We say "desert" - mean "Sahara", and in Arabic there is no other word for desert designation except for the "sugar" itself .And this is not accidental: the Sahara is the largest sandy region in the world, stretching in North Africa from the Red Sea to the Atlantic by almost five thousand kilometers .Dunes, reaching a height of 300 meters, many kilometers of perfectly smooth areas of saline soil, lush oases and endless barkhans leaving behind the horizon - all this makes up one of the most amazing landscapes of the world..However, despite an area of more than 8 million km, the Sahara is not so easy to visit, because of the extremely unsettled political situation in the region .However, although it is possible to look at the greatness of the desert at the very corner, the main thing is to know where and when to go .
A bit of geography and politics
The Sahara almost completely covers the area of North Africa from the Mediterranean to 16 ° N, with the exception of the rather narrow coastline of the continent, which is characterized by lush vegetation. Its area is 8.6 million km, which is about a third of the total area of the African continent. From the west to the east the desert is stretched for 4800 km, and from north to south its extent is from 800 to 1200 km.
Contrary to popular belief, Sahara is not only sand dunes and rare oases. The landscape here is no less diverse than in other natural areas: there are also stony plateaus, and solonchaks, and volcanic formations, highlands and ridges. Sand areas of the Sahara are called ergs, they are only 25% of the total area of the desert. A stony area is called "reg."
The Sahara lies within the borders of eleven states - Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Sudan and Chad. Visit without problems, perhaps, only three of them - Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. However, the most breathtaking landscapes lie, alas, in the hard-to-reach tourist Algeria, Libya, Chad and Niger.
The climate in the region is
The northern part of the Sahara (it is most often visited by tourists) is under the influence of a dry subtropical climate with relatively cool winters and a hot summer .The average daytime temperature of summer time of the year is about + 37 ... + 39 ° С, at night the column of the thermometer drops to + 28 ... + 30 ° С .For winter, there are strong temperature differences between day and night time of day: during the day the air warms up to +15 ... + 17 ° С, while at night there may be zero indicators or even freezing .There are often strong southern winds that bring masses of sand - in such days life in the Sahara freezes .
In the southern regions of the Sahara, the climate is tropical - summer is even hotter, winter is colder.
Sahara is safe ...
So, where to go to the traveler, who decided to see first hand the indescribable beauty of the Sahara desert? The choice, frankly speaking, is small: Africa does not belong to the number of prosperous regions of the globe, and the North and Central - in particular.
Tunisia
Tunisian south with a long narrow dagger goes into the Sahara - the greatest "depth" in comparison with other countries that are accessible to a wide visit to "desert-wishing" countries. The landscapes of Tunisia were not the most outstanding, but not dull. "Chip" of the Tunisian Sahara - a large variety of landscapes: you can see and sickle-shaped barkhans, and boundless solonchaks, and locations - on the salt lake of Chott El Jerid and in Matmata, Star Wars was shot, and Mount Camel's neck lit up in " English patient. "
A gateway to the Sahara desert in Tunisia - the city of Duz, located on the border of the sands and an oasis of date palms .Its tourist zone (and here about seven very high-quality hotels) is taken directly to the Sahara's expanses - get off the sidewalk, and feel under your feet the smallest, as a powder, sand .From Douz, excursions to the Sahara are regularly sent from 1 hour (camel ride to the nearest dunes) to weekly or even two-week expeditions .Well, those who want to stay "on a visit to the Sahara" can be offered to settle in the hotel of a remote oasis Ksar Gilan - 147 km south of Duse, the thermal spring and the ruins of the Roman fort Tisavar as a historical excursion .
| The quaint rocks of Algeria |
| Desert panorama |
Morocco
The southeastern region of Morocco, lying at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, is the most convenient for visiting a middle-sized tourist of the region of the Sahara .In addition to the delightful landscapes - red dunes and exotic fortresses, many of which "participated" in the filming of many films (Ait-Benhaddu - the most famous), there is a natural and historical landmark - the Draa valley .This is the whole amazing world of lush oases, fortified forts-kasb and Berber settlements .It was here that the difficult 52-day journey of the trans-Saharan caravans, leading to the Mediterranean Sea, precious goods from the capital of the ancient empire of Mali Timbuktu, ended..
Today, popular tours begin in the settlement of M'Hamid, from where tourists are transported along the picturesque 40-kilometer route to the heart of the Moroccan Sahara-Erg Shigaga. The second run-through route starts in the town of Merzouga, east of M'Hamid, and continues along the territory of another erg - Shebby. It is here that before the eyes of the traveler a really brilliant collection of eternal dunes appears.
Egypt
The western regions of Egypt - albeit an extensive but not too interesting region of the Sahara - especially in comparison with the landscapes of hard-to-reach countries. However, in order to get an idea of the desert, this area is quite suitable. More interestingly, the oases to the south of Siwa are interesting here - a chain of lush emerald hides, connected by scarcely discernible roads on the stony surface of the desert. In Siva itself, among other things, you can see a medieval mazanka castle and a temple dating from the times of Alexander the Great.
The southern oases of Al Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra and Bahariya are ideal starting points for excursions in the heart of the desert - on camels, four-wheel drive jeeps or two of their own. Outside the last settlements, the boundless expanses of the White and Black deserts (all of them parts of the Sahara) and the picturesque Crystal Mountains begin, and further south lie the places of filming of another scene of the "English patient" - the Cave of swimmers and the Gilfe-Kebir Plateau, on which once existed completely obliterated oasis of Zersur.
... and hard-to-get
The most magnificent landscapes of the Sahara lie, which is not surprising, in its interior areas - it is here that the highest 300-meter dunes are located, songs of shades of shades from richly yellow and ocher-red to slightly pink and almost white sing their songs and roam the dunes. Unfortunately, the situation in the region leaves much to be desired: South Saharan countries are regularly shaken by internal conflicts, and tourism here is either simply not developed, or even dangerous.
Algeria
Algeria - the country with the highest Sahara content "in the blood" and the safest of hard-to-reach countries .80% of its territory is occupied by the sands of this great desert .The sandy seas of the Sahara in Algeria are the longest and deserted, and in the southeast of the country you can see the fantastic landscapes of the Ahaggar Highlands and the Tassili Mountains .By the way, in the Tassil mountains there is one of the oldest caves with rock art - an honorary member of UNESCO's List .Tourism here is on an embryonic level - excursions will be offered with joy, but the organization will not shine, and even hunters will not risk almost .Nevertheless, for the future: among the "non-sandy" pearls of the Algerian Sahara - the city of Ouargla, the "golden key from the desert", Mzab with its fantastic architecture and Beni-Isgen behind the impressive fortress gates .
Libya
Libya, alas, is lost to the world in general and tourism in particular, so that about travel to the Libyan Sahara can only dream of .This is doubly insulting, as it is here that one of the most incredible desert landscapes - the volcanic mountains of Akakus .Black basalt cliffs grow directly from the sands of central Sahara - and it seems that we are not at all on the planet Earth .The locality is listed in the UNESCO List - not only thanks to landscapes, but also because of prehistoric rock carvings and inscriptions, the age of some of them exceeds 12 thousand years .Another compulsory place to visit is the Tuareg citadel, the Gath Oasis .
Mauritania
Mauritania is not so unavailable for "sick" Sahara, as it might seem, and among active, independent travelers from Europe continues to be a popular destination for auto and motorolines..It is easy to enter here from Morocco, the visa will cost between 50 and 95 EUR, permission to enter by private transport can also be obtained without problems .However, this direction is definitely for daredevils - although the country is quite safe compared to its neighbors in the region, no one will ever guarantee the return of intact and safe $ ±.From the interesting - the boundless desert plateau Adrar, where you can understand the scale of the Sahara .
Chad, Niger, Mali
In Chad, Niger and Mali definitely should not go to get acquainted with the Sahara without armed guards. Nevertheless, in anticipation of better times, we consider it our duty to share the most interesting "chips". So, the pearl of northern Chad - the Tibetan highlands with the active volcano Amy-Kusi, in the Niger deserve attention the array of Ayr and the sands of Tenere, and once in Mali, you should definitely visit the ancient capital of the prosperous empire of Timbuktu.