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Truck drivers might ask When traveling here, you are de-facto traveling on the territory of the kingdom of [[Morocco]], so all visa-issues, police control checkpoints etc. are mostly applying to "sleep" in [[Morocco]]. Speaking a discrete position little bit of French, Spanish or Arabic will bring you through without problems, though more and more people speak good English due to avoid endless police passport checksthe presence of the UN. Parts of the east (behind the berm) are controlled by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polisario_Front Polisario Front].
To get === Hitchhiking ===Hitchhiking in Western Sahara is very easy along the coastal road N1, where traffic is plentiful as far down south as Dakhla but sometimes sparely as well. All over the territory, from big cities to the most sparsely location, people pop up to hitchhike as well, so the concept is well known and understood. It will be easy for you to catch rides all the way to [[Mauritania]] one . Locals hitch rides with pointing the forefinger into the driving direction instead of using the thumb. Hitchhiking the N14 to [[Smara]] shouldn't be a problem as well, but the other two main roads N3 and N5 can bring problems with them, due to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Wall_(Western_Sahara) berm] and partly Polisario-controlled areas. Traveling these roads should be taken with a lot of care and it's always best to collect information about the current situation. It can happen that Moroccan police will send you back and not let you through. Also the whole territory is still covered partly with undiscovered landmines, so be extremely careful when leaving the main roads and walking into the desert. Finding long rides can be especially easy with Westerners heading southwards towards [[Nouakchott]] and [[Senegal]] or [[Mali]] and can be done at Camping Moussafir in Dakhla and also Hotel Barbosa about 60 km from the border, where a lot of Moroccans and Westerners stop so that they can reach the border nice and early the next day. If you have made it to that spot chances are good that you have already come there with a Westerner; from [[Tiznit]] on resp. Nouakchott in the South, chances are really good to get a lift from an European. Western Saharan border with [[Mauritania]] closes at 6 in the evening and is a good time for finding northbound rides. In the mornings, especially the cars lined up before 9, when the border opens, will have drivers out of the cars walking about, a good chance to ask drivers for rides. Look for Senegalese people (Senegalese cars have blue license plates with two letters and some numbers and more letters) as they are usually familiar with Mauritania and know the fun places to visit, while at camping ''Moussaffir'the same time you' ll have a ride all the way to Senegal. (north Nanga def? How are you? In [[Africa phrasebook#Wolof|Wolof]], great way to start off your request.) Another Option is to just walk out of the city you want to hitchhike from, until you reach the police checkpoint (usually 0,5-1,5km). There are checkpoints before and after every city in WS. Police is usually very friendly and open to hitchhiking just behind the checkpoint. Cars and trucks go very slow there, plus your passport has already been checked by the police, so also "careful" drivers will pick you up. === Cities ===* [[Ad-Dakhla]] (Villa Cisneros)* [[Boujdour]] (Cape Bojador)* [[El Aaiún]] (Laâyoune), [[El Marsa]]* [[Lagouira]]* [[Smara]] (Semara) === Border Crossing === * [[Morocco]]: There actually is no border, just a handful of police checkpoints along the road.* [[Mauritania]]: Many land mines around the border area, take care! Visa are not issued anymore at the border, you have to get them beforehand at the Mauritanian [[embassy]] in [[Rabat]] (Morocco) or elsewhere they have one ([[Banjul]], [[Dakar]]...). (Edit. Lachance ; Visa can actually be issued at the border of Mauritania. Border open at 9 and visa office at 11h)* [[Algeria]]: The border to Algeria is closed, though it could be possible to get into via Polisario-controlled areas, though this is absolutely not advised if you want to travel safely. == Personal Experience == Pls add info == Nomadwiki & Trashwiki == {{nomadwiki}}
In fact, lorry drivers might be reluctant to give a lift to hitchhiker since they might have to bribe at each police post then. It is more convenient to hitch to the post that comes after [[Al-Uyuun]] and then ask the police to pass on the information about a "traveling hitchhiker" by phone to the next police post on the road.
{{IsIn|Northern Africa}}[[zh:西撒哈拉]]
→Border Crossing
{{infobox Country
|country in = Western SaharaNorthern Africa|map= <map lat='23[[File:Westernsaharamap.755181766112635' lng='-15.029296875' zoom='7' view='0' float='right' />png|300px]]
|language = N/A (recognized regional languages are Arabic and Spanish)
|capital = N/A (largest city is [[Laâyoune (El Aaiún)|Laâyoune]])
|pop = 382,617
|currency = Moroccan dirham (MAD)
|hitch = from {{average}} to {{very good}} <rating country='eh' /> }}In '''Western Sahara''' rides are plentiful and usually free on the main paved roads connecting is a mostly Moroccan-controlled territory in [[Laâyoune (El Aaiún)|Laayoune]], [[Dakhla]] and [[SmaraNorthern Africa]]. The UN does not give rides without official permission apparently which is a shame as Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories since the 1960s when it seems they're the only people who can give you any insight into was a political situation there. Local Moroccans will tell you all sortsSpanish colony.
[[de:Westsahara]]
