Sahara Desert adventure in Niger & Algeria
| country: | Algeria, Niger |
| trip type: | Potentially dangerous. Check Foreign & Commonwealth office advice for Niger and Algeria |
| departures: | 2008: 8 Nov 2009: 2 Feb |
| price: | From £1825 (16 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. Maximum group size 12 people |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Camping under star-studded skies, the tour will take us from the pretty oasis town of Djanet and nearby rock engravings in the beautiful south of Algeria, across the immensity of the Tafassasset sand plain via Djado to Bilma.
Bilma is an oasis in the heart of the Sahara desert and the source of the regions salt trade. From its lush date groves we cross the sweeping Ténéré dunes following the famous ancient camel-caravan route, through Fachi to the regional capital of Agadez. Camel caravans still ply the route transporting salt from the mines near Bilma and Fachi to the herds of Agadez and beyond.
Now heading north we explore the apparent wastes of the Aïr Mountains. With their glowering black rocks and jagged peaks they are home to the Khel Aïr Tuareg, their lush desert gardens and some of the most spectacular sights in the Sahara.
Finally we return to Algeria and the dramatic Hoggar Mountains. Our destination there is Assekrem – meaning End of the World - where Charles du Foucault had his hermitage. From here the view over the impressive volcanic landscape with its chaos of black and forbidding rocks, basalt monoliths, cliffs and distant peaks is breathtaking.
Please note that on trips to Niger clients will be obliged to take out an insurance policy specific to this group trip.
Bilma is an oasis in the heart of the Sahara desert and the source of the regions salt trade. From its lush date groves we cross the sweeping Ténéré dunes following the famous ancient camel-caravan route, through Fachi to the regional capital of Agadez. Camel caravans still ply the route transporting salt from the mines near Bilma and Fachi to the herds of Agadez and beyond.
Now heading north we explore the apparent wastes of the Aïr Mountains. With their glowering black rocks and jagged peaks they are home to the Khel Aïr Tuareg, their lush desert gardens and some of the most spectacular sights in the Sahara.
Finally we return to Algeria and the dramatic Hoggar Mountains. Our destination there is Assekrem – meaning End of the World - where Charles du Foucault had his hermitage. From here the view over the impressive volcanic landscape with its chaos of black and forbidding rocks, basalt monoliths, cliffs and distant peaks is breathtaking.
Please note that on trips to Niger clients will be obliged to take out an insurance policy specific to this group trip.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | UK – Djanet: Depart London Heathrow. Arrive Djanet, Southern Algeria. |
| Day 2: | Djanet – Djado: AM depart across the border for the ancient fortress city of Djado in north western Niger, (via Mt Gautier), where the imposing silent ruins of an old citadel and extraordinary rock formations rise from the sand like a set from a sci-fi movie. Ancient rock engravings stand nearby after centuries of desert erosion. |
| Day 3: | Djado – Seguedine: From Djado, we head south towards Seguedine. |
| Day 4: | Seguedine – Bilma: From Seguedine the ‘road’ continues via the modern desert trading and migratory hub of Dirkou (where migrants from literally any African country come bound for Libya), to Bilma. Here we will see the famous salt mines from where the caravans originate, taking salt to the nomadic tribes of Aïr. Lush date palms stand above the tranquil fish pools in the oasis gardens. |
| Day 5: | Bilma - Fachi: From Bilma we head west into the Grand Erg de Bilma. In this sand sea there are no more rocky crests, encampments or vegetation of any kind, just wave after wave of perfect orange sand dunes stretching as far as the eye can see. Mirages magically appear and disappear, as what is real and unreal becomes hard to define. We continue to the fascinating old fortified town of Fachi; an important stop off point for the famous camel caravans as they chart their course along the old trade route from Bilma to Agadez and ultimately Mali and Timbuktu. |
| Day 6: | Fachi – Dunes: Heading west again we reach the Arbre du Ténéré, the most isolated tree in the world. At least it was until a few years back when a Libyan truck driver managed to crash into it, knocking it down. Now a strange metal totem pole marks the spot. We will camp in the dunes. |
| Day 7: | Dunes – Agadez: Drive on to Agadez, a town regarded as much for its amazing architecture of high mud and straw minarets as the starting (or finishing) point for the Ténéré Desert crossing. And here – shock-horror – we shall eat in a restaurant and stay in a hotel! |
| Day 8: | Agadez: Free day to wander about town, visiting the various markets and the famous mud and straw mosque. |
| Day 9: | Agadez – Timia: Leaving the town life behind we head out into the stunning blue Air Massif Mountains, stopping for our first nights camping near Timia where clear water flows over the rocks of the Oued and lush green gardens produce delicious fresh fruit. |
| Day 10: | Timia – Iferouane: We will follow the track through large valleys, criss-crossing dry riverbeds and imposing giant volcanic rocks passing through Tuareg encampments where there will be plenty of chances to stop and watch these extraordinary people going about their lives as they eek an existence from the meagre earth. We shall then camp near Iferouane. |
| Day 11: | Iferouane – Assamaka: From Iferouane, driving along the dry riverbeds we will head for the Algerian border and carry out all the relevant exit and entry formalities. We shall camp among a rocky outcrop near a place know locally as Assamaka. |
| Day 12: | Assamaka – Abalema: After breakfast we shall drive to an enchanting spot called Abalema – an oued surrounded by hills. We’ll camp for the night on the edge of the Grand Ténéré. Once again we are far from any settlement or village. |
| Day 13: | Abalema – Tamanrasset: Tamanrasset is a charming town. It is also called the red city because of it red mud-brick houses. It is a city full of life and character, and although situated in the heart of the Sahara desert, it counts 40,000 inhabitants. It is the biggest of all Tuareg cities and is regularly visited by camel caravans of these ‘blue men of the desert’. Tamanrasset used to play a key role in the trans Sahara trade between northern and sub-Sahara Africa, and nowadays it still is a meeting point for Tuareg who traverse the Hoggar, truck drivers on their way to Niger and Mali and tourists. Every day there is an afternoon market and in one of the many restaurants you can try local food, like roast meat and couscous with a vegetable sauce. In the centre you will find many souvenir shops that sell all kinds of Tuareg artisan work. You can even find an internet cafe in town. |
| Day 14-15: | Tamanrasset – Assekrem – Tamanrasset: From Tamanrasset we drive up into the spectacular Hoggar Mountains to visit Pierre de Foucault’s hermitage and stay the night in Assekrem before returning to Tamanrasset the following day. We will have the opportunity to take a look around the "Red City" where the famous French monastic hermit, Pierre de Foucault lived and died. |
| Day 16: | Tamanrasset – UK: Depart to the UK. |
Warning! The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office currently advises against certain parts of this itinerary. Before choosing to join this trip you should first read the relevant sections of their website (www.fco.gov.uk). If travelling from the UK you will also need insurance that is not FCO sensitive. For more information, please contact us using the enquiry link above. | |
travellers' tales
The highlights were morning and evening walks in desert, sleeping under stars, extraordinary landscapes, meeting Tuareg... I could go on. (more)
what this trip includes
Trips are on full board basis, and include international flights if mentioned in the price details, transport as outlined in itinerary, twin-share accommodation, mineral water and entrance fees. how this holiday makes a difference
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• In Niger and Algeria we use local ground handlers who in turn book locally run hotels, providing employment for a number of members of staff and support families in one of the poorest countries in the world. The ground handlers also use local Touareg or Tubu drivers and camp staff, and ensure that all supplies are purchased locally for the journey. This means that all the operational costs go directly into the local economy.
• Our trips visit local markets en route enabling our clients to purchase arts and crafts directly from local artists and tribes-people, again ensuring that money goes directly into the community. • We have a strict environmental policy to make sure that the fragile eco-structure of the desert is not damaged or spoilt in any way. Our guides are trained to uphold this policy and all clients are fully briefed on appropriate/responsible behaviour whilst in wilderness areas. Our “Leave No Trace” ethic is applied to all trips in all regions, and as tour operators is something we are careful to promote. • In each area we employ and develop close relationships with drivers, camp staff and guides. We feel the interaction between our friends and our clients offers both parties a valuable understanding between cultures. • When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Climate Care” – an organisation devoted to ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flight. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration. • We also support several NGOs around the world such as the Hope Foundation, A-Cet and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |