Elgoleatourismtravel Reviews 2

I had long wanted to explore the Sahara that I saw in films back in the 60s but to see some of the way of life in the wadis and issues. The trip with Elgolea did just that. Amazing towns, forts, journeys through the desert with some great scenic stops. Good accomodation, Spartan in place where little was available. Reasonable price, excellent guides, need to brush up in my French, and good cars, minibuses. Organisation and communication very good. Great, thanks. Harry

Visiting Djanet and the Tassili n´Ajjer mountains was a truley remarkable experience.
It is perhaps one of the most secrative places in the world with one of the most awe inspiring landscapes to be explored. As always, with El GOLEA Tourism one feels like being a welcomed guest in an exotic country as opposed to being a foreign travellor in a distant place. Azzedine and his colleague Brahim made for a fantastic expedition in one of the most stunning wilderness areas the world has to offer.

What makes the Tassili Desert so special?

The unique interwoven combination of both jagged rock formations, mountain and sand-dune enviroments makes for an almost fairytale-like ambience. This is in stark contrast to most other desert areas where sand dunes and rock are always seperate. Steep gorges, high cliffs, romantic oasises as well as ersoion formed sandstone arches further add to the tremendous Tassili environment.

For all those into botany, the Tassili Cypresses offer a further significant point of interest. These are one of the very few tree species specialised to survive in the desert and they occupy some of the gorges and Wadis of the Tassili n´Ajjer range. Many of them are more than 2000 years old offering a unique addition to the otherwise inhospitably dry dersert.

In Tassili n´Ajjer - far away from all light polution, the night skylight is always bright with an immense amount of stars offering a stunning view of the milky way. Together with the almost deafening desert silence - this makes for a profound experience. It almost felt like being in one of the desert stories described by Scheherazade in 1001 nights.

From a cultural perspective the Tassili n´Ajjer mountains are equally impressive. The area is home to one the largest and significant rock art sites in the world. The earliest drawings are as old as 12,000 years and depict prehistoric hunting scenes. Later depctions depictions show neolithic farming scenes (4000-2000 BC) as well Bronze Age warrior motifs dating to 1000 BC. From these depictions archaeoligists can reconstruct past environments and can understand at which point different domesticated animals became in use. Perhaps the most surprising discovery derived from these Prehistoric drawings is that prior to 4000 years ago the Tassili n´Ajjer was a wet Savannha grassland home to the same fauna and flora as found in the plains of Eastern Africa. It later developed into the arid desert that we know today.

Visiting Djanet and Tassili n´Ajjer will also expose you to the Tuareg people and their culture. The Tuareg are one of the great tribal ethnicties inhabiting the Sahara region. As nomads they typically move with their anmials fronm oasis to oasis. They are also famous for having operating the countless trade routes across the Sahara with camels and caravans since time immemorial.

To summarize if you are looking for a trip that is off the beaten track - I would highly recommend visiting Djanet and the Tassili n´Ajjer Mountains. It will leave you impressed and longing to return. Travelling with El Golea Tourism and Travel - you will get a true experince of oriental hospitality with access to some of the most beautiful places in the entire Sahara. This trip is a must for all desert enthusiasts.