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This 3 day tour, in the deserts of Tunisia, is an excellent opportunity to discover the wonderful landscapes of this magnificent country, and the various attractions spread throughout the golden sands of North Africa.
On the first day, after having loaded everything in the jeeps, with the help of your driver, you will take off towards Eljem. Built around the year 200, Eljem was the scene of games and circuses, often cruel and bloody, provided by ancient Rome. Today, the cries of martyrs and beasts have been replaced by the haunting strains of a concerto or the precise beauty of a fugue, as world famous orchestras and artists perform at the classical music festival held at the coliseum each summer.
Here you will visit Eljem's coliseum - a witness to the city' wealth and history, the second largest in the world, rivalled only by the one in Rome itself. You will then visit Gabes Sea Oasis. Gabes is the world's only seaside oasis. Exploring the two parts of the oasis, the one between the city and the sea, and the one between the city and the desert, is fascinating.
After lunch is Matmata. A unique feature of Matmata - originally the name of a Berber tribe - are the craters dug into the ground which used to provide shelter against the invaders. In Matmata, you will have the unique opportunity of visiting a Troglodyte House. These troglodyte "homes" consist of a courtyard, 5 to 10 meters deep from which a labyrinth of small rooms for sleeping, grain storage and family gatherings are cut into the soft rock and interconnected by narrow passageways. Access is through a sloping tunnel or by a ladder which could be removed in time of danger.
The first day is ended with a visit to Douz Diner and an overnight stay in a 3-star hotel. On this first day, you also have the option of taking a camel, horse or donkey ride, at a small extra cost.
On the morning of the second day of your Sahara Vision tour, you will depart towards Tozeur, via Choot El Djerid, including a visit of the Sidi Bou Hlel canyons.
The sheer power of the Sahara desert is truly indefinable. The Oasis city of Tozeur was one of the main stops for the desert traveler along the Camel caravan routes from the Middle East to Morocco. It's architectural richness being the main witness to its glorious past, you will discover lush palm groves and a thousand year old mosque. You can stroll through the medieval medina with its intricate and absolutely unique brick architectural layout. Walking through the streets you will get the feeling of being the main protagonist to the 1001 Arabian nights…
Next is the old Medina of Tozeur, and afer lunch in Nefta, you will have the unique opportunity of visiting the Star Wars movie décor.
After taking a close look at the place where the epical movie Star Wars was made, it's time for dinner and an overnight stay in a 3-star hotel.
On your third and final day of the Sahara Vision, you will visit Chebika, the Tamerza Mountain Oasis and then off to Gafsa.
Chebika, a small earthen village with its palm trees and mini waterfalls lying at the foot and slopes of the Djebel el Negueb was once a Roman outpost and one of the mountain refuges of the Berber peoples. From here, up a steep winding road, lies Tamerza another refuge which gives a breathtaking view of the region with its salt lakes and river gorges. The ancient town, destroyed by floods in 1969, was rebuilt and from the terrace of a modern hotel, constructed on the top of a canyon one can view this lost village dating from Roman times. Tamerza is the site of a Festival gathering the inhabitants of the mountain oases and where Berber arts, traditions, folklore and music can be enjoyed.
On your way south, beyond Sousse and Kairouan, subtle changes in the land and color soon become apparent. The olive groves grow sparse, the land takes on shades of ocher and buff, jagged outlines of mountains appear in the horizon. Date palms and tawny rocks, the road seems endless when at last Gafsa appears. First of the great date palm oases, Gafsa is also an ancient prehistoric site.
After lunch, you will depart towards Kairoun, where you will have some free time before returning to your original hotel.
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