We turned up in Algiers with high hopes but no solid plans for how to tackle the next week, thinking we would be able to google must-see sights and logistics at our accommodation on the wi-fi as we go.
We also thought that we would be able to rely on offline maps for the driving portions of our travels along the coast. When we arrived in our first lovely small town stay in Ain Tagourait, we also did not have any Wi-Fi.
To buy a SIM you need someone with an Algerian ID to register you β people are incredibly generous with their time and will do anything to help so we suggest you ask someone such as your accommodation host to explain the system to you β we managed to pick one up with assistance in a local corner shop.
Algeria was probably the most difficult Visa we have ever had to apply for and at times we thought about cancelling our trip because it seemed like we were fighting a losing battle. However, even after finally getting those coveted Algerian visa pages in the passport, for a moment we thought we would be turned back at the final frontier.
At this point we thought it best to whack out our letter of invitation to show the address we were driving to matched our immigration cards. We really thought he was going to phone our Air BnB host! The border guard had to share his hotspot with us while we desperately tried to contact her, holding up everyone at immigration while we did it. It is worth clarifying with your accommodation host whether you need to know anything about the water.
