Cooee Hari Club Beach Resort. The hotel was chosen just by guessing, but after reading the reviews, unfortunately there are many negative ones and fortunately it turned out not to be so)) The hotel is being renovated, not everything has been brought to mind. We flew from Sunmar, the guide at the hotel was from Coral, I will also write about this. We arrived at the hotel early, check-in was 12:00. We checked in at 12:00 in a room of our chosen category, side sea view. On check-in there were questions: The safe did not work, as it turned out that there were simply no batteries, they explained at the reception using photos and gestures, solved the problem within 3-5 minutes. The hotel staff speaks French, very poor English, but try to understand and help. Then there was a question about the volume of the TV, the volume did not decrease, the question was also very quickly resolved, they brought in a replacement remote control. Byno questions asked, clean, in light white colors. Large bed and 1 bunk bed, mirror, bedside table, chair, wardrobe, safe, hairdryer too. The only negative is the bathroom, you have to adapt to take a shower without flooding the entire bathroom)) Towels are changed every day. For a tip, the maid makes the beauty of the towels on the bed and cleans the room more carefully. I can't write anything about the replenishment of soap accessories, since we carry everything with us. As for the very territory of the hotel: green, clean, well-groomed. Dates and pomegranates are growing. On the territory there is a golf course, a table tennis table, a basketball court, a tennis court. Towels in hotels are free, the time of delivery of towels is from 10:00, but unfortunately they are not enough for everyone. Get in line early. Animation: animators are unobtrusive. For children, animation starts at 20:30, then there is a short break and animation for adults. As for the ultraallin system, of course it is said loudly, but you can find what to eat, fruits to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is very different from Turkish, to which everyone is so accustomed. Alcoholic drinks from 10:00, as well as apparently depending on the season, the administration changes the time for taking food and drinks. The sea, but what about without it. The beach belonging to the hotel is clean, sandy, but the sea leaves much to be desired, sand and stone entrance, but if you move a little to the right, to the abandoned hotel, there is fantastically white and clean sand, as well as a sandy entrance to the sea. We came in a season when there was a restless sea and a lot of algae, but you can't argue with nature, for those who disdain such a sea, the pool will help you. Sun loungers, that by the pool, that on the beach must be borrowed in advance. In general, we were satisfied with the rest. The hotel, too, who writes about this hotel. I'll tell you who is going to rest for what, to look for and dig up all the jambs or just get high)) P.S: Tourist fee from 2019. On average $ 8 per person, the maximum is paid for 7 days, even if you are for 10 days. The concept of food does not coincide with the one prescribed by the tour operator, most likely due to the tourist seasons. TV shows 5 or 6 Russian channels.…
We rested well, but there are nuances.Choosing a hotel on the island, preference was given to small, family-owned after renovation, located in the first line to the sea. We chose Hari Club Beach Resort 4 * (formerly Sangho Village Djerba 3 *), which is located on the southeast coast of Aghir, 30 km from the airport, has been operating for the second year after partial renovation and renaming. The main contingent of the hotel is the French (half), somewhere equally between Poles and Russians, a little Tunisians and representatives of other states. The tour was bought from TO "Sanmar" by early booking - meeting at the airport, transfer, guides (they did not take excursions, but communication worked out), all flawlessly. Flight by Royal Flight - scheduled flights from Sheremetyevo and Zarzis, clean planes, attentive flight attendants - during the flight they offered drinks (tea, coffee, juices), a light breakfast (salad, puff pastries, gingerbread). Before landing on Djerba, migration cards were handed out, the upper part of which is taken away at passport control at the Zarzis airport, the lower part must be kept (it is presented on the return flight home). Next, I will try to briefly talk about what I liked on Djerba and what not about the hotel in which we spent the first week of August, and our adult children the second, about the sea, about walks around the island and a trip to the Sahara.
HOTEL. After landing at Djerba Zarzis airport at 17:30, we were at the reception by 20:00. We were offered to leave our luggage and go to dinner, which we were not particularly impressed with, but also did not disappoint. And since we were not hungry, having a little snack, we went to see the room (we booked a standard in a bungalow overlooking the garden). Bungalow F, in which it was located, was located in the corner of the hotel farthest from the reception. The advantages of this location are the absolute silence (no animation sounds can be heard) and not bad internet (the room next to the broadcasting tower). The quality of the Internet on the territory of the hotel is different - in our F15 it was good, in D15, where our children lived (the first line by the sea) - worse, the signal is not stable; on the beach, in the restaurant, at the reception - excellent. The room on the ground floor overlooking the courtyard (where the balconies of the other four rooms faced) greeted us with pleasant coolness, which could not but rejoice, since the working air conditioner in the bungalow was a rarity. Just in the room (adjacent F12) with not working air conditioner (did not cool - the temperature was not regulated) first settled our children (joined us on the sixth day of our stay in Djerba). Thanks to the acquaintance with the manager of the hotel and its director, good knowledge of English on the day of their arrival (late in the evening), it was possible to call technicians who tested the system and reported to the management that the condo was "Kaput!" Then the room was changed to D15 (bungalow D), where the air conditioner cooled well. At the beginning, the receptionist Hanene assured that "there are no rooms", "the hotel is in a stop", "it will be possible to change only after 2 days, and that is not a fact."
Let's go back to the number. Personally, I liked it - ascetic and cute in a Tunisian way, my husband did not really - there was not enough light (the balcony behind the shutters, overhead lighting is not provided - only side lamps). On the one hand, the room remained cool and the African sun did not prevail, on the other, they lived in twilight (“in the crypt,” the spouse said). It was possible to open the shutters of the balcony, then the whole room was flooded with the sun, but we did not do this (we did not want to make unnecessary movements in the heat).
The room has been recently redecorated (the walls are painted with white paint). Shower, sink, toilet are not new, but in working order. There was no sewer smell, nor were there any problems with flooding the shower. A clean snow-white curtain in the shower, a set of gels, shampoo, soap, a small window in the toilet. Double bed, dressing table (collapsed on the last day - laughter, and only ...) with a mirror; built-in wooden wardrobe with hangers, bedside lamps to the right and left of the bed. Tiles on the floor, woven rugs on each side of the bed. TV plasma with a lot of French channels and a couple of Russians (TV remote control for a deposit of $ 10). French standard sockets - an adapter is needed if the gadget plugs are not adapted to the French standard. Sometimes ants ran (singly, in pairs, rarely as a family) - we did not touch them, and they did not touch us, treated the smaller brothers with love. One day there was a thunderstorm - water from the street (there is no threshold in the room - the floor level is the same inside and outside) rushed inward and dripped from the ceiling in the hallway. Probably, in the autumn-winter period, when it rains on Djerba, this turns into a problem for bungalows living on the ground floors (threatening them with flooding).
But the biggest problem with the bungalow rooms was the intermittent power outages. During the eight days of our stay at the hotel, this happened five times and once in the morning for three hours. It was not possible to solve the problem, since it would require a radical update of the power supply system, and no one was going to do this at the peak of the season. Therefore, if you are considering this hotel for recreation (and it is, in principle, not bad), immediately book a superior, the difference from a bungalow is only 10 euros / day, but your vacation will turn out well. In any case, for the money that you give (especially if you book early), you will get the best value for money. Maybe during the winter period, in preparation for the new season, the situation will change for the better, but maybe not - therefore it is better not to risk it.
ROOM CLEANING - here is another fat "minus" that we encountered for the first time. Our roommade girl from Tunisia was sweet, smiled with full mouth, understood, of course, only French (and we do not speak French, Ounlee English + sign language) and did not clean anything !!! And this, despite the fact that they left a tip - she took the tip, but did not clean it. Once, she brought a bunch of flowers - it's nice, of course, but nobody canceled the rubbish from the bucket, as well as to do everything else. Towels were not changed regularly - if I took away the dirty ones, I had to run after clean ones, then they began to hide them so that I could wipe myself off with something. The linen for the week, too, never changed (well, okay with that - it seemed not dirty). In fairness, it should be said that our children were more fortunate - regularly and cleanly (maids and bungalows are different). We tried to improve the service through the reception a couple of times, but it didn’t help.
THE TERRITORY OF THE HOTEL is neither large nor small, well-groomed, it is scrubbed, cleaned, watered from morning to evening. Most of it is occupied by a complex of two-storey bungalows in traditional Tunisian style - white walls ("color of the sun") and blue shutters of balconies ("color of the sea"). Each has ten rooms (five per floor) with individual entrances and different views from the windows (to the courtyard-well, to the garden and to the sea). There is a main building (also two-story) with a reception, a spa, a restaurant "Le Gourmet", superior rooms, which, in contrast to the "standards" in the bungalow, have been better updated. They have a safe and a refrigerator, in a bungalow a refrigerator is available on request for an additional charge, a safe is at the reception free of charge. The hotel also has several tennis courts (illuminated), minigolf playgrounds (all free), volleyball, minifootball, table tennis tables, a kids club, two swimming pools (indoor in the spa and outdoor - did not go, always swam in the sea ). Sports equipment can be borrowed from the animators for a deposit of 20 dinars in the booth by the pool, in the same place - beach towels (no deposit, according to the room number).
SEA (video https://youtu.be/kUHWRmiSTSQ) really liked it, warm, clean! Feels like the water in the morning is +30, in the afternoon, when compared with the water of the thermal spring of the Ksar-Gilen Sahara oasis, where it is +35 all year round, no less. For children - paradise, and for us too, they swayed on the waves for hours. True, it is impossible to swim in such "boiling water" over long distances (it is hard to breathe), therefore, long swims were transferred to the morning, when the water is noticeably cooler. At the sea I liked the smell of the sea - algae, in the Mediterranean we meet this for the first time, usually this is our Crimea. The underwater world is moderately interesting - small and large fish in schools and singly. One day there was an invasion of white stingrays (it's a pity I didn't take a camera with me - the beauty remained in my memories), crabs are found everywhere - in the stone islands of the Hari Club beach and on the stone breakwaters of the Castile and Palm Azur hotels. Before arrival, they were worried about entering the sea.
Some wrote that sharp stones could not enter the sea. Indeed, the bottom is not uniform - sand, sometimes stones (remnants of coral) come across - they are not visible when the sea is stormy, islands with grass (a little further from the coast). But to the right of the first palm tree with a stone breakwater is a cleared sandy entrance without stones, they went there and did not know any problems (they did not use slippers, some swam in them). There were those who went to the beach of the neighboring abandoned hotel Sidi Slim (300 m to the right, if you face the sea) - there is a shallow sandy entrance without stones, but there are "disadvantages" - locals rest, there are no sun beds, no umbrellas and no shower.
There were also those who wrote that the sea was "dirty". I do not agree with this - algae is not mud, but a useful natural factor, and there were not many of them, only when the sea was stormy. We had a dirty sea in Vietnam, that's where the horror was - heaps of household garbage were floating interspersed with the corpses of animals !!! During our stay on Djerba we saw a different sea - calm and clean as a tear (without algae); with small waves; the last two days - thunderstorm and rain, big waves and a lot of seaweed (the tractor was cleaning the coast). After our departure (the children stayed at the hotel) the sea was stormy, it was cloudy, it began to calm down (there were a lot of algae, the tractor was cleaning the coast) and by the end of the first decade of August it became transparent again.
The beach, unlike the beaches of neighboring hotels, was on a hill - we liked it. The coastline is beautiful
especially at sunset, covered in palm trees. You can enjoy the beauty of the sunset in the Mediterranean Sea, which you can find only in Djerba in Tunisia. There is a constant breeze on the shore, there is a haze in the sky, so the heat is not felt much, you can burn out imperceptibly (the sun is very active - 30 and 50 factors were smeared with cream). Free sunbeds could always be found (sunbeds and mattresses are new) - they did not lie by the pool. Entertainment on the shore is standard - riding camels, horses and donkeys, jet skis, banana rides. Animals do not create inconvenience, they do not get dirtier, but they add a special flavor to the coast.
FOOD IN THE HOTEL. From the beginning of the high season until its end (from July 15 to October 31), the hotel operates "UltraALL". In addition to the animation program (children's club, evening shows, activity during the day), it includes the work of THREE restaurants: 1) The main "Le Gourmet" (breakfasts, lunches and dinners) and two ala-carts (by appointment - you can sign up for each one once , but if you wish, you can walk more often): 2) Mediterranean "Le Coco de Mer" (daily lunches and dinners, except Sundays) and 3) Berber "La Tente Berbere" (dinners on Wednesdays and Saturdays - Tunisian cuisine).
BARS work: on the beach "La Cabanne" (water and soft drinks from 10:00 to 18:00), by the pool "Mac Hari" (around the clock) - from 10:00 to 11:00 a light breakfast, from 14:00 - 17:00 and 23:00 - 2:00 - fast food and drinks (beer, water, alcoholic drinks, fast food), from 00:00 - 10:00 - only light drinks. Lobby bar "Le Marquis" (8: 00- 00:00) - local alcohol, water, non-alcoholic drinks; every day after 19:00 you can take a bottle of water of 0.5 liters per person. East Moorish Shisha Bar "Le Kasbah" (16: 00- 00:00) - hookah for a fee, Tunisian tea (free).
MAIN RESTAURANT "Le Gourmet" (breakfast 6:30 - 10:00; lunch 12:30 - 14:00; dinner 19: 00-21: 00) - you will not stay hungry, everything is edible, but rather modest (there are no problems with digestion It was).
BREAKFAST - apart from croissants and baguettes (very tasty, freshly baked), fruits, cereals, vegetables and boiled eggs there was practically nothing to eat. There is a constant problem with scrambled eggs (omelet) - even if there are two people in line in front of you, the waiting time is 10-15 minutes, because the cook is a "brake". At first, the husband tried to wait, but then he gave up and switched to boiled eggs (the same story with pancakes / pancakes / pizza). Sausage and cheese are not edible, but delicious ricotta, what would I do without it! And very strange milk for breakfast - diluted to a state of translucent liquid.
LUNCH and DINNER - the choice is much more varied. Liked: tuna salads, couscous, stewed vegetables, sauces, ice cream (vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, lime). Beef (always tough), chicken (soft, tasty), lamb on the bone, turkey (tough, the translation into Russian made me laugh - "Steak from Turkey"), liver (tasty - it's hard to spoil it), fish (fried, grilled). For lunch, there are always two types of soups - vegetable and spicy Tunisian soup with rice. French fries, rice, pasta, pickles, olives, desserts (not particularly impressed - it's for the best). For dinner twice a week, mussels and crabs - there is not much in them, but just right for a photo! There are a lot of fruits (mostly tasty, ripe) - watermelon, melon, grapes, apples, peaches, pears, plums (green), dates (there were only a couple of times, which surprised - is Tunisia a date country?). Personally, I lacked greenery. Dry ordinary wine (I liked pink more than red), beer (not bad) - everything is convenient, democratic, you pour it yourself. Tea and coffee in the restaurant only for breakfast (for lunch and dinner - only in the bar), but there was always a cooler with water in the restaurant. They always found a free table for lunch and dinner (for breakfast - there were no problems with this at all, they came after 9:00) - we went to the far part of the restaurant on a hill, where the air conditioner worked well. I liked the waiters - they are always attentive, with a smile, as you are to them, and they are to you. They promptly changed tablecloths, took away dirty dishes, Ali is generally a very clever girl!
Once we went to dinner at a la carte "Le Coco de Mеrе" (every day a different menu) - I liked the pasta with seafood, the national briki pies with tuna, Mediterranean fish, steak, the national dish with chicken and vegetables. These dishes were not available in the main restaurant, so it's worth going. The waiter amused - after he brought the menu, and we got acquainted with it, we realized that we could hardly master the whole complex of dishes (health would not be enough). Therefore, they tried to bypass one of the lines of the menu - to which they were refused: "You cannot skip!" It turned out that in order to order pasta with seafood, you must first try a steak or roast. The waiter stood his ground, called for order and did not make concessions. And since we still really wanted the pasta, we had to pull ourselves together and order a roast. Only after we tasted it, they brought us pasta - of course, it was worth it, but it was given with difficulty. Impressed by the first ala-carte ("Le Coco de Mere"), we didn't get to the second (Berber), probably in vain - the reviews were good.
EVENING WALKS. When going to Djerba, they heard that on the island outside of hotels there is usually nowhere to walk - a road, olive plantations, abandoned hotels, single Tunisian dwellings with spontaneous shops. The tourist zone cannot be reached on foot (by taxi 10 minutes), and the footpath towards Midoun (on the road to the right) ends in 500 meters from the hotel gate. Nevertheless, we managed to find an acceptable, albeit not the most picturesque, five-kilometer route for evening walks. From the hotel we went to the left (there is a pedestrian path) past the abandoned Sidi Slim, Castil 4 * and Palm Azur 4 * hotels, Seabel Alladin 3 * to the camel shop. It is about 1.5 km (15 minutes on foot) and then to the paramilitary guard post at the entrance to the tourist zone of Djerba and back. Some took a taxi to the store with a camel (1 dinar by the counter, without a counter - 3 dinars, bargaining to 2 dinars, tell the driver to "Palm Azur"), you can also take a cart with a horse or camel wagon (5 dinars).
In the store "With a camel" the prices are the lowest on the island - you definitely shouldn't go shopping in Midoun. Here dinars, dollars, euros, rubles are accepted for payment (the rate is not profitable), you can pay for purchases with a bank card. In the store you can buy: products with ethnic flavor (ceramics, leather goods, straw, textiles), shoes, knitwear, sponges, soap (including black black seed oil), dates, olives, halva, oil (olive, argan for hair, coconut for body / hair, snake), harissa paste. Locals also recommended visiting the jewelry shops of local craftsmen (jewelry is a traditional craft of the island's Jewish diaspora). In August, after Ramadan (when the wedding season begins), you can buy exclusive oriental-style jewelry at a good discount. ALCOHOL on Djerba is sold in two stores - General in Houmt Suk and Al Jazira in Midoun. We didn’t visit them on purpose, but they already tasted premium quality Tunisian wines in Moscow - we liked them: dry white Muscat de Kelibia and red ones: Phenicia and Cuvee Magnifique. The price for a bottle in wine boutiques in the capital is from 1 tr.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE - money was exchanged at the reception in the calculation of $ 20. per day per room (it is possible at the airport, but the rate is not profitable). On the return flight home, you will be asked to exchange the remaining Tunisian dinars for dollars and euros - there is a shortage of paper money in Tunisia, therefore it is prohibited to export them. In duty-free, they no longer sell anything for dinars. Also faced with the fact that in airport bars (before the departure gate) they have a habit of not giving change (from 0.5 euros or less), if this is important to you, prepare money for payment or pay by card.
MOVING AROUND THE ISLAND - the main means is a taxi, always at hand, affordable, but the cars are worn out (returning home, the economy version of the Yandex taxi seemed like a luxury!). Once we were driving in a car, the door of which was fastened on a word of honor, and when they began to open it, it squeaked, hung and got stuck on the curb, with difficulty it was possible to close it. To which the driver reacted calmly, it seems not for the first time. There are two tariffs for a taxi - daytime (from 05:00 to 21:00) + landing of 0.500 dinars, night - (from 21:00 to 05:00 - 50% higher) + landing 0.750 dinars. Travel from one end of the island to the other 20-30 minutes - 10-15 dinars (250-380r), to and from the airport +3000 dinars to boarding.
WHERE TO GO and WHAT TO SEE on JERBA. There is an opinion that Djerba is boring and there is nothing to watch, with which I disagree - although, to each his own, what is interesting to me will not necessarily be interesting to you and vice versa. The standard set of attractions of the island includes: visits to medieval forts, mosques, synagogues, the museum of folk traditions of Gelala, Djerba Explorer, Blue Lagoon, SPA, boat trip on the Pirate ship, jet skiing, buggies, parachutes, camels, horses and donkeys, diving (diving centers "Blue dolphin", "Archimede", "Sirenede"). Well, and number one, of course, is the Sahara, but this is outside the island. Taking into account that our vacation was not long, and we did not want to arrange a race for sights, nevertheless, we planned to visit interesting places where you can feel the spirit of Djerba and feel the original atmosphere of Africa. Therefore, the priorities were set as follows:
1) Must see - Sahara and Djerbahood;
2) If you have time and desire, visit a couple of three more places:
HUMT-SUK is the capital of Djerba with a medieval medina, market, promenade, fortress and art galleries.
GELALA is a museum of folk traditions at the highest point of the island (53 m above sea level) with panoramic views of the surroundings, sea and mountains. Visit to the village of potters with the opportunity to participate in the process of making products from white clay.
MIDOON with Djerba-Exploer park, Berber ethnographic village, crocodile farm and reptile feeding (hit with children).
As a result, I managed to get to the Sahara and visit DjerbaHood, and our guys (after our departure) - walk around the evening Houmt-Suk, dropping into one of the colorful Haroun restaurants on the coast. And on the last night before departure, accompanied by a newly made Tunisian friend - the hotel's security guard Mohammed, walk along the streets of Midoun at night.
1. JERBAHOOD (DjerbaHood, video https://youtu.be/xUJnEVrD-9o) is the most modern attraction of Djerba, which is one of the twenty most interesting places in Africa (according to Tripadvisor). This graffiti-painted residential Jewish quarter, located in the village of Khara Sigira (or Riyadh, which is the same), which is considered one of the oldest settlements in Tunisia, has a life of its own. Walking along it is a pleasure, the locals absolutely do not care about you!
Haara Sigira was chosen for the project because of its traditional architecture: white houses in Arabic style and blue doors, which are a matter of special pride for Tunisians. They believe doors bring good luck - a tradition that has been around for thousands of years. Therefore, each owner strives to make the front door of his house special - using for this unusual handles, ornaments in the form of fish in Christian symbols, forged patterns, painting, graffiti, framing it with flowering bushes and equipping pretty couches at the entrance to relax during the day. Everything looks very cute and colorful.
The idea of creating DjerbaHood belongs to Mehdi Ben Cheikh, a Tunisian artist, founder of the Street Art Gallery in Paris, who invited 150 artists from five continents to create art objects on the walls of residential buildings (including our compatriot Pavel Chervyakov - pseudonym "Wais"). The artists worked all summer, leaving behind graffiti inspired by the idea of mutual respect and tolerant attitude towards each other by representatives of different cultures and religions living in a single space of the island, the world as a whole for thousands of years. The opening of Djerbahud took place in 2014 - it became a historical event for Djerba, covered in many countries of the world. The place is colorful and photogenic, and if we hadn't been there, the impressions of Djerba would have remained less vivid.
We walked around Jerbakhud for an hour and a half. We arrived at sunset (from the hotel by taxi to go 30 minutes - 13 dinars one way) - the time is comfortable, there is no intense heat, but it gets dark quickly. Therefore, they did not have time to bypass everything - a lot of interesting things remained on the outskirts in dilapidated buildings. You should not expect cleanliness and gloss from Jerbahud (after all, this is a typical world of the African hinterland - and this is all its charm!) Tunisian women in national clothes with baguettes in their hands and, most importantly, with a special atmosphere.
The most memorable are graffiti with animals (octopus, cats) and insects, mysterious mythical creatures, ethnic ornaments, portraits of people, women's eyes in the central square near the coffee shop; the globe, the upper part of which passes from the wall to the mensel protruding above the roof. Under the influence of natural factors (rain, wind, temperature fluctuations), graffiti fade over time (this is the feature and essence of street art), but new ones appear, the exposition is constantly replenished (there are works of 2018). Therefore, some paintings are in a deplorable state. Finally, we looked at the art gallery (we looked at paintings by local artists - admission is free). We went to an art salon, where we found a real Jerbi exclusive - a handbag made of leather and straw. And in a souvenir shop, the owner of which amusingly manipulated an ethnic teapot "Majik" in the shape of a camel to make cappuccino, they bought a colorful aroma lamp in the shape of a Tunisian woman. In the same village, they wanted to visit the oldest synagogue in Africa, El-Griba (in translation "foreigner"), located in the opposite part of the settlement, but arrived late after closing (at 17:00) and did not get there.
2.SAHARA (video https://youtu.be/z7o4MEem2ww). You can go to the Sahara from Djerba with a tour operator or by purchasing a tour from private travel agencies officially operating in the tourism market. But since I did not want to travel in the heat in a bus and with a large company, the proposals of the tour operator were immediately shaken off - they began to study other options. There was no experience of independent (without TO) travel in Africa, therefore there were certain fears, but everything turned out well. Even before the flight to Djerba, we contacted the head of the Tunisian-Russian agency offering a wide range of excursions with a flexible approach (routes can be changed depending on the wishes and interests of the customer) in the VIP format and at the price of a group TO tour. From the proposed options, we chose a one-day relaxation tour with a visit to the Ksar-Gilan oasis and bathing in a mineral spring. Land options were not considered - the memories of a trip to the pyramids of Egypt are still fresh, where in the midday heat, exhausted from the heat, I wanted to freshen up somewhere, but there was no such opportunity (if we do not take into account the lawn watering system in Giza). The cost of the trip per adult was $ 60 with lunch at the Berbers (drinks not included) plus $ 10 camel ride.
On the appointed day and hour (5:30), a Toyota Land Cruiser jeep drove up to the hotel gates with a professional driver Omar (a hereditary Berber with a driving experience of more than 20 years) and a guide. Everything is clear and on time, as agreed. The car is clean with the air conditioner running. In addition to me, there were already two tourists in it - a young mother with a 7-year-old son. Such a pleasant company (a driver, a guide and three tourists) started towards the Roman road connecting the island with the mainland (isthmus 7 km) - we watched a beautiful purple-purple sunrise with a sunrise from the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. On the road - not a soul, it seemed that we were the first to cross the border of the island. I really wanted to sleep, but our guide Alexandra began to lively talk about Tunisia, about its traditions and peculiarities of life in the country. During the conversations, they did not notice how they got to a small roadside cafe, where they cheered up with aromatic coffee with freshly baked croissants and drove on.
The path led through the desert plateaus to Medinina, a city of Tunisian smugglers more prosperous than the settlements of Djerba, located at the intersection of roads leading to Libya and Algeria. What was sold here on the sidelines - old windows, ragged doors, washing machines, used furniture, things and other utensils. I was struck by the color of butcher shops - if they sell beef, the head of a slaughtered animal is hung in front of the entrance, by the cut of which one can judge the freshness of the meat. Chicken meat in separate stores, at the entrance to which - cages with live birds. We stopped for freshly baked baguettes for the oasis, and then, bypassing Medinin, headed for Ksar-Khalyuf - a small abandoned Berber settlement located on a hill.
The ruins of Ksar-Khalyuf, barely noticeable from a distance, in the approach turned out to be two-story traditional Tunisian houses - ksars with sloping roofs, united like cells (gorfs) into a single chain. Ksars are fortified barns in which the Berbers hid the harvested harvest, protecting it from the raids of Arab nomads (they keep the coolness well and the grain does not spoil until 5-7 years). Some of them have preserved traces of antiquity - the "hand of Fatima", oil presses with a millstone moved by a donkey. As the guide told us, donkeys in Tunisia are at a great price. They are from birth (like carrier pigeons) trained to transport smuggled goods over long distances - to skillfully hide in the desert, escape the pursuit and return to the route again. That is why the saying “Dumb as a donkey” does not work in Tunisia - local donkeys are smart, hardy and capable of feat! Having even one such "combat unit", the Tunisian is provided for the rest of his life.
After wandering around the ksars and climbing inside the mountains, we took a photo against the background of a mountainous landscape with a mosque and a Berber settlement and went further - to the Great Eastern Erg, where the border of the “big” Sahara passes.
Our next stop at the edge of the desert was the Ksar-Gilan oasis, man-made by the French after World War II (they drilled a well in search of oil, but water started to flow and an oasis formed, date groves grew). The oasis itself is not large (about 0.7 km by 1.2 km). In its center there is a lake with mineral water (rich in sulfur with a water temperature of +35), around date groves, one-story Berber buildings, tents for tourists, ATV parking lots, camel caravans and other animals. We arrived (as elsewhere) first, and immediately went to the camels - in Tunisia, these are one-humped dromedaries. They were already waiting for us at the very edge of the sand dunes, where vegetation ends and sand begins. And, judging by the fact that the "ships of the desert" were without muzzles (which meant - with a good disposition and kind), the walk promised to be pleasant. Clouds were gathering in the sky, the African sun did not burn, and when our caravan set off, it even started to rain. Nobody expected this, but it was great! Somewhere halfway, we stopped for a photo session - while the camels were resting (some of them fell asleep - we had to wake up to get back), we stormed the dunes. They are of an incredible color of ripe orange with cool (maybe because they were in the morning), fluid, pleasant to the touch and fine as dust. I have never met such sand in Egypt or Vietnam !!! They wanted to take a handful as a souvenir, but there were no packages, and they started spinning.
After the camel ride, two more pleasant moments awaited us - swimming in the mineral lake of the Ksar-Gilan oasis (water bubbles gently enveloped the body, making it weightless) and a delicious lunch with the Berbers (couscous with chicken, salad, national brika pies with an egg, etc. onions). The heat intensified, the oasis was filled with people, bustle and noise from the arriving jeeps and ATVs, and we, satisfied and rested, were already ready to go back. This time, the road went through the Beni Hdesh mountain range (where episodes of "Star Wars" were filmed), they made a stop at its top to look at the unusual "Martian" landscapes and went further. The road wound like a serpentine, going down the mountain. Outside the window swept desert landscapes with rare vegetation, Tunisian settlements, ksars on the heights, mosques that pop up like mirages from nowhere and disappear into nowhere, salt lakes - shots. Before the Roman road we stopped at a familiar cafe (where coffee was invigorated in the morning) - this time we tasted the Tunisian sweet "Gazelle Horns" (tubes with nuts and honey). We returned to the hotel by 16:00.
The impressions of the trip were good. The experience turned out to be interesting, the photos were colorful, the organizers worked clearly and competently. Despite the fact that the road took most of the time, the journey was not tiring (even a 7-year-old child could do it). However, it did not cause much "WOW" effect. Perhaps because at times the effect of "déjà vu" made itself felt - a seemingly new experience of immersion in the unknown space of the largest hot desert in the world, but at the same time something similar happened to me ... a trip to the dunes of Vietnam (but the quality of the sands is different), in Pamukkall (although the size and landscape in which the sources are inscribed were radically different), an elephant ride through the Thai jungle (there were dromedars instead of elephants - it was fun to ride them, but less comfortable) ... Familiar "Three in one" (sand, animals and a source), but in a new frame and with a new flavor. Perhaps this was not enough ... Perhaps, for the Sahara to make a stronger impression on me, next time I need to try a multi-day route (as some do) with sunsets and sunrises in the middle of the desert and with complete separation from civilization ...
Concluding my story about my vacation, I would like to emphasize:
1) Tunisia is a poor country, the tourism industry of which has suffered losses over the past 5-6 years (many hotels have been and continue to remain closed) and is just beginning to revive;
2) The beaches of the island littered with algae, on the one hand, testify to a good ecology (according to Tunisian legislation, there is a ban on harvesting algae if their width does not exceed 1.5 meters), on the other hand, they can spoil the impression of rest, especially when the sea storms;
3) On some coasts, the entrance to the sea can be difficult (there are stones) - if this is important for you, choose a hotel with a clean sandy entrance (and there are some);
4) "Star rating of hotels" (which the guides have told us more than once) in Tunisia does not guarantee quality - some 3 * hotels will give a 4 * head start, therefore, focus primarily on reviews, and not on the official status of the hotel;
5) The HARI CLUB BEACH RESORT 4 * hotel, if it tightens up the service, replaces the chef and makes a complete renovation of the bungalows (and not just paints them) and, most importantly, solves the problem with air conditioning and electricity, there will be no price. In the meantime, there is room to grow.
After all of the above, a reasonable question arises - if there are so many problems and risks, why go to Djerba? We flew for the sea and the sun, for the silence, for the original atmosphere, African flavor and new impressions. And they got what they wanted, albeit with nuances. And as our adult children told us: “It's cool when a digital picture of computer games of the harsh life of the African hinterland comes to life before our eyes, acquiring real features. And if someday the world improves so much that it will be perfect, the islands of original flavor that can still be found on Djerba should be carefully guarded and protected. " Therefore, the main conclusion is that when planning a trip to Djerba, place the accents correctly. This will allow you to get satisfaction from your stay in this country, high expectations, on the contrary, will bring disappointment. Relax on the positive and everything will work out. To all who have read to the end, good luck, new impressions and travel in the new 2019!
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After the transition in 2019 under the management of the German company Der Touristik - a good option for a vacation on the Aghir coast. One Main Buildng and eleven 2-storey bungalows on a compact, relatively green area with a swimming pool. Quite decent rooms (renovated in 2019). Normal food, polite staff, but no frills service. Private sandy beach with a rocky entrance to the sea in front of the hotel.
Location
The hotel is located on the seafront in the southeastern part of the island of Djerba, 29 km from Zarsis airport, 7 km from Midoun, 24 km from Houmt Souk. The hotel was opened in 1987, the last renovation took place in 2019. The total area of the hotel is 30,000 sq.m. Since May 2019, the hotel has been part of the COOEE hotel chain and is managed by the German company Der Touristik.
The hotel was formerly called Hari Club Beach Resort Djerba and Sangho Village Djerba.
In the hotel
The hotel consists of twelve 2-storey bungalows. A total of 217 rooms, of which ...
... 50 Superior Room GV / SSV: 22-26 m2, 1 bedroom, balcony / terrace;
... 167 Bungalow GV / SSV: 26 m2, 1 bedroom, balcony / terrace;
... 37 Family Room Bungalow: 26 m2, 1 bedroom, bunk beds, balcony / terrace;
... 10 Family Room Superior Bungalow: 38 m2, 2 separate bedrooms, balcony / terrace;
... 10 Junior Suite Bungalow SSV: 8 m2, 1 bedroom and living room, balcony / terrace;
Food
AI - all inclusive: breakfast 07: 00-10: 00, lunch 12: 30-14: 00, dinner 19: 00-21: 00, snacks: fast food, pizza, chips, barbecue 12: 30-14: 30. Drinks at the main bar 06: 00-02: 00.
Estimated time (check in / check out)
Beach
Private sandy beach, first coastline. Umbrellas, sun loungers - free of charge, towels - for a deposit.
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Visa for the Tunisian Republic
For citizens of Russia and citizens of all countries of the former USSR (except Armenia), who have booked a tour to Tunisia through a travel agency and arriving in the country by direct flight, for a period of up to 90 days, a visa is not required.
Upon arrival, it is necessary to present a tourist voucher, return tickets and a completed migration card (see below). An entry stamp is put on arrival at the airport.
We draw your attention to the fact that entry on the basis of a tourist voucher does not imply the possibility of leaving for third countries, with a return. For example, you cannot use a trip to Tunisia to travel to neighboring Algeria or Libya and return back to Tunisia (i.e., one single entry).
List of required documents
Passport valid for another 3 months after the end of the intended trip. The OZP must be stamped and correctly executed: the last name and first name are filled in in Latin letters, gender, place and date of birth, citizenship, date of issue and expiration date of the passport, signature of the owner are indicated; the passport must have two blank pages for visa processing; all corrections must be certified by the OVIR or other authorized body.
Additionally, if you are traveling with a child
Upon reaching the age of 14, children must have a separate ARP;
... for children under 18 years of age traveling to Tunisia without parents, you must issue a power of attorney. The power of attorney is drawn up by the parents for the accompanying person or for the independent departure of the child.
