Berbers & Bedouins Equally overwhelming is the annual December International Festival of the Sahara (also called the Douz Festival). For four days, camel competitions, traditional music and dancing celebrate the cultures of Berbers – an indigenous ethnic group of mostly settled farmers and Bedouins – nomadic and semi-nomadic herders. Like swirling desert winds, Berber dancers whirl to haunting tunes played on traditional pipes and drums. Festival participants feast on lamb roasted on spits and on countless bowls of couscous. If your trip doesn’t coincide with the Douz Festival, visit the weekly Thursday market in Douz. Semi-nomadic shepherds bring their sheep to the marketplace to sell or barter for food, clothing and supplies. The most fascinating desert village is Matmata. Hidden in the craters of a lunar-like landscape, subterranean dwellings still house several families. Years ago, Arab invasions drove the Berbers underground. Today, the cool, dark interiors keep them there, even though there is a nearby modern village. Dug-out rooms for living, storage and animal shelters surround each courtyard. If you peer into the open courtyards eight metres below ground level, you’ll likely see children playing, chickens scratching for insects and women hanging clothing to dry. Tunisia was a major filming location for the Star Wars series. The interior of Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata played the role of Luke Skywalker’s childhood home on the planet of Tatooine. Some of the set decorations remain today. Diehard fans can dine in the hotel’s restaurant in one of the rooms used as a film set. Don’t leave the Tunisian Sahara without visiting Chenini. Where does the village begin and the mountain end? It’s difficult to say, for more than 500 Berber shepherds and farmers live in grottoes tunneled into the top of this craggy peak. Sand-coloured brick walls hide the entrances to homes, schools and stores. A narrow, winding path leads to a mosque at the top of the village. Even with your eyes wide open, you can see the Tunisia of 900 years ago in Chenini. Time dissolves as veiled women lead donkeys to branch-roofed stables and camels carry pottery jugs in handwoven saddlebags. This entire trip can be done in as little as two weeks or stretched to many more. Either way, Tunisia is not so much a place on a map, as it is an experience – one that will give you memories to last a lifetime. Resources For more information, visit the Tunisian National Tourist Office at www.discovertunisia.com/en/ In May 2025, the University of British Columbia (UBC) will run a Tunisia tour that will be guided by Canadian archaeologist and UBC professor Megan Daniels. For an itinerary, email travel@worldwidequest.com or call 1-800-387-1483. Barb & Ron Kroll publish the trip-planning website www.KrollTravel.com CSANews | WINTER 2024 | 19 Travel
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