The soles of my feet were searing hot despite my flip-flops as I clambered sun-scorched stone to get a better view of the oasis of Ksar Ghilane, as hot winds whipped me in the face. “Be careful,” our guide Wajdi shouted as I squirmed with the onslaught of it all.
It had been three hours since we turned off the last paved road and headed out into the endless towering dunes of the Sahara desert. After bouncing around the Land Rover – peeking the floor then the sky through the windscreen as we traversed the very steepest ones – I needed to stretch my legs. Though I could see nothing but sand, Wajdi assured me he’d been navigating based on known landmarks.
“Each of these places have a name, and a story behind them,” he told me, and this one was a little more obvious.
From the 1800-year-old ruins of the Roman fort of Tisavar, which once marked the southern most border of the Roman empire, I saw it; Ksar Ghilane’s sudden island of green date palms. It just didn’t look real. Like a film character marooned in the desert for days – not mere hours – I was giddy because I could see…water.
If you had to draw a desert oasis, it would look just like this. Turquoise thermal waters gushed from a spring, filling a deep bathing pool in the sand. Little bars and cafes surrounded the watering hole; a horse and camel were sheltering in the shade.
This tiny outpost, now a draw for off-roaders, quad bikers, and desert day trippers, acts as the perfect place to cool off. Beneath a leaning palm, unlikely as it is, I found mysefl swimming laps in one of the driest, most remote places on earth. And it felt incredible.
Adventure central
This adventure is just one of the day trips offered by the newly opened Residence Douz hotel. Designed as a luxe camp amidst the dunes, the property is Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts’ second property in Tunisia – the first being The Residence Tunis which opened in 1996 – and its first ever desert resort.
Opened in October 2023 after eight years of construction, it is hoped Douz will be the new gateway to adventure in the south, giving guests access to both the Sahara, and the local Bedouin culture.
In fact, located in the south of Tunisia, at the northern tip of the Sahara desert, the name Douz actually means ’the desert door’.
“Camels were the most important things to the Bedouins,” Youssef said, as he took us around the town, including the museum and souk. Though Tunisia is Berber, the Bedouins settled here in the 20s, giving up a nomadic life. “We still celebrate the Festival of the Sahara here every year in December, with all of the traditions of the Bedouin.”
New beginnings
For this exceptional location, Cenizaro has focused on a new style of accommodation. Set within 14 hectares of rolling dunes, the all-villa property consists of 50 standalone rooms, two restaurants, a communal pool, kids club and pool, and a sizeable Spa by Clarins. When the wind whips up, I watched the dunes beyond the perimeter fence build and shift.
There are two 429 sqm two-bedroom villas (the Royal Oasis and Royal Mirage) which have their own private 243 sqm terrace and pool. The 24 one-bedroom Sahara Prestige Villas include a living room, and total 164 sqm (including a 76 sqm terrace) and can accommodate up the three. Both have access to 24-hour in-villa dining.
The lead-in category, the Sahara Deluxe Villas – which I was staying in – are 133 sqm (including a 73 sqm terrace), intended for two. With large picture windows, blackout curtains to protect from the heat, and a bathroom as big as the bedroom with a separate soaking tub, they’re a peaceful retreat.
Neighbours are a good 10-15 metres away. But, located in the centre of the property, my terrace was fairly open to anyone walking past; if your clients want a little more seclusion, request a villa on the edge of the property.
There are local nods in the decor throughout, from ornate metal fretwork lights, to paintings by local Tunisian artists and hand-woven carpets.
Envisioned as a modern fortress, it’s minimalist and chic, but rest assured there’s a clear embrace of local culture. Guests can take a camel ride to their villa, or book a dinner on the grounds in a traditional Bedouin-style tent. Seated on cushions on the ground, a campfire was roaring outside as we dined by candlelight.
Like other Residence properties, food is a focus and breakfast in the Dining Room was a lavish affair, and a cake stand of meats, cheeses, cakes, waffles, fruit and pastries will come for the table. Talis is the resort’s fine dining option, focused on Tunisian and Berber cuisine. For the uninitiated, tuna, olives, eggs, dates, rice, and sand-baked bread feature broadly.
Wherever possible, ingredients are sourced from the on-site Earth Basket. The concept here and across the Residence properties, is towards homegrown, sustainable produce.
Here, the permaculture farm and nursery, where a variety of vegetables, spices and herbs are grown, also includes the Mud House. Under the watchful eye of chef Mongi Zaoui, we make a chicken tagine, baked in a clay pot, while pastry chef Hanen Chbinou teaches us how to make dates stuffed with almond, pistachios and geranium water, which were simply delicious.
A real escape
Overall, The Residence Douz was envisioned as a place to disconnect from the world.
That feels especially apt at the spa. A large hammam, eight treatment rooms, two scrub rooms, and an indoor pool, are all decorated in the style of traditional Moorish baths with brass and blue accents. Entering the steamy hammam, I could make out intricate patterned tiles and marble sinks, and laid down to begin a process of wraps, scrubs, washes and steaming.
The hotel is a vote of confidence by Cenizaro in Tunisia which has not had an easy run in the tourism stakes. From the attacks of 2015, to troubles in bordering countries, travel is however rebounding. According to data from the Tunisian National Tourist Office, inbound traveller numbers reached 8.8 million in 2023, up 49.3% from 2022. It is estimated 10 million will visit in 2024.
At sunset, a line of quad bikes waited for us. After a quick lesson, we were soon traversing the dunes beyond the fence line, to meet our camels. Something Youssef told us about how the white ones are typically bred for racing popped back into my head as I met mine. But he seemed relaxed. As the air cooled, the sands became a hive of activity, with tourists on camels, and locals riding elaborately-dressed horses, or carrying desert foxes, perhaps ready for a photo opportunity should it arise.
Douz feels remote. But the nearest airport, Tozeur–Nefta International is a scenic two-hour private transfer away. I however, flew into Tunis to stay first at the oceanfront Residence Tunis.
Chef Wafik Belaid – fresh with stories of collaborating with Jamie Oliver on Jamie Cooks the Mediterranean – fed us on greens and fruit from that property’s Earth Basket, and sent us on our way with a bottle of the hotel’s own olive oil, and freshly distilled geranium water. “Keep it in the cool box, and spritz it to cool down in the desert heat,” he advised. And he wasn’t wrong.
The nine-hour-long drive to Douz included some stop-offs clients won’t want to miss. At El Jem, the Roman amphitheatre loomed over the town: it is more intricate and intact than Rome’s Colosseum, and staggeringly there were no crowds. I wandered freely up steep stone staircases, rising four storeys high.
After palm groves gave way to desert, the ancient Berber town of Matmata emerged, with its cave homes cut into the mountains. The most famous is Hotel Sidi Driss. As the theme music for Star Wars played while we explored a courtyard painted with characters and a room with a reclining Stormtrooper, there was no mistaking this is Luke’s Skywalker’s Tatooine home from the original trilogy.
When it came time to leave, I actually felt excited for the three-hour-long drive to Djerba, another option for guests looking to head to the coast or fly from its international airport.
Leaving the hotel behind, we passed a caravan of camels, hundreds in number, as the females led their new babies to water. Ribbons of sand blew across the road in wisps, sometimes hiding it completely; it felt like a fitting note to end such an adventure.
