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Mauritania

Travel Portrait Masterclass

22 Feb - 2 Mar 2025

CHF 2,995

€ 3,100     £ 2,800

All-inclusive except flight

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8 DAYS

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3-7 PEOPLE

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4* HOTELS &

DESERT CAMPING

Imagine a country so remote that most people never heard about it - let alone can locate it on a map. A country with a unique and deeply traditional culture. Where most men wear dresses taken straight from the Tales of 1001 Nights.

You wouldn't think such a place would exist in the 21st century. But it does.


Mauritania is large a chunk of Sahara, 3x the size of France, that ends abruptly at the Atlantic coast.

A harsh, rough country populated mostly by Moors. A place where you will not see another tourist for days.

 

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Level of Difficulty

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This is fairly easygoing and relaxed trip - but you need to be fit for a 2-day desert walk on the Sahara.

 

You need to be prepared for:

  • Desert walk (3h in the morning + 3h in the afternoon at a slow, relaxed pace), with no shower, toilet, or mobile connection

  • Sleeping on the desert (in a tent), with night temperature dropping to 12-14 degrees

  • 7-hour bumpy drive to Chinguetti and back, half of which on dirt tracks

Locations

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Nouakchott

We will start in the capital, exploring the city and its markets, and absorbing Mauritania's exotic ambience, culture, and gorgeous dresses. The highlight will be a visit to Port de Peche (fishing port) on the Atlantic coast, with its raw beauty and incredible faces, seasoned in the harsh climate. While most people are busy with the fish, some take an opportunity to have a dip in the ocean.

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Chinguetti

One of the 7 holy cities of Islam in middle ages, today Chinguetti is a delapidated, forgotten place at the edge of the Sahara, with slow pace and detached feel. Not much is left of its former glory - except for several medieval libraries filled with thousands of old, hand-written books, and guarded by old-world librarians and wooden locks.

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Sahara Walk

From Chinguetti, we will take a 2-day walk through the Sahara desert, accompanied with a couple of guides and camels that will carry our stuff. A true old-style caravan. We will soak in the vastness, desolation and silence of the Sahara, and the gorgeous patterns on the dunes in a late afternoon sunlight. We will sleep one night in an oasis - and another in an open desert, under the stars.

Itinerary

Fri 21 Feb
Arrival in Nouakchott (at night)

Sat 22 Feb - Nouakchott
Late start & stroll around town
Port de Peche


Sun 23 Feb
Drive to Chinguetti (7h)

Mon 24 Feb - Chinguetti
Street photography
Medieval libraries


Tue 25 Feb - Sahara
Sahara walk + oasis
Overnight on the desert

Wed 26 Feb - Sahara
Sahara walk

Thu 27 Feb - Chinguetti
Street photography

Fri 28 Feb
Drive to Nouakchott (7h)
Stopover in Terjit oasis


Sat 1 Mar - Nouakchott
Markets
Port de Peche


Sun 2 Mar
Departure (3:45am)

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Photographic Coaching

  • Full-time coaching by Pawel Lipski

  • Creative techniques & tips for travel portraits - both candid & posed

  • Camera settings for travel portraits

  • Location-specific briefings & assignments

  • Daily reviews of best photos

  • Written feedback on your 10 best shots after the trip

Included:

  • Full-time travel portrait coaching

  • Accommodation in 4 & 3-star hotels (single occupancy), and 2 nights camping on the Sahara

  • All meals (with beverages)

  • Ground transportation in private minivan/4WD

  • Camel & guide for the Sahara walk

  • Airport transfers

  • Tips for guides 

Not Included:

  • International flight into Nouakchott

  • Visa

  • Travel insurance

  • Covid-19 test before departure

  • Personal expenses (e.g. room service, porters, laundry)

Accomodation

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NOUAKCHOTT

Hotel Semiramis (4*) - single occupancy

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CHINGUETTI

Maison La Gueila - the hotel has 6 rooms, so single/sharing depending on group size

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SAHARA

2 nights in open desert in tents

Price

PAYMENT
20% (CHF 600) refundable deposit to reserve your place
Balance by 31 October

DISCOUNT
10% (CHF 300) for returning trip customers

Based on single room occupancy

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
31 October

CHF 2,995

Equipment

You need a good camera with a telephoto lens up to at least 200mm (full frame) - plus smartphone camera for desert shots.

Personally, I will use almost exclusively 70-200mm f2.8, sometimes with a 1.4x converter.

Important To Know

  • No vaccinations required

  • Information pack including a packing list and clothing recommendations will be sent after deposit payment

  • Visa: all nationalities get visa on arrival at Nouakchott airport

Covid Regulations

No entry restrictions.

Flights

Royal Air Maroc via Casablanca from Geneva, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam (€ 600-700)
From Singapore: Turkish via Istanbul (S$ 2,200)
From Hong Kong: Turkish via Istanbul (HK$ 12,000)


For current flight options, check:
skyscanner.ch

Cancellations

If YOU cancel participation:

 

  • 100% refund if canceled by 31 October

  • 50% refund if canceled before 31 December

  • 0% refund if canceled less after 31 December

If the TRIP is cancelled:

 

  • If the trip is cancelled due to Covid surge or other force majeure, it will be postponed to the next year OR full refund will be given minus costs I have already paid that cannot be recovered (e.g. domestic flight tickets).

 

  • If the trip is cancelled due to insufficient number of participants or any other reason else than force majeure, full refund will be given.

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