Day 3, Arher Sand Dunes Day 4: swimming in a natural infinity pool on Homhil Plateau From Hadiboh, we drove up a really bad serpentine road. It was so steep that it looked unpassable. Our battered Toyotas crawled along it at a walking pace tilting from one side to the other. The drivers looked unperturbed […]
Homhil Protected Area, Socotra, Feb 2025 Read More »
Day 2, Kalysan Canyon Day 3: hike to Hoq Cave That day, we hiked up to Hoq Cave. It is a natural 3-km long cave. Going there required hiring a local guide from the nearby village. Some important looking man registered our group in his accounts book, we paid the entrance fee. It took 1.5
Arher Sand Dunes, Socotra, Feb 2025 Read More »
Day 1 Day 2: hike to Kalysan canyon & bottle trees In the morning, we packed everything and after a good breakfast drove east to Kalysan Canyon. There we saw our first bottle trees that are endemic to Socotra. We could not contain our excitement, stopped the cars and everyone rushed to take photos of
Kalysan Canyon, Socotra, Feb 2025 Read More »
The best time to visit Socotra is from February to April when its bottle trees are in bloom. Coincidentally, it is also the peak season for tourists. Who would have thought? AirArabia has 1 or 2 weekly flights to the island from Abu Dhabi and they are fully booked well in advance. In order to
Socotra, Yemen, Feb 2025 Read More »
Ghardaïa and around it Algerian Airlines rescheduled our flight to Algiers from early morning to 1.45 p.m. It was for the better. We slept late, rested at the hotel, had lunch, and drove to the airport in Ghardaïa without rush. However, our program for the day in Algiers was cut short. We had time for
Algiers, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
Oasis in Sahara We spent some time in the oasis visiting its towns. We stayed in Beni Isguen and started our excursion there. The town was founded in the middle of the 11th century by a Berber Muslim heretical sect. Its name means “the sons of those who keep the faith”. We went to several
Ghardaïa and around it, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
Sahara We were warned that nights are cold in the Sahara. Everyone brought warm clothes and we were given sleeping bags fit for winter. Five of us women lay down side by side in one big tent. The night was hot. We left the tent windows open so we could breathe and got out of
Oasis in Sahara, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
Constantine We arrived in Ghardaïa after midnight and drove to Beni Isguen Oasis. We stayed in a traditional guesthouse. The rooms were basic, yet had everything that was needed. Water in the shower was hot and no bugs of any kind. The group now consisted of 5 women. The rooms were double, so I had
Sahara, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
Timgad Numidians were first to populate this area; they called their city Cirta. In the 3rd century B.C., the Romans razed it to the ground, then rebuilt it under a new name, Constantine, after Emperor Constantine the Great. The city is located on the edge of a deep ravine that makes it a natural fortress.
Constantine, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
Djemila On the following morning, when we were going to Timgad, we learned the reason for police protection. Some Islamist in Janet attacked a Swiss tourist with a knife while she was sitting with her children in a popular café and cut her throat. The woman died and the attacker escaped. While he was on
Timgad, Algeria, Oct 2024 Read More »
