Wide-eyed in wonder on a tour of the Sahara with the Tuareg

19 Dec

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE SLIDESHOW WITH MUSIC

In 2022 I visited the Algerian Sahara on a 4x4 tour with Tuareg guides.

My trip was inspired by John Michael, a family friend and National Geographic photographer, who crossed the Sahara Desert in his Land Rover the late 1970s.

After he returned he gave a slideshow of his Saharan photographs to my school. As the slide carousel clicked away (set to the Beatles song here comes the sun), I saw an otherworldly landscape so beautiful that I shed a tear.

Whilst the glory days of Saharan overland travel are long gone, it is still possible to visit the Sahara Desert from Djanet in Algeria.

What I found in the Tassili N'Ajjer National Park in the south of Algeria left me in a state of open-mouthed wonder: 72,000 square kilometers of sand and rock, colossal dune ranges, sandstone pinnacles, thousands of ancient rock art drawings and strange ‘rock forests’ – with few other visitors (mostly French and Algerians from the North).

After a few days, I ran out of superlatives, and was content to wander under the luminous North African skies, imagining that we had this vast tract of the planet to ourselves.

I found the Tuareg people to be honourable, warm, and fun. They take their guests hospitality and safety seriously. Two 4x4 land cruisers are always used on every trip in case of mechanical breakdown. Our tents were put up every night, they provided extra blankets, and entertaining us with the desert blues around the fire, under a sky thick with stars.

Excellent food, with lavish salads, was prepared in the camp. There were frequent stops for the taking of Tuareg tea (essential for all desert travellers) and biscuits.

Accommodation in Djanet is surprisingly good for an isolated desert oasis, and the cost of travel in Algeria is very reasonable.

Slideshow: sit back and let the Saharan magic wash over you.