Bestseller in Tunisia. 2 day trip to the Sahara
Getting into an unfamiliar place, you always want to learn as much as possible about it, plunge into the local flavor, bring a lot of impressions and vivid memories. One of the most popular excursions in Tunisia is a two-day trip to the Sahara. The cost of such pleasure ranges from 100-150 dollars per person. And so, one early May morning, we hit the road...
The first point on the route we had was the Colosseum in El Jem - the third largest amphitheater in the world and the best in terms of safety. The Colosseum at El Jem was built between 230 and 238 AD. During the heyday of the Roman Empire, rebellions in the provinces, one of which was Tunisia, brought more and more concern to the authorities. Following the wise principle of "bread and circuses", the proconsul of Africa, Gordian I, started the construction of a grandiose arena for gladiator fights in the center of the agricultural region of Tunisia - El Jem. The Colosseum could accommodate up to 35.000 spectators. The amphitheater was erected on a flat surface and for its construction sandstone was delivered from the quarries of Salakta, which are located on the coast 30 km from El-Jem.
The three-storey amphitheater by the year 238 looked like a real wonder of the world. The walls exceeded a height of 30 meters; from the inside they were decorated with colorful mosaics. The sandy arena was surrounded by arched galleries; the emperor's box was located above the eastern entrance. At the far end of the arena was an elevator that lifted gladiators and wild beasts. The deep well was supplied with water through an underground aqueduct 15 kilometers long. The entrance to the amphitheater was free, and in order not to create a crush, a copper token with images of birds, animals, and scorpions was issued at the gate. The sectors had a mosaic depicting what was on the token. The sectors went in parallel, the issuers knew the number of places in the sector. Thanks to the two entrances, there was no need to return - the movement of the mass of spectators went in one direction. 35.000 spectators were accommodated in an hour and a half.
In the cellars under the arena, rooms for slaves and gladiators have been preserved. There were also cages with wild animals. Holes above the head provided air circulation, and figured openings served as drains for blood. It was a whole underground city that had no analogues in the world. And now it is available for visiting.
Time flies by and we have to move on. Our path lies south, to the city of Douz. Gradually, the landscape outside the bus window changes from date palms and endless olive plantations to deserted fields and sand...
On the way, we made a stop at the observation deck, not far from the town of Matmata, from where our eyes saw an unusual view, which is called the "lunar landscape" here. Mountainous, hilly slopes are surrounded by stone terraces on which sparse vegetation grows.
Lunch was waiting for us at the Diar Matmata transit hotel. The food here is plentiful and delicious. The "buffet" system allows you to choose dishes to your taste, while, of course, couscous will be the main treat. It should be noted that drinks are not included in the price, so prepare denariki)).
Matmata is a small town in the south of Tunisia. His "Berber capital". She became famous for the houses of the Berbers, which are not built above the ground, but dug underground. In fact, the locals live in caves carved into the walls of large pits. From this they are commonly called Berber troglodytes. Berbers are the indigenous inhabitants of North Africa living in underground houses, and TROGLODITES are not cannibals, they are people living in caves. We were also able to see one of these houses.
And finally, we got to the city of Douz. At the four-star Sahara Douz Hotel, a hot dinner, a clean bed and the hospitality of the local natives awaited us. By the way, a hotel that is comfortable for a transit overnight stay, despite the modest interior of the rooms and the ubiquitous fine sand. Two swimming pools are at your service - outdoors and indoor with mineral hot water. And after a whole day on the road, this is very handy!
But it's too early to sleep, because Duz is the gate of the desert. And where there is a desert, there is a caravan. Having rented local Tuareg clothes, we went to get acquainted with the ships of the desert. The camel ride is not included in the price of the main tour and will cost you approximately 25 Tunisian dinars. The transfer by bus takes about 15 minutes. They say that camels walk smoothly. . . Do not believe it))) The walk itself is short. About 30 minutes. We drove about a kilometer from the parking lot into the sands, so that civilization was not visible, dismounted there, wandered a little along the dunes and drove back.
On the second day, the rise was early. So early that we met the dawn on the salt lake Chott El Jerid. After that, in the city of Tauzar, they changed from the bus to off-road vehicles and went on a safari across the Sahara. The old "Toyota Land Cruiser", having accommodated 6 tourists each, carried us into the desert. Part of our road ran along the route of the famous Paris-Dakar rally. Breathtaking landscapes, creaking sand in all possible and impossible places, turns, ups and downs - a sea of emotions and adrenaline full of pants.
To the west of the city of Tousar, near the village of Nefta, is the filming location of the famous Star Wars saga. Here, in the middle of the desert, the scenery of the city of Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine was built "from scratch", where Skywalker spent his childhood and the events of Episode 1 "The Phantom Menace" and Episode 4 "A New Hope" unfold. We were given about half an hour to inspect the scenery. For Star Wars fans, this is "nothing", but we had enough time to take a photo.
After the safari, we returned to the bus and went to the Shebika Oasis on it. Our path began from the ruins of an old village, which was completely destroyed in 1969 as a result of 22 days of rain and mudflow.
The oasis is surrounded by barren fields, mountains and desert, and in it, contrary to all the elements, cool streams murmur and green trees lushly spread out.
Shebika is located between the city of Tauzar and the Algerian border at the foot of a mountain, and it is hard to imagine that, passing through a narrow passage between two boulders, one can see such an extraordinary miracle. Just now you were surrounded by hot sand and bare stones, and here is a real paradise, which gives a hospitable coolness under date palms, and also very kindly offers to refresh yourself in a fresh lake. Water in the thermal spring +23 degrees. It flows along a small mountain canyon, forming a small waterfall below, splashing under the streams of which tourists adore. We did not miss this opportunity either.
So our trip has come to an end. I think that this excursion is a visiting card of Tunisia and it is necessary to visit it without fail. The full video report can be viewed below. All bright impressions!
