Tunisia tour "trip to the Sahara"

Tunisia - Arab country in North Africa, which is on the eastern and northern sides of the Mediterranean Sea to the west is bordered by Algeria and Libya to the south. It is the smallest country in the Maghreb, as it is called North African Arab region.

Tourists like to Tunisia for its ancient culture, a clean sea and varied landscape of rolling "southern European" with fertile olive groves in the north of this "African" desert in the south of the Sahara.Tunisia. Excursion to the Sahara Desert
Excursion to the Sahara Desert - one of the most exciting, dynamic and sought-after tours of Tunisia. It certainly makes a strong impression on tourists and one rarely leaves me cold. Excursion "Trip to the Sahara," a single scenario offered by representatives of most local tour operators. As a rule, its duration is two days, and the price ranges from 150 to 200 dollars.Itinerary tour "Journey to the Sahara"
Gathering of participants and travel on the bus going in the morning, the first stop - the city of El Jem, with its main attraction Roman amphitheater built three centuries. Second stop - one of the Berber villages (Matmata, or other less-known), where visitors are introduced to the culture of the Berbers - native Tunisia. The next destination and a place to sleep - the city of Douz, the so-called "Gateway to the Sahara." On the second day of the scheduled trip to the city of Tozeur, which must pass with a stop at the salt lake Chott el Jerid. The trip is a camel safari in the national dress. Then follow the tourists to Kairouan, the fourth largest city of the Muslim world, and from there sent home, or rather to his hotel.
"Journey to the Sahara" allows visitors not only get acquainted with historical, architectural and religious monuments of Tunisia, but in such a short time to see the diversity of the landscape of this country, because on their way to replace olive groves and mountain steppe landscape, which fades into the desert with oases and unique "lunar" canyons.Stop tour "trip to the Sahara"
So, as mentioned above, the first stop of the route - a town of El Jem, which, in essence, is a city of a monument - the Colosseum, built by Emperor Gordian approximately between 230 and 238 AD. There were a variety of views, including fights between animals, and animals with humans. This is evidenced by the picture of a mosaic, preserved in the amphitheater, and now presented in the local museum. The Colosseum was able to accommodate up to 30 thousand spectators, and its size it is similar to the Colosseum, situated in Rome. However, residents of El Jem felt that their coliseum better preserved to this day, and only here can you fully experience all the greatness of this building. The amphitheater is especially beautiful at sunrise and many guides try to make the tourists come here at this time.
Berber villages, the most popular of which Matmata, located on the sandy plateaus Mapshaty resembling lunar landscapes. Here in the land and inhabited by indigenous people of Tunisia - Berbers, sometimes called troglodytes. Their house are built on the following principle: on the hill dug a huge crater multimeter (about 10 meters in diameter and 6 meters in depth) form an inner courtyard. And he hollowed out the required number of residential and business rooms. In addition, prodalblivaetsya tunnel leading to the hill - the main entrance to the housing. Such structures have several advantages: they are well protected from the scorching sun, outside unobtrusive and easy to expand as and when required. Of course, in our time, the Berbers did not live in these homes, they use them as a summer residence and at the same time earn money on it, allowing tourists to view them from within. It is also interesting the fact that here were filmed several episodes of "Star Wars" and the place was called Tataouine even one of the worlds of the film. In one of the Berber villages in the underground restaurant or hotel visitors invited to dinner, a short vacation and tour continues.
The city of Douz and called "Gateway to Africa" ​​and "Key to the Sahara Desert," as it begins the familiar to our understanding of the desert with sand dunes, camel caravans and picturesque oases. The road to it will also pass through the desert, only rocky and mountainous. In Duse tourists stop for the night, so the next day with renewed energy to continue the tour of "Journey into the Sahara."
Early in the morning to put on a special tour offers a stylized clothes (for a fee), then they are seated on camels and caravan to be salt lake Chott el Jerid. It is the largest saltwater lake in North Africa, covering about 5000 square meters. km and a length of 200 km, which in summer is almost completely dried up and turns into a white salt layer, on its strength similar to asphalt. At a depth of more than 1 meter can be found here, "Rose of the desert" - a unique crystal, formed from sand and salt, which can be purchased immediately erected the souvenir shops. Chott el Jerid is also famous for its mirages, which gives visitors admiring a lot of fun. Strangely enough, but the salty lake shores are rich in numerous springs, through which here in large numbers grow date palms, forming oases. At one of the shores of the lake and is the town of Tozeur - an oasis, with more than 300 000 fruit-bearing palm trees.
The city of Kairouan, as mentioned above, this is the fourth holy city of the Muslim world (the first three - it's Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem). It is believed that a sevenfold pilgrimage here can replace one pilgrimage to Mecca. Kairouan is famous for its numerous mosques open to the public, the sacred source of Bir Barruta and carpet manufacturing. Carpet - is a sort of local souvenirs for a lot of money. But they certainly are beautiful, all handmade and completely out of natural materials. As they say, local artisans, a guarantee on their carpets for 300 years!
Depending on the tour organizer "Journey to the Sahara" can be slightly modified. It may include a trip on date plantations in the horse-drawn carts, visiting a few oases, jeep safari to the border with Algeria, Tunisia, on the mountain canyons and some other activities. But in any case, this tour will be long in the memory of every tourist as one of the most vivid impressions of Tunisia.