From Nouakchott To Adrar

Ely was a truly great guide, and if you're serious about seeing the local side of Mauritania outside of Nouakchott I completely recommend his services. As a tourist outside of the capital, there are police checkpoints everywhere and the small towns/cities are very difficult to navigate - transport is mostly random local cars driven by people on fixed routes that only the locals know, none of the inter-city busses operate on fixed timetables, and most hotels in the smaller towns are not listed on maps apps or online. Without Ely's help, there is no way I could have seen anywhere near as much as we did, even as a very experienced traveller. He gets you local prices on everything and knows how to see the most that you can on any given budget. Also great English and French. Ely is highly professional, and if I go to Mauritania again he would be the first person I contact.

If you are traveling to Mauritania, you MUST make sure to contact Ely. He speaks english well, knows foreign cultures and organizations, and is a well experienced local guide. If you are wondering what kind of man he is, he did humanitarian volunteer work with the United Nations a few years ago rehabilitating children who had been affected by instability in the eastern part of Mauritania. He is somebody who cares for others and will assure your safety in his land. We went all over sites in western Mauritania, bought local garments such as the boubou, and even got to eat camel liver! To Atar we rode on a local bus with other fellow Mauritanians, who were polite and curious to me as a westerner. Our week culminated in us riding the iron ore train, which has become famous on travel social media recently. If you want to explore Mauritania, Ely is your answer! -Gustavo Pizza

Ely did a superb job. Honest, hard-working, he really did his best to ensure that I had a memorable time in his country. Not just the sights, but time with Mauritanians was what I'll really cherish.

The tour was great. Ely Cheikh Gueye is a very friendly, charismatic and patient human being who is very knowledgeable about his home country of Mauritania. We visited several towns and felt safe and at home everywhere. Recommended!