SAHHA SAHARA CAMEL TREKS AND SOUTH TUNISIA TOURS EcoTourism

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1 SAHHA SAHARA CAMEL TREKS AND SOUTH TUNISIA TOURS EcoTourism SAHARA ADVENTURE & Taste of South Tunisia (3 Days/2 Nights) (Beginning and ending in Djerba) DAY 1: We will pick you up in Djerba, either at your hotel or the airport to begin your tour. (If you are not spending the previous night in Djerba, you will need to take the early morning flight from Tunis to Djerba on Day 1.) After picking you up, we leave Djerba, via the Roman route, driving towards the Tatouine area. Our first stop in this area will be be Ksar Gatoufa, uninhabited for many years and slowly returning back to nature. Some of the homes (ghorfas) in this Ksar have Berber symbols from the 16 th century imprinted on them. (Ksars or Ksour are honeycomb shaped Berber structures, generally fortified granaries and homes, mostly seen in North Africa and date back to the 15 th century.) Our next stop will be Ksar Ezahra, the only Ksar in the area still a thriving community. The people of the village have fought hard to keep it authentic and not changed by tourism.

2 After lunch in Tataouine, we will drive to the Berber mountain village of Chenini. Chenini was built between two hilltop ridges - to help protect it from raiding parties. The oldest structures on the hillside date back to the 12th century; some of the buildings are still used to store grain for the villagers, as well as for homes for those who still live here. Your tour around Chenini will be led by a local Berber guide. Part of your tour will include exploring around Chenini and seeing a subterranean olive press, which is still how olive oil is produced here.

3 You will then head to the Mosque of the Seven Sleepers (based on a story from the Koran). The mosque was built around a cave where it is said the seven sleepers lie (pre-roman). After leaving the Tataouine area, you will drive to the Sahara Desert and Camp Zmela, where you will have dinner and spend the night. This unique camp is complete with beds, spotless washroom facilities and restaurant, and is surrounded by dunes.

4 DAY 2: After breakfast you will drive a short distance to the red Saharan sand of Ksar Ghilane. Ksar Ghilane is the most southern oasis in the Tunisian Sahara, covering 4 hectares. Around 50 Bedouin families live here, farming dates, caring for their sheep and goats or working in tourism. You can choose to either ride by quad or our vehicle over the dunes to the Roman Fort of Ksar Ghilane, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (about 30 minutes each way). After lunch at Ksar Ghilane, you will have time to explore the oasis. You may even feel like a dip in the natural hot spring of Ksar Ghilane.

5 After leaving Ksar Ghilane, you will be driven through the Sahara to Douz, often called The Gateway to the Sahara. Mostly semi-nomadic, the Bedouin people live in the villages surrounding Douz when they are not in the desert. (Other areas of south Tunisia are predominately Berber). We will drive into the Sahara to meet up with your camels and Bedouin Cameleers for our Night in the Sahara part of your tour!

6 You will trek by camel into the desert with your Cameleers for a couple of hours......arriving at your Bedouin camp in the Sahara that has been set up just for you. Desert evenings are filled with good food, music and singing. And as you are nestled under blankets around the fire, the vast Sahara sky will turn from orange to a blanket of stars. A large part a camel trek is the experience of sharing the desert with Bedouin Cameleers, who are generous, kind and have an intrinsic sense of the desert.

7 DAY 3: After breakfast in the desert (including sand baked bread!), you will drive to the Berber village of Matmata, known for its troglodyte homes. Troglodyte homes are a form of Berber architecture designed to withstand the heat. The courtyard is dug straight underground and is the hub of the home with rooms carved out from the sides of the courtyard. You can really see the influence on the Star Wars movies.. Some of your stops in Matmata will be for lunch and to see an early Star Wars set created from a troglodyte home. You will also stop for a visit and cup of tea in the troglodyte home of our dear friend Saliha and her family. Friends for many years; to know Saliha is to love her.

8 You will then leave Matmata, and begin your drive back to Djerba. You will be driving through some stunning desert landscapes Your next short stop will be the edge of the Berber village of Toujane; where ribbon-like roads slice into the mountainside dotted with villagers and their flocks. From here, we will take you to the Djerba airport so you can take your late afternoon flight back to Tunis. Sahha (Arabic for we hope you enjoyed it!)

9 SAHARA ADVENTURE & Taste of South Tunisia (3 Days/2 Nights) PRICES: One vehicle: For 1 participant - $1060 USD For 2 participants - $660 USD per person For 3 participants - $470 USD per person For 4 participants - $410 USD per person For 5 participants $350 USD per person Two vehicles: For 6-8 participants - $370 USD per person For 9 participants - $340 USD per person DRIVING PORTION OF TOUR PRICE INCLUDES: Licensed tour vehicle Licensed/ professional tour driver Pick up at Djerba airport or hotel Drop off at Djerba airport or hotel English speaking host / guide All meals from lunch on day 1 until lunch on day 3 A non-alcoholic drink with meals 1 night accommodation at Camp Zmela Quad or 4X4 ride to Roman Fort at Ksar Ghilane All historical site and other site fees Bottled drinking water NIGHT IN THE SAHARA CAMEL TREK PRICE INCLUDES: Dinner and breakfast prepared for you with fresh local fruit and vegetables Bottled water for drinking Bedouin tent Bedding (mattress, blankets, sheets) A camel available for each of you to ride Experienced Bedouin Cameleers (many are also great musicians) English speaking host/guide Trek insurance and tourism registration (mandatory) 4x4 transport when stated Burnose (Bedouin cape) to use for evening Cheich (Bedouin headscarf), our gift to you DRIVING PORTION OF TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: Any flights Travel insurance Tips (drivers, guide...) Personal expenses Between meal drinks or snacks Any alcoholic beverages NIGHT IN THE SAHARA TREK PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: Flights or transportation to Douz Personal expenses Tips (Cameleers...) Trek insurance does not replace travel insurance