Top Tunisia hotels
Sponsored Links
During our stay at Douz we went camel trekking at the Great Dune, just below the oasis, south of the town where the Sahara in all its glory starts. We went on a one hour trip, which I guess is the very basic Sahara experience, but nonetheless was memorable.
Smoking the chicha pipe is a very popular and traditional passtime in Tunisia, so on the final evening of our trip we decided to give it a go. Everywhere you go in Tunisia you see the locals (actually, usually just the men) sitting in cafes, puffing away contentedly. My girlfriend wasn't too keen on trying the chicha in a cafe full of men so we chose this tea room in Tunis, popular with both sexes.I'm not much of a smoker so after the first few puffs I was coughing wildly., But we soon got used to it. It's easier on the throat than smoking a cigarette as the tobacco is filtered through the water. It's a very relaxing experience and I can understand why it's so popular. We tried the fruit flavoured chicha which had a delicious aroma. Very good value too at 3.50 Dinar.
Next up a change of wheels as we swopped to 4WD for the next section of the tour - watching out for sheep and goats on the road and camels seeminly grazing in the wild - actually our guide iformed us later they don't roam wild but are owned and cared for.
40 mins on from the lake - crossed by an 18km causeway we arrived in Tozeur - renowned for its brick architecture. This loked a really interesting town - really would have like to explore this more rahter than the optional carriage ride perhaps.
So a quick change in the hotel and out for the excitemnet of a ride in the Sahara at sunset. This was an optional part of the trip - carriage or dromedary ride for about hour to see the sun go down and casts its warm glow over the dunes. Cost was 10 dinars per person (approx 2 dinar to english pound). It was a real fun experience - they dress you up arabian style too - more info and pics on my Douz page.
So almost lunchtime and we reach Matmata - home to film locations for Star Wars - there is even a Matmata sign on the hillside - just as in Hollywood. The scenery around here is amazing and we stop for some photos. Locals here try to get you to pose with birds of prey or captured animals - for a tip of course. Our guide rightly discouraged us from entertaining this as they are trying to prevent wild animals being captured for such a tourist trap.
We stopped at Chebika, a mountain village near the Algerian border, for nearly an hour to see the source of a spring in the oasis. about 45 mins here - just enough time for a round trip of walking down to the pool and then climb up and over the hill and back down to the village. a bit of a pull, assisted with steps but well worthwhile for views at the top. I really enjoyed the stop here and it felt like we had done so much already - yet it was only about 10.00am by now! For more pics and info about this little village please visit my Chebika page.
After lunch it was along drive - some 2hours 30 with a coffee stop to break it up - to reach the last stop on the tour. Kairouan - a city noted foor its Grand Mosque and carpets. The stop here is to visit a carpet shop but we opted out of this and had a stoll around the medina here.Then its about another 1 hours drive nbback to the various resorts and the end of an excellent tour.
a 30 min drive back in the coach then took us to our lunch stop at Garfsa. Big posh hotel but food not quite as good as yeterday. Strange to have such a hotel here - 5 stars as not really much else to the town ad attractions and tourist facilities of Tozeur are not so far away.
It was then a further 40-50 mins drive back to pick up the coach again. All the while the scenery was amazing - canyons and wild flowers such as lavendars. Apparently these flowers don't appear every year, only after a rainy winter.
The Residence Tunis Tunis
1 Review and 133 Opinions The Residence is right on the beach near Carthage, with it's own stretch of beach offering various...
Marhaba Tour Khalef Sousse
8 Reviews and 236 Opinions We returned 17/7/2011 our kids aged both 8 years thought it was best kids club ever lots for them to...
Park Inn Ile de Jerba
3 Reviews and 220 Opinions One of the oldest hotels in Djerba was the first one over the lagoon for years, which could be seen...
Reviews and photos of Tunisia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Tunisia sightseeing.
More Cities in Tunisia
More Regions in Tunisia
Q: I'm planning to visit Tunisia in November, can anyone suggest a good budget hostels in Tunis, Kairouan and Sousse? I was...
A: The YHA in the souk in Tunis is pretty cool. The problem is getting there. During the day, the souk is packed making it difficult to manage with your backpack. At night,...
Read 2 Replies
Sponsored Links
