Thursday, Oct 17 — Algiers
Our Vueling flight from Barcelona, Spain, lands at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algeria, at 11:49am, after flying for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
We take a taxi to the Sofitel Algiers Hamma Garden and check in. After some room swapping, as the moket موکت in our first room smelled musty, our new room has a terrace and is nice.
We walk over to the Jardin d'essais station and take the Algiers Metro to its final stop, Place des Martyrs, and wander toward the Casbah. We find Café Malakoff, a friendly and decorated place. We order two espressos and try some local sweet cake. A local boy hangs out with us for some time.
We change money in the black market at Port Saïd Square.
Friday, Oct 18 — Algiers
Good breakfast in the hotel. Met a great chap from Zimbabwe, a Mr. Z Koudounaris.
We have a great walking day. First we walk to the cable car station at the botanical garden and ride up to the Martyrs Memorial. Then we hail a local car to the Hotel El Djazair (St George). I have a Blanc d'Aboukr Algerian white wine on the flowered and leafy terrace. While at the hotel, we visit room 141, the Eisenhower Suite, where he stayed during WW II. We then wander down the hill and visit the Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art. We walk further down the hill and through the Parc de la Liberté, where there are a lot of cats living, some very cute. We walk along the main street and find the Sacré Coeur, which looks a bit like a coal power plant cooling station you'd find in China! We then wander along Rue Didouche Mourad and grab an espresso at El Marssem | Didouche Mourad.
We zigzag along various side streets, admiring the gorgeous French colonial architecture, and even find a wedding preparation event, where the bride is getting her hair done. There is a band playing and a man lets off fireworks. We find a small local cafe named Restaurant El Walima and have a tasty chicken couscous with broth, our first this trip. We then find a mobile produce market on the back of a truck. We then wander over to Place Audin, where we find the young, hip, and the beautiful of Algiers. We walk by the Grande Poste in its magnificent building, but it is closed for renovation. We then have dinner at lovely Restaurant Le Normand.
Saturday, Oct 19 — Algiers
We wake up, check out of the Sofitel Algiers Hamma Garden, and check into the Lamaraz Arts Hôtel on Avenue Rabia Mohamed. The room is a penthouse mini-suite on the top floor with a terrace and amazing views to the sea. We do some laundry.
We take the Algiers Metro to its final stop, Place des Martyrs, and taxi up to the Church of Notre Dame d'Afrique with its amazing vantage and views. Lovely dinner at Restaurant El Djenina مطعم الجنينة.
Sunday, Oct 20 — Sétif
We check out of the Lamaraz and drive a windy road through the Hodna Mountains to the Beni Hammad Fort, a World Heritage Site. We then continue to Sétif and check into the Hôtel & Restaurant Sétif. We have a nice dinner of soupe de lentille and chicken shawarma at Restaurant Bab El Hara Dimachki, and then walk around town for a bit.
Monday, Oct 21 — Djemila / Constantine
We tour Djémila, a World Heritage Site, then continue on to Constantine and check into the Protea Hotel Constantine.
Tuesday, Oct 22 — Timgad
We stop for a quick Aïn M'lila town tour, then visit Timgad, a World Heritage Site.
Wednesday, Oct 23 — Constantine / Flight to Djanet
We check out of the Protea Hotel Constantine and do a Constantine city tour.
That evening, we head to Mohamed Boudiaf International Airport, board Air Algérie flight AH 6354, in seat 6A. At 9:25pm, our Boeing 737-800 (7T-VKO) takes off for Djanet, Algeria. After flying for about 2 hours, we land at Tiska Airport at 11:25pm. We head to the Tiniri Hotel and check into room 226 (by the placard) or 223 (painted). Either number, do avoid, as the room smelled awfully of sewage, even with the bathroom doors shut.
Thursday, Oct 24 — Sahara camp
We check out of the Tiniri Hotel and drive into the Tassili N'Ajjer National Park, a World Heritage Site, marveling at the beautiful, Star Wars-like rock formations. We wild camp in the desert.
Friday, Oct 25 — Djanet
We continue touring Tassili N'Ajjer National Park, then head back toward Djanet. We visit the local market under tight supervision and return to the Tiniri Hotel to freshen up. This time I insist on a better room.
Saturday, Oct 26 — Tipaza / Algiers
We leave in the middle of the night for the airport, board Air Algérie flight AH 6232, in seat 7E. At 4:15am, our Boeing 737-800 (7T-VKJ) takes off from Djanet for Algiers. After flying for about 2 hours, we land at Houari Boumediene Airport at 6:20am.
Later, we visit Tipaza, a World Heritage Site, and the Mausoleum of Mauretania (a tentative World Heritage Site). We then check into the Lamaraz Hotel in Algiers.
Sunday, Oct 27 — Constantine
We check out of the Lamaraz and head back to Constantine, checking into room 404 of the Constantine Marriott Hotel.
Monday, Oct 28 — Constantine
We stay in Constantine.
Tuesday, Oct 29 — Annaba
We check out of the Constantine Marriott and drive to Annaba, checking into a mini-suite on the top floor of the Hôtel d'Orient (المشرق) with three Juliet balcony doors. We have a great walk and eventually find a fish restaurant, called either Ali Jouanou or Restaurant Nassim-la Caroube, and have a wonderful grilled fish dinner. Our driver home is watching TV while texting while driving around windy Algerian suburban roads at night. He is insane.
Wednesday, Oct 30 — Tunis
We check out of the Hôtel d'Orient and take a goreous hilly drive to the Ouled Moumen boarder crossing الحدود الجزائرية التونسية. We check out of Algeria easily, but for some reason formalities on the Tunisian side take hours. We then drive onward to Tunis, Tunisia.