Tamanrasset Travel Guide

  to the assekrem
by pablo11000
 
  • to the assekrem
      to the assekrem
    by pablo11000
  • Jane in the Ahaggar Desert
      Jane in the Ahaggar Desert
    by janiebaxter
  • the kamel kiss in tassili hoggar
      the kamel kiss in tassili hoggar
    by pablo11000
  •   Tamanrasset
    by christian-erwin
  •   Tamanrasset
    by TARGUI11
 

Explore Tamanrasset

Things to Do  

See The Most Spectaculer Desert Ever

See The Most Spectaculer Desert Ever, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:  If you like desert go North from Tamanrasset, with a guide and driver and head towards Mertoutek. Camp in the desert, see Nomads, prehistoric rock art and enjoy the sunsets, silence and peace.My trip was organised by Timgad Voyages in Batna, Algeria. They supplied me with... 

Nightlife  

nighttime serenades

nighttime serenades, Tamanrasset

 elreyes Says:

Transportation  

Algerian Tour Company

Algerian Tour Company, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:  A few people have emailed me asking about transport arrangements and hotels in Tamanrasset. I booked my flights from the UK with British airways who fly London Gatwick to Algiers a few times a week. All my arrangements in Algeria and in Tamanrasset were made by Timgad... 

Tamanrasset to Djanet, how easy?

Tamanrasset to Djanet, how easy?, Tamanrasset

 fedric Says:  Tamanrasset and Djanet are the two algerian pearls, starting point for discovering the deepest saharian locations. If on the map both cities seem close to each other and located on ancient caravan roads, they are difficult to bind. From Tamanrasset or Djanet, no busses are... 

Tracks & road to Tamanrasset

Tracks & road to Tamanrasset, Tamanrasset

 fedric Says:  This is the low cost solution to reach the southern city of Tamanrasset, you can cross all the northern Sahara (Algiers, Ghardaïa, In Salah, Tamanrasset) by bus. Total cost is around 30-35€. However the trip has some limitations : (1) time! two days are necessary to cover... 

Shopping  

Jewellery Workshops: Unique Silver Jewellery

Jewellery Workshops: Unique Silver Jewellery, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:  The jewellery workshops have the craftsmen making the silver Tuareg jewellery that is so unique to the Southern Sahara region. You can watch them work on the floor in the workshop, crafting the jewellery by hand in the fire and then of course go and buy some in the shop. I... 

Nomadic arts and jewelry

Nomadic arts and jewelry, Tamanrasset

 fedric Says:   Search in the old souq (market) area for tuareg jewelry and leather arts : they have a very old nomadic tradition and create beautiful coloured leather bags. A traditional object is the southern cross (as in the sky) which comes from Nigerian handworkers, as headpiece of a... 

Market and small shops: Bereber collars

Market and small shops: Bereber collars, Tamanrasset

 Svillegas Says:  There's an enormous market in this city where you can buy almost everything from clothes or shoes to food and species.There also there are some shops all around it. * Traditional clothes: Women wear a very nice and big piece of cloth with a lot of colours that can be a very... 

Local Customs  

French and Arabic, but not much English

French and Arabic, but not much English, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:  The local language in Tamanrasset area is Tamahak but most people speak Arabic and French. If you don't speak any French or Arabic you will need to have a guide as very few people speak English. Certainly people on the streets don't speak any at all so asking directions,... 

Take your shoes off

Take your shoes off, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:  When visiting people's homes or going inside most buildings you will be expected to take off your shoes. This applies even to when you are camping in the desert and sitting on the mat in the sand around the camp fire, and when visiting nomads. Before you step onto, or sit on... 

Always shake hands and say Hello

Always shake hands and say Hello, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:  The Tuaregs in the Tamanrasset area place great emphasis on greeting, shaking hands and asking how you are. There is a very formal set of greetings which starts with "as salaam halekum" then "hamdallah" and "labes" and only once you have gone through this procedure to a... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Tamanrasset, night warnings

Tamanrasset, night warnings, Tamanrasset

 fedric Says:  People go early to bed, and wake up early. If you intend to move in the city during the night, ask your hosts where you can go or not. In a more general manner, the places close to the oueds are not safe after 8-9PM. If you don't go with a local or someone familiar with the... 

Tourist Traps  

Mazes To Getting Your Own Money

Mazes To Getting Your Own Money, Tamanrasset

 fedric Says:  If Tamanrasset is a great place for tourism, there is a little misunderstanding of this fact by the banks! Tamanrasset is secure if you carry cash with you, with care of course... however there is always a risk if you do not stay to trustable friend's homes. The surest way... 

Sand and stones

Sand and stones, Tamanrasset

 fedric Says:  Since some west european tourist were caught with lots of archeologic objects, authorities may ask about any stone or sand you carry with you. Note that you can be controlled in ANY place you will pass a checkpoint (I was checked twice in Tamanrasset and Algiers). Any stone... 

What to Pack  

The Right and the Wrong Shoes

The Right and the Wrong Shoes, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:   You will be expected to take your shoes off frequently when visiting people so they need to be easy to get on and off. But you may also want to keep the sand off your feet and the beetles and insects off them too so flip flops are not ideal. Neither are lace ups. Shoes... 

Keeping the sand in the desert, not in your bags

Keeping the sand in the desert, not in your bags, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:  If you pack absolutely everything in sealable plastic bags inside your bag the sand has less chance to get into everything. You should also take spare ones to bring back any litter - don't leave it in the desert. The chech (traditional head cover) is much more effective... 

An oasis in a hostile environment

An oasis in a hostile environment, Tamanrasset

 fedric Says:   In winter, light clothes covering the whole body - for cultural and practical reasons. Wear the taguelmust! the traditional tuareg cheich has excellent properties for protecting your head against cold and heat. For nights in the desert, take a good sleeping bag, especially... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Oued Mertoutek

Oued Mertoutek, Tamanrasset

 janiebaxter Says:  Mertoutek is a permanent Tuareg village in an "oued" or oasis North of Tamanrasset. There is a compound for tourists with a "zeriba" traditional hut and water from a tap in the compound. There are no toilets, however, and I was told to go up the hill out of sight!The... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Marathon in the sands

Marathon in the sands, Tamanrasset

 fedric Says:  Ever thought of running on the tracks of Hoggar? a local agency "Paysages du Sud" in association with a swiss agency based in Geneva proposes a 3 days race around Tamanrasset, the second day is a real marathon! This is a difficult race. I will put a little bit more on that... 

Favorites  

WATER!

WATER!, Tamanrasset

 Svillegas Says:  If you are in Tam and you are going to start a route think that you don't know when are you going to see enough water to take a shower again!But be concerned with the quantity you use, you are in the middle of the Sahara and the Saharians need it like the air they breathe! 

The Place

Plan a Tamanrasset vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Tamanrasset locals

Experience Tamanrasset
  •   23 Tips and Reviews
  •  63 Photos
  Share your Travels  
Map of Tamanrasset
 

The People

5 Members Live Here
 
Our Members Say
 profile photo

 Pleasant, clean accommodations near townCommon african toilet and shower rooms (stalls)Honest, interesting proprietorSimple meals available 

5 members live in Tamanrasset

 

Questions and Answers

momokun7 profile photo

Q:  Hi, I am planning a trip from the UK to tamanrasset in March 2009. My plan is to get a solid 4x4 car, drive through France to... 

Kevin-UK profile photo

A: Try here, lots to read. www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ 

Read 9 Replies

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Top Tamanrasset Writers

1

Tamanrasset and The Southern Algerian Desert

janiebaxter profile photo

 I have been to the desert in a few countries on previous trips, but never felt I had truly experienced it, and after a trip to Algiers (more about that in pages to come) in March where I met Redha,...... 

2

Tamanrasset, desert men's crossroad

fedric profile photo

 Tamanrasset is the southernmost large city in Algeria. Very few tourists stay in Tamanrasset as most of them hurry up to go to a neighbour well known location : Tassili of Hoggar, Tefedest, Atakor...... 

3

One of the two cities I visited

Svillegas profile photo

 If you have to buy something you will have to do it in Tamanrasset or in Djanet, you can go to the market or to the shops all around the city. 

4

City in the desert

Krabbendam profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Tamanrasset. I'd love to share with you the 1 tip I've written, the 12 photos uploaded, and 1 travelogue I've created. 

5

VOYAGE A TAGRERA (TASSILI DU HOGGAR)1983.

christian-erwin profile photo

 BIOGRAPHIE Christian Erwin Andersen est né le 21 janvier 1944, à Charleroi, en Belgique, d'une mère flamande, Yvonne Marie DHUYGELAERE, et de André Maurits, d'origine danoise par son père (Voir... 

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