4 independent reviews for Algeria tour, Algerian Odyssey

Hi Nancy, Thanks for taking the time to write a review about your recent trip to Algeria. We’re really pleased you enjoyed the Roman ruins and Tlemcen. This trip does have a heavier focus on the Roman sites and cities of Algeria, as it is mostly based in the north of the country. Whilst we always try and facilitate local interactions where we can, this isn’t always possible and is more likely to be experienced on our Jewel of the Sahara group tour, which explores Algeria’s south, inhabited by the Tuareg people. There are various ways in which our Algerian Odyssey trip benefits the local people, however, namely by providing work and bringing money into the local economy. We use local Algerian guides and drivers, and stay at locally run / owned hotels where possible, avoiding large chains. With regards to the drinking water, it’s essential that we provide bottled water for our travellers in destinations like these, to ensure everybody has clean water to drink, but travellers are also more than welcome to bring their own reusable purifying bottles if they’d prefer. In terms of the missed activities, I have raised this with our local team and they informed us that the country was holding a new ‘heritage month’ at the time of your visit and that four of the museums that you were due to visit decided that they would close on the days you were due to visit, as part of their preparations for this. This was not something we could’ve anticipated and we’re very sorry that it wasn’t possible to visit all sites mentioned in the itinerary, including the museum at Cherchell. We do understand that you visited some of the ruins at Cherchell, however, and were also taken to the new ‘Great Mosque of Algiers’ to make up, in some way, for the closure of the museum. While Algeria is starting to attract many more visitors than has been the case, the tourism industry and infrastructure here is not as polished as it is in many other places, and so there can sometimes be unexpected situations, as occurred here. Our local team have already been in touch with the directors of these museums to express our concerns and request that they advertise any potential closures properly in the future to avoid causing any disappointment to our travellers. Once again, we’re glad you enjoyed seeing Algeria and we really appreciate the time you’ve taken to leave feedback about the trip. All the best and have a nice weekend ahead.