When planning their honeymoon, many couples choose classic destinations like Paris, the city of love, or the Maldives with its dazzling blue waters. Others opt for more alternative destinations such as Machu Picchu, lost treasure of the Incas, or Iceland, between volcanoes and glaciers. And then there are those like Kristijan and Andrea Ilicic who opted for a freight train that traversed the scorching deserts of Mauritania in northwest Africa.
An unusual experience for the Croatian couple; travel bloggers have visited hundreds of other destinations around the world. “We saw so many destinations,” Kristijan told CNN. “This time it had to be something completely different. And we found it in… Mauritania!”
The highlight of their journey was a daring photo shoot atop the train, laden with iron ore, on a 700km journey from the mining town of Zouérat to the Atlantic port of Nouadhibou. The photos were later posted on Instagram, garnering over 50,000 ‘likes’.
“Everything was full of minerals,” Kristijan said. “Clothes, air, food, everything. It was truly a miracle that we kept the white wedding dress (more or less) white for the photos and videos.”
In recent years, riding a freight train through the desert has become something of a rite of passage for extreme travel influencers.
It’s not for the faint of heart. It is a journey of around 20 hours with temperatures that can exceed 45 degrees during the day and drop below zero at night. And with the winds blowing away the iron ore dust, even boarding the 200-car train can be tricky.
Despite the difficulties, Kristijan says the trip to Mauritania exceeded expectations. It is a “welcoming” and “underrated” destination, despite attracting few tourists. “He really has a lot to offer,” he said.
“In one village we visited, the villagers surprised us with a wedding ceremony according to their traditional rituals. Andrea and I were dressed in their classic wedding attire and it was a two-hour experience of dancing, drumming and singing. I will never forget it. .
“It’s like Andrea and I were married twice!” added the groom jokingly.
Source: Fan Page IT
Ashley Root is an experienced business journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in economics and finance, she has a deep understanding of the inner workings of the business world and is able to provide insightful and informative analysis on a wide range of topics.
