Dine Like Royalty
Start your trip in Tunis with an evening you'll be talking about for years. The city's food scene has evolved beautifully, and private dining in Tunis means intimate chef-led experiences in historic riads, which include candlelit courtyards, multi-course Tunisian menus, and wines you never knew the country produced. It's the perfect welcome dinner and a lovely way to ease into the country's flavours before heading south.
Ride Into the Sahara From Douz
A few hours' drive south lies Douz, the gateway to the Grand Erg Oriental, which is an endless sea of towering sand dunes. Base yourself at a property like The Residence Douz, where the desert starts practically at your doorstep, and book a proper camel trek at sunrise or sunset. There's something wonderfully humbling about crossing the dunes the same way travellers have for centuries, with nothing but sand stretching to the horizon.
Float in the Salt Lakes of Chott el Djerid
On the way south, stop at Chott el Djerid, Tunisia's vast salt flats that shimmer in shades of pink, white, and blue depending on the light. After rainfall, thin sheets of water turn the entire landscape into a mirror — it's surreal, like walking on the sky. Go in the late afternoon when the colours are at their most dramatic, and bring sunglasses; the reflection is dazzling.
Camp Under a Sky Full of Stars
Now for the grand finale, make camp in the desert. Leave the main town behind and settle into a traditional Bedouin-style camp, where carpets, lanterns, and low cushions replace walls and ceilings. As darkness falls, the temperature drops and the show begins, and the Milky Way stretches across the sky like a ribbon of glitter. Fall asleep on soft sand as shooting stars streak overhead, and wake to sunrise painting the dunes in shades of gold.
