I looked at doing that when I was there last year but it's fairly difficult to organize. Unless you have your own car getting through the Sahara between Morocco and Mauritania is difficult (I met somebody who managed to hitch a lift on a vegetable truck but said it was Hell). Also Mauritania had a coup last year which was the main reason I decided to skip it- that and time constraints. The other thing to consider is if you take your own car it has to be a fairly new car or the African countries often won't give you the paperwork you need to travel through, apparently Senegal is really strict on this- I'm not sure about the other countries. It is apparently possible to sell a car once you get there and fund some of the trip that way- but the paperwork involved can be difficult. It might be worth looking into. Travel through this part of the world takes a LOT of time. It would be a great adventure and I think it's reasonably safe if you plan it well (just check Mauritania there have been problems there now for a while, a couple of tourists were killed last year apparently, I don't know how it is since the change in government, but I've been told it can also be difficult to get visas to enter). Mali's fine- I traveled through Mali by bus and you won't have any problems. If you're on a budget it's going to be a lot cheaper for you to fly- check Momondo.com and you should be able to find some reasonable airfares between Casablanca and Bamako and then you can get a bus/boat to Timbuktu. I was surprised at how expensive Mali was so don't think it's going to be too cheap! If you have any questions send me a mail and I'll do my best to reply.

The trickiest part of your journey is going to be through Western Saraha, but it's definitely possible. If you want to skip that part you can fly from Casablanca to Nouakchatt, Mauratania for around $200 or less. Getting transportation from there is not difficult at all. I would suggest heading down the coast through St Louis and Dakar and then heading east from there. Having lived in the Gambia I hate to say don't go, but the roads are terrible and Senegal seems to be a little easier to navigate. That said, if French is worrying you, many Gambians speak English. I have also heard the roads have improved lately. Don't be intimidated, this trip is totally possible and you will have a fantastic time. West Africans are the friendliest people! Enjoy, I wish I was going too:)

If you go to Timbuktu be careful, I'd get a guide as there is a lot of unrest there right now with Al Qaeda living there and the Tuarags fighting over land and oil.

im from morocco i can help you if you want contact me in laaourfidriss@hotmail.com

Where are best flights...I will be leaving from Guadalajara airport in Mexico.. Kelly