Tunisia 2025 | Among the Devils of the Sahara
April 26 – May 6, 2025
Texts and photos by Matteo Marinelli – R.T. Earth
Tunisia April 2025: a new goal and a new milestone, designed to deepen your understanding of what it truly takes to travel in the desert. That’s the purpose of this journey.
The key to making it a success? Without a doubt, it’s the people you share it with. Facing long days in the desert—and especially the unexpected challenges that can arise—requires a strong, united team. That’s where the real adventure begins.
CHAPTER FOUR
And here we are, sitting on the ferry’s outer deck, sharing stories from past trips and playing cards with the group we’ve embarked on this new adventure with. Right from the start, a great sense of connection forms—a relaxed, fun atmosphere filled with easy laughter. The long, dull, and necessary ferry crossing passes by much more quickly this way.
The customs process, too, flows smoothly, thanks in part to being among the first to disembark.
Waiting for us outside the port are our guides, Fabio and Eva from SEALAND ADVENTURE, the tour operator we’ve trusted with our Saharan desert journeys over the past two years.
After greetings and introducing the new participants, we head straight toward Hammamet to spend the evening and our first night in a hotel.
TUNISIA
TOWARD THE DUNES
We wake up early—our transfer begins, the one that will finally take us to the sand. The first day always feels like the longest. The eagerness to enter the Grand Erg, to lose ourselves for a few days in the vastness of this corner of the Sahara and enjoy the silence of the desert nights, makes the drive seem endless.
Still, along the way, there are places to see and curiosities to explore that help break up the journey.
As has happened before, passing through Matmata, we get the chance to visit and have a quick snack in a typical troglodyte house—the same kind we showed you last year, carved entirely into the rock.
Waiting for us is a glass of tea and freshly baked bread served with honey. This time, though, two participants, Sara and Maurizio, steal the show with a fun moment, dressing up in traditional local clothing—creating a lighthearted and memorable scene for everyone.
We get back on the road heading toward Ksar Ghilane, where we’ll spend our first night.
Once we reach the oasis at the gateway to the desert, the urge to feel the sand beneath our feet leads us straight to the old Roman fort, where we begin to breathe in the desert’s atmosphere—an atmosphere made even more dreamlike by a stunning sunset on the way back.
ZMELA
We leave Ksar Ghilane behind and finally leave the asphalt, entering the track that leads us to the base of the Zmela dunes.
As always, Fabio explains the fundamentals of sand driving for those experiencing it for the first time and sets the convoy order that will be maintained throughout our days in the desert.
A few quick considerations, some photos, and we’re off—heading toward Ain Ouadette, the true destination of this journey.
The journey flows smoothly and the group is cohesive; a few inevitable bog-downs occur, but they’re well managed by the drivers. However, after just a few hours of driving and a few kilometers through the dunes, Riccardo’s oil pan cracks, forcing us into an on-the-spot repair.
It was a long job—but thanks to incredible teamwork, what could’ve been a serious issue was resolved with the right tools and determination.
Everyone pitched in—handling tools, applying liquid aluminum—and since we were already stopped, someone even cooked a meal and we had lunch right there in the middle of the desert.
THE FIRST CAMP
Heading south, we proceed more cautiously and at a slower pace (also to ensure the repair held).
In the late afternoon, we reach the perfect spot between a promontory and a sand ridge. In the distance, rocky formations remind us of the silhouette of the Grand Dekanis.
The sunset wraps around us; the day has felt endless, and dinner is the way to release tension, relive the highlights, and lighten the mood.
Fatigue sets in early, and everyone turns in soon after. I stay a while longer, gazing at the sky—an infinite, hypnotic expanse that seems to stop time. But after such a long day on the road, the bed is definitely the most comfortable thing around.
TUNISIA IS LIKE THIS
The day fascinates you and the night enchants you, silence conquers you; it’s a mix of emotions driven by the desire to discover and to venture in without knowing its secrets, yet it humbles you as soon as you make a mistake.
So the best thing is to follow our local guides, Amour and Saber, along with the daily advice from Fabio and the experienced ones.
We spend the second day wandering among the dunes, with small stretches of sandy tracks leading us to the gates of Dekanis.
The next day we wake up early, have breakfast with freshly baked bread prepared by our guides, and set off along a short rocky trail; this time a suspicious noise comes from Daniele’s vehicle—a creak—and we decide, as a precaution, to leave it there and continue the journey toward Ain Oudette for lunch, planning to retrieve the vehicle on the way back.
We found the oasis with less water than last time, but definitely more bushes and very green plants. We spent a few hours there for lunch and some relaxation in the spring waters, while thinking about what might be wrong with Dani’s car and whether it could be repaired.
We quickly retraced the track to recover the car and cautiously began the journey back home, even though there was still a long way to go.
But on the way, we found a perfect descent for Davide.
ENCOUNTERS
In the end, we set up camp in a wonderful spot overlooking Gour El Klab, one of the many trapezoidal rock formations rising from the sand, illuminated by the warm glow of the sunset. Around us, there were plenty of animal tracks, probably Fennecs (a small, sand-colored fox), and where there’s a predator, there’s also prey; we could also spot tracks of gerbils and insects.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find or photograph any of these animals — only scorpions and, after the fact, a camel spider. Perhaps the area was too crowded to coexist during the night; Amour is unforgiving. Carefully, we retreated to our tents for the last night in the heart of Tunisia.
IT IS THE TRAVELERS WHO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
CHENINI e MATMATA
A mix of asphalt and little-used tracks led us to Chenini, perfectly camouflaged atop two promontories, rich in stories and legends. Ancient Chenini was built in the 12th century as a fortified village/granary between two peaks, designed to defend itself and protect the precious grain from raiders. Remarkably, some of these structures are still used today to store this valuable resource and to serve the population of the valley below. This time, we managed to visit these granaries and saw curiosities for sale along the path, such as original keys to the historic gates of some ruined buildings and amphorae used for transporting water or oil.
In Chenini, you can also find the marvelous Mosque of the Seven Sleepers, nestled between the two peaks, and just below in the valley lies the Berber cemetery. The mosque is dedicated to seven Christians from Ephesus, who were martyred right in this place and later became saints in Islam. They are featured in many Islamic stories and are also mentioned in the Quran.
The mosque is also the best vantage point to enjoy the view of the valley, which is actually the seabed of an ancient sea, still bearing the unmistakable marks of erosion caused by water. Another curiosity about Chenini concerns its shape as seen from a particular viewpoint, which resembles the silhouette of a camel (with two humps) crouching, its head pointing exactly in the direction of Mecca.
We spend the last night in Matmata, almost like a ritual by now, as it has been the final night in Tunisia three times out of four, easily reachable each time from the different routes taken.
LAST LEG TOWARDS TUNIS
Participants mutiny – “Shall we go to the sea?” The last request on the way back, addressed to Fabio.
Fabio – “Okay, yes” (not convinced) “but we have to leave early”.
Mutineers – “Yes yes, no problem, we’ll leave already in our swimsuits”.
Fabio – “Perfect, we’ll go to the sea”.
ARRIVAL AT THE SEA
Rain, wind, and an alpine breeze. Fabio didn’t want to go to the sea; you should always listen to the guide.
Still, the return on the ferry home gives us the chance to spend the last hours with those who will become friends, or keep in touch for future trips, or whom we will never see again. In fact, every trip creates bonds, but I must say this group was perfect for that.
CREATING TRAVEL MEMORIES
Text/Photos: ©Matteo Marinelli
© R.T.Earth. All Right Reserved.
Scopri di più sul prossimo viaggio
