Gateway to the Sahara

The romantic imagery of an ocean of towering sand dunes have been etched into the analogs of countless ancient stories and modern Hollywood films. And no place does "desert" better than the Sahara. While the Sahara spreads over much of the African continent and nearly a dozen countries, it is Tunisia that offers the easiest access. And the gateway of choice is, more often that not, Douz.

Located in the south of Tunisia, the oasis village of Douz is blessed by it's location. The local "zone touristic" sits right on the edge of the desert. Each of the hotels with front row seats to the massive expanse. However, the picturesque Hollywood version of the desert lies at least 50 km from the village of Douz itself. As opposed to massive waves of tsunami-esque dunes, the nearby desert offers up mere ripples. While a few of the dunes my reach 2 metres, most are much smaller. But still, for travellers with little time to venture further, at least it's a taste. Every man and his dog will approach you in the town offering camel rides, or nights in a traditional tent in the desert. If camels aren't your speed there are motorbikes and quads for rent, there's even flights in untra-lights. It is an experience, but it's best to go through a reputable hotel or travel agent. Be forewarned, the desert is SUPER cold at night!!

The actual village of Douz itself is nothing spectacular. A few square blocks of ordinary houses and buildings surround a generally empty souk (market area). The people are friendly enough, and there are plenty of hotel options (the Hotel 20 Mars is highly recommended). But there really isn't anything to do except see the desert. That is, unless, you're lucky enough to be here on a Thursday. Thursday sees the weekly market in Douz. This is when the usually empty souk comes alive. Produce, carpets, knick-knacks and pretty much everything else are bought and sold in a frenzy of trade. But just as quickly as they set-up, they tear it down to leave no trace of commerce. Things usually wrap up around noon, so come early.


There are a few oasis towns further south-west from Douz. Each with slightly better access to "real" desert. But each town gets smaller and less interesting the further you travel. The one exception might be the town of El Faouar whose market is on Fridays. But it's market pales in comparison to Douz's.

Getting to town can be a bit of a pain. Chances are, if coming from the east, you'll need to transfer in Gabes. From there, there are numerous louages. Even coming from Tozeur, you'll need to transfer in Kebili. Coming from Matmata, either involves backtracking to Gabes, or like i did, hitching across the desert. Truth be told, there are better places to see the real desert. But Douz ain't half bad. Cheap and easily accessible but still with a feeling of remoteness (except for the endless stream of tourist buses).