Sahara, along with beaches and Carthage, one of the main tourist baits of Tunisia . The two-day trip to the "big south" is the most popular local excursion, to which tourists of all nationalities and ages are equally eager to register . The reasons for this excitement are obvious: the possibility to see the boundless sandy expanses that go beyond the horizon, to feel the hot breath of Africa, to feel the power of the desert, capable of absorbing cities and civilizations, finally, to plunge into the eastern exotic with a primordial hue - to dress in clothes to climb the camel and, improperly humming something about the "habibi", imagine yourself as a real nomad . To explore all the possibilities of diving into the Tunisian sands, we invite you to get acquainted with our Sakha bulletin: how, when , how much and for how much can you go to the Sahara .

Sahara is short for beginners ...

Most tourists visit the Sahara as part of an excursion organized by the host company . By the way, even though the trip is called a trip to the Sahara, in fact you are waiting for a 1200-kilometer survey a tour of the country with a visit to a lot of interesting places - from the Roman coliseum and underground dwellings of troglodytes to the dried salt lake of Schott El Jerid and carpet workshops in Kairouan . The tourists come to the city of Duz, called by the gate to the Sahara desert, on the first day travel, after noon . Depending on the degree of heat - unbearable or just drying up - a trip on the dunes on the camel's back will take place either immediately upon arrival, or in the evening when the sun goes down and the hell goes down a bit . Before landing on the dromedaries the ex cadets are dressed in long, spacious jabba hoodies, and the head is wrapped around with the traditional Tuareg headdress -shish . The Tuareg, however, the length of the fabric reaches 10 m in length, while tourists have to be content with three-meter lengths - however, this is enough to protect the head from scorching rays and, if necessary, close the nose and mouth from the sandy wind at the free end of the sheesh .

Then follows the brief instruction of the guide on how to prepare for the "lifting" of the vehicle, so as not to bite your nose (the camel rises first with its hind legs ), and how with maximum comfort to get a job at the top . Camels are usually connected by three, and if you do not want to see the swinging back of your neighbor all the way, for a small extra charge you can agree on an individual guide . Warn immediately: getting to know the desert from a height ve the humpbacked hump will be very fluent - the "two-day" is very full, and there is no time to cool down and leisurely contemplate . The trip lasts no more than an hour; for this time, "Bedouins" describe a two-kilometer loop over the sandy outskirts of the tourist zone of Duza . We must give due, being on the break of the loop, the human hands are not visible, and the untouched Saharan landscape . maximum 2-3 meters), but the sand is the most real sugar - beige pink, the smallest and flowing between the fingers like silk fabric . And still here it is amazing, to ringing in the ears quietly - only the rustling of grains of sand under the light breath is audible wind .

With the onset of twilight you can get out of the hotel on your own for a walk on the nearest dunes (it's better to do it by the company, tip-off - try to persuade the guide to go with you - will tell you a lot of interesting things) . Far better not to go - you can stumble upon scorpions and snakes . Theoretically it is possible to spend the night under the breathtaking beauty of the starry sky of the Sahara - for a trifling fee of 30-35 TND, the staff of the "camel station" will take you to some distance from civilization, arrange a tent with blankets and nerds and at dawn will take back to Douz . In practice it is not very convenient because of an early rise the next day: the tourist bus leaves at 5 am, so it's better to spend the night separately - for example, to stay for a few days in one of the Duz hotels and leisurely explore the surrounding area .

... and long for connoisseurs

Those who are eager to escape from the dubious charms of civilized life and dissolve in the pristine nature are offered caravans to the interior of the Sahara for one to two weeks . To book such trips is better directly in Duse - here about ten accredited in the Ministry tourism travel companies . Some caravan bureaus were also on the Internet, but it should be borne in mind that their sites are mostly in French, and the program includes a full package of services, starting with the transfer from the nearest airport in Tozer, where a lot of flights from the cities of France (and not a single one from Russia) . "Long" excursions are conducted during the period from October to May - in the summer and early autumn, the desert is incandescent, and move along it in day time even camels refuse . The host party provides everything necessary: ​​actually dromedaries, drivers, food (dry rations, canned and freshly prepared by conductors at the stake during parking), awnings and other belongings for overnight stay .

The tourists spend the first and last night in the civil hotel of Duz. The caravan will pass through the Tuareg parking lots and natural uncultivated oases where you can see the characteristic desert flora and fauna - if lucky, even the eared fox-pheasant. Bonus depending on the exact route - visiting the sacred Tuarein monolithic rock of Tembain (height 200 m), from the top of which you can survey the great expanses of the Sahara, and the ruins of the Roman fort Tisavar - the outpost of the African colony of the empire.

A two-week excursion with a complete retreat from the mundane starts from the dune of Ofra in Douz . Its route passes through the Big East Ergu, one of the largest sandy seas of the Sahara, stretching over an area of ​​200,000 sq. Km . km! Dunes here reach one and a half hundred meters in height, and up to the horizon line, only sand extends everywhere - almost white powder of the finest grinding . By the way, mirages here literally pursue: in the distance a caravan of camels will pass, then behind the nearest dunes the lake of life-giving moisture, then the palm grove will promise to hide from the heat . The pearl of the journey - the highest dune of the Eastern Erg - Zemlet el Borma (250 m) . And immediately after it, sharply, as if by invisible line, the rocky salt desert of the Tatauin region begins . Daytime Moved I'm about 5 hours, the rest of the time is spent on parking, walking around the neighborhood and all kinds of dissolution in nature . From Zemlet-el-Borma tourists are taken away in jeeps, so the path is only forward, in the heart of the Sahara . One of the " chips »of long excursions - the opportunity to stay overnight at the Pansea hotel in the oasis of Ksar Gilan . Here 20 tents with all conveniences located around a natural pool with hot thermal water . The cost of one day of" long "excursions ranges from 65 to 100 TND depending on the route .

For any trip to the Sahara, it's better to choose light clothing made of natural fabrics that closes the body as much as possible: for example, linen trousers and a cotton blouse with a long sleeve . Do not forget about the headdress and dark glasses, and also be sure to apply cream with a high SPF-factor, even if you had time to thoroughly tan at the beach . Nelshnim will take with him medicines from food poisoning and first aid means . Grab also neutral drops for eyes - in the evenings you will wash out from there just sand dunes . In case of long trips, expensive photo and video equipment should be tied tightly into a cellophane bag - fine grains of sand can spoil sensitive mechanisms .