Douz, Tunisia: Head to the Sahara
Trek the desert, admire dunes and ride a camel in central Tunisia
Mar 8, 2007
Douz is a relatively large Tunisian town, and it’s a good base to use when you want to explore the Tunisian side of the Sahara Desert. And, if your timing is good, you can also take in the spectacle of the Sahara Festival.
What to Do Around Douz
Most people visit Douz to see the desert, so sign up for your style of desert trek with any of the local operators. The minimum is usually a half day camel trek with Bedouin guides, who will probably lead you out across the dunes until you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, and provide you with a traditional-style lunch or tea at a campsite. You can also spend a night (or more) out in the desert, camping in traditional tents – but take plenty of warm clothes, because it really is true that the temperatures in the desert drop sharply at night. There are other options, if you feel that too much time on a camel will leave you too stiff and sore: desert bikes and quads are also available for hire or for tours.
In Douz itself, you can check out the colorful markets in the town square, and also visit the small but interesting Museum of the Sahara. Another interesting spot is the Palmeraie, a true oasis in the desert with almost half a million palm trees and their by-products, like dates and other fruits.
Sahara Festival
Once a year, Douz goes wild to celebrate the Sahara Festival. All kinds of exciting things go on here, including camel races, cultural dances and displays from Tunisia and neighboring nations from Africa and the Middle East, and plenty of food and noise. The Festival usually takes place in November or December and can get about 50,000 visitors, so book your accommodation ahead if you want to get involved.
Practicalities in Douz
As in many parts of Tunisia, if you’re traveling independently you can use either a standard bus or a louage (a cross between a mini-bus and a taxi) to get there. It’s about a nine-hour bus ride to Tunis from Douz, or you can town-hop to somewhere else in southern Tunisia rather than having that long trip back.
As far as accommodation goes, there are numerous choices in Douz, as it is also home to a tourist resort on the edge of the desert. In the center of the town there are also a range of hostels and hotels, all at reasonable prices.
