Tunisia Travel Guide
Camels in the Sahara

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One of Tunisia's big draws is the Sahara desert and the chance to experience it on camel hump. Actually you won't be able to since one hump creatures are dromedaries, two hump animals are camels - and the Sahara version has one hump. Double-humps plod around Asia, not North Africa.

Anyway, perhaps we won't be pedantic today, so let's call a dromedary a camel. Most tourists will hit the big sand near Douz, after a very long trip down from east coast beach resorts, so be prepared for a sore bum.
The biggest dune in the area is near the village of Gleissia, but massed guided rides take place just south of Douz where the dunes are more like little waves than village erasing tidal waves.
Most camel novices will have fun donning 'Arab' gear and spending an hour going out, an hour back in the company of their bus mates but you need to get a lot further out to get the real feel of desert travel.
Camel treks range from a few hours out south of Douz, camping the night under the stars [extremely cold], then back in the morning, to 4WD trips way south into Tunisia's Grand Erg Oriental for the real thing.
All kinds of treks can be organised in Douz at short notice, but beware cheap, unlicensed guides...their excursions may be dull, cold, and on sad, mad or bad camels. If you can afford it travel with a tour company that will have a comfortable desert base in the Grand Erg - perhaps Berber tents and camp beds - and knows how to give you a good time, not just lift a handful of dinars off you.

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