From El Jem to the Sahara —
our Southern Tunisia adventure
The second part of our 2009 Tunisia trip took us on a completely different journey — leaving the coast behind for an organised overnight excursion into Southern Tunisia. We visited the Roman amphitheatre at El Jem, passed through Douz, stopped at traditional troglodyte dwellings, and spent an unforgettable night in the Sahara with camel rides at sunset and sunrise. This is the part of our Tunisia holiday that stayed with us most vividly.
El Jem, Douz, troglodyte homes and the desert
Journey south into a different world
El Jem — the Roman amphitheatre
El Jem was our first major stop heading south, and the scale of its Roman amphitheatre took us by surprise. Standing in that space, looking up at structures that have stood for 2,000 years, marked a real shift from the Mediterranean coast we'd left behind. It was the perfect way to begin the southern part of the trip.
The road south and changing landscapes
As the journey continued, the scenery shifted. The landscape became progressively drier and more dramatic — rocky southern terrain, 4x4 roads, and a real sense of moving into a completely different Tunisia. The photographs we still have from this part of the trip capture that transition.
Troglodyte homes and tea
We stopped at traditional troglodyte dwellings, and we still remember sitting down for tea in someone's home. It's a small moment that has stayed with us — the coolness of the underground space after the heat of the afternoon, the hospitality. These are the memories that don't fade.
Douz
Douz stands out in our memories as another point on the southern journey. It's often described as a gateway to the Sahara, and that sense of crossing a threshold into the desert proper is something we remember clearly.
Camels at sunset
The camel ride as the sun went down over the Sahara dunes is one of the defining moments of our entire Tunisia trip. Riding deeper into the dunes, watching the light change, feeling the space open up around us — it's one of those travel experiences that simply doesn't compare to anything else. The colours as the sun approached the horizon are still vivid in our memory.
Overnight in the desert
We slept under Sahara skies, surrounded by stars in a way you simply don't experience in most places. The silence and the scale of the desert at night was genuinely profound.
Sunrise the next morning
The following morning brought a sunrise camel ride as the desert came back to life. If the sunset was beautiful, the sunrise was something else entirely — and it remains one of our favourite memories from the entire trip.
The highlights — what stayed with us
One of the most impressive Roman ruins in North Africa. Standing in that space is genuinely moving.
We visited and remember the tea we shared in someone's traditional home — genuine hospitality beyond any staged tourist experience.
A key stop on our journey south, marking the transition toward the desert proper.
The dramatic shift from coast to dry, rocky terrain. 4x4 travel through increasingly stunning desert landscape.
Riding into the Sahara as the sun goes down is one of the great travel experiences. The colours, the space, the moment — unforgettable.
Waking early and riding out as the Sahara comes back to life at sunrise. If anything, more beautiful than the sunset before.
Our own photos from the 2009 adventure
El Jem, the southern landscape, 4x4 travel, camel rides at sunset and sunrise, and our personal moments from the desert — Southern Tunisia through our lens.
Plan your own Southern Tunisia and Sahara adventure
From Sahara Desert overnight trips and camel rides at sunset to El Jem tours and Douz explorations — browse Southern Tunisia activities here:
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Plan your own Southern Tunisia and Sahara adventure
Book the overnight Sahara trip. Mount a camel at sunset. Watch the colours shift across the sky as the sun goes down. Sleep under more stars than you knew existed. Wake up before dawn and ride back out as the desert warms to life. Southern Tunisia will give you moments you will never forget.
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