Mauritania: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Mauritania feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 33 written places.
Desert hospitality runs deep - time bends around tea, and a guest is taken seriously.
✓ Considered polite
- Accept the three glasses of tea - each round has its own saying and the ritual is the welcome
- Dress conservatively - long sleeves and trousers for men, long loose layers for women
- Use the right hand for eating, greeting and passing anything
- Greet elders first and let salutations take their time
✗ Better avoided
- Offer a handshake to the opposite sex first - wait to see if a hand is extended
- Rush the tea - the three rounds take as long as they take
- Photograph people without permission, especially women
- Point the soles of your feet at others when sitting on floor mats
Worth knowing
- Alcohol is banned and not sold openly anywhere - mint tea, juices and soft drinks fill the gap
- Friday pauses for midday mosque prayers, with many businesses shortening hours
- The ouguiya is a cash currency - change money in Nouakchott and hoard small notes
- Haggling in the markets is normal - keep it good-humoured and unhurried
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.