Djerba &Zarzis: Sahara Ksar Ghilane, Matmata & Star Wars set

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An unforgettable day in the Sahara – big thank you to Salem and Hamsa! During our vacation on Djerba, we took the full-day tour "Sahara – Ksar Ghilane – Matmata & Star Wars filming locations" with Saoud Voyages and can say in advance: This tour was one of the absolute highlights of our entire vacation and we would book it again anytime. The day starts early – we were picked up at our hotel on Djerba around 5:30 a.m. – but every minute of less sleep is worth it. The drive towards the south is an experience in itself. The landscape changes again and again along the way, and you get impressions of Tunisia that you would never collect during a classic hotel or beach vacation. Our tour guide Salem and our driver Hamsa played a very special part in this successful day. Salem was a great tour guide. From the very first moment, you could tell that he does his job with a lot of dedication and joy. He accompanied us throughout the entire day, told us a lot about the country, the landscape, the people, the history, and the various stops, and was available for questions at any time. We found it particularly pleasant that his explanations did not seem like a memorized standard program. Rather, Salem gave us the feeling that it is truly important to him to bring Tunisia closer to his guests and to make a special day possible for them. His dedicated and likable manner contributed significantly to the fact that we will remember this tour so positively. Many thanks, Salem! The same applies to our driver Hamsa. On such a tour, you inevitably spend a few hours in the vehicle, and a good and reliable driver is accordingly important. We felt safe and in very good hands with Hamsa during the entire tour. He reliably got us through this long and varied day and, together with Salem, ensured that we could simply sit back and enjoy the many impressions. A big thank you to you, too, Hamsa! We particularly liked the fact that the tour does not just consist of a long drive into the Sahara. Along the way, there are various stops and always something new to discover. As a result, the journey itself is already part of the actual experience. Our absolute highlight was Ksar Ghilane. The combination of the palm oasis and the sand dunes of the Sahara beginning behind it is impressive. If you have previously mainly experienced the tourist regions on the coast, it is fascinating to suddenly stand in the middle of this completely different landscape. We also did a quad bike tour through the dunes there – and we can definitely recommend this as well. The two of us went out on a quad bike through the desert landscape to the old Roman fort of Tisavar. The ride through the dunes alone is huge fun, but the actual destination makes this excursion even more extraordinary. Standing in the middle of the edge of the Sahara in front of the remains of an almost 2,000-year-old Roman border post was a very special moment for us. We found the preserved walls, the archway, and the still recognizable Latin Jupiter inscription particularly impressive. This combination of Sahara, adventure, and history was one of the highlights of the entire day for us and certainly an experience that we will remember for a very long time. Matmata was also extremely interesting. Once again, the landscape changes completely. The traditional dwellings, the extraordinary landscape, and of course the well-known references to Star Wars make this part of the tour absolutely worth seeing as well. What we particularly liked about the entire tour was the enormous variety of this day: Djerba in the early morning, small towns and different landscapes on the way to the south, increasingly barren regions, finally the Sahara with its dunes and the Ksar Ghilane oasis, a quad bike ride through the desert to Roman ruins, and then Matmata. You experience an incredible amount within a single day. Of course, everyone should be aware that such a day trip also means several hours of driving. For us, however, that was not a negative point at all. On the contrary: Especially while on the road, you see a Tunisia away from the large hotel complexes. You drive through small towns and landscapes that you would probably never get to know during a normal beach vacation. With his interesting explanations, Salem also ensured that the drives between the individual stops were part of the experience as well. Organizationally, everything worked out excellently for us too. The pickup was reliable, the daily schedule was well organized, and we felt excellently looked after and safe throughout the entire tour. Anyone vacationing on Djerba who wants to get to know more of Tunisia than just the hotel, pool, and beach should definitely treat themselves to this day in our opinion. Our personal tip: If possible, take part in the optional quad tour in Ksar Ghilane! The ride through the dunes to the Roman fort of Tisavar was a real highlight for us. You should have sun protection, headgear, enough water, and closed-toe shoes if possible. And definitely plan for enough storage space on your phone or camera – there are photo opportunities practically all day long. 😉 Our conclusion: It is a long and eventful day, but worth every single hour. We saw an incredible amount, learned a lot about Tunisia, and took home memories that go far beyond a normal vacation day. A very special thank you once again to our dedicated tour guide Salem and our excellent driver Hamsa. You both turned an already great tour into a truly special and unforgettable day for us. Clearly 5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and an unqualified recommendation! Many thanks to Salem, Hamsa, and the entire team at Saoud Voyages for this great day in southern Tunisia! 🇹🇳🏜️🐪