As part of an organised
excursion bookable usually from the holiday reps in the hotels or
through independent travel agents, this trip is ideal for families with children aged 12 and above,
provided they don’t mind early morning starts (a 4am alarm call on the
second day) and a couple of long coach journeys.
The
first visit was to the world’s third largest Roman Amphitheatre at El
Djem, which I thought equally as impressive as the Coliseum in
Rome. The next stop was Matmata and the cave dwellings inhabited by the
Berber tribesman, which had been one of the settings of the Star Wars
films. A visit inside one of the caves revealed the Berber tribe’s
simple but comfortable way of life. However I did notice a few satellite
dishes around!
The final stop on the first day was Douz,
otherwise known as the Gateway of the Sahara Desert. Here we had the opportunity to take a short trip into the desert either on
foot, by camel or for the less adventurous, like myself, by a horse and
carriage. We were then taken to the hotel, where a swim in the pool was
very welcome and refreshing, after a long day on a coach and sightseeing
in the heat.
The next day started with a visit to the
salt lakes at Chott El Jerid, which was well worth the 5am departure, as
the sunrise and beautiful colours along the lakes were spectacular. The
trip then continued on to Tozeur with a visit to an oasis, which was a
complete contrast to the arid scenery of the desert. Amongst the
numerous lush plants, there were date palms and bananas growing and it
was a very tranquil experience to see them all by horse-drawn carriage.
We were then driven in 4x4 vehicles to the Atlas Mountains with its rugged scenery and looked across to Algeria before returning via the Chebika and Tamerza oases to pick up the coach and make the long journey northward to the holy city of Kairouan. Unfortunately a visit inside the impressive mosque was not included, which was rather disappointing as it is considered to be the oldest Muslim place of worship in Africa and the fourth holiest site in Islam.
I would definitely recommend this excursion if visiting Tunisia. The overnight stay in the hotel was extremely comfortable with a substantial buffet evening meal and breakfast. The restaurants selected for lunches were of a high standard and there were several short stops during the journey. The whole trip, together with a little extra for drinks, cost in the region of £100.
PWT rating: ♥♥♥♥♥