Guide to the Algerian Sahara
THE TASSILI N'AJJER NATIONAL PARK
Read time 6 minutes
In the jigsaw of nations that make up the Sahara Desert, Algeria is the safest, most accessible way to experience the wonders of the deep Sahara.
Few people will have heard of the remote Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, even though it is the largest national park in Africa. This awe-inspiring landscape is a vast plateau that borders Libya, Niger, and Mali, covering an area of 72,000 sq. Unesco, which inscribed the park as a World Heritage Site in 1982, describes it as ‘resembling a strange lunar landscape’ – wandering around the Tassili, with its otherworldly rock forests, surreal sculpted outcrops, and deep pink dunes, it’s easy to see how people compare it to the Martian landscape.
But Tassili’s majesty lies not just in geological marvels, but what past generations have left on them – over 15,000 drawings and engravings testifying to a time when the Sahara Desert was a green savannah, supporting animal, plant and human life.
Why Go?
To experience Tuareg culture firsthand – a society where men are veiled.
Algeria has gone to great lengths not to dilute its culture through tourism – visitors to southern Algeria will get an authentic experience.
Visas are now easier to obtain and are available on arrival at Djanet airport.
Very few Western tourists visit: mostly Algerian and French.
The Tassili n'Ajjer National Park has been called ‘the greatest museum of prehistoric art in the world.’
To experience ‘saharan silence’
The Tassili n'Ajjer National Park is one of the planet’s most spectacular and least-visited landscapes. Now is a great time to go.
How to Go A guided trip. I would recommend going with Tuareg guides for an authentic desert experience.
Getting there International flight to Algiers. Then an internal flight to Djanet.
Getting around Travel in the Sahara is by 4x4.
When to go November to March, when the weather is warm and the skies clear. Guides will not take you into the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park in the summer as it is dangerously hot.
Where to stay While in the desert visitors stay in tents. Tuareg guides will provide traditional blankets if needed. Djanet has surprisingly good hotels and lodges for it’s deep Saharan location.
What to Eat? Delicious dates, fresh fruit and vegetables are available from the market in Djanet. Hotel and lodges provide breakfast. There are basic restaurants in Djanet. While in the Sahara I ate very well: three delicious fresh meals every day and Tuareg tea and biscuits in the afternoon.
Buy A Tuareg scarf or ‘Tagelmust’ in Djanet, Tuareg silver jewellery.
Currency Algerian Dinar. Only available in-country. Take Euros to change.
Visas Algeria has recently relaxed its visa regulations. It is now possible to obtain a visa on arrival at Algiers Airport.
Mobile Phone coverage: You can buy a local SIM card at Algiers Airport. Mobile phone coverage can be patchy in the south of Algeria. Some hotels have wifi.
Language French is widely spoken in Algeria. English is less useful.
Cost Flights are good value from Europe. Tour cost is very reasonable.
Pack Sunglasses and sunscreen. Many Tuareg like a bar of chocolate as a gift.
Anything else? To travel in the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park it is essential to go with an experienced guide, a driver, a crew and a back-up 4x4 vehicle. This means travelling in a group. Djanet and the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park is near the Libyan border, however guides have been operating tours in this area of the Sahara for many years without incident. There is a strong Algerian military presence near the border. Travelling in the Sahara is more civilised than one might imagine. I travelled with Tito Khellaoui and his crew of Tuaregs, who kept us well fed, and were enthusiastic to share their love of the Sahara with us. If you are lucky enough to have a musician in the crew you may be treated to fireside performances of Tuareg ‘Desert Blues’.
Contacts: @titokhellaoui or @algerian_sahara_lover on Instagram. Tito only speaks French. Pióra Klinger is a Polish friend of Tito’s who speaks English and organises not for profit trips via her instagram.
A quick google will bring up larger tour providers such as Tinariwen Tours
Further resources Chris Scott’s website Sahara Overland has a wealth of information about travel in the Algerian Sahara and the Sahara in general.
Note: I am not affiliated with Tito or Pióra or Tinariwen Tours. I paid full price for my trip with Tito and Pióra, and receive no commission for mentioning them.
Please use this information as a guide only and check the latest travel information.
The details on this page were last checked: 9th Oct 2024
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