Enduro Tour Tunisia: Ride the Sahara Desert

Your adventure starts early on Saturday: at around 5:00 we ride from Tübingen to the ferry port in Genoa and load the motorcycles of the participants travelling with us. Two hours before departure we meet on the quay, strap the enduros down for the crossing and stow the luggage in the support vehicle. After casting off you move into your cabin, and in the evening we discuss the coming day over dinner.

After breakfast on board we meet for the briefing of your enduro expedition: riding technique, the programme and the riders' abilities are discussed. In the afternoon we dock in Tunis, clear the ferry and customs with express handling and ride around 70 kilometres to our accommodation in Hammamet. Over dinner at the hotel we fine-tune the equipment and the first riding day.

Today we say goodbye to luxury. On a tarmac link stage your enduro tour Tunisia runs past the foothills of the Atlas Mountains to Tozeur. After the first long riding day we set up camp in a palm grove above the town, overlooking the Chott el Jerid. There is time to cook and enjoy a beer before we head into the sand for the first time the next morning.

At around 60 to 70 kilometres the day is short, but ideal for a first feel of Tunisian sand. The sand loop via the old Star Wars film set Mos Espa stays moderate and serves as sand riding training for the dune stages ahead. On the way back to Tozeur the route follows the low-lying Chott Er Rahim. In the evening we cook together at the campfire.

Today we cover distance to reach the oasis town of Douz, the gateway to the desert, in the afternoon. On a sandy track of around 80 kilometres we ride along the Chott el Jerid and, depending on the water level, cross Africa's largest salt lake. This off-road stage passes historic sites of the Second World War. We pitch our tents at the finest campsite in the region.

The day is yours. Use it for the Thursday market in Douz or simply to recharge before we head into the desert. Around the campsite we restock supplies and fill the enduros and spare canisters with fuel. That way we are well prepared for the self-sufficient days to the Tembaine table mountain.

For the next five days we head into the Sahara completely self-sufficient. Depending on group strength, motorcycles and riding ability, we adapt the route, perhaps as far as the lost lake Lac Houidhat Erreched. These days bond the group: digging, riding, tipping over, picking up and experiencing the vastness. Around our wild camp in the Sahara we relive the day's experiences in the evening under the starry sky.

The Tembaine is a striking table mountain and landmark in the desert, our first destination. Anyone with energy left climbs it and enjoys the view over the whole area, including Great and Little Dekanis. On this stage the track is sandy, but the dunes are still small and easy to ride, with small dune fields alternating with stony plains.

The dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental slowly grow higher and the first key sections appear. Past Little Dekanis we ride on to Great Dekanis, an area of several table mountains. In the late afternoon we pitch our tents between the dunes, light a fire and cook. At the campfire we consider whether the route to the lost lake is feasible for the group.

Depending on how the last days went, today we make a detour to Lac Houidhat, around 25 to 30 kilometres away, or ride straight on to el Mida. Both routes are appealing but differ in difficulty. We decide together on the spot which option best suits the group's form.

Today's stage is demanding too. We leave the table mountains behind and head for the oasis of Ksar Ghilane, which has become increasingly touristy. We pay it only a short visit, perhaps with a dip in the hot spring, and then camp outside the oasis, where it is quieter and more beautiful.

From Ksar Ghilane we ride to the nearby Roman fort before returning to civilisation in Douz. The former fortress is now only a stone ruin, but the way there is a highlight of this desert motorcycle tour: once more over dunes, yet very easy to ride. This brings the self-sufficient desert section to a relaxed close.

We have built in this day as a buffer. If everything goes to plan, we ride over sandy stone tracks to Matmata and spend our last night under canvas in the mountain village. At a nearby restaurant we enjoy typical Tunisian dishes before the long link stage back to Hammamet the next day.

Today we begin the return journey north. The long link stage towards Hammamet is tarmac and monotonous, but the memories of this enduro expedition keep our spirits up. In the afternoon we reach the hotel in Hammamet and enjoy the contrast of palms, pool and sea after the days in the desert.

Every Sahara enduro comes to an end. With heavy hearts we ride back to Tunis to say goodbye to this diverse country at the ferry port of La Goulette. For participants flying home we organise an airport shuttle, everyone else boards the ferry. A last evening together on board rounds off the trip.

The ferry takes us from Tunis back to Genoa, a connection used for this route for many years. On board your trip can wind down calmly before the motorcycles are unloaded in Genoa and everyone heads home. This closes an intense chapter of desert adventure.