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This week's expert is Jonathan Oakes, author of Bradt's travel guide to Algeria

The dilemma:

I'm looking for a camel safari in the Sahara desert, preferably in Algeria, and need recommendations on a good tour company. I expect to travel from mid-September after the Ramadan, and as I'm looking for time for contemplation in the dessert I want to avoid heavy tourism. I'm used to independent travel, so prefer a small group, and am fairly hardened to harsh living conditions overseas, but have not experienced a desert before.
I live in France, so would wish to travel directly from there.
Aneeza

The expert says:

Jonathan Oakes, author of Bradt's travel guide to Algeria:

Travelling to the Algerian Sahara is a truly unforgettable experience and one that more and more people are doing thanks to the improved security situation in the country.

However, as yet there are very few dedicated travel agencies offering tours to Algeria and sadly even fewer of these offer camel safaris. This is partly due to the most popular tours taking in the mountainous southern Hoggar region which requires travel by 4x4 up to the peaks of up to 3000m. A number of trekking options are also available.

A number of reliable agencies offer trips from France, and certainly more than from the UK due largely to the colonial links – most tourists to Algeria are French-speaking and there is little infrastructure for English-speaking tourism.

Many people prefer to travel independently and organise a tour with an Algerian agency. The two I would recommend are Mzabtours and Akar Akar Tours.

Mzab Tours is run by the friendly Toufik Boughali, who will try to cater to any special requests. He is based in Ghardaia, itself a fascinating destination with a distinct local culture. He also has a centre in the deep south in the main centre of Tamanrasset.
mzabtours.com
contact@mzabtours.com
Tel +213 29 88 00 02
Fax +213 29 88 31 30

From Tamarasset there are outstanding tours to the eerie peaks of the Hoggar massif and the hermitage of Charles de Foucauld. This is without doubt a highlight of a trip to Algeria.

Akar Akar Tours in Tamanrasset is run by Mokhtar Zounga and he will also be able to offer a variety of trip around the desert.
akar-akar.net
Tel 00 213 29 34 60 09
Fax +213 29 34 46 38

A region of Algeria that sees fewer tourists but is certainly one of the most memorable to visit, with simply stunning red dunes, ancient salt lakes, cave drawings and ancient fortified cities is Gourara in the west. Mustapha Djelali runs a fantastic operation in Timimoun (the red oasis) and can also arrange trips from France.
gouraratours.com
infos@gouraratours.com
Tel +213 72 266 206
There is an excellent camel safari available through this agency.


Getting to Algeria from France is simplest with Aigle Azur with departures from many regional cities in France to numerous locations in Algeria. Air France and Air Algerie also fly from France to Algeria.

From France there are a number of companies offering desert tours of Algeria.
Terre Entiere is a well-organised company offering desert tours
10, rue de Mézières, 75006 Paris
Tel: 01 44 39 03 03; fax : 01 42 84 18 99

A dedicated travel agency for Algeria based in France is Nouveau Depart (Algerie Tours) based in Avignon and offering a range of tours for around 1000 Euro for two weeks.
32, Avenue St-Ruf, Avignon
Tel 04 90823281; fax 04 90861621

From the UK one agency worth mentioning is Simoon Travel – they offer a walking tour of the desert to the Amguid Crater in southern Algeria and are a very professional organisation that specialise in cultural and desert tourism.
simoontravel.com
info@simoontravel.com
Tel: 020 76226263

From the UK, France or from within Algeria a desert trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that I certainly hope I will be doing again.

Our readers say:

I've been on a safari in Morocco. I flew into Marrakech and booked the three-day safari from there. There were heaps of local tour agents who provided this service and we left the next day. There were nine people in the group and we drove through the Atlas Mountains towards Algeria. The guide was a local Moroccan who spoke beautiful English and the tour involved riding into the Sahara desert on camels and staying in a bedouin tent over night then back on the camels the following day.

Be careful to check the time of year as the middle of summer will be too hot to be in the desert.
Good Luck!
Kylie

Some more replies posted on travel website VirtualTourist.com

I have travelled with 'Hommes et Montagnes du Sahara' on several occasions. This company was created in Grenoble by Jean-Louis Bernezat and his wife, both mountain guides. For 25 years they lived eight month per year in the Sahara, spoke fluently Tamachek, etc. They were almost Tuaregs themselves. Jean-Louis and Odette Bernezat have written several great books about the Sahara.

A few years ago they retired and sold their company to members of their staff. The new company has widened its offer to other countries (now named 'Hommes et Montagnes') but has kept the same spirit. They are very reliable, I can recommend them without any hesitation.
hommes-et-montagnes.fr
JLBG


saharatravel.co.uk/algeria.htm
cachaseiro


Point Afrique has quite a few trips in southern Algeria, many involving camels.
maykal


Djanet is world tops for desert trips, and this is another site for pictures:
villagegraphic.com as well as ONAT, the Algerian tourist board. This is their list of travel agencies, but it's better to write to the tourist board for recommendations. Some areas can only be accessed with government guards.
ont-dz.org
pedmar

Here is an Algeria based website:
touringvoyagesalgerie.dz
With examples here and here.

Here is a list of travel agents based in Tamanrasset (South Algeria, Hoggar), with address, phone and fax:
matet.dz/doc/listes-ATV/ATV-11.doc

For every taste (including camel treks):
atrisahara.free.fr

nomade-aventure.com

deserts.fr
kokoryko

Here in France there is a company well known in trekking circles, that can be found at tamera.fr.
Otherwise in Algeria I found azjar.com/circuits that offer camel trekking.
pfsmalo


Try ahnetvoyages.com
pedmar


Here are some suggestions that fit some of the criteria, but not all. I thought I'd include them anyway:

saharatravel.co.uk/algeria.htm - but they don't do camels.

puretravel.com/itineraries/178 - the do camels but operate out of Libya.

mtsobek.com/cgi-bin/trip.py?tripID=MOC they do camels but are based in Morocco

keadventure.com - they are bases in Algeria, but do baggage camels only.....
leics

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