What’s life like on a tour of the Sahara with the Tuareg?

17 Dec

More civilised, MORE FUN, and more exhilarating than you might imagine

The Tassili N’Ajjer National Park Sahara is a wildly beautiful, extreme environment, and a guided tour with the Tuareg offers an authentic desert experience.

In fact, to safely and legally explore the Algerian Sahara, you must join a guided tour. (Unless of course you arrive in your own capable 4x4 vehicle, but even then you will still need a Tuareg guide).

Groups are small, and you will travel in rugged and comfortable Toyota 4x4s, with back-up vehicles led by experienced Tuareg guides who prioritise your comfort, safety and cultural insight.

I loved every minute of my tour and learned so much about Tuareg culture.

Arrival and meeting the tUAREG TeaM

On arrival in Djanet Airport, Tito, our Tuareg tour guide met us and carried our luggage to the Toyota 4x4.

From that moment on I felt in the complete care of our Tuareg guide and crew.

The next morning we had breakfast at a simple, whitewashed lodge in the oasis town of Djanet.

Meanwhile our Tuareg crew filled up containers with many litres of fresh water from the spring and loaded the Toyota with food and camping gear.

We headed out of town and turned off the tarmac into the desert.

That moment was raw exhilaration, but it was just the beginning.

The Daily Experience

What I found in the Tassili N'Ajjer National Park in the south of Algeria left me in a state of open-mouthed wonder. Around every corner was a new spectacle: colossal dunes, sandstone pinnacles formed into strange shapes, thousands of ancient rock art drawings and vast ‘rock forests’.

What I found in the Tassili N'Ajjer left me in a state of open-mouthed wonder. Around every corner was a new spectacle: colossal dunes, sandstone pinnacles formed into strange shapes, and vast ‘rock forests’.

The Vibe: I found the Tuareg to be honourable, warm, and fun. There is so much space in the Sahara that it often felt like we had this vast land to ourselves. When we did meet other visitors, (mostly Algerian and French) it was cause for celebration as the Tuareg guides exchanged news on the ‘bush telegraph’.

Camp Life: Our tents were put up every night, extra blankets were provided, and we were entertained with desert blues around the fire under a sky thick with stars.
Read more: Experiencing Tuareg desert blues around the campfire in the Sahara

Food: The food, prepared freshly at camp by our cook, was excellent. Salads were lavish, served with rice or potatoes, and suitable for vegetarians/vegans. There were frequent stops for Tuareg tea (essential for all desert travellers) and Earl Grey (with the British Houses of Parliament on the box) was served in the afternoon with lots of biscuits.

Pace of Travel

Travel is by 4x4, the pace is relaxed with not more than 2/3 hours driving and stops to see rock art, incredible rock formations or wild camels. There was plenty of time set aside for personal exploration around the camp and wonderful group walks in the morning when it was cooler.

I would wake up and climb a dune to watch the sunrise, often arriving on the top to find that the 70 year old Polish grandmother in our group had beaten me to it.

Read The Traveller’s Guide to the Algerian Sahara for practicalities.