Algeria

[Tomek]

Has anyone been to Algeria lately?
Is there safe?

[Jon]

RE:

> Has anyone been to Algeria lately?
> Is there safe?

I haven't, but would like to go. It seems like a beautiful country with
friendly citizens. There are, however, bad apples (well in this case, dates)
that spoil it all. Michael Palin has done some excellent docs for the BBC,
and I recently a saw an episode about Algeria. Here is a good link:
http://www.palinstravels.co.uk/book-2197&from=photoindex-40-12

Here is another helpful link:
http://travel.state.gov/algeria_warning.html

Jon

[Eirik Hjort Kirkerud]

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003, Tomek wrote:

> Has anyone been to Algeria lately?
> Is there safe?

Yes, I was in Algeria in August (and in January for that matter...).

Well, Algeria is not very safe, but it depends on where you plan to go.
Algiers is safe, but the northern countryside is not safe. Especially the
area west/south-west of Algiers is rather dangerous. In the Sahara the eastern
part could not be considered safe, last winter over 30 tourists where
kidnaped in close to the border of Libya. (It's a pitty, that is a very
nice place to go... -I spent almost two months in that region 10 years
ago)

The extreme western part of the Algerian Sahara, around Tindouf, is
actually very safe. I've been in the Saharawi refugee camps south of
Tindouf 4 times, and will go there again next month. This is probably the
safest part in the whole of Africa. However, you will not
be able to go there unless you have a reason to do so. Tourism in
unfortunatley not a reason... :-(

All the best,

Eirik Kirkerud

[Tomek]

Eirik Hjort Kirkerud > napisa³(a):

>Well, Algeria is not very safe, but it depends on where you plan to go.
>Algiers is safe, but the northern countryside is not safe. Especially the
>area west/south-west of Algiers is rather dangerous. In the Sahara the eastern
>part could not be considered safe, last winter over 30 tourists where
>kidnaped in close to the border of Libya. (It's a pitty, that is a very
>nice place to go... -I spent almost two months in that region 10 years
>ago)

Hmm, I will have only 9-10 days to see something of this country.
I would like to go to Tam and Tassili Mountains. Do you know somehing
about safety there and on the way from Tunisia to Tam ?

[Eirik Hjort Kirkerud]

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003, Tomek wrote:

> Hmm, I will have only 9-10 days to see something of this country.
> I would like to go to Tam and Tassili Mountains. Do you know somehing
> about safety there and on the way from Tunisia to Tam ?

If you only have 9-10 days, I would consider to take a plane to
Tamanrasset and/or Djanet. It will take you several days to drive from
Tunisia to Djanet, and at least 3 days from Djanet to Tamanrasset.
The route from Tunisia to Djanet, and to Tamanrasset is very nice, and
well worth the trip, but the roads are more or less non-existent south of
Ilizi, and the distances are long.
In addition to that the route from Tunisia to Djanet is not safe. It was
in this area that dozens of travelers was kidnapet in February.

Domestic flights in Algeria is very cheap, and safe, and when you arrive
in Tamanrasset or Djanet it's easy to arrange trips to the Hoggar mountains
or Tassili.

Regards,

Eirik Kirkerud
<eirikhki(at)eunet.no>
<No electrons were harmed in the testing of this message>

[tbales]

I travelled to Algeria in July, 2005 and found it to be a beautiful and most safe country. I am a mother in Austin, Texas and travelled to Algiers to visit friends who are living there temporarily teaching at the University of Algiers. We loved it. We never felt threatened, worried about our safety or anything other than very welcomed by the citizens of Algiers and the Kabylie peoples up in the mountains. Taxi cabs are hard to come by and the public transporation system is crowded and not always reliable. It is better to arrange a driver ahead of time through a reputable source unless you are visiting friends. We enjoyed the Roman Ruins, the coast, Algiers, a wonderful tile factory, a discoteque, Tizi Ouzu, many ice cream stands, the Cous Cous and the beautiful Turkish, Moorish and French architecture. We were most touched by the kind and generous Algerian people.

Has anyone been to Algeria lately?
Is there safe?