Africa’s famous for many things and it’s fair to say that it’s nightlife is not one of them.

We can tell you underestimate Africa’s club scene at your own peril. We’ve covered the continent in and out of bars and here are the top five Nightclubs we came across.

1. Coconuts – Maputo, Mozambique
Coconuts has to be one of the greatest nightclubs in Africa. It has to be one of the greatest nightclubs on the planet. That’s right it’s a big call. But we made it. This is where the rich and famous hang and you’ll see why. It is a massive complex which holds easily over 1,000 party goers, has 3 seperate dancefloors, a pool complete with swim up bars and blasts beats all night right on the beach. It’s open Friday and Saturday nights and it’s where you need to be. If you’re lucky they’ll even have a dancefloor pontoon over the water. Yeah, it’s expensive for this part of the world but if you want to get down – there’s no other place like it.

You’ll find it right on the beach in Maputo here.

2. Black Diamond – Nairobi, Kenya
This place is well, pretty great to be honest. Nairobi boasts perhaps the most developed and enjoyable nightlife scene we came across outside of South Africa and when if you head to the Westlands you’ll be impressed. There are a load of niche like themed lounge bars such as Havana where locals rub shoulder to shoulder with expats. After warming up there the only option you need to consider is right around the corner. It’s name – Black Diamond. It’s one of the best nightclubs we have come across in Africa which combines a nice mix of culture, events and an international crowd.

This is also a favourite place for prostitutes, (no – it’s not our cup of tea but it’s something we thought we should tell you), but from our experience, they’ll be all drinking Heineken so it doesn’t take much to work out who they are. We’re 96% sure they are supplied free by the bar if that helps. Either way they and everyone else there are nice enough and naturally are up for a chat and a booty shake. This place is a must when in Nairobi as you can dance and down quality Kenyan beers until your hearts content.

You’ll find it downtown in Westlands in the city and to help you find it even easier click here.

3. Le Villa – Lome, Togo
Let me guess you’ve never even heard of Togo? You might be surprised to see Lome on the list but this coastal gem has much to offer in terms of nightlife. There are dozens of vibrant street bars, there’s the African cultural centre for live music almost every night and there are a host of swanky bars littered in between. For a big night out that is certain to surprise you – don’t miss Le Villa. You’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a exclusive location in any western city with it’s ritzy cocktail bar vibe but it’s one of the best places we’ve found in West Africa. It has genuine electronic beats and modern music. You can barely find anything written about it anywhere either which adds to its exclusivity.

We’ll also admit, there’s something a little bit special about sinking shots with UN officials and dancing with members of an EU delegation to the best electro we were able to find but that’s a story for another day…

You’ll find it a few blocks down from ‘Al Donalds’ and we’ll give you the heads up – you’ll need to wear shoes to get it. Yep, that’s right, this was the first place in Africa after 3 months that wouldn’t allow us entry in our thongs (flip flops).

4. House on Fire – Swaziland.
Superior for Southern Africa. You’ll need to ask around but there is a pretty special tiered nightclub somewhere between Lombamba Valley and Mbanbane. Yes – it was so good we rejoiced in mass celebrations and can’t remember where it is or how to get there. Luckily for you, Swaziland is a small place and this club has a big reputation. If you’re even luckier, there’ll be some live entertainment to precede an evening of hectic dance and your hostel will provide a shuttle service. That’s how we rolled as far as we can remember.

5. Lombadi Beach, Accra – Ghana.
It’s not every day that you can join a beach rave let alone join a reggae beach rave. That’s exactly what you’ll find every Wednesday night down on Lombadi Beach. It’s at the eastern end of town but it’s here where you kick back and feel the reggae rhythm from the comfort of a deck chair while up-an-coming rap star wannabes battle it out live on stage.

Accra is loaded with bars and nightlife and we spent most of our time in the district of Osu, where you can find plenty of ‘ spots’ (the local term for bar), including Ryan’s and Duplex, both well known amongst international students.

We can’t not mention Ghana’s Holy Grail though – the street side bars in Accra offer value like nowhere else. We’re talking about Lissie’s to be precise on Oxford Street. Here you can grab local gin in a 50ml satchel for 30 pesewas which is about 15 Euro cents along with whatever mixers take your fancy. It may just be the cheapest alcohol we’ve ever come across. Jackpot.

What just missed the cut?
The capital of Mali, Bamako is unlucky to miss out as it is jam packed with great places to get your groove on such as Bla Bla Bar, Le Byblos and if you want to get hands on with the Malian music scene check out Djemba Djemba for karaoke jam sessions that you can join in on. We’ll give you a tip though – don’t upstage the old guitar hero, he may just unplug you.

We’ll also give The Gambia’s Senegambia Strip a mention. Just because it’s like a different World. Bars, Clubs, Prostitutes and European ladies with young local guys to go with the local reggae scene and trading beer for drugs if you’re that way inclinded. It’s always happy hour on the Senegambia strip, it’s full of touts and you’ll soon become a pro at working out how best to fend them off. Wednesday night is ladies night at Wow nightclub (Afrika Queen) and it brings in a pretty diverse crowd which makes for a fun night out. If you’re pale guys who can’t dance like us – don’t embarass yourself on the dancefloor. These guys here can and will dance you right back to your seat.

It might have been made famous in recent times by YouTube and the battle of Kruger but for the first time in Africa someone actually let us hire their car. Naturally we decided to take it off road and chase Elephants.

This is our battle at Kruger in search of the big 5!

Facts not Fiction
To this point, we’ve shown parts of Africa that people don’t know much about. One thing everybody knows is that Africa is home to spectacular wildlife so we couldn’t miss the big one – Kruger National Park. It’s 20 000 square km’s in size and the brochures like to say about the same size as Israel. It’s the world’s oldest National Park opened in 1898 and it’s home to the ‘Big 5’ along with almost every other animal under the sun.

Forget all the fuss – what’s actually there?
Pretty much everything but as always we arrived unprepared – driving around with no map or directions in a hire car for the first time in Africa. Never ones to miss an opportunity we cut a deal at the gate and managed to get a few hours of aimless dirt track driving in before sunset. Of course we also returned the next morning for a sunrise session.

A gigantic warthog was up first and although he didn’t sing Hakuna Matata he got us into the safari rhythm. 5 minutes down the road and we were amongst monkeys, deers and zebra but we were here for one thing the Big 5 (Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard & Black Rhino). We didn’t think Buffalo were that exciting so we opted to search for the elusive Giraffe instead on our list of must sees.

So did we have any success?
“Is that a big (insert obscenity here) Elephant?” was how we marked our first sight of one of kings of the safari plain before slamming on the breaks on the dusty track in awe. We know – we’ve all seen an elephant either at a zoo or ridden on one somewhere in Asia but to see one in the wild for the first time – well, it’s definitely one of those amazing moments you’ll never forget. The sheer size of the African Elephant up close and personal is mind blowing and they wandered across the road in front of the car like no bodies business creating the most impressive road block we’ve ever come across.

A few kilometres down the road there’s a tribe of Baboons making the most of the paved road and amongst the vegetation of the savannah standing tall amongst the trees were Giraffes on sunset. Saving the best till last – two Rhinos jostling for 20 minutes as each blow sent sounds thundering through out vehicle.

Back on Track, Day 2 – We hung out with hippos, got a glimpse of Leopards relaxing in the trees on the edge of a lagoon and were amazed at the size of the Buffalo. For a highlight it was hard to go past hearing the sounds of bones snap as an Hyena relentlessly devoured the carcass of an unlucky Antelope. Of course we saw herd of Duke, varieties of Antelope, incredible birds, flamingo like stalks and other animals that we didn’t even know the names of.

We should also mention the countless herds of Elephants, additional Rhino’s, Hippotamous, types of Baboon’s and most other things made famous by the Lion King but that’s just Kruger and that’s just what you’ll see driving around aimlessly any time of day – so we won’t bore you with that.

There was slight frustration though, as the search for the King of the Jungle continues. Try as we might, we just couldn’t find the big cat. We followed the river, went to spots where there had been reported sightings but it wasn’t to be. We will have to try our luck in Tanzania and Kenya to find this beast but we can tell you – they are there somewhere.

Why don’t you just do an organised Safari?
In a sentence we don’t like to spend money. You might think not seeing the king of the jungle gives enough reason to jump on board an organised safari, but there is still no guarantee you’ll see the big 5. Of course you will be with people who know the park well so you’ll have a better chance, but there are boards at rest stops in the park dotted with the day’s sightings.

It might be worth it if you do a bit of research and can stay in the park for a few days which would be incredible but as usual our bank accounts said no. It is about 500-600R ($80-$90) for these safari’s on top of the entrance at 160R ($26). One tour that would probably be worthwhile would be the night time safari which would undoubtedly be an unbelievable experience. For us though, there is just something a bit special about being able to cruise around on your own, with a map and see what you can find.

With no real research after an hour in the park we were driving alongside Elephants and for a couple of amateurs we think we did pretty well for our first crack at this whole wildlife thing so if you’re out there and know a Cheetah or a Lion let them know we’ll be hot on their trail.

What’s it actually like at the World Cup?

We’ve all read stories and seen the World Cup on TV but we’ve been behind the scenes and this is match day as we saw it on the ground with fans of all walks of life.

Game Day.
So you’re in South Africa with tickets to game. You’ve got your nations colours on, you’ve found cheapest possible accommodation and you’ve got a feeling inside that you can’t explain something in between pent up excitement, anxiousness and pure jubililation that you’re about to be part of history.

If you’ve just backpacked West Africa for 3 months like us – you’re ready for the night of your life. So of course you’ve drank with fellow countrymen the night before. Wake up with a hangover, cold and shivering after being shocked by the South African winter in a tent.

Eat some biltong (a highly addictive meat snack) for breakfast. Kick around with other football tragics. Gasp for air after 5 minutes whilst failing to replicate the skills of the stars. Find yourself in a bus on route to town to search for cheap snacks and beverages. Go all out on a champagne breakfast in a shopping centre eatery to the cheers of passing supporters. Grab roadies (a six pack) and head for Fanfest.

Don’t like to read? Here’s our World Cup video.

Pre game hype builds as you stand with thousands of locals and other fanatics without tickets watching in a park on a big screen. See the excitement in the eyes of the South Africans as they bask in the cup fever. If you can’t get to a FanFest try a shopping centre, airport, local store or carpark – there’ll be a TV and it’ll be packed.

Work your way to the nearest pub and text everyone you know. If you’re like us, find one full of Aussies – it’s never particularly hard. Engage in a bit of banter with any non-Australian supporters present. For us this involved getting on the Algerian bandwagon to test out the wits of the American fans seated alongside us.

Grab some greasy food and haggle with a taxi. Grab a lonely Englishmen to share the costs. Practice your vuvuzela skills after he purchases Vuvu’s to say thanks. Find out it’s not that easy to blow a Vuvuzela so just wave it around and pretend.

We must note – we are big fans of the vuvuzela and everything that comes with – loud and proud in Africa.

As game time approaches make your way to the Park & Ride in the middle of nowhere. All aboard for 30 minutes of bus chants and Vuvuzela madness. From the carpark follow the unmistakable buzz of the sound in the stadium. Be guided to the stadium purely on sheer volume alone. Only in Africa.

Before entering the ground search high and low for opposition supporters. In our case – firstly it was Ghanaians. Pose for photos and speak to them about their football league. Shock them with local knowledge and reassure them unfortunately today they will not win. Dance, sing, dangle limbs and stock up on supplies at the entertainment outside stadium as beats are blared across all parts of the complex.

Weave your way into the stadium for kick off. Stand in awe at the sight of row after row of seating covered in your national colours thousands of miles from home. Meet and greet the locals in the seats beside you and apologise for the 90 minutes ahead. Be lifted out of your seat as the roar of Australian supporters deafens opposition fans. Sing along as your footballing heroes march out.

Feel your hairs stand end on end as your national anthem is sung.

Be blown away as your team scores the first goal and jubilation reaches fever pitch. Stand as one as a Mexican wave sweeps through the stands. Lose voice, beer, sense of reality and total control as your team strikes a second goal to lead 2-0.

From an unbelievable high to a solemn low as the opposition score. Silence.

Anxiously await the final siren. Realise on this night, you will not be denied an inevitable victory. Experience an all time high as not a single Australian fan leaves and 20 minutes after the game they’re all standing as one in applause. Their World Cup is over but the memory is not.

Let loose amongst pure pandemonium with complete strangers from across Africa and Australia. Join the masses as the celebrations into the night are only just beginning.

Blow your Vuvuzela.

Reflect on the significance – you’ve been part of the most watched sporting event in the world which they might say is only a game but on this day there is nothing else that matters. Feel the emotion, the colours, the people, the sights and yes, the sounds of the World Cup in Africa are you’ll know they are like no other.

Want to experience the atmosphere? This is our World Cup video.

On the road to the World Cup at a developing football club in Ghana a young star a few months ago told us for him as an African it would be ‘once in a lifetime’ – he was right – it was once in a lifetime for us as well, but we know that it has changed Africa forever.

That’s right we’re still here, we’re still alive, somehow still on schedule and we’re still backpacking down barriers to the World Cup and beyond through West Africa. For those of you who have just joined us at home – this is how we got there.

The Story so far.
We’ve travelled any which way we could for the past 2.5 months, broke through borders into 13 countries and seen everything imaginable overland for 13,000km.

We’ve battled Saharan sandstorms, ridden in empty iron ore train carriages, travelled on car rooftops, saddled horse drawn carts, been in a couple of car accidents and we’ve even been to Timbuktu and back. Yes – the place really does exist.

We’ll also mention the times we hallucinated in the heat, bashed bongos on sandy beaches, sat on live crocodiles, toured Togo, mixed it with UN officials on dance floors, visited the home of Voodoo in Benin, followed the slave trade in Ghana, rocked it with reggae, hitchhiked at night to Ouagadougou and of course we’ve bounced to the African beats.

We’ve seen that no matter where you are in West Africa, there’s football fever. It’s like no other in this part of the World and we’ve followed it from the back alleys of Burkina, through the streets of Senegal and across the mud flats of Mali on route to the World Cup.

Our way on the highway!
In an untraveled part of the world we’ve faced a few difficulties along the way. We were thrown out of Senegal on first arrival and with new passports trying to enter Nigeria proved costly after being bailed up by border officials. We’ve stood face to face with corrupt police, out ran chasing immigration officials in a speeding taxi and some how survived Nollywood.

The sheer heat of the Sahara alone destroyed most of our gear and we won’t talk about the time we were both arrested at a Cameroonian checkpoint, because each time we have arrived in a new village , there have been smiles on faces, football games and children demanding hi-fives, so it’s hard to be anything but amazed and excited by Africa, its people and its positives.

What else can we tell you?
We’ve developed a craving for street meat and we’ve eaten all sorts of animals, we’ve experienced the beauties of Benin, toured bars in Donkey drawn carts, swung in hammocks, sat sideline at grassroots football matches, climbed lava flows, viewed a waterfall crashing straight into the sea, jived where a jungle meets a beach and we’ve kicked footballs around with hundreds of children.

We’ve worked on projects with child labour in granite mines, education at football clubs, conservation of the endangered Drill monkey, hung out with Sudanese refugees and spent time on the world’s largest non governmental hospital ship in Togo. Wherever we’ve been, we’ve attempted to break down barriers and prove misconceptions about West Africa wrong.

We’ve filled our passports once and we’re steaming ahead with new stamps. We’ve almost run out of money and we’re almost due in South Africa. To get to Gabon we beat 4 bribes and earned the respect of 32 African passengers in the process. Most recently we travelled in a Le Mans style effort for 24hrs through 18 checkpoints where we were dragged out at each and grilled by police.

What was the highlight?
It’d be hard to pinpoint a highlight, although when you possess no musical talents whatsoever like the two of us anytime you get the chance to feel like a rock star – it’s pretty special. We experienced exactly that, arriving to screaming fans at a granite mine in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The crowd may have been made up of 90 school children all 8 years or younger, but that’s beside the point – it was unforgettable.
.
It all sounds ridiculously unbelievable – we know – that’s West Africa and that’s why we love it

Every now and then you stumble across something that sounds too ridiculous to be true. When that happens to us we’ll almost always do what ever it takes to find out for ourselves.

When we heard about a pub crawl with a twist in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – we had no choice, we weren’t leaving until we’d been on a donkey cart pub crawl.

Enough already – roll the tape.

Donkey Cart Pub Crawl from Amateurs in Africa on Vimeo.

Have you ever hand fed a live crocodile?

Better still have you ever had the guts to sit on a live one?

They’re the living dinosaurs among us but most never get the chance to get up close and personal. Anything is possible in Bazoule, Burkina Faso so we had to investigate and we’re never scared to take up a challenge.

Warning: Viewing contains graphic images which may be offensive to vegetarians.

Legends aren’t born overnight, something only becomes legendary after stories are passed on through the decades over hundreds of years. When it comes to travel destinations they don’t come much more legendary then Timbuktu. Now we know why that legend lives on.

Yes – Timbuktu really does exist and you’ll find it in northern Mali on the edge of the Sahara.

Tired of reading already? See the road to Timbuktu as we filmed it!

What can we say about it? The town itself is far from an oasis, but it’s the lengths you’ll take to get there that tells the real tale.

Wait around in the shade of an old wooden hut hiding away from the searing heat in a car yard as you wait for enough passengers to arrive to overload a 4 x 4 Toyota. Begin the journey north and as the sun saps the life out of the surroundings, kilometre by kilometre the road evaporates into little more then a dusty sand dune trail.

With 140km to go, with the mercury nudging 47 degrees celcius and cars exceeding load capacities you can guarantee you’ll be required to help out others on the way – if you don’t break down yourself. Packed 4 to a row it’s hard work amidst the incumbent sandstorm. If like us you decide to go in the middle of hot season, you’ll experience the hot winds and the anger of the skies as they turn a bright orange like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Sounds too easy? Don’t be fooled, as usual things don’t just go to plan.

Stop to push a broken down bus out of a boggy sand jam and your hopes of reaching Timbuktu begin to fade amongst the haze along with daylight. You can only dream of what it would be like to reach the last ferry which leaves to cross the Niger at 6pm. As a weary driver pushes on into the darkness, the panic in local passengers is obvious as increased speeds on deteriorating roads can lead only to danger. In our case, the driver did almost roll the vehicle on two separate occasions before protests intervened and locals threatened to get out.

Reach the river crossing in pure darkness and wonder what you will do for the night. Most stay and await daybreak to cross into Timbuktu. Naturally, we didn’t want to wait. Find a French speaker, find a local with a boat and find some CFA (local currency). Paddle across the Niger in the middle of the night, share some cigarettes with checkpoint police on the other side and follow into the darkness. Walk through dried up rice paddies, through fish markets, wade through shin deep water and after 5km of darkness rendevous with a van which is usually designated for the transportation of animals.

It’s not an orthedox approach but it’s authentic and although unadvisable given the currently security warnings for the area – in the early hours of the morning – we made it.

That’s right we made it to Timbuktu.

You’re in the town that’s famous for personifying ‘the middle of nowhere’ and it’s the gateway to the Sahara, so there’s plenty to see. Camel rides, mud mosques, markets and museums with the tales of those who’ve gone before and those who weren’t so lucky to survive.

The ride back isn’t particularly easy either, but at least we made the ferry. By not particularly easy we mean – 400km in 43 degrees, you only have one breakdown, one ongoing argument over leg room with an angry individual, one baby pulling you hair, hitting, spewing and urinating on you and the new experience of a warm breast feeding over your arm on the bumpy road back. But don’t worry, that was only for the first 5 hours.

That aside, at least when you make it back like us you can stand loud and proud and say – I’ve been to Timbuktu and back.

If you don’t believe after all these years it’s still that hard? We filmed it and the heat alone destroyed most of our gear, so check out the video.

It’s a place most have probably never heard of and it’s a place with an unforgettable name which is fitting as it’s a place you’ll never forget.

What is it?
Dogon Country – once you make it to Mali, it’s all the hype and deservedly so, it’s incredible. This is a stretch of villages lining a 150km escarpment in southern Mali and it’s something else. It’s a must do in Mali, well let’s be honest, it’s a must do in West Africa and what’s best is you can do it all by foot.

What can you do?
Stand in awe of the traditional villages built into and along the sides of the mountains, mingle with the locals like nowhere else and step back in time to listen to the sounds of the lively villages from amongst the mudhuts scattered across massive cliff faces – it’s a feeling like no other in this special part of the world.

What’s amazing about Dogon?
It’s like that place you imagined existed in your mind but it’s like the place you’ve never actually seen.

The Dogon people have lived in the area for 1200 years, and some of their old villages – mud huts made by hand, are nested under the overhanding cliff face halfway up the rock mountain. What is perhaps even more incredible are the Pygmie villages that remain even higher in the escarpment.

Hold it! Sometimes words can only say so much – Check out what we filmed along the way.

Climb through the cliffs and from the summit overlook the picturesque savannah, towards the villages below to experience the sights – the traditional way of life, the sounds of women and children crushing millet, the chaos of animals roaming the narrow walkways and the feel the life of Dogon.

One of the first things that you’ll notice is the elaborate greetings between Dogon people. It’s more than a simple hello, it’s a detailed introduction and story and what might sound like mumbled words are actually acute interactions discussing each others’ families and problems. We won’t even try explain how it works, but simply say it is something to experience and take with you.

The mudhuts, the smiles and the greetings will welcome you in every village and if you stay longer you’ll get the opportunity to sleep on a mudhut rooftop in a small village under the stars which in reality, is one of the coolest things you could ever do. If like us you have all the luck, you’ll even be rained on by the survival rains in the middle of the night – adding further more to an unbelievable experience.

Don’t worry, when its 40 degrees, in baking sun and you’ve just hiked 4km across rock and plain there is a unique feeling of relief in reaching the next village and knowing the hospitality and water that awaits.

Is Dogon country too ‘touristy’?
As a backpacker it has many of the things that you’ll do anything to avoid like having to take a guide and a tour, but for this part of the world we’ll say it again – it’s a must.

First things first, getting a guide for Dogon country is a pretty expensive (around 25,000 CFA per day or about 40 Euro) affair and its never easy forking out a lot of cash in one go. To soften the blow, get a few people together and go for a minimum of 2 days. Initially, you’ll have to suck it up, but you’ll soon see why the guide is a necessity when it comes to gaining an appreciation into the lives of the Dogon people.

If you’re like us and go in low season, you’ll barely see any one else travelling the area – which for us made it a more intimate and memorable experience. You will however battle the temperatures climbing well above 40 degrees every day, so take a towel.

With a guide you can ask whatever questions you want and feel at ease within the Dogon villages. It’s also important for sustainable and responsible travel that you find an authorised guide and as you travel the region – you’ll see the effects of those who have gone before without. We don’t think that is has been overrun by the tourist trail, it’s just one of those places that you should read up on beforehand to ensure you respect the local way of live and negotiate with the guide on what’s included in the price.

What do we say?
If you’re in Africa get there. Leave your big packpack behind, take the essentials, make some new friends to bring along, find a reputable guide and you’re set for Dogon country. It’s one of the only remaining places in the world that we know of where you can get an insight into traditional lifestyles in Africa and see first hand the challenges and opportunties that tourism brings to these fascinating communities.

Sounds too good to be true? It isn’t – check out what we filmed along the way.

It’s not only probably the longest train in the World, it’s not only probably the wildest train ride in the World, but it’s almost definitely one of the most epic things you could ever do anywhere in the World and it won’t even cost you a cent.

3.30pm any day of the week at Nouadhibou Station in the Sahara desert, Mauritania there’s a hive of activity. For most locals, it’s another day of commuting and transporting supplies but for a few, it’s much more. We dared to be one of the few.

We won’t lie, until about an hour beforehand we were still unsure whether we would jump upon this infamous, yet largely unknown train, but as we waited amidst the chaos and the sandstorms, the thought of stowing away in a train carriage is something you could only dream of in most countries – Naturally, it was far too irresistible.

Yes – we’d read the Government warnings that advised us not to travel and we had heard all the hype about the Western Saharan border region with extremist groups etc, but we’d also read about a train, the Iron Ore train and the more dangerous it sounded, the more seductive the it became.

Through the winds and sands in the distance it arrives. A seemingly endless number of sun-baked old wagons waltz by in the searing heat of the Sahara. As the train eventually comes to a halt you’re almost pulled into the carriages by it’s character and charm. In our case, we were actually pushed in by a local Police officer, either way we made it in.

Clamber aboard, dump your backpack and look around. If you’re like us, it’ll be hard to wipe the smile of your face. Within a few minutes we were amongst the locals and after the initial looks of surprise, the nervous laughter and the awkward exchanges (we don’t speak French) it was clear the locals were pumped to have a couple of fresh faces onboard. It more than stretched us trying to hold conversations amidst the excitement but failing that, as always you can count on football to communicate.

As always, we were incredibly unprepared for the next 12 hours, we had both just lost our head scarves, had only a litre of water each and a couple of bags of nuts. By the end of the trip we’d had a loaf of bread each, a range of snacks, fruits, 5 cups of Mauritanian tea and a local had even offered his jacket to us as the sun set. Yes – of course we shared our nuts.

The locals were only too happy to share their culture and even rolled out the red carpet for us – literally. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this simply isn’t your average train ride. Each carriage isn’t just another carriage, they might only measure about 10m x 3m each but the cultural exchange you’ll experience in that space transcends thousands of kilometres.

So who else is actually on the wagon?
18 Mauritanians. Mining company employees up one end organising the fire, tea and food exchanges and the young lads at the end of the carriage quick to dance, play Western tunes on their mobile phones and pose for photos. You’ll get a bit of everything on this train and it’s something special to see 16 men on a open carriage on a moving train assemble as one when it’s time for prayer.

Hold up! This article is pretty long, particularly for us. Why not break it up and get a real feel for the journey! Check out the video we filmed on board.

What else can you expect over the 12 hour journey?
The winds and the sandstorms are relentless and the taste of Iron Ore is something you’ll have to get used to. It’s incredibly hot in the day and incredibly cold late into the night but you can expect to see the Sahara at her best and its hard imagine clearer skies and as many stars elsewhere. You probably won’t sleep either, but you can find space amongst the crowd and bags to huddle in for warmth. You’ll also get the added bonus of seeing the Ben Amira rock, which is the world’s 2nd largest rock after Uluru in Australia, which despite the surrounding darkness still casts an impressive shadow on an otherwise desolate plain.

What else can we tell you?
The conditions are pretty rough and it’s definitely not for the faint hearted. You can of course get a ticket on board the one and only passenger carriage but that would set you back about 5 Euro. We’re sure it would still be a great experience, but the feeling of stowing away in Iron-Ore wagon without paying a cent for us was far more appealing.

The train runs from the Saharan Iron-Ore mines of Zouerat to the port city of Nouadhibou and links communities from the Sahara to the sea. Once on board, you’ll soon realise that the train is a lifeline for the remote communities as along the way dozens of locals will make the trip to the tracks to greet those onboard, from groups of women to young kids, there is a sense of excitement as the train rolls by.

3.30am you’ll make it to Choum, a decrepit station some 400km later where you would think your journey ends, but it’s just the beginning of another. It’s a strange feeling – one where despite getting off probably the world’s longest train in the middle of nowhere, you realise you have just been somewhere you had never imagined and experienced something you will never forget.

That said, we hadn’t anticipated an hour later we’d be sitting on top of a Toyota Landcruiser packed with luggage and supplies with 6 others pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. Luckily for us, Michael Schumacher had recently come out of retirement and was driving, with precision at top speed across the dusty, corrigated tracks, narrowly avoiding wildlife, trees and everything else guided only by the 20m of visibility provided by the headlights.

So how does a Landcruiser loaded with 8 people and a few tonnes of cargo hold up in the conditions? Maybe we were just lucky, but we received a lesson in Mauritanian roadside mechanics as one of the tyres blew out at top speed.

What lasting advice do we have?
Do it. There’s nothing else like it. Take some food to share, plenty of water, be ready for anything and just go with it. Everything else is provided and if you can’t speak French like us, know that everybody supports either Barcelona or Madrid so choose wisely.

We need to mention as well that the region is still considered to be highly dangerous, so be sure to speak with locals in the area and other backpackers for the latest information. We did and we went.