Western Sahara
Disputed Desert Wilderness
A vast desert region of northwest Africa, the lands of Western Sahara have long been fought over and contested. The legal status of the territory and the issue of sovereignty are unresolved - the territory is contested by Morocco and the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally formed a government-in-exile of what it refers to as the 'Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic'.
Today Morocco administers the region as its "Southern Provinces", and travellers reaching this remote area will find a heavy Moroccan influence from currency, to food and infrastructure. The wild wilderness of the Sahara is best explored on an organised expedition. Perhaps the best way to experience this part of Africa is on an overland journey through northwest Africa to Mauritania and beyond. Alternatively, Dakhla is a wacky place for an unusual weekend break.