Museums and architecture in Tunis

After debating on numerous places to visit, Pete and I had decided on an Explore trip to Tunisia.

Fuelled partly by the thought of some holy pilgrimage to the Star Wars sets, but also inspired by the camel trek in the Sahara Desert.

Our trip begins in the capital Tunis, where immediately we are reminded of the stark difference in these countries compared to ours.

The bustling activity on the streets didn't prepare us for the onslaught of the medina, which is one of the most hectic places I've ever been. Shop owners hurriedly shout out a greeting in the hope to capture your attention. Locals shopping for their daily requirements and tourists rammed in with them experiencing the North African shopping centre.

The view over Carthage as it stands today

Our first few days took us all over to a few museums and also on a nice trip to ancient Carthage where old roman ruins were and where we witnessed some incredible views. The Bardo museum in Tunis was particularly well laden with roman mosaics taken from all over Tunisia.

From the capital we would then travel to Kairouin, the spiritual centre of Tunisia and also home of the second holiest mosque in the muslim religion. The days of our trip had laid towards the end of Ramadan. It was interesting being able to see this religious festival take place, especially as the day of Eid landed just on the day we arrived in Kairouin. This meant we saw the mosque in it's busiest day of the year.

It was an incredible sight to see it fully being used. That night we stayed in quite possible the worst hotel I've ever been in. The shower was a dribble and you couldn't even sit on the toilet without practicing yoga.

El Djem, the second largest Roman Amphitheatre in the world

Our journey took as along the coast some more, with a quick stop at El Djem to see the worlds second largest Roman Coliseum. Some of the scenes from Gladiator were film there. It was a spectacular sight and you can almost feel the atmosphere of when it would have been in full use.

We carried on and stayed in Sfax that night. It was just a stop over as the next day we would start our journey into the lands of the deserts, first taking a night in a cave hotel in Matmata, where a large part of Star Wars was filmed. The cave dwellings were incredibly cool but not exactly the most comfortable.

After a great relaxed evening in the troglodyte dwellings we made our way to Zaafrane, the stopping point where we would begin our camel trek.

As we chose our camels and had our first lessons in mounting and dismounting, our excitement levels soon rose and after a night at the base camp, we knew we'd be making our way into the desert for a few days trekking.

Our guides took our camel caravan or 'meharee' through seemingly uncharted routes into the desert. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and each night we would dine under the stars and sleep under the stars as well. Tents were not required, though each morning we would find some suspect footprints around the mattresses. We figured it was desert mice or something small.

The Sahara, a camel and me

Going through the desert we experienced what life as a nomad would be like. A lifestyle that has barely changed since the times of the Bible. It is this silence and desolation which can really give you an appreciation of the natural wonders, compelling and humbling at the same time.

A few days later we'd be back heading our way to Tozeur where we can relax after our trek. On the way we would pass right through the Chott El Jerid, the largest salt flats in the Sahara. Here we got to experience what a mirage actually is. In Tozeur, the capital of the south, we saw a market town filled with baskets made of palm fibres and many other bargains.

The following day we'd take a 4x4 jeep to another famous location, the set of one of the Star Wars films, and various location spots along the way. The drivers were obviously happy in their jobs as we bombed along sandy tracks going up and down bumpy terrain. These jeeps were really being trashed and we loved it!

Along the south western edge of Tunisia we went for a day walking in the cliffs and valleys which separate Tunisia from Algeria. Heading towards an oasis village called Tamerza, we took the day walking with our mountain guide and saw some more lush landscapes.

Leaving the desert behind us, our next destination was Le Kef (The Rock), which is a city that clings to the largest mountain in the region. From it's Kasbah you can really see across the plains making this spot one of the best places for military defence.

Magnificent Roman Ruins at Dougga

Along our bus ride here, we also dropped by Sbeitla, an old ancient roman ruins preceded by a huge triumphal arch built in 138AD. We also took the "Lizard Train" which ran us through the spectacular scenery in the Selja Gorge.

From Le Kef, our last leg of this adventure was going back to Tunis for our final night and farewells. On the way we stopped by the ancient ruins of Dougga, perched on a plateau surrounded by fertile land.

Tunisia is not for the feint hearted, the medina's are amongst the most crowded I've witnessed in any North African country, and the people are nice, but can be overly aggressive when trying to sell you something.

Overall, the experience of the Sahara desert was enough to make this trip one of the most incredible trips ever.

Check out the photos here.