The Sahara Desert in Tunisia

One of the most famous and mysterious places in Tunisia is undoubtedly the Sahara Desert. It occupies about 30% of the total area of Africa and is the largest on Earth. In addition to Tunisia, it captures the territories of countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Chad, Mali. The name Sahara comes from the Arabic word (sahra), which means "desert".

The vast territory of the Sahara is almost uninhabited, and that few of the nationalities that live here lead a nomadic lifestyle and settle near sources of water and vegetation. Vegetation in the desert is sparse. On the way there are occasionally only individual shrubs and grasses, in mountainous areas you can see olive, cypress, acacia, oleander, date, fig, ziziphus. As for the representatives of the fauna, only a few dozen species of mammals and birds live on the territory of the Sahara (antelope, cheetah, jackal, hyena, donkey, ram, jerboa, hare, mongoose, raven, owl, hazel grouse, sparrow). Vipers and cobras lurk in the sandy and rocky areas of the Sahara.

Separately, I would like to mention the one-humped camel, which has become a business card and a kind of synonym for the Sahara Desert.

Temperature changes in the desert are significant, there may be frosts at night, and during the day the temperature warms up to 40C and above, and on the surface it can reach 70C. Frequent winds and sandstorms.

Despite the "minuses", Sahara is an amazing place, striking with its unusual beauty. These are not only solid sands, plains covered with dunes, pits, salt lakes, but also mirages and oases that look so touching against the background of endless sandy expanses. And what amazing sunsets are here…

In a word, you can feel the exoticism of the Sahara only by visiting here. You can't explore the desert on your own – it's not the right place, but it's highly recommended as part of an excursion. In addition, the proposed route allows you to explore some more interesting and significant places in Tunisia. Excursions are offered for one or two days, the cost starts from $ 100 per person. The route looks something like this: El Jem - Matmata – Duz - Tauzar (or Tozeur) – Tatooine (the city from "Star Wars"), with minor deviations or additions.

As a rule, desert tours take place either in the afternoon or early in the morning before dawn and include camel rides or jeep safaris. By the way, Berbers (or Tuaregs) are locals of those lands, before traveling on camels they offer to put on their national clothes, which protect them from the bright sun. So it will be more than possible to experience the flavor of the east during this trip. Jeep safari in the desert is also an incredibly exciting sight.

In addition to camels and jeeps, tourists are offered a rather interesting and rich program, with visits to natural, historical and cultural places of Tunisia, to a certain extent reflecting the essence of this country.

In conclusion, I would like to note once again that the Sahara Desert is a separate world that lives its own life. So intriguing that after her visit, only positive emotions and memories remain. No wonder they say: "By not visiting the Sahara in Tunisia, you only opened the door to this country, but did not enter it."