Visit the Sahara Desert in Tunisia

Behind the sanctity of the glittering beaches and bustling cities along Tunisia’s coastline lies one of the great feats of nature, into which a large number of holiday-makers have yet to travel. The Sahara desert is the world’s largest and most stunning non-arctic desert, covering over nine million square kilometres of Africa and has sand dunes which tower up to six hundred feet high. Tunisia’s tour operators offer desert safaris for those who want to explore this magnificent realm on their Tunisia holidays either by jeep to cover wide expanses out of the glare of the sun, or by camel for an authentic and first-hand experience.

Desert Safari in Tunisia

Whether in a cosy air-conditioned jeep or aloft on the back of a camel, safari-goers can watch the sand dunes disappear into the horizon in every direction. Contrary to many expectations, the Sahara offers many awe-inspiring sights other than sand dunes; radiant pink salt lakes, cascading gorges, spectacular oases and even sites used for famous movies such as Star Wars and The English Patient can be found within the Tunisian desert.

Near Tozeur, the safari heads past the desolate Atlas Mountains, then through the Gorges of Selja, whose rocky sides plunge almost vertically down to the narrow valley through which the safari passes. Nearby, the Chott El Jerid salt lake shimmers in red and pink shades in the sun, which is a breath-taking view for any traveller and can create the most striking mirages. Take a trip from the resorts of the Carthage Coast, Hammamet, Sousse or Port el Kantaoui to visit the sites which featured in two Star Wars movies which have remained the same since the time they were filmed. The Ksar Haddada citadel is fortified into a sheer rock side and featured in Star Wars Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, and the Troglodyte Village of Matmata featured in Star Wars Episode IV, which is a village built into the rock for inhabitants to escape from the sun within man-made cave dwellings.

The Tunisian Sahara is also home to a great number of structures still standing from many ancient and other historical empires, as this country has witnessed the passage of the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Vandals, Turks, Spanish and French over a period of three thousand  years. In the desert near the town of El Djem, drive through a sea of olive trees to visit one of the best conserved Roman amphitheatres in the world. Journey to the holy city of Kairouan, for a panoramic view of the Grand Mosque of Kairouan, whose interior is adorned with marbled columns and large gold chandeliers.

You can find tour operators in the major tourist destinations in Tunisia, such as the resorts of Hammamet, Hammamet Yasmine, Port el Kantaoui, Sousse and Skanes which operate throughout most of these sights. These affordable trips come in one to four day packages and can include a combination of jeeps, camels and trains for a more complete desert experience and to see the most in the relatively short time you’ll have to explore this fantastic expanse. To get the most out of what the desert safaris have to offer, take advantage of great savings on your holiday to Tunisia with http://www.lowcostholidays.com

Where to Stay in Hammamet, Tunisia

Surrounding the 4-star hotel, Hammamet Garden Resort, is the Citrus Golf Course located approximately 2 miles from the hotel, Port Yasime found within 2 miles, and the nearest major airport is Tunis, Tunisia, Carthage International. This is a great destination for package holidays as the hotel has its own private beach and many attractions nearby.

Attractions in Hammamet

Several of the most popular attractions in Hammamet are: Sinbad Hotel Bar, an architectural building and theatre the George Sebastian Villa, the ancient ruins Puppet Roman Site, Friguia Park which includes camel riding and many unique animals to safely view, and the historic site Kasbah of Hammamet as well as many more.

Whenever traveling, always consider transportation, health and safety and the weather conditions to decide when it is best for visiting. At the Hammamet Garden Resort the temperature rises above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, but it is the most popular time to visit. The winter is much less crowded; however it is quite cool and pool swimming is at a minimum. Even in the cool weather, many guests enjoy a beach-side walk. The best time to visit is between April and October even though the temperatures may become high or the rainy days in early spring and fall.

Traveling around can be best done by walking or for more extensive traveling there are taxies, buses or louages which are hired cars. When choosing to travel by taxi, always negotiate the price with the cab driver prior to entering the car. The tourist office will provide the bus schedules as well as information on surrounding attractions.

The Hammamet Garden Resort Spa is located on Av. Moncef Bey, Hammamet, Tunisia. This beautiful resort and spa welcomes you with a complimentary platter of pastries and biscuits with a friendly and courteous, multi-lingual staff available to make your holiday in Tunisia a wonderful experience. The hotel provides a beautiful indoor garden with flowing waters, entertainment for children during the day and evenings, beautiful and clean, quality sized rooms and a relaxing pool and spa. The food provided has an extensive range of choices for all dietary preferences, needs and luxuries.

A few of Hammamet Garden Resort amenities include a spa, massage and treatment rooms, sauna, banquet facilities and meeting rooms for small groups, as well as a bar and lounge, a poolside bar and a night club. Their restaurant provides a delicious breakfast and wonderful room service.

The guest rooms include a mini-bar, air conditioning and complimentary bottled water. Upon request, the hotel provides ironing services or iron and board as well as extra linens. Many comfort providing amenities are also included for all types of guests such as cribs, television with cable or satellite, internet service, wake-up service, drapes to black-out sunshine for a complete rest, windows which open and climate control. Within the hotel there are three dining areas available which include a complimentary continental breakfast, the Restaurant Nedra which provides fine dining for lunch and dinner with an international buffet, and the Cubana Restaurant which provides traditional Cuban cuisine.

Many recreational activities are available such as golf, driving range and mini-golf. The Hammamet Garden Resort also provides parasailing, helicopter or airplane sight seeing, swimming, waterskiing, windsurfing, several types of sports including tennis, volleyball and racquet ball or squash, and aerobics or yoga classes.

Holidays in Tunisia

The popular resort of Skanes is a suburb of the port town of Monastir on the Tunisian Mediterranean. Tunisia is the smallest country in North Africa but has everything from golden beaches stretching for 875 miles to the Sahara desert to fertile lands. It is one of the most liberal of the Islamic Arab-Berber nations where rights for women were established which are unmatched by any other Arab country.

There are six National Parks, and one of these is one of the two in the world which is a UNESCO-protected Biosphere Reserve. The diverse economy includes agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and now quite a large amount of tourism, which increases its fortunes.

The reference to “The Life of Brian” refers to the Monty Python movie which featured Skanes’ ancient 8th-century rebuilt fort. This fort was also used in a TV series about Jesus of Nazareth and in the movies “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The English Patient”. It houses The Museum of Islamic Arts with ancient Islamic artifacts and manuscripts, exquisite textiles, glassware, miniatures, and pottery.

The historic city of Skanes retains its ancient designation as Tunisia’s holiest place, which was also used by Julius Caesar as a stronghold. It is surrounded by a wall and battlements with small towers.

Luxury Hotels

There is a stretch of luxurious hotels along the coast in Skanes with magnificent architecture, beautifully manicured gardens, and located on their own well-maintained sandy beaches. The weather is warm all year round; and various water sports are available such as fishing, diving, snorkeling, wind surfing, and paragliding.

Much of the dining, dancing, and live entertainment is in the hotel restaurants, but if you want to have the adventure of eating locally, you can try the specialty dishes served with unleavened bread at a very reasonable price. Fish plays a major part in the traditional Tunisian diet along with its national dish of couscous which is a delicious combination of semolina, vegetables, spices, and meat or fish. Since Tunisia only gained independence from France in 1956, that is reflected in French cuisine along with the Arab spicy delicacies.

Tunisia Tourist Attractions

For tourist attractions there is the Bourguiba Mausoleum of the first president of Tunisia with a spectacular twin-towered gilded gold dome, the modern architecture Bourguiba Mosque, or a camel safari through the countryside to explore a desert oasis with hot pools, old Roman ruins, and ending with a Beduoin feast and belly dancers. You might choose a cruise in a sailing ship, a boat excursion, watching dolphins that swim alongside, or a choice of the Flamingo or Palm Links 18-hole golf courses. These attractions make Tunisia a first class destination for family holidays.

This is a tourist mecca with many souvenir shops as well as vendors selling their wares by parading through the streets.

In nearby Sousse, Tunisia’s third largest city, is one of Tunisia’s largest casinos and a bustling market area where jewelry, leather goods, carpets, antiques, and perfume are especially featured for purchase. Sousse has a busy fishing harbor, and if you get there early in the morning, you can see the catch from the night before being unloaded from small boats. The Kasbah Museum has a collection of third and fourth century mosaics. As in much of Tunisia, there are hundreds of years of history that can be explored since Sousee was one of the great coastal cities of the Phoenicians.