In this series we are going to travel around Tunisia and say what we found to be most enjoyable and worthwhile. In Part 1 we started with the little beach resort of Hammamet. Then we continued by going to Sidi Bou Said, and then to Sousse, a charming fishing town and port well south of Tunis.
We will now continue to Tozeur and Douz which are both known as gateways to the desert. There is so much to see in and around this town that we suggest you spend several days here. We were going to spend a three days at the Dar Yomma Hotel which has a nice garden, great food and being able to eat breakfast on a terrace outside. You can book here: https://tripadvisor.tpk.mx/idcxPtSE However, it turned out they do not accept dogs so we cancelled and upgraded to the Mora Sahara, a splendid hotel right by the desert. If you stay there, make sure you ask for a room with a desert view. They give a warm welcome for dogs and fall over backwards to make your stay enjoyable in every way they can. It was a peaceful place and the food was excellent. You can book by copying and pasting this link:
https://tripadvisor.tpk.mx/cLliDjVd
Date palms are the main industry in Tozeur and while you are in the town, a visit to the palmerie is a must. A great fun way to do this is to take a calesa (horse and carriage) to the Eden Palm Tresors de L´Oasis. The medina is worth seeing as is the Museum Dar Cherait which is housed in an old palace.
A great excursion from Tozeur is to visit the historic berber village of Chebika, see where the Star Wars film was shot, and spend time in the oases of Tamaghza, Mides and Mos Edsa for Star Wars. Make sure you bring your swimming costume and towel if you are going to swim in the natural pool in Chebika. Here´s a link for your to book this tour: https://getyourguide.tpk.mx/1HIb9fah
Now we suggest you transfer to the beautiful Residence hotel in Douz to have some more desert experiences. The Residence is known for its excellent service and food, comfortable rooms, and they welcome dogs. Here is the link to stay there: https://tripadvisor.tpk.mx/8GswUsWw
Whilst in Douz, you might like to visit The Sahara Museum and the souk in the main square. Horse lovers might like to visit Paradise Ranch where you can go on organized rides. There is a lovely oasis with hot springs called Ksar Ghilane. There´s a good tour you can book which allows you time to swim in the hot springs and gives you a typical local lunch. Here´s the link to book: https://getyourguide.tpk.mx/YrDNzzgD For your desert experience, you need to choose what appeals to you. In our experience by far the best thing is to take the three day hiking trek from base camp dunes insolites. These people are very good at adapting the tours and activities that they offer to your personal preferences. What we suggest is you start off with the overnight tour which includes your accommodation in a traditional tent, dinner and breakfast. The link for that is https://getyourguide.tpk.mx/i9sGiaUJ When reserving, make sure to insist on the superior luxury tent suite, not the basic tent, and ask them to organize your pick up from The Residence Hotel in Douz or wherever you are staying. When you leave the Residence, you can either leave your luggage with them, or take it with you to the base camp. At the camp there are all sorts of optional activities, some with an extra charge, for you to choose from. If you plan on doing the three day hike, here´s the link to book that: https://getyourguide.tpk.mx/2llvscmq Its a fantastic and very genuine experience. The camels will carry everything. The camel drivers will erect your berber tents and prepare your dinners around camp fires. Watching the night sky is just awesome. This will be an experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
View of Chott El Jerid Salt lake.
Salt crystals known as desert roses on the Chott El Jerid salt lake
View of the Sahara desert by Douz.
My Mum, in typical Tunisian berber dress, at a desert camp to start a camel ride.
We now recommend you take a day to visit the fascinating community of Matmata, where all the houses and even hotel is underground. From there continue to Ksar Oued Soltane, a 15th century 400 room grain store near Tataouine, and then continue to Tataouine where you can have lunch. You can find good home made cooking in Sindbad at Avenue de 1 de juin. Now you can head back to Douz, stopping at a nice village with spectacular views on a cliff edge called Chenini. You should be able to get a taxi to do all of this tour for about 100 euros.
A donkey in Matmata, behind a front door into the community of houses.
A hotel room in Matmata
A door into a home in Matmata
Grinding millet or grain in Matmata.
After the desert and before you leave Tunisia, you might like a few more days of chilling out by the beach. We recommend two places that are diametrically opposite. Djerba is an island which has beautiful beaches and which is a fully developed resort. The traditional heritage museum is worth seeing there. The Iberostar Eolia all inclusive hotel is a great place to stay, right on the beach, with lovely gardens and swimming pools, but it does not welcome dogs. Here´s a link to book: https://tripadvisor.tpk.mx/weGsDL7J The Menzel Caja Sonia is a simpler boutique hotel but welcomes dogs. Here´s a link to book: https://tripadvisor.tpk.mx/PULB1Q6V The other place is the Kerkennah Islands. Here you are in an unspoilt virgin paradise. You get to it by ferry from Sfax, and you can stay at a very nice guest house where they welcome dogs and have good home made food called Mia Casa. You can book by copying and pasting this link: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g11775155-d15517248-Reviews-Casa_Mia-Sidi_Fredj_Kerkennah_Islands_Sfax_Governorate.html
We hope you have enjoyed this blog. The links in it recommending places can benefit us financially - we humbly ask you to make your bookings through these links as that helps us to keep this site up and running - and it won´t cost you any more than if you were to book directly on the provider`s own website. Also, in the event of a problem, it makes it easier for us to resolve it. Happy Travels! And we would very much appreciate it if you could forward this to those of your friends who love seeing places and travelling. Thank you, and may God bless you, Lean and Anthony, the travelling donkeys.
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