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Treasures
of the Roman Empire in North Africa
A
14 day Fantasy Adventure Tour of Tunisia
We'll take you through Carthage,Dougga
, Thuburbo Majus desert oases, curious troglodyte dwellings, Matmata
Oases, experience
the exhilaration of the motorized Sahara caravan and a short camping
experience . A Roman amphitheater, a medieval synagogue, and unspoiled
beaches. You'll appreciate the breathtaking beauty of a land that
has drawn wanderers over the centuries.
Treasures of the Roman Empire in North Africa
Compare with the 10-day version
DAY 1 - TUNIS - Tuesday - Weekly - Year
Round
Our local staff will meet you upon arrival at Tunis Carthage International
Airport. You'll be assisted with the formalities, and escorted to the
fine Hotel El Hana International. There will be time to relax and recuperate
from your journey, and enjoy the excellent facilities. If you wish,
you can adventure into the center of Tunis to start your exploration
of the winding alleys of the souk, filled with treasures of beaten brass
and basketry and carpets, and merchants who will welcome you with traditional
mint tea. Private transfers at all times. Private vehicle, private chauffeur
DaY 2- MEDENINE, TATAOUINE, MATMATA
- Wednesday - Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll head southward in our well-equipped
vehicles, crossing the short distance to the mainland of Tunisia, to
follow the route of an ancient Roman highway to Medinne and Ghorfas.
We'll have the opportunity to look in on the ways of the Berbers, the
most ancient of North African peoples. Lunch will be at Tatouine. In
the afternoon, we'll visit the village of Chenini, deep in the midst
of palm groves past the Chella falls, and Ghomrassen, before we reach
our stopping point for the night, Matmata.
DAY
3 - MATMATA, DESERT CAMP - Thursday - Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
Our route today takes us through terrain of increasingly sparse grasses
and shrubs, into
the desert. We'll stop to look in on a community of miniature underground
houses, where the earliest settlers sheltered from the extremes of the
desert above as do the Berbers of today. At Ksar Ghilaine, we'll stop
for lunch, and have a leisurely afternoon to look around on our own.
In the evening, we'll establish camp, and witness the desert
sunset and the infinite night sky. We'll savor a dinner prepared in
the open air camp , then rest soundly in the cool night, camp style
modest meals for today. If you do prefer to be in a hotel, we'll be
glad to provide accommodation in Matmata (3 star hotel).
DAY
4 - TUNIS- Friday - Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BD)
Drive back to Tunis or Hammamet. Remainder of the day
at leisure to relax, or explore on your own the local souks, Bazaar
and local cuisine .Dinner is included at the hotel.
DAY 5 - THUBURBO MAJUS & DOUGGA - Saturday -Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
After
breakfast at the hotel, we start our full day to Thuburbo Majus:
This town of Libyan and then Punic origin sided with Carthage and thus
had to pay a tribute to Rome . Thuburbo Maius reached its apogee in
the 2nd c with 10,000 inhabitants and and impressive array of of monuments:
the forum, built in 161-2, the capitol (168) and a number of temples
(Temple of peace, Temple of Mercury, Temple of B'a alat, Temple of Caelestis,
Temple of Saturn) of which one later became a basilica, we'll tour as
well the market, Roman bath and the amphitheater. We'll enjoy lunch
at a local restaurant before proceeding to Dougga: A Numidian city,
mentioned in the 4th century B.C. By Diodorus the Sicilian as Tocai,
tukka was from the 2nd to 1st century B.C. One of the residences of
the Massyle Kings (MASSINISSA, MICIPSA,JUGURTHA). In Roman times the
municipal land was split into two parts; the Numidian city, and a pagus
(rural area) under the authority of Carthage, Whole again, thugga was
a municipium in 205 and honorary colonia in 261. With some 5,000 residents,
thugga had a municipal bourgeoisie which endowed her with a number of
rich monuments. The monuments are incredibly well preserved, allowing
us to imagine the infrastructure this small Proconsular town possessed:
12 temples, 3 of which were transformed into churches in the 4th Century
, 3 Roman baths, numerous fountains, aqueducts and more. Thugga slowly
lost its glory, though it still enjoyed brief periods of revival in
the 3rd, the 4th and 6th centuries (Byzantine fortress) .Though it was
never deserted, archaeological research required the removal of its
residents to a new Dougga lying below classical thugga. Return early
evening to our hotel in Tunis in time for dinner.
DAY 6 - CHARTAGE, SIDI BOU SAID - Sunday
(200 Kilometers) -Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
we'll
marvel at the ruins of Carthage, a true metropolis of the ancient world,
as evidenced by its theater, circus, baths, port installations, and
extensive urban plan. We'll lunch at a fine local restaurant, then speed
forward in time to the middle ages, as we visit the picture-perfect
Moorish village of Sidi Bou Said. With its whitewashed walls and narrow
laneways, it's the perfect setting as we stop for traditional mint tea.
Back in Tunis, we'll stop at the Bardo Museum, to view the most extensive
Roman mosaics
in the world. We'll then head for the Medina, the old quarter of the
city, with its warrens of shops filled with wares ranging from humdrum
to exotic.
DAY
7 - HAMMAMET, SOUSSE, EL DJEM, SFAX , GABES, DJERBA - Monday -Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
After breakfast, we'll set off to explore! Hammamet, a cosmopolitan
port where sun-worshippers from all over happily coexist with fishermen
and traditional ways. We'll stop at the port of El Kantaoui, and then
proceed back into time to venerable Sousse, once the Phoenician City
called Hadrumatum. We'll stroll through the medina, the old quarter,
cooled by sea breezes, and visit the museum as well as the Ribat, a
stronghold of the warriors of Islam.
Continuing to Sousse, once the Phoenician city of Hadrumatum,
we walk through the medina (old city), cooled by breezes off the harbor,
and visit the Roman catacombs and. Our next stop is El Jem, which
boasts a Roman coliseum very similar to the famous one in Rome.
Our busy day continues with a drive to the coastal city of Gabes, a
Roman outpost of old and a traditional market center where, for centuries,
goods from across the sea and across the desert have changed hands.
We'll visit the oasis, where palm groves and gardens flourish. We'll
then cross to Djerba, an island where Ulysses once encountered the legendary
Lotus-Eaters.
DAY 8 - GABES, DJERBA (250 Kilometers)
- Tuesday - Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
Today we explore the old quarters, including the synagogue of Hara Sghira,
Hara Kebira with its modern Jewish community, and Guellala, with its
craft stalls, and to see the waterfront and fishing fleet, and the lively
town of Houmt Souk. After a lunch stop, we'll cross back to the mainland.
DAY
9 - MATMATA, KEBILI, DOUZ - ( 300 Kilometers) - Wednesday -Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
Our route takes us through terrain of increasingly sparse grasses and
shrubs, into the desert to Matmata. We'll stop to look in on a community
of miniature underground houses, where the earliest settlers sheltered
from the extremes of the desert above -- as do the Berbers of today.
We'll
enjoy a full day of desert adventure, we'll visit the village of Kebili,
largest of a cluster of oases, islands of life in a harsh landscape,
then proceed to Douz, fabled as the Gateway to the Sahara. There, a
special treats waits, the opportunity to sample a caravan trek! This
close encounter with a camel is entirely at your option!
DAY 10 - TOZEUR - (280 Kilometers)
- Thursday- Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
We
set off across the Chott El Djerid, a great dry salt lake, for Tozeur.
Here, we'll wonder at the ancient irrigation works .We'll
learn more about oases today . Despite the dryness of its surface, great
aquifers underlie the Sahara. Where they spill their riches out in springs,
they create the green havens of Tunisia's oases. We'll see a dramatic
example, as we explore the irrigated fields around Tozeur and motor
overland to the great mountain oases of Chebika and Tamerza ( in 4 wheel
drive) . We'll return to Tozeur late afternoon, after which you're free
until dinner. You can choose to enjoy the unique desert resort comforts
at your hotel. Or, you might decide to wander the streets of Tozeur,
look in on daily life, admire the classic North African houses built
around patios on terraces above a river fed by springs, and shop for
baskets and capes of camel hair.
DAY 11 - TOZEUR, GAFSA, SBEITLA, KAIROUAN,
TUNIS - Friday - Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (BLD)
We'll delve more into Tunisia's rich and varied past today, as we motor
overland through pleasant, rolling coastal lands. At Gafsa, we'll see
the Roman pools of Capsa, the ancient crossroads between desert oases
and the cultivated coastal lands. We'll wonder at the Roman ruins of
Suffetula, as well as the great mosque. Later in the day, we'll reach
Kairouan, an ancient, holy, and vibrant city noted for its historic
mosques and centers of learning. We'll lunch at the five-star Hotel
La Kasbah. Kairouan also is noted for its souk, and the crafting of
carpets and leather goods. Of course, there will be time to check out
these wares, before we depart to Tunis, or Hammamat where a night's
rest and dinner await us once again at the Hotel El Hana.
DAY 12/13 -At Leisure- Saturday/Sunday
(B)
Two full day at leisure for last minute treasure hun, shopping in
the bazaar, or just relax on the beach .
DAY 14 - DEPARTURE -Monday -Private
vehicle, private chauffeur (B)
After breakfast, our local personnel will escort you
to the international airport, where you'll start your homeward journey.
RATES
per person in US$
Sharing in Double or triple Occupancy: $ 3140.00
In Single occupancy : $ 4360
Dec
20- Jan 3 : Please add 20 % to the listed rates
Prices
include:
-
Round-trip transportation between airport.
- Hotel
Accommodations as mentioned in itinerary, in comfortable three or
four-star (first-class) hotels, with private facilities, plus the
camping night.
- Meals
as indicated from preset menu (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner).
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Guided sightseeing as indicated in air-conditioned coach, including
all admission fees. Please note that in Tunisia, touring & guiding
will be in French and English.
Not
Included:
- International
air transportation. Optional excursions, such as camel ride.
- Any
meal not specifically mentioned beverages, and personal expenses.
- Gratuities
for local personnel.
- Travel
insurance (available upon request).
-
Airport taxes.
Add
a spa package to your stay
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