Algeria , the largest country in
Northern Africa has the most stunning desert scenery in the whole Sahara
. The views in the south of the country can only be described as
spectacular. Bizzare rock formations are surrounded by golden red sand
and the imagination stretches to new heights once confronted with this
magnificent and unique landscape. The rock carvings in the Tassili
n'Ajir are amongst the oldest pre-historic art in the world - they can
only be accessed by 4x4 and we will venture deep into the Tadrat Gorge
on our safari to see some of the most stunning examples. In the Hoggar mountains we find some of the highest mountains in the Sahara and high up on 9000 feet on the Assekrem summit, the monks are celebrating mass every morning in their tiny monastery. Father Foucaulds refuge nowadays welcomes travelers from all over the world in this unreal alpine environemt and the little settlements of Ideles and Hirhafok on the way to the Assekrem mainly see voyagers passing by. You, however will stop to have a cup of tea with a Touareg family after the demanding crossing from Djanet towards the Hoggar mountains. On this safari we find hardly any infrastructure in regard of hotels or good restaurants, this trip is certainly not for the faint hearted. The ones who dare to venture into Southern Algeria will be rewarded with unforgettable desert scenery and spectacular drives across the dunes and the mountains. The southernmost point of our safari is Tamanrasset, the elusive desert town on the crossroads of trade routes from central Africa . |
Itinerary
Algerian Sahara
| Day 1 | After your
Channel Crossing, make you way across France to meet up with
the group for dinner in Orange , just north of Marseille. |
| Day 2 | Ferry
crossing Marseille - Tunis on board MS Mediterranee or MS
Carthage with first class en-suite cabins, lunch and dinner
on board. |
| Day 3 | Arrive
Tunis late morning and head south to Kairouan for an
overnight stop at the fabulous hotel La Kasbah - a converted
medieval jail. Take a look at the lively old town with its
markets and traders. Lunch en route, dinner and overnight at
the hotel. |
| Day 4 | Drive south
to the Algerian Border at Hazoua, meet our local guide who
will help with the formalities and be welcomed at his home
after we have crossed the border for a traditional dinner at
his house. Lunch en route, overnight at our hosts house or
camping on the thrashing plot. |
| Day 5 | Stock up
with fuel and water before we set off to the crossing of the
Great Eastern Erg on the old French track across the dunes.
Here you can fine tune your driving skills on sand and enjoy
the open desert with it's mystical spirit. Picnic lunch,
dinner and overnight at bivouac.
|
| Day 6-8 |
Head
straight south across one of the largest sand seas in the
Sahara . Occassionally we will encounter Nomad families
minding their herds or attending their simple camps. You
will pass a couple of wells on our way where you can
re-plenish your supplies. During three days of spectacular
dune driving we will cover a distance of about 250 miles.
Picnic lunches, dinner and overnight at bivouac. |
| Day 9 | Further
south and back on blacktop today we'll get as far as
Tamandanet or In Amenas, en route we find filling stations -
you'll be running low on fuel by now. Picnic lunch en route,
dinner and overnight at bivouac. |
| Day 10 | Reach
Illizi today where we spend the night on a serviced
campsite. If we are lucky, hot showers are available if not,
we have the opportunity to take a bath the following day at
a hot source just south of Illizi. Picnic lunch en route,
dinner and overnight at campsite. |
| Day 11 | Venture
into the Djared Valley today for an excursion to see some of
the fabulous pre-historic rock carvings, unique to this part
of the world. Conditions permitting, you will be heading
east towards Fort Tarat across difficult track. Picnic
lunch, dinner and overnight at bivouac. |
| Day 12 | Via Fort
Tarat and across a spectacular unsurfaced mountain pass you
head south again towards Djanet. Picnic lunch, dinner and
overnight at bivouac. |
| Day 13 | Everything
going well you shall arrive in Djanet today, the lively
oasis and caitol of the Tassili n'Ajir. Here in Djanet we
check into one of the few hotels in Southern Algeria from
where we organise our excursion into the Tadrat Gorge.
Picnic lunch, dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 14 | Rest from
the challenging drive of the last two weeks and give your
vehicle a good check. Take a stroll around town with its
traditional market or sit in a café and watch the world go
by in this remote part of the Sahara . Fill up your tanks
with water and fuel. Lunch, dinner and overnight at the
hotel. |
| Day 15-16 |
An exciting
excursion lies ahead, accompanied by a local Touareg guide
you will explore the fascinating Tadrat Gorge with its
thousands of rock carvings, paintings and bizarre rock
formations, the drive will be across track and sand for the
next three days. Picnic lunches, dinner and overnight at
bivouac. |
| Day 17 | After a
visit to the "crying cows" we will be joined by a different
guide - he is familiar with the demanding passage from
Djanet to Tamanrasset. Across the dunes of the Erg Admer we
are heading towards the Hoggar mountain range. Picnic
lunches, dinner and overnight at bivouac. |
| Day 18-19 |
Ascend
slowly towards the Assekrem summit on a challenging track,
part of which will be washed away. Careful navigation is
required and low gears will be needed on some of the steep
uphill sections. Inclines of up to 25% will have to mastered
but eventually you will reach the "refuge" just below the
summit of Assekrem high up on 9000 feet. Picnic lunches,
dinner and overnight at bivouac / refuge. |
| Day 20 | Check out
the tiny monastery on the summit, where two monks are
celebrating mass every morning before sunrise. Put your name
down in the guestbook and enjoy the spectacular sunrise on
top of one of the highest mountains in the Sahara . Later in
the morning we make our descent to Tamanrasset, the elusive
town on the crossroads of ancient trade routes. In the
afternoon we will check in at the serviced campsite in Tam
where facilities are available. Picnic lunch, dinner and
overnight at the campsite. |
| Day 21 | Relax in
Tamanrasset - take it easy or have a look around town with
its Tamarisk lined boulevard the centre of all commercial
activities in Southern Algeria . Individual lunch, dinner
and overnight at campsite. |
| Day 22-25 |
Head back
north on blacktop. The roads are good and you can cover
quite some distance with a day's driving. You can check out
the spectacular Arak Gorge on our way north via In Salah, El
Golea, Ouargla, Toggourt and El Oued before we eventually
cross the border to Tunisia to spend our last night in the
open desert in the sand dunes near Nefta. Picnic lunches,
dinner and overnights at bivouacs. |
| Day 26 | Further
north towards Kairouan and back to the hotel La Kasbah. It
won't take you too long to get used to the luxuries of
civilization again and in the afternoon you'll have plenty
of time to shop for some souvenirs or oriental spices in the
markets, get the vehicle serviced and maybe go for shave at
the barber. Lunch en route, dinner and overnight at hotel. |
| Day 27 | Say goodbye
to Northern Africa when you check in at the port of La
Goulette late morning for you ferry crossing back to
Marseille. Lunch, dinner and overnight on board. |
| Day 28 | Arrive in
Marseille and make your way back to the UK. |
from £ 1,795 pps, including:
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Please note that all itineraries are for illustration purposes. We will adhere to them whenever possible, however this being Africa adjustments might have to be made if certain areas are temporarily closed off, weather conditions are adverse or other circumstances dictate changes.