Tunisia holidays, Roman Sahara
| country: | Tunisia |
| location: | Sahara Desert |
| departures: | 2008: 18 Oct, 8 Nov, 27 Dec 2009: 7 Feb, 11 Apr |
| price: | From £803 - £853 (9 days) including flights from the UK, from £599 excluding flights. Single supplement £70 |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Tunisia is a gentle introduction to North Africa, with its friendly Berber people and temperate climate. We travel this diverse country from the Mediterranean to the Sahara, visiting spectacular Roman sites, mountainous fortified kasbahs and the shady forests of the north.
We visit Kairouan, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the area around Matmata, which is home to a number of troglodyte dwellings, a dramatic landscape often used by Hollywood. Heading south, the Chott Djerid salt lake appears mirage-like against the sand and we enjoy the unforgettable experience of a camel trek into the Sahara to sleep amongst the silent dunes.
Travel is by private minibus. Group size is 8-16 people, plus a leader. Accommodation is 5 nights hotel, 2 nights village home stay, 1 night camping. 8 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 5 dinners are included.
We visit Kairouan, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the area around Matmata, which is home to a number of troglodyte dwellings, a dramatic landscape often used by Hollywood. Heading south, the Chott Djerid salt lake appears mirage-like against the sand and we enjoy the unforgettable experience of a camel trek into the Sahara to sleep amongst the silent dunes.
Travel is by private minibus. Group size is 8-16 people, plus a leader. Accommodation is 5 nights hotel, 2 nights village home stay, 1 night camping. 8 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 5 dinners are included.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Tunis. |
| Day 2: | Visit to Sidi Bou Said, the Phoenician trading port of Carthage and the Tunis medina. Afternoon visit to Bardo museum. |
| Day 3: | To Andalucian city of Testour and Roman ruins at Dougga. Continue to the mountain town of Le Kef. |
| Day 4: | Visit Roman site of Makthar. Drive on to Kairouan to visit the great mosque. |
| Day 5: | To Sbeitla to visit the Roman ruins; to Tozeur and the edge of the Sahara. |
| Day 6: | Red Lizard train excursion through spectacular scenery. Visit the palm-filled oases of Tozeur and Nefta. |
| Day 7: | Drive across the salt lake of Chott el Jerid. Visit Kebili and Sahara desert museum. Camel trek. Overnight camping in desert. |
| Day 8: | Visit troglodyte homes at Matmata. Lunch in Sfax medina. To Tunis, visiting the immense El Jem Amphitheatre en route. |
| Day 9: | Fly to London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
|
Although often associated with sun, sea and sand mass tourism, Tunisia is a versatile country, small in size but huge in natural and cultural wealth. Tunisia has much potential to spread the benefits of responsible tourism, yet little of it is known by the public because of the mass-market image. Our local operator aims to show these different aspects of Tunisia through exploring different areas and through this helping local communities previously bypassed to benefit economically from tourism.
The local operator is an active supporter of a sustainable development and aims to help improve the standard of living of local people in the rural areas. He helps to market authentic products hand made by men and women from some of the most deprived areas, who do not have the means to sell their products in the souks and local markets. These products are genuine and made by craftsmen who are continuing their ancestral legacy out of the circle of mass tourism trade. This tour also contributes to the successful existence of new types of accommodation which are starting to appear in Tunisia such as locally owned and run guest houses. We work with a local operator and we use local leaders on this trip. The local operator is very keen to promote responsible travel in Tunisia so his leaders are trained accordingly. The maximum group size is 16, allowing us to use all locally owned and run accommodation on this trip. This contributes directly to the local communities as local staff are employed and locally produced and sourced goods are bought for the accommodation benefiting the wider community.  We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on responsible tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
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. |