Djerba & the South: Island, Berbers & the Desert Edge

Today you explore the beautiful island of Djerba. You visit its lively main town of Houmt Souk, wandering its atmospheric souks, old fondouks (merchants' inns) and colourful fish market, and browsing for pottery, textiles, jewellery and spices. You visit the ancient El Ghriba synagogue, one of the oldest in the world and a place of annual pilgrimage, stepping into its serene, beautifully tiled interior, a symbol of the island's long tradition of tolerance. You take in whitewashed villages dotted with distinctive fortified mosques, and perhaps the heritage museum of Guellala with its pottery tradition. The island's light, architecture and layered heritage are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel. This evening, savour fresh island seafood by the sea. Rest well, ready for a relaxed beach day tomorrow.

Today you enjoy a relaxed day on beautiful Djerba, one of the loveliest islands in the Mediterranean. You might relax on its long sandy beaches and swim in the warm, clear sea, try water sports or a boat trip, or explore more of the island at your own pace, from its palm groves and quiet villages to the Djerbahood street-art quarter of Erriadh, where international artists have transformed the walls with murals. You could visit a traditional pottery workshop or simply unwind by the pool. This flexible day lets you soak up the island's gentle atmosphere before the journey inland. The relaxed pace and beautiful setting are delightful. As the day ends, you savour the island calm. This evening, enjoy dinner by the sea, perhaps watching the sunset. Rest well, ready to cross to the Berber south tomorrow.

Today you leave the island and journey into the Berber south. Crossing to the mainland, you discover the extraordinary fortified granaries (ksour) of the region, such as Ksar Ouled Soltane, a honeycomb of vaulted storerooms rising in dramatic tiers, and perhaps the spectacular hilltop village of Chenini, clinging to a ridge above the plains. You continue to Matmata, where the Berber people created remarkable underground troglodyte homes, dug deep into the soft earth as sunken courtyards ringed by cave rooms. You are often welcomed inside one, and visit the famous Star Wars filming location where one such home became Luke Skywalker's. The ingenuity and otherworldly landscape are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your accommodation in Matmata, perhaps a converted troglodyte hotel. This evening, savour the unique setting. Rest well, ready for the Sahara tomorrow.

Today you journey to the edge of the great desert at Douz, the gateway to the Sahara. You travel from the Berber hills across changing landscapes to Douz, where the palm groves give way to the great sea of sand and desert caravans have set out for centuries. In the golden light of late afternoon you ride a camel out among the dunes with your Berber hosts, the caravan swaying gently across the sand, and climb a high dune to watch a spectacular Saharan sunset set the desert aglow in shades of gold and rose. As night falls, you dine and sleep at a desert camp beneath a canopy of brilliant stars, enjoying the silence and beauty of the Sahara. Rest well amid the golden dunes of the great desert of Tunisia at Douz.

You wake to a beautiful dawn over the dunes of the Sahara, then journey west across the desert towards Tozeur. Your route crosses the vast Chott el Jerid, a shimmering salt lake that stretches to the horizon in a mirage of white, pink and blue, one of the most surreal and beautiful landscapes in Tunisia. You arrive in Tozeur, a historic oasis town famous for its distinctive patterned brickwork and its immense palm grove of hundreds of thousands of date palms fed by desert springs. You explore the atmospheric old quarter of Ouled el Hadef and step into the great palmeraie. The desert light and oasis greenery are magical. As the day ends, you settle into Tozeur. This evening, savour the peace of the oasis and perhaps watch the sunset over the palms. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final morning amid the palm groves of Tozeur, perhaps a last stroll in the great palmeraie or a visit to the old quarter, you are transferred to Tozeur-Nefta International Airport for your flight onward (via Tunis) and your international departure. You leave having explored the beautiful south of Tunisia, the beaches, souks and heritage of Djerba, the ancient El Ghriba synagogue, the fortified Berber villages and underground homes of Matmata, the golden dunes of the Sahara at Douz and the palm oases of Tozeur. The images stay vivid long after you land, the whitewashed lanes of Djerba, the tiled interior of El Ghriba, the sunken courtyards of Matmata, and the camel caravan against a Saharan sunset. Tunisia's south offers beauty, culture and gentle adventure in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return.