Make a Date for the International Festival of the Oasis in Tozeur, Tunisia

A year after the Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia celebrates its new freedom with a festival on the edge of the Sahara.

It’s hard to avoid dates in Tozeur. The oasis is home to over 200,000 palms covering an area of more than 10 sq. kilometres. It takes 238 springs supplying 60 million litres of water to produce the Deglet Nour, or “Fingers of Light”, the king of dates, and pretty good they are too.

Every year, after the date harvest, Tozeur stages the five day international Festival of the Oasis.  Music, food, storytelling, exhibitions are all part of the festivities and this year there was also a screening of the new epic Black Gold, filmed in and around the town.  This year’s theme was “the Pace
of Emancipation”  and it was hard not to feel the general optimism after the overthrown of the previous government.  Particularly impressive were Hassen Elmechichi’s caricatures lampooning famous political characters.

For me, the highlight of the festival was an extra-ordinary show held at sunset in an arena just outside the town, right on the edge of the desert.  Combining camels, marching bands, flag waving, fire and water it was all about liberation.  As night fell, women, roped to the sand, were depicted as slaves to the regime and domestic drudgery, as they pounded mortars and covered their hair in flour. Fires were lit close by as celebrated singers sang freedom songs and gradually the assembled cast began to throw off their chains and take part in the Jasmine revolution. The finale was a stunning spectacle celebrating Tunisia’s future and fire eaters wandered through the crowds.

Of course you don’t just have to go to Tozeur when the festival’s running as there’s plenty to see. The old quarter of Ouled El Hadem, built in the 14th century, is a labyrinth of narrow covered alleys and small squares.  The unique protruding brickwork, only found here and in nearby Nefta,  creates intricate patterns similar to those found on Tunisian carpets and you can easily spend a morning searching these out.

There’s also Eden Palm, in the heart of the palmeraie, which has a permanent exhibition dedicated to date production, a guided tour through the plantations and a tasting of their various products. Nearby is an 18 hole golf course, built on the edge of the desert and the obstacles created by natural rock formations are a special challenge. If you fancy something more adventurous you can spend a day tackling aerial runways through the palms at the Sahara Lounge eco-adventure park.

Further afield is the Chott El Jerid, an enormous salt lake covering 5000 sq. kms, stretching deep into Algeria.  The road runs on a 2m high causeway across its northern reaches, and ominously, there’s marooned bus, trapped in the salt.  The salt shimmers all the way to the horizon and this was the location in the first Star Wars movie when Luke Skywalker sighted the two moons.

After the Jasmine revolution there seems to be a new atmosphere in Tunisia.  People are genuinely glad to be rid of their dictator and are keen to help tourists in any way.  There’s a sense of greater openness and there’s no sign of the problems that are still plaguing other countries like Egypt. Tourist numbers are down for the moment, so it makes great sense to get there now, whilst the crowds are staying away.  You won’t regret it.

You can get to Tozeur by road or rail from Tunis, but the easiest way is to take the plane – it’s only about an hour’s flying time and, as you skim over the endless sand dune, you certainly feel you’ve arrived at an oasis. You’ll probably need to overnight in Tunis and the Tunisia Palace makes for a handy stopover.  In Tozeur, stay at the Palm Beach Palace, an oasis of its own, set in magnificent gardens.