Andante Travels

Introduction

This has long been the missing piece in the picture of Roman North Africa.  Those who have been to Leptis, Carthage and Volubilis have looked longingly at textbook photos of Timgad and Djemila, and wondered when they might get to visit these amazingly well preserved sites in the province of Mauretania with us.

The time has come!  Algeria is still one of the least-visited countries in the world, but that is because there is no infrastructure (or presumably desire) for mass tourism.  Our Guide Lecturer is experienced in leading Andante tours, is half-Tunisian and speaks fluent Arabic, and we have now together devised an itinerary which allows lots of time at the major sites, includes some beautiful sites which are less well-known, and enables you to enjoy something of contemporary Algeria too - an energetic and vibrant country which is changing very fast.

Security is still quite intense for groups of visitors, and you will have to be prepared to abide by the rules, but the friendliness of the people and the excitement of real travel through terrain untouched by mass tourism brings a sense of adventure and discovery. This is a journey which should only be taken by those who relish such experience. We have chosen new and newish hotels, and have a smart new bus for transporting us over the rapidly developing road network, and the sites and museums are full of amazing artefacts and structures - there will be plenty of great surprises for those who love Roman and Byzantine remains, and for anyone with an interest in the archaeology of the Maghreb.

Our revised itinerary flies into Algiers, drives east to Setif, and then on through the sites of Djemila ('the beautiful'), Timgad (a whole day here), the legionary bases of Lambaesis and Tebessa, north through the hills to Annaba and the territory of St Augustine, thence to the dramatically situated city of Constantine and a flight back to Algiers. We now finish by driving west to Cherchell and the lovely Tipasa, a fine end to the archaeological sites. There is a final morning in Algiers itself before flying home.

Itinerary

Day One
Fly to London/Algiers, drive to our hotel in Setif.

Day Two

Setif Museum, with some exceptional mosaics; on to Djemila, a site which lives up to its name, meaning 'the beautiful', with more exceptional mosaics in the museum and extensive Roman and Byzantine remains. Drive to Batna, stopping en route at the mausoleum at Medrecen, believed by some to be that of the Numidian king Micipsa.

Day Three

Whole day at Timgad, colony of veterans of the Third Legion Augusta who were stationed at the nearby fortress of Lambaesis. The gridded layout is one of the most perfect of all Roman cities, laid out on flat ground c AD100 on the orders of the Emperor Trajan. Parts of the city were overbuilt in the Byzantine period, but it was abandoned to the encroaching sand in the 7th century, hence its excellent state of preservation - it is now a World Heritage Site. 

Day Four

Lambaesis was the main military base of the Third Legion Augusta, which held the whole of North Africa at the beginning of the 2nd century AD.  The site is now rather folorn and neglected, spread over a large area, but parts of it, such as the amphitheatre and the the four-sided arch in the military camp, are still quite substantial and worthy of some exploration. Continue east to Tebessa, where the Third Legion were once based before moving to Lambaesis. The Roman remains here lie in and amongst the buildings of the modern town - the triumphal arch is still a bustling thoroughfare, the Temple of Minerva houses the museum, and the Byzantine fort and church provide an oasis of calm between busy streets.

Day Five

 North into the rolling foothills of the Aures Mountains, to the extensive Numidian and Roman sites of Madaure and Khemissa. Both are in beautiful settings, and Madaure has exceptionally well-preserved olive-pressing complexes - a joy for those interested in ancient technology. Continue via Souk Ahras, birthplace of St Augustine,  to Annaba.

Day Six

The great North African churchman later known as St Augustine ended his days at Hippo Regius in AD430, and we visit the remains of this once splendid  city a mile to the south of modern Annaba.  It was once a port, situated on an inlet which has since silted over, leaving the ruins isolated and complete, and now dominated by the basilica of St Augustine which was built on a nearby hill during the 19th century. We visit the basilica as well as the site.

Day Seven 

Drive to Guelma, to visit the ancient theatre (largely rebuilt in 1902) and the small museum - the rest of the ancient town, where the Numidian Jugurtha won an important battle against the Romans here in 109 BC, is now invisible beneath the modern city. Continue to the spectacular hot springs at Hammam D'Bagh, and then on to spend the afternoon at the beautifully situated ruined city of Tiddis (immediately identified by Fares and Denise as 'the Algerian Dougga'). Overnight in or near Constantine. 

Day Eight
Short drive from our hotel to the Numidian tomb identified by some as that of the great Numidian chieftain Massinissa - then into the city of Constantine, dramatically situated on a plateau by a deep ravine.  We walk across the famous suspension bridge over the gorge, opened in 1912, and back to visit the museum, before flying back to Algiers.

Day Nine

Drive west from the city to visit the ancient remains at Cherchel, Phoenician Iol and Roman Caesarea, which was once the capital of the Numidian client king Juba II and his wife Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. The ancient remains lie amongst the buildings of the bustling modern town, and some have been landscaped into an elegant public park. By contrast the extensive Roman and early Christian ruins at Tipasa lie isolated and serene along the sea's edge, and provide a tranquil end to our site visits. On the way home we stop at the enormous cylindrical tomb, variously called the 'Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania', or the 'Tomb of the Christian Woman', thought to date to c 100 BC.

Day Ten
Visit the Bardo Museum and the Museum of Antiquities in Algiers before taking an early afternoon flight home.

Included

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Flights Scheduled flights from London to Algiers; domestic flight Constanine/Algiers.
• Transfers private coach provided to coincide with group flights
• Local Travel Private a/c coach.
• Meals All meals included; drinks (except water) are not.
• Guide Lecturer Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"!  The guide lecturer will be with you throughout the tour, and will be guiding you around all the sites. They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you.  After 25 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them.  If you would like to know more about Farès Moussa , please click his name.
• Local Guide
• Tour Manager We never know how best to call the very special people whom we choose to accompany you on your tour.  They are usually employed in this capacity only by us, and have been trained to do things in the Andante way - unobtrusive, friendly and quietly efficient.
• Fieldnotes written for the tour
• Entry & tips Entry to all sites in programme; tips included.

Flights & Visa

Airline: Scheduled flights with British Airways (to be confirmed)

Visa and Passport Requirements (for British passport holders only)*

• British Nationals, and many others, must obtain a visa to enter Algeria. Look at the Algerian Consulate website for more information http://www.algerianconsulate-uk.com/Visas.asp.
• The application can be made by post (about 10 working days) or in person at the Consulate in Hyde Park Gate, London (5 working days) - your passport will be at the consulate for this period of time. If doing this in person check the very specific drop-off and pick-up times.
• The current cost for a British National for a single visit is £85, to be paid by cash or postal order, no cheques.
• You will need a letter of invitation from our agent in Algeria, and we will supply you with this when the tour is confirmed two months before departure.
• You will also need two passport photographs
• Passport must be valid for 6 months after your return home.

* For other nationalities, please contact the relevant embassy

Hotels

Hotels
1 night in a hotel in the centre of Setif
2 nights in a fairly new, but traditionally styled hotel near the centre of Batna
1 night in a very newly extended hotel in Tebessa
2 nights in a new hotel in a quiet location beside the sea, a short drive from the city centre of Annaba
1 night in a modern, but traditionally styled hotel in the newly-built 'Massinissa' suburban area south of Constantine

2 nights in a comfortable hotel overlooking the sea on the west side of Algiers

Important points to remember

Important points to remember

• Most of the better hotels in Algeria do not have a licence to serve alcohol, and it is also forbidden to consume alcohol on the premises. Our hotel in Algiers does serve wine and beer, and you may get the occasional drink elsewhere, but this will be the exception rather than the rule.
• Photography is usually forbidden in museums, and occasionally on sites. At larger sites such as Timgad photography is allowed, but video cameras are not. Museums occasionally have small guidebooks for sale, but postcards are extremely rare.
• There is no particular dress code in Algeria, except to be modest - no shorts, short skirts, vest tops, low necklines for women. There is no need to women to cover their heads unless going into a mosque.
• There is a lot of security arranged for groups of visitors - police cars and bikes, marked and unmarked, will accompany our bus at all times, with a 'changing of the guard' at each district (Wilaya) border. Within cities and towns, there will be restrictions as to where we can walk. Everyone must abide by these rules. These are precautionary measures, and there is generally a very friendly attitude towards visitors.
• Read Denise's account of the visit she and Fares made recently for more detailed information - in the News section of this website.

Booking