Home » Travel » Middle East Travel » Cities of Algeria

Cities of Algeria

© Mubashar Ahmad Baig

Algeria has the longest distances of North Africa, the dramatic and green coast of the north, mountains with people of strong cultural identity, endless desert, breathtaking oases, and volcanic mountains.

Algeria has had its appeal in low tourist numbers, and a cultivated and hospitable people. Today however, normal travelling in Algeria is very difficult and heavily restricted due to the ongoing conflict of the country.

Amsel. Sahara swimming:

_______________________

South of Tamanrasset, Amsel is a nice excursion, and a great hideout during summer heat. Near Amsel, there is a reservoir, where nobody will object to your swimming. The water is clear and clean, and nicely temperate. Amsel itself is very much a standard village, but OK to take a walk around in, as long as keep fresh in mind that you're out into the Sahara desert.

Batna. Just another town:

_________________________

Batna has little to offer in itself, in fact most parts of it is terribly ugly, with endless cheap apartment blocks, but is a good base for those visiting Timgad. Batna was constructed by the French in 1844, as a military camp, in order to protect the roads running into Sahara. The setting is nice, and with an altitude of 1,038 metres, it is a good refuge in summer.

Oued el Abiod. The gorges

_________________________

For many travellers, the visit to Oued el Abiod has been the part of the journey that has left the strongest impression. The Oued el Abiod is the product of seasonal rivers cutting through the soft mountains of Aures over millions of years. The gorges are approached en route between Batna and Biskra, along either the N3-route (northern) or the N31-route (southern), but there is so much to see here, that travelling through, f.ex. with public transport, is a real waste. Dedicating a couple of days to exploring the gorges, is the sane choice. The centre of most visitors' experiences in Oued el Abiod is the village Rhoufi, about 90 km from Batna, where most of the tourist activity is centred around vendors of goat hair carpets. Out from this village the whitesided Gorge of Tighanimime can be reached. The Rhoufi balcony will give you an astounding view over another gorge, this one red. Exploring the gorge at foot, you will walk through a palm sided river bed, an excellent excursion if you do this during a summer visit to Algeria. Along the steep hill sides, mud-brick villages cling. You could be walking out from Rhoufi, and reach other villages by walking along the

The copyright of the article Cities of Algeria in Middle East Travel is owned by . Permission to republish Cities of Algeria in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.