"Mauritania" a Mauritania Travel Page by mpanizza

Well.... there's not much to say about Nouakchott. With the exception of a few markets and a decent museum, there isn't much to do. Nouakchott is definitely "off-the-beaten-track", so if you're the type to build an impressive list of destinations no one has been to, than maybe it's for you. The city itself looks like a movie set planted in the middle of the desert, with the sand creeping right up to the roadside. The people are quite friendly, and more so if you speak French. The coast (which I'm heading to this coming weekend) is supposedly the main attraction. We'll see. If you do come to Nouakchott, make sure you've built in enough time in your visit for a trip somewhere else in the country. Alas, I can't but have heard that a trip to Chinguetti (roughly 6 hours by car) northeast of the city of Nouakchott is a rewarding trip. Unless you're a particularly intrepid traveler that can stretch your dollar, make sure you bring cash, because the decent hotels here are expensive. Food and drink too. It's Africa with Euro prices. I'll add some photos soon.