, and waterproof), TFX upgraded suspension (I broke my stock suspension on a similar trip), Giant Loop reserve bladder, and maps.me app for maps guidance.

Wish I had: warm clothes, windproof gloves, done daily checks of bike for loose parts (lost a bar end)
Upgrades as a result: Better pants for temperate weather as mine were mostly mesh, new helmet with less wind noise and better ventilation.

Day 1: Conakry to Labe
I’d done this ride previously but it was still nice. The mountains in Haute Guinea provide beautiful vistas and wonderful forested, windy roads. The road quality was mixed, but mostly decent two-lane roads. I had a near miss with a truck. Drivers in Guinea are used to motorcycles being like pesky flies that buzz around roads with no respect to traffic “laws.” Be aware of blind turns in the mountains, unexpected potholes, unmarked speed bumps, and broken down vehicles. And never assume the brake lights work. Conakry is not worth a visit if you are just passing through the country. Fuel quality in Guinea is poor and refuel as often as you can as towns will often run out of fuel waiting on the next delivery. Stayed at Chez Tata which is a bit of an Eco lodge and open seasonally. Damn good pizza.

Day 2: Labe to Tambacounda
More wonderful vistas and much better roads. There is, however, a 23km stretch on the road to Gaoul that is unpaved and in the mountains. It wasn’t bad this time, but previously had a lot of loose sand. Crossing the border into Senegal was easy and made easier if you have copies of your passport and visa that you can leave with Customs. There are three stops on each side – Gendarmerie, Customs, and Border Police. I hit the Senegalese passport control during siesta, but some locals managed to rouse the agent. I should have refueled in Guinea as there is nothing on the other side of the border. I had to use my 1 gal reserve (Giant Loop Bladder). Stayed in Le Relais de Tamba. Nice place with a pool and on the outskirts of town. Nothing to see in Tambacounda, but it was nice to be in Senegal and have access to better fuel.

Day 3 Tambacounda to Saly
I was going to have an easy day and short trek to Koalack. But a local convinced me to make more hours that day so that my ride to Richard’s Toll wouldn’t be an all-day journey. Saly is a resort town south of Dakar so I was happy to make the extra miles. Stayed at the White Rhino which was expensive, but worth it. I was able to walk around the town, have a nice yassa poulet, and some particularly good ice cream at small parlor. Road was fine although truck traffic slowed things down considerably as well as speed zones in small towns. I hear there is a 150 km Chinese-made toll road that just opened (April 2019)

Day 4: Saly to Richard’s Toll
Another decent day of riding and about 30 km on an interstate. Lots of truck traffic and small towns that slowed down the overall pace. I had lunch in St. Louis and would recommend staying there a full day if you have the time. There is a very lovely downtown and lots of restaurants. You could stay further south at a place called Zebrabar that is motorcycle-friendly. But I decided to go up to Richard’s Toll to be closer to the border crossing. My hotel was Gites D’Etape which is easy to miss. It has a feeling of being a bit past its prime, but still a nice place and an excellent pier over the Senegalese River. I organized to have a fixer at the border for the next day.

Day 5: Richard’s Toll to Nouakchott
I tried to get to the border as early as possible and my fixer helped get me through the maze of customs offices and getting a pass for the ferry. Of course, I might have ended up paying a bit more than is necessary, but it was a comfort to have someone to guide me around. On a bike, it is easy to ride directly onto the ferry which is a 10 minute ride. The Mauritania side was chaos and I’m sure I paid much more than needed. But be sure to get the local insurance. And don’t forget that patience and a smile go much further than being an ass. Remember that customs officials have all day to do their job and you need to get on your way. I had my first and only puncture here (from the Senegal side) and it was an easy fix. The road is amazing for the first 30 km and then it turns bad. Worn out tarmac, lots of pot holes and stretches of thick sand for 20m or so. I dropped my bike once and a passing truck helped me lift it. They are fixing the road and the side paths are not well done. Expect loose sand for 30km stretches at time. I managed to find some fuel on the way but was nearly empty getting to the outskirts of Nouakchott. Traffic in Nouakchott, especially coming from the south, is horrible. Drivers don’t seem to have rules and bumper cars rules seem to apply. A little cash got me out some trouble after a light tap to a trunk. I stayed at the Monotel which was decent.

Day 6: Nouakchott to Nouadhibou
It was much easy to get out of Nouakchott then entering, perhaps because it was the morning and because I was in the north of city. The road up to Nouadhibou was overall excellent. One or two bypass but the sides roads were in good condition. Definitely fuel up in Nouakchott as the next fuel station is close to the border. Drove through Nouadhibou which is a decent but unexciting town. Lots of development on the coast and stayed at an out-of-season hotel at the Centro de Pesca. The Villa Maguela was closed, but seems nice. But it was great to be on the bay and on my way to Morocco.

Day 7: Nouadhibou to Dakhla
Getting out of Mauritania was much easier than getting in. There is a 3km trek though “No Man’s Land” between the border crossings, but it is easily crossed. I was able to follow two trucks through the 1000km of unpaved roads and hugged the long line of trucks waiting to pass through. Getting into Western Sahara/Morocco was a bit chaotic but manageable. It took a much longer time than I thought it would, but some of it was self-inflicted. I was a bit worried about my late start but got into Dakhla around sunset. There are many hotels close to Dakhla and along the peninsula getting into the main town. I ended up camping on the beach next to a restaurant and RV parking lot. Sadly this was my only time camping during the trek but worth lugging the gear.

Day 8: Dakhla to Laayoune
It’s a long trek between the two towns but manageable to make in one day. No worries about refueling along the way. The roads were good but worn to one-lane in a few spots. Be wary of trucks but they are generally courteous. There is a lot of wind along the coast, starting in Mauritania which makes for long days and getting rattled passing trucks going the opposite direction. Nice scenery, and some spots close to the cliff over the ocean. I stayed at Hotel Al Massira which was nice and they let me part my bike in the back lot, nice and secure. Great breakfast and lots of restaurants in walking distance too.

Day 9: Laayoune to near Tan-Tan
I decided to take it easy, distance-wise, past Laayoune. I had many days to meet a friend in Marrakesh and not many miles to cover. I stopped in Trfayt which is a coastal town with a large port. It was one of the Aeropostal waystations and has a Museum dedicated to Antoine de Saint-Exupery who was the station chief at one time. Very cool town with an ancient feel. I some calamari at a roadside restaurant and made my want past Tan-Tan to Ksar Tafnidilt. It is a new hotel modeled after one of the nearby forts. They also have great offroad trails mapped in the area so good if you want to get the bike dirty. There is some dirty trails with deep sand in spots to get to the hotel, but nothing too hard to manage.

Day 10: Tan-Tan to Mirleft
I made my way to Guelmin and headed to Sidi Ifni on the coast. The scenery to Sidi Ifni is absolutely gorgeous and the road is has nice, easy winding turns and is mostly new. Perfect for riding. I had lunch in Sidi Infni, got some cash, and then up to Mirleft for the night. I stayed at Sally’s BnB which is a bit expensive, but worth the price. It overlooks a beach from a clifftop and the beach is accessible as well. I had a great time out with some local expats and can see why so many retire in the area.

Day 11: Mirleft to Tafraout
The ride out of Mirleft is on another beautiful coastal road and then into open ground towards Tiznit. Passed Tiznit, you get into the Anti-Atlas mountains. Great roads overall and some fun climbs up. I definitely took it easy as there are many blind turns. No sketchy parts and it seems like I had the road to myself most of the time. Going into Tafraout, the quality of the roads get worse, but not bad. Just watch out for the buses that take up the entire road. Tafraout is another place to stay for a few days if you want to do some offroading. I ran into a guy who set a KTM photoshoot and gave me a map of the trails. I only hit one easy one, but it seems you can spend a few days out riding at any level. I overnighted at the Hotel Salama. Good spot in the center of town and secure parking. They also let me clean my chain on their sidewalk; good thing the spray and dirt washed away.

Day 12: Tafraout to Taroudant
This was an easy day on good roads. I hit another large mountain pass and ran into a little bit of rain. There was more traffic than previous days but for the most part, all drivers are very courteous. But better safe than sorry. I didn’t go into Taroudant because despite my easy days previously, I was feeling tired and was heading to Marrakesh the next day anyways. I stayed at the Dar Zitoune which is a pretty nice hotel for a dude traveling alone. But I didn’t complain too much. Had secure parking and great food.

Day 13: Taroudant to Marrakesh
Due to rain in Tizi n’Test pass and a lack of cold gear, I made the decision to go around the Atlas Mountains to get into Marrakesh. Disappointing, but it’s a reason to go back to Morocco (as if I needed one.) The day was almost exclusively on a beautiful two-lane highway. I finally hit some serious rain this day and spend 20 minutes below an underpass with a Royal Gendarmerie motorcycle cop. It hit 10C on the ride and I was damn cold. Windproof gloves and warm layer anyone? Marrakesh isn’t too bad of city to navigate and going through the central medina on a motorcycle is downright run. Definitely works the clutch hand though. I paid for secure parking in a local lot and put a cover on the bike.

Day 14: Marrakesh to Rabat
After spending 4 days in Marrakech, I rode up to a friend’s house in Rabat. I decided to take the toll road because I had a flight that night. Wonderful road and high octane fuel. I was ready for my trip to be over, but I look forward to retrieving my bike, getting it serviced in Europe and continuing my journey for a bit more.