Djerba and other Tunisia Things to Do Tips

Houmt Souk is the capital of Djerba Island. It is a quiet little town, very touristy. Guelala is well known for its potteries. In March, it was very quiet and few tourists visited the numerous shops selling potteries of various kinds and colors : a lot of blue but also some brown.

For more, look at Île de Djerba

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Coming from the North of Tunisia, it is in Médenine that you find the first "ghorfas". Ghorfas are cereal attics. They are built mostly with clay and strengthen with a few stones as narrow cells, each the shape of a tunnel.

Look for more at Medenine

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Gabès is a large oasis town of southern Tunisia, in front of Djerba island. The palm grove has shrunken because of the extension of the town but nevertheless is worth a visit for those who had never the opportunity to visit a palm grove. If you go deeper into the desert, you will find more interesting one, then, don't waste your time.

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Tamerza is what is called a mountain oasis. The sightseeing is very special. The old village has been destroyed a few years ago by a flash flood of Oued Tamerza and is now abandoned, while the new village has been build a few kilometers away. Tamerza Palace Hotel has been built in front of the old village.

For more, look at Tamerza

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Douz is a charming little oasis, on the northern most tip of the Great Eastern Erg (Grand Erg Oriental). It controls the entrance to the Nefzaoua region. Any car can reach it easily by a paved road. Douz is surrounded by sand and fits exactly with what visitors usually think an oasis is. From Douz, it is possible to have a taste of the desert. "Méharées" (camel treks) are organized in Douz, either for a few hours or for several days. The later will allow you to have a night in the desert, which is an unforgettable experience.

For more, look at Douz

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In the Maghreb, a “Chott” is a large depression where water gathers and evaporates, leaving a deposit of salts. Chott El-Djérid is the largest and spreads in Southern Tunisia on 120 km from East (Kébili ) to West (Hézoua). It is 5,000 square kilometers. In Winter and Spring, the chott is covered by a thin layer of water and looks almost like a lake. At the end of Spring, when this picture was taken, the chott looks like mud, from greyish to brownish. It is only later that more water evaporates and salt crystallizes.

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The oasis of Tozeur is a typical Sahara oasis. It can be very hot. I remind of a former travel in late July, when it was 55°C in the day and 50°C at midnight. Too much ! This time, in March, the temperature was warm and pleasant. In order to bear these high temperatures, the town has numerous vaulted passages like this one.

Another oasis is a little further on the road, Nefta. It is different but also worth the visit, with its “corbeille“, a place in the center of the oasis where several springs flow permanently. Unfortunately, when we were there, there was a sand wind and it would have been a waste of time to visit and take pictures. I will try to add a Nefta page with pictures from a previous visit.

For more, look at Tozeur

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From Metlaoui, you can (no, you must!) take the '"Lézard rouge" (Red Lizard). It is the former Bey of Tunisia special luxury train, built in 1900-1920. It has been brought to Metlaoui a few years ago and is now running for tourists on a regular basis from Metlaoui to the phosphate mines of Moulares, on the railroad used to bring out the phosphates, following Oued Seldja and it's breathtaking cliffs.

For more, look at Metlaoui

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Matmata is well known for its troglodytic houses, built in large "wells" carved in the soil. Usually the entrance is on the side, at the lowest extremity and a tunnel leads to the main part of the house, deeply carved under several meters of soil, which keeps them fresh, even in summer. It has now become very touristy but nevertheless worth the visit though most people don't live any more in this type of housing.

For more, look at Matmata

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Dougga is situated on the hills that face the rich Medjerda valley, one of the main wheat purveyors of Rome. It is about 550 meters above the sea level, 100 km away from Tunis and as the road is very good, it can be easily visited as a day trip. The site of Dougga offers now some nice ruins. Some have been restored. The monuments are incredibly well preserved and include 12 Punic or Roman temples, 3 transformed into churches in the 4th century, 3 baths, numerous tanks and fountains, 1 nymphaeum, 1 aqueduct, 1 market, 2 theaters, 1 circus, several necropolises and mausoleums.
The site of Dugga has been inscribed in 1977 on the World heritage list.

For more, look at my Dougga page.

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