Enduro Adventure in Tunisia
In 2015, we have enriched our enduro adventure programme with some important changes which will further enhance your experience in the desert:
You will be guided by a guide on motorbike which is more time-efficient, you'll go through more varied terrain, inaccessible by a 4x4, further on, the guide will show you first-hand how to cope with a certain type of obstacle/terrain. You will still be supplied with petrol, water and food by the Desert Soul support vehicles on agreed spots.
Depending on the number of participants, up to 4 vehicles may be deployed to assist you: a light 4x4 for quick assistances and in case needed, for transports to the hospital; a 4x4 truck transporting the kitchen, water, generator, shower, hand-tools; 4x4 truck transporting camping equipment, luggage and broken-down motorbikes; 4x4 truck – mobile workshop for more demanding repairs carrying tools, for complex interventions in the dunes and transport of broken-down bikes.
While already staying in the hotel on the island of Djerba in the past, we now added an overnight in twin rooms in the hotel in Matmata as well.
Now, petrol for your bike is also included in the price.
Day 1
YOUR DEPARTURE POINT – TUNIS – DOUZ
Flight from Europe via Tunis to Djerba in the southeast of Tunisia and evening transfer to the camp in Douz where your motorbikes will be already waiting for you. A light snack and overnight in the tents.
Day 2
DOUZ – TOZEUR
First day on the bike, the fastest stage on the whole trip will take us on the northern side of Africa's largest salt lake, the Chott el-Djerid, following clearly-marked gravel and sandy pistes. Depending on your experiences, mood and the type of your bike, we'll be reaching speeds from 80 to 120 km/h here. Afterwards, a slow drive through the streets of a nearby village is planned to give you some insight into the pristine life of the villagers, followed by a short ascent to the Sidi Bouhlel sanctuary for breathtaking views and a spectacular crossing to the northern side of the Jebel Askariya Mountains. This stage done on gravel, compact sand and rocks, will be a bit more challenging from the navigational point of view, but can be covered also in a 4x4 car. A fine camel-grass landscape will lead us to a salt lake we'll cross (it's dry) to a film-setting built for the Star Wars film shooting back in the 1970's. The last stage will bring us to the Desert Soul Mobile Camp set among amazing rock formations next to the so-called Camel's head where we'll spend another desert night. Dinner and overnight.
280 km
Surface: compact sand, tarmac, gravel, sandy river bed, round rocks, fast pistes and one sand dune for a taste.
Day 3
TOZEUR – DOUZ
We will leave the camp in the morning and follow a relatively fast and fun desert piste to the oasis town of Tozeur and through a cute oasis of Hamma and its date-palm groove to the splendid landscape, marked by water erosion which is a magnificent ground for our enduro bikes. Camel grass where the rider can not reduce the concentration, will be our surface until we reach the mountains from the previous day again, but this time we'll cross them further to the east. Depending on the time left till the sunset, we'll reach our camp in Douz whether off-road or on tarmac. We're staying in a town this day so the dinner is in your own organization, but we can suggest a restaurant or two downtown. Overnight in the camp in Douz.
350 km
Surface: compact sand, sandy pistes, rocks, gravel, maybe some tarmac.
Day 4
DOUZ – DAY OFF WITH A DUNE-RIDING COURSE
Day-off in Douz which is hosting a weekly fair on this day. We'll head for the centre with our assistance vehicles or by motorbikes in the morning and enjoy the colours of this cheerful fair. In the afternoon, you'll drive your bikes to the nearby dunes and take part in a short workshop on sand- and dune-driving where you'll get some feeling for driving on different types of dunes, learn recovery techniques and get advice on how to spend your energy in the most effective way when dune-driving and recovering your bike. Dinner in your own organization (we suggest to dine all together in a local restaurant), overnight in the camp in Douz.
20 km
Surface: tarmac and dunes.
Day 5
DOUZ – EL FAOUAR – SAND SEA
We'll leave Douz on this day and head westwards on tarmac to the 40-kilometres distant village of El Faouar that will serve as our entry point into the sand sea. A couple of nights will be spent in true desert without light pollution nor mobile-phone coverage. Distance, covered in one day, will go between 20 and 30 kilometres, although we'll be actually making tracks of up to 40 kilometres. Dinner and overnight on an attractive location in the Desert Soul Mobile Camp.
±70 km
Surface: tarmac, dunes.
Day 6
SAND SEA
After the breakfast, our heading will be south and later south-east. We'll be searching for the most appropriate dune crossings since a sand-sea landscape is different every month due to the constantly shifting sands. You'll be learning the importance of correctly deflated tyres while helping the pilots of heavier bikes. Dinner and overnight on an attractive location in the Desert Soul Mobile Camp.
20-40 km
Surface: dunes.
Day 7
SAND SEA – TEMBAINE MOUNTAIN
According to our plan, we should be reaching the table mountain Tembaine on this day. The landscape will open-up and get levelled so it will be possible for you to fully open the throttle for some period of time, only to later find high dunes around you and try to climb to the top of them with your dirt-bike.
The top of the Tembaine mountain which is the remainder of the great continent of Gondwana, however, can only be climbed on foot. You can feel the soft breeze and observe complete silence with a sight of endless dunes, stretching to the east, south and west as far as the horizon. On this day, our bivouac is planned to be in the vicinity of the mountain.
50-60 km
Surface: stony desert, dunes.
Day 8
TEMBAINE – KSAR GHILANE
This full-day stage will lead us through an open desert landscape (gravel), over a stretch of dunes and past three coffee shops to the famous tourist oasis of Ksar Ghilane, known above all for its thermal pool surrounded by bars selling beer. Spending some time in the warm water will be much welcomed after the long desert stage. On this day, the Desert Soul kitchen will have an evening-off so dinner will be a question of individual organization in the nearby restaurant. Overnight at the oasis camping site.
100 km
Surface: gravel, dunes.
Day 9
KSAR GHILANE
Day-off around the oasis pool. We suggest a trip to the Roman fort, playing with your motorbikes in the dunes or doing an excursion with camels or on horse-back. Dinner in own organization and overnight in the oasis camp.
Surface: dunes
Day 10
KSAR GHILANE – MATMATA
A completely different desert stage will be experienced on this day to reach the Berber settlement of Matmata, known for its underground troglodyte dwellings. Desert gravel roads and open pistes, frequently crossing dry flood channels in the first part will give way to impressive bare mountains surrounding us when already approaching Matmata. Dinner can be had in a local restaurant and the night will be spent in twin rooms in the hotel.
140 km
Surface: gravel.
Day 11
MATMATA – DJERBA
In the morning, the bikes will be prepared for transport to Europe and we'll board our assistance vehicles to reach our 4**** hotel on the island of Djerba where we'll spend the last night in Tunisia. If we reach the hotel on time, you'll be able to pamper yourself in the hotel wellness centre. Self-service dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Day 12
DJERBA – TUNIS – YOUR HOME DESTINATION
After the breakfast, a transfer to the Djerba Zarzis airport will follow. From there, you'll fly off via Tunis to your airport in Europe. The motorbikes will be delivered to you on an agreed date. End of our services.
Thanks to our assistance vehicles on all stages, it will be possible to cover part of the stage on a seat in the assistance vehicle in case of technical failure that can't be overcome, injury or fatigue.
Our package includes:
Transport of motorbikes, enduro equipment, possible spare-parts (in case delivered by you) and personal luggage from Slovenia to Tunisia and back; air-ticket Venice – Djerba – Venice; all breakfasts from day 2 through 12; 4 dinners, prepared in the Desert Soul Mobile Camp; 1 evening snack on day 1; 1 self-service dinner in a hotel on Djerba (1 half-board in a 4**** hotel on Djerba); mid-day snacks on days when off-roading (8x); DS tents and sleeping-mats rental for all nights which are not spent in the hotel; 3 overnights at a camping site in Douz; 1 overnight in twin rooms in Matmata; possibility to take a shower each night (even in the desert); guide on motorbike; quick-assistance vehicle on daily stages (food, water, petrol, transportation of your clothes, tools, spare tyres and inner tubes, first-aid case ...); up to three assistance trucks with kitchen, electrical generator, air-compressor (bikes and filters cleaning, tyre inflating), washing line, water, food, petrol, your equipment and for recovery interventions in case of a breakdown; petrol for your bike; travel medical insurance & assistance.
The package does not include:
Meals, not listed under the "Our package includes" section (lunches and dinners when in the settlements of Douz, Ksar Ghilane and Matmata); energy drinks nor sports nutrition supplements; spare parts (i.e. inner tubes, tyres, oils, filters etc.); transfers to and from the airports in Europe; exit tax from the country, implemented by Tunisia on October 1st, 2014 for every foreigner leaving the country, paid in person by buying the exit stamp, "timbre fiscal pour la sortie", costing 30 TND (approximately 14 EUR) on the airport before crossing the emigration control; other individual expenses.
What do I need as a participant apart of the Desert Soul equipment?
A hard enduro or cross motorbike (it can be unregistered) with a 21-inch front wheel and hard enduro or cross tyres (no paddles or semi-paddles due to harsh surface on many stages), capable of developing 100 km/h of top-speed (the lighter, the better, preferably under 140 kg); a sleeping bag that will provide you with a comfortable sleep at temperatures down to 5°C in November and March (down to 2°C in December and February and down to 0°C in January) – a tent and a sleeping mat is provided by us; enduro equipment for maximum daytime temperatures between 20 and 28°C; light clothes for during the day and warm ones for the evenings; head-lamp for the camp; good mood and reasonable physical shape for the planned stages; each participant will receive ahead of time all the necessary information about the trip, how to prepare the bikes as well as what to take with you and what to leave at home.
A valid driver's license is required to take part in our Adventure on the motorbike as we'll be also riding on public roads. We do not check your license, but prior to the first driving stage, you will have to sign a declaration that you possess one and that you will ride according to your experience and capabilities and entirely on your responsibility. In case of an emergency, the insurance company might require you to present your valid driver's license.
Additional information: Desert Soul (Tilen Gabrovšek) tilen@desertsoul.com
Sales agent: Abctour d.o.o. info@abctour.si