Michal Huniewicz is a UK software developer with a knack for photography and a penchant for visiting places most tourists wouldn’t touch. The Saharan country of Mauritania certainly qualifies as one such place. If you were to readgovernment travel warnings for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, well, you wouldn’t go. Hazards include being murdered, kidnapped, robbed, and contracting Ebola. The country is also nearly impossible to access. “The rules for entering the country constantly change—we got our visas on whim at the airport in the capital city, Nouakchott, and virtually no paperwork was needed. But a couple of weeks earlier you could only get a visa in a consulate or embassy,” Huniewicz says.
Despite all of those hindrances, Huniewicz and his friend, Ammar, set out on a trip through Mauritania last year. Here, Huniewicz shares a few of his favorite encounters, experiences, and images including a wild ride on the world’s longest cargo train, taking shelter in an oasis, and encountering Berber cameleers.
Link to full gallery here.