Good itineraries must be designed to fit your specific needs and dreams, but must remain flexible enough to allow for surprises and new experiences. After all that is what real travelling is about.

Of course these surprises are only enriching if experienced safely. If you know that the Tuareg guide who will collect you from tha Agadez air strip to take you across the Tenere Desert was recommended by previous travellers, the chance to be abandoned at the mercy of cigarette smugglers or sold as a white slave is minimised. This can be especially relevant for women adventuring alone.