Djerba and Sahara in 4x4

 

First day: general notes

Milan - Djerba
Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Who expected that Tunisia was so beautiful? A country so close to Italy (a few hundred kms from Sicily), one of the cheapest destinations in the world, but a country deeply different from our culture, with stunning natural scenery, excellent service in hotels and the door of the splendid and feared Sahara desert.
The 4x4 tour allows you to reach localities extremely fascinating, as the oasis of Ksar Ghilane, where you spend the night in a tented field in the desert, surrounded by yellow sand of Sahara dunes of and a starry sky that perhaps I never seen anywhere.
Of course we must little adapt to: Bedouin tents are not a 5-star hotel, there are double rooms where sleeping in 6, little uncomfortable rolls, "biting" blankets, services are shared and smelly, suitcases placed only on the sand behind the rolls.
But the feeling of being in a lost place, sleeping with one foot in the fresh sand of the desert, dining with mutton just cooked on the fire and listening to Berber songs around a fire, fully repays a night passed without comfort.
In summer temperatures approaching 40 °, very dry and very bearable, hoping not to meet the week of sirocco (about once every 40-50 days), when temperatures and rising humidity makes the heat unbearable.
Do not miss the optional excursion to Douz: sunset on the sand dunes of the Sahara, on the back of dromedary.
Finally the island of Djerba, a perfect climate even in summer, always windy, white beaches surrounded by palm trees, warm, turquoise waters. The only neo algae, which often haunt the sea (at least one front of the Palm Azur), which are quite annoying.

2nd day: Djerba - Ksar Ghilane

Crossing the Roman bridge that connects the south of the island to the mainland we reach Medenine and Metameur, where we can visit with the "Ghorfas", ancient collective barns that characterize the region. We continue entering in the region of Ksour, ancient Berber fortifications: a stop in Ksar Hallouf and Zamour.
In the afternoon departure for Ksar Haddada and visit to the Berber village of Chenini, perched on the mountains (the climb, even short, is very difficult because of torrid heat, but it's worth it).
Continuing on track for Ksar Ghilane, with a visit to the source and oasis. If possible it's worth to take a bath in a hot spring, a few steps from the high dunes of the desert. Then a walk in the dunes waiting for the sunset.
Dinner and overnight in camp with accommodation in Berber tents with 8 / 12 beds.

The field is absolutely attainable only in 4x4 after several hours of tracks in the desert. Comprising an area where we eat in wooden tables under tents, from an area with toilets, and several tents for 6-8 persons in Bedouin style, high in the middle and lower on the sides. Of course, the floor is made with fine sand of the desert. The feeling of a sleep on roll with a foot that touches the fresh sand of the desert is something indescribable.
Once reached the camp we set in various tents, with 4-6 other unknown people until that moment, they will become by force of circumstances friends after this experience. The landscape is breathtaking yellow on high dunes of the desert, towards evening, at sunset, colour changes in red. At darkness begins the great feast Bedouin party for dinner. Meat of mutton cooked on fire, spicy soups and the inevitable dates, that only here can enjoy in their true essence. After the dinner, jeep drivers become artists of the desert, and after start a simple but extraordinary spectacle, with guitars and drums playing songs and Berber dances around the fire where you are also invited. But just move a few hundred meters to discover the true silence, lying on the sand to observe an unforgettable starry sky that will remain only in my memories.

3rd day: Ksar Ghilane - Douz

Departure for Douz, through striking desert landscapes. In the afternoon visit to the Oasis of Nouail, Sabria and Zaafrane, with the possibility of an optional ride on a dromedary.
The hike in dromedary is a must, because remains one of the most fascinating parts of the journey, going in the true desert, between high sand dunes surrounded by rare palms, then walk until you reach the top of a dune to admire the sunset: an unforgettable experience.

4th day: Douz - Tozeur

Departure from Douz to reach Nefta, along the southern side of the Chott El Jerid, a huge salt lake that emerges from nothing in the desert, the effect of salt dried by the sun gives view to unnatural colors, from purple to blue. In this area, watching the horizon, you can see the famous "mirages".

5th day: Tozeur

Arriving in Nefta, sightseeing and the famous "Corbeille", a vast palm tree forest to run with the horse, in order to admire the various crops that can be done in an oasis.
Back to Tozeur and a visit Medina. After dinner, a visit the ethnographic museum "Dar Cherait."

6th day: Tozeur - Tamerza

Departure for the most fascinating stage in Tunisia: the mountain oasis of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides, in an unusual landscape of deep gorges and sorces with a view to the "Great Cascade." From Tamerza Palace, a hotel with a splendid view of the ancient city of Tamerza, surrounded by beautiful rocky mountains, a short walk leads to the discovery of its ruins.

7th day: Tamerza - Djerba

Departure to Matmata and a visit the area dotted by characteristics troglodite housing dug in the ground, the natural set used for the "Star Wars" movie. You visit the interior of some homes, where people still live and you can enjoy the cool interior of this houses in relation to external heat.
In the afternoon return to Jerba by ferry and stop in Guellala, quaint village known for its ceramics and Houmt Souk, the capital of the island.

8th - 14th day: Djerba - Hotel Palm Azur

One of the best complex of Djerba, appreciated for the quality of cuisine, for the structure, and services offered at a low price.
The beach is very beautiful, white sand surrounded by palm trees, but access to the sea is a little unconvenient for the presence of small rocks between the sand and the sea, warm and turquoise, even if infested by several algae.
Frankly, I found the best sea at the main beach of the island (where there are numerous hotels), in the ocean without algae.