55 Day Grand Expedition: From Marrakech to Cotonou

55 Days Grand Expedition: from Marrakech to Cotonou
“A once-in-a-lifetime experience”

Morocco and the Western Sahara Province, Mauritania, Senegal and Casamance, the Gambia, Guinea Bissau and the Bijagos Archipelago, Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin.

Trip Summary

EXPERIENCE a “Grand Expedition” that crosses the Sahara from north to south and reaches savannahs, forests, coasts and islands in the Gulf of Guinea. We will traverse the main natural, cultural and religious environments of the African continent.

The itinerary starts in Marrakech, mythical caravan terminal, continues to the Western Sahara (now Moroccan Saharan Provinces) and its virgin sands in a region forbidden to travellers for decades, where we are proud to be the pioneers. On the southern part of our Sahara crossing, we discover the remote oasis of Mauritania.

In Senegal the landscape will change from desert to savannah. Cap d’Almadine is the western point of the African continent. Driving south the landscape will change again, this time from savannah to forest. The Casamance’s sacred dancing masks will be a sign that with the change of natural environment the cultural and religious environment has also changed, from Islam to traditional animism, from monotheism to polytheism. In Guinea Bissau, we enjoy an exciting three days of boating around the Bijagos Archipelago. We return to the mainland to experience a “tribal concert” performed by the Griots: descendants of musicians and story-tellers lineages dating back to the 12th century. We will go through remote forests and mountains where the arrival of foreigners is a rare event.

In the less known corners of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia we will walk on liana bridges to the isolated villages, houses of initiates. On the Fouta Djalon, the largest mountain massif in West Africa, we will be guests of the traditional chiefs sitting in council with notables and elders. Sierra Leone is the first British colony in Africa with the oldest university in this part of the continent. Monrovia is the capital of Liberia, the first independent republic in Africa that has never been a colony or a protectorate, in 1847 it was already ruled by a black president, the Afro-American Roberts from Virginia, part of the Kriol settlers, considered the founders of the nation.

Discover Banana Island, a pristine paradise and meet sacred drummers and diamond seeker sites. Along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, we will travel between shores and islands.

In Ghana we discover the Ashanti ethnic group in the time of traditional ceremonies, visit wild beaches and ancient slave trade castles. In Togo and Benin, the focus will be on the African origins of Voodoo: where trances and magic rituals are part of the everyday life.

A once-in-a-lifetime experience: During this multifaced expedition we will also interact with the “contemporary metropolitan Africa”, strolling in the intense city-life of Dakar, Freetown, Abidjan and Accra known for their restaurants and nightlife. In these vibrant West African capitals, you will have the opportunity to feel the exciting mix of urban culture, encounter young artists, discover graffiti and live music, and experience fusion cuisine.

CLIMATE. The departure dates have been chosen to enjoy the best climate. Late autumn (and spring) are the perfect seasons to travel through the Sahara; temperatures are mild and pleasant; nights are cool but not cold and the days are warm but not hot. Winter (and early spring) are the coolest times of the dry season in Sub-Saharan West Africa.

COMFORT is a must to fully enjoy a long travel experience off the beaten path. Transports: modern, air-conditioned 4x4 vehicles will be the main means of transport on rugged routes, while on main roads, modern, comfortable air-conditioned minibuses will be used.

Overnights: in comfortable hotels, four stars (****) in the capitals. Recent hotels with air-conditioned rooms and private facilities in the rest of the itinerary. The accommodations have been chosen prioritizing comfort, quality of food, friendly service, typical architectural style, and scenic locations. In the remote areas of the Sahara, we will enjoy two nights at our mobile camp with large Bedouin tents, carpets, mattresses and chairs. In case of sand wind, a comfortable restaurant-tent will be set for dinner. A well-organized camp experience under the stars of the desert is a must for the “Sahara experience”.

SAFETY is our main concern. The expedition is based on our long experience of the area and is led by knowledgeable expedition leaders. The itinerary is safe, our local network constantly monitors it thanks to a permanent presence in the field providing updated information.

Day 1	Marrakech - Morocco
Day 2	High Atlas - Morocco
Day 3	Ouadi Draa & Rock Art - Morocco
Day 4	Dunes, Fossiles and Antelopes - Morocco
Day 5	The Oasis Trail - Morocco
Day 6	Caravan Terminals - Morocco
Day 7	Estuaries and Desert - Morocco
Day 8	Dunes and Lagoons - Morocco
Day 9 & 10	Western Sahara: The Forbidden Track - Morocco
Day 11	From the Desert to the Ocean - Morocco
Day 12	Rio de Oro - Morocco
Day 13	Border: Lines in the Sands, - Morocco - Mauritania
Day 14 & 15	Adrar: Dunes and Mountains - Mauritania
Day 16	Chinguetti, The Oasis - Mauritania
Day 17	Ouadane, The Remotest - Mauritania
Day 18	Green Oasis - Mauritania
Day 19	Noukchott - Mauritania
Day 20	Djoudj National Park - Mauritania - Senegal
Day 21	Saint Louis: Colonial and African Citadels - Senegal
Day 22	From “The” Fisherman Village to Lake Rose - Senegal
Day 23	Dakar - Senegal
Day 24	The Salt Pans of Kaolak - Senegal
Day 25	Between Archeology and Contemporaneity - Senegal - Gambia
Day 26	Gambian Birds - Gambia - Casamance (Senegal)
Day 27	Casamance: African Kings and Sacred Masks Dances - Senegal
Day 28	Between Water and Land - Senegal - Guinea Bissau
Day 29	Bijagos Sacred Archipelago: The Ghost Capital - Guinea Bissau
Day 30	Vaca Bruto Dancing Ceremony - Guinea Bissau
Day 31	Islander Life - Guinea Bissau
Day 32	Griot: The African Trobadors - Guinea Bissau
Day 33	A Remote Core of Africa - Guinea Bissau - Guinea Conakry
Day 34	Fouta Djalon - Guinea Conakry
Day 35	African Bas-Relief - Guinea Conakry
Day 36 & 37	Freetown Peninsula, A Long History - Guinea - Sierra Leone
Day 38	Banana Island, Sierra Leone
Day 39	Diamonds - Sierra Leone
Day 40	Bundo: Female Masks - Sierra Leone - Liberia
Day 41	“Liberia”: The Land of Freemen - Liberia
Day 42	Liana Bridges - Liberia - Ivory Coast
Day 43	Dan Masks - Ivory Coast
Day 44	Magical Traditions - Ivory Coast
Day 45	Cathedral In The Savannah - Ivory Coast
Day 46	Abidjan, Skyscrapers and Lagoons - Ivory Coast
Day 47	Grand Bassam - Ivory Coast
Day 48	Gold Coast - Ivory Coast - Ghana
Day 49	Elmina’s Unique Atmosphere - Ghana
Day 50	Ashanti - Ghana
Day 51	Accra “The Capital” - Ghana
Day 52	Lome: Cosmopolitan and Stylish Human Size Capital - Ghana - Togo
Day 53	Voodoo - Togo -Benin
Day 54	Ouidah, Afro-Brasilian Culture - Benin
Day 55	The Stilts Village - Benin

Download Detailed Itinerary

DATES & PRICES

FULL TRANS-SAHARA & WEST AFRICA EXPEDITION
55 DAYS MARRAKECH - COTONOU
Morocco and the Western Sahara Province, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin.

PRICES: please request for rates

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Or Join us for one of the 25 possible legs of the expedition:

1) THE SAHARA: 3 options, from 12 to 19 days itineraries crossing the largest desert on earth, experiencing wild ranges of dunes, oasis and nomadic encampments.

2) SAHARA & WEST AFRICA: 6 options, from 14 to 51 days itineraries. From the Sahara crossing to savannahs and to the forests. Experiencing a great variety of landscapes, peoples and tribal cultures from desert nomads, oasis and camel caravans to animistic villages and masks.

3) WEST AFRICA: 16 options, from 6 to 34 days itineraries. Savannahs and forests, unknown rituals, tribes and cultures in the most intriguing Sub-Saharan regions.

View all possible legs of the expedition