Our afternoon arrival in Tunis
will give us time to explore the medina, the cultural and
historical heart of the city (founded in 7th century), the
Zitouna Mosque, Souk el-Trouk and Place de la Kasbah. The
next morning we will venture out of Tunis to the spectacular
Roman ruins of Dougga, built on the site of the ancient Thugga
which predates the Carthaginians. We will explore Dougga’s
winding streets, temples and structures, considered to be
Tunisia’s finest. On returning to Tunis we will visit
the Bardo Museum.
Next will be Tunisia's holy city, Kairouan, which ranks
only behind Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem among the holy sites
of Islam. Located at the center of a fruit growing area,
it is also known for its carpet making and Great Mosque and
is an easy town to explore on foot. We will stay in a Kasbah
(a historical fortress) hotel. Then, we will drive through
the fruit orchards to El Jem, site of Africa’s most
impressive coliseum which once seated 30,000.
We will continue south across the plains to the lunar landscape
of Matamata which was the locale for Star Wars, and where
the local Berbers found underground cave homes ideal for
escaping the summer heat. Next day we will begin our journey
into the vast Sahara which consumes north Africa for 1000
miles. Our journey will be to the wonderful oasis of Ksar
Ghilane where we will spend two nights in a luxury tented
camp (with private ensuite baths) and taste desert life in
style. At sunset, we will mount camels to stride across the
dunes to a 2nd century Roman fort which marked the edge of
the Roman empire when it was built.
Our Sahara experience will continue westward across the
desert to the town of Tozeur and its groves of over 200,000
date palms. Enroute we will cross Chott el-Jerid, an immense
salt lake covering an area of 3000 square miles. We will
have free time to explore the labyrinthine old quarter and
to wander through the palmeraie before our closing dinner
at a local restaurant.
The morning of day 10, we will fly back to Tunis for our
international connections back to the USA.
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