We traveled a bit around the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in February 2025. To work remotely and stay online while traveling, we got local SIMs. Here’s the process to get your own SIM card in Mauritania. Contents1 Which SIM Card in Mauritania is the Best?2 eSIM for (West) Africa: 36 Countries Including Mauritania2.1 Unvetted: Kolet eSIM3 Moov by Mauritel at the Guerguerat Border Crossing4 Trying to buy Moov by Mauritel, Settling for Mattel5 The One Odd Way You Can Get A Mauritel SIM Card6 SIM Card Exchange Offer at the Senegalese Border7 Mauritanian SIM Card FAQ + Internet Freedom7.1 ShouldContinue reading
Africa
Welcome to the category of blog posts about traveling in the continent of Africa.
A brief history of my travels there:
- Morocco: visited in 2012 (I think) for a few days with a girlfriend. I didn’t know about hitchhiking back then so I still have to return one day!
- Tunisia: visited in 2018 for one week when I had one week of vacation from university. I loved Tunisia and I’m eager to travel back. I hitchhiked once with some great people from Hammamet back to Tunis, with Jonas. Not a lot of time spent, I know, but I had to be back in class the following Monday
- Cabo Verde: visited in 2019 for 88 days with Jonas after graduating from university. Great times! I hitchhiked a bunch of times on different islands. All distances are very short because the islands are so small. I visited Sal, São Nicolau, São Vicente, Santo Antão, Fogo, Brava, and Santiago. I’d love to go back and visit Maio and Boa Vista
- Mauritius, Madagascar, and Ethiopia: between 2021 and 2023. Jonas and I were in Mauritius for almost a year on the premium visa
Thank you for coming to the category about Africa. I hope you find something that you’ll enjoy!
Through the Berm: Mauritania Border Crossing with Western Sahara/Morocco
We entered Mauritania from Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara on the 6th of February, 2025. We took a bus through the Berm (aka the Moroccan Western Sahara Wall) from Dakhla to Nouadhibou. At the Guerguerat border crossing, we used our Mauritanian eVisa to enter. Contents1 The Guerguerat Border in Short2 Map of Border, Berm, and Bus Stations3 Booking the Supratours Bus from Dakhla to Nouadhibou4 Applying for the Mauritanian eVisa5 Nazi Salute While Waiting for the Bus6 Departing Dakhla for Guerguerat7 The Moroccan Side of the Border8 Through the Berm: No Man’s Land9 The 1st Mauritanian Side of the Border10 The 2ndContinue reading
How to Get the Mauritanian eVisa Introduced in 2025
In January 2025, Mauritania rolled out its e-visa or eVisa regime for tourists to this West African nation. Here’s the ins and outs of obtaining your Mauritanian eVisa, which is the only way you can enter the Islamic Republic Contents1 Mauritanian eVisa Changes2 Applying for Our Mauritanian eVisas3 Crossing the Border into/out of Mauritania3.1 What is a good day to travel to Mauritania?3.2 Do I have to arrive in Mauritania on the arrival date on my eVisa?4 How Long Does it Take to Receive your Mauritanian eVisa?4.1 Help, my eVisa got rejected. What now?5 Entering Mauritania with your eVisa byContinue reading
How to Get a Moroccan SIM Card
We entered Morocco in December 2024 to stay a few months to travel around. Here you’ll find which Moroccan SIM card to buy, how to get one at a shop, and how to set up an eSIM before you arrive so you’re never offline or lost. Contents1 Which SIM Card in Morocco Should I Choose?2 Moroccan eSIM Before Crossing the Spanish-Moroccan Border3 Moroccan SIM Card Options: Inwi, Maroc Telecom, Orange3.1 Purchasing an Inwi SIM Card in Nador3.2 Buying a Maroc Telecom in Fes4 Moroccan SIM Card FAQ + Internet Freedom4.1 Should I buy a Moroccan SIM card at the airport?4.2Continue reading
Winter Sunshine: Hitchhiking from Taghazout to Agadir (Morocco)
Though it’s less than 25 kilometers from the surf village of Taghazout to the Ryanair city of Agadir, I decided I wanted to hitchhike. Jonas was on the fence about it. So there was a chance I would do it solo while he’d take the bus. We checked out of our Airbnb in Taghazout at 11:00 and walked down the steep, narrow alley to the msemmen breakfast restaurant we’d visited the previous day. While waiting for our amlou, chocolate, and 2x cheese msemmen (28 Dirhams) to be readied, we talked plans. We decided we’d give hitchhiking a chance—together. At leastContinue reading
Accommodation in Spain: Stays in Sevilla, Tarifa, Málaga, and Melilla
What can you expect from accommodation in (southern) Spain as a digital nomad? We booked these places getting some work done and doing fun day trips. We were in Spain between October and December of 2024. Contents1 Sevilla: Salotur Thomas de Ibarra2 Tarifa: Moldy House + Foster Kittens3 Málaga: Central + Bright Apartment4 Melilla: Golden Triangle Apartment5 Unlock the Prices of Accommodation in Spain6 Useful info about accommodation in Spain? You may share! Sevilla: Salotur Thomas de Ibarra Duration: two nights. Book this apartment here on Booking The main reason to fly to Sevilla instead of Málaga to get toContinue reading
How to Get an Ethiopian SIM Card
We arrived in Ethiopia on the 26th of January, 2023 and immediately bought an Ethiopian SIM card at the airport. Here’s our experience and how you can get mobile data in Addis Ababa and beyond. Contents1 Ethio Telecom Monopoly2 Buying the Ethiopian SIM Card at Addis Ababa Airport (ADD)3 Where to buy a SIM card in Ethiopia?4 How to top-up your Ethiopian SIM card?5 How to buy a data package?6 FAQ6.1 I’m entering Ethiopia via a land border, where can I buy a SIM card?6.2 Where can I find my own number?6.3 How to check my balance?6.4 Should I downloadContinue reading
Ethiopian Food and Drink I Scarfed Down as a Vegetarian in 30 Days
As a traveling vegetarian, Ethiopia is quite an easy country to visit. Many national dishes are vegetarian or vegan. These are the Ethiopian food and drinks I wolfed down during my one-month stay in Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, and Lalibela. Contents1 How to Find Out Which Ethiopian Foods are Vegetarian?2 Ethiopian Food and Drink Diary3 Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony3.1 No popcorn, just popcorn3.2 Full coffee ceremony at Alem Restaurant, Lalibela3.3 Introduction to Tana Adam3.4 Popcorn!4 Helpful? Please consider buying me a flaxseed juice!5 Spread your love for Ethiopian food How to Find Out Which Ethiopian Foods are Vegetarian? Ever since theContinue reading
Bete Amanuel, Lalibela: Wonder of the Ethiopians
We visited the wonder on the 7th and the 10th of February, 2023. Bete Amanuel is a spectacular church carved out of a single rock in northern Ethiopia. It makes an appearance in the video game Age of Empires II as the wonder of the Ethiopian civilization. Contents1 One of the Reasons We’re in Ethiopia2 Want to visit Lalibela with Mas?3 First Visit to Bete Amanuel4 Second Visit to Bete Amanuel5 Bete Amanuel as Represented in Age of Empires II5.1 AoE2 Bete Amanuel vs. the Real Deal5.2 Campaign appearance of Bete Amanuel5.3 Why Bete Amanuel and not the arguably moreContinue reading