Since The Algerian War of Independence against France from 1954 to 1962, Algeria has been off the travel radar. Although close to Europe and bordering heavily touristed Morocco, not much is known about the vast nation, 9th largest in the world, by the traveler community. Years of instability followed the Revolution, and Algeria was often aligned with movements unfavorable to the West. Income from vast oil and gas reserves provided income for the government and its’ people making the necessity for tourism a low priority. Above Is The Interior of Emir Abdelkader Mosque iin Constantine.

Indeed, even as tourism is opening up, it is still quite a process to procure a visa. TotalAdventure had to submit, along with the form and two photos – work and residential history, name and birthplace of parents, passport, driver’s license, 3 months of bank statements, complete itinerary with name and address of hotels ( changeable ) and reservation plan for transport in and out of the country. Once this is all submitted with the US $ 160 fee,it’s approved in about 7 business days. My visa is multiple entry and good for two years – I shall return !

Algeria is 99% Islamic. The Mosques are beautiful and also open to non-Muslim observers.

Just after Mid Day Prayers.

Street Scene.Algerians are extremely friendly and happy to meet foreigners. Never are there aggressive sales tactics.

A Sealed Portal.

Sharia Law does not apply. Alcohol is permitted in private,but not widely availabe ,except in international hotel bars. About half the women wear the hijab, while many also wear modest Western style attire.

TotalAdventure’s hotel in Central Algiers. The city architecture is Parisian with an Arabian mix. SEE THE VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE !

An interior of an apartment building.

Fending Off Pirates And Infidel Invaders.

The National Post Office. The postcards I mailed from there have yet to arrive

Notre Dame d’Afrique. Beautiful Moorish design to blend in with Mosques. Algeria is 1% non Muslim – including Catholics and Jews.

SEE THE VIDEO ABOVE FOR A GREAT EXPERIENCE OF ALGIERS !

The view from Notre Dame d’Afrique.

The Martyrs Memorial , high above the city. Underneath is an amazing museum of the Revolution, however no photos are permitted.

A Fighter Against France.

The Algerian Dinar is officially 130 to the US Dollar ; the street rate is 220. This makes prices very low compared to the USA or Western Europe. By paying in cash your hotel rate can be less than half. Large delicious meals are $8 to $ 10, with several courses, coffee and mineral water. Do not keep any more than for souvenirs, as the currency is unconvertible anywhere.

Lunchtime. Tasty lamb and chicken kebabs.

My lunch order was about $3.50 and could not finish it.

Red and purple olives, like I’ve never seen before.

About 120 km West of Algiers is the ancient seaside Roman City of Timgad. It was built around 100 AD and is mostly in original form – nothing has been rebuilt.

Arches With A Seafront View.

Timgad overlooks the effervescent Mediterranean . Algeria has great potential for resorts, but let’s hope it doesn’t happen the way it has in Europe.

There are so many coliseums in the Roman Empire that they must have been a chain.

The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania, also known as Kbor er Roumia, is a large, circular tomb located near Tipasa, Algeria. It was built in the 3rd century BC and is believed to house the remains of King Juba II and Queen Cleopatra Selene.. The monument is a significant example of Numidian funerary architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, SEE THE VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE !

On Tuesday May 27th TotalAdventure hired a car to Bou Saada – about 4 hours southeast of Algiers – The Gateway To The Sahara. Temperatures in summer reach 50 C , but it was only 36 on this late spring day.

Center of Bou Saada.

Poolside Lunch At Hotel Caid.

A Very Fertile Stork.

Modesty And Beauty.

From the desert we ascended to the eastern highland city of Constantine.Perched upon the mountaintops it is united by chainlink suspension bridges. Above, is Algeria’s second largest – Mosque of Emir Abdelkader.

Islamic Stain Glass.

Minarets Reaching To The Heavens.

Children Taking Part In Bismillahkhani  – Introduction To Learning The Quaran.

Open To Everyone.

Travelers -Your Phone Is As Important As Your Passport. Soon Even More So. See http://www.adventuretravel.ai To See The Future Of Travel.

From Near And Far. The Gorge Is 150m Deep.

By Night From Igherssan Restaurant.

Lamb With Couscous.

Sparkling Water Cocktail.

Arabian Nights.

SEE THE BRIDGES IN THE VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE.

On the final day in Algeria I explored the Roman Ruins of Tiddis, in the hills about 40 km from Constantine.

I had the entire site to myself – a benefit of being in sparsely visited Algeria.

Ancient tales live on.

Shelter From Summer Sun And Winter Cold. It snows in this part of Algeria.

Nightfall in Constantine.

The Crescent Moon Heralding The Arrival Of Eid Al Adha.

On Sunday June 1 , TotalAdventure boarded the Anaba – Tunis Express, only recently resumed running after many years. Three hours later I crossed the border into Tunisia . We will soon return to Amazing Algeria !

On Sunday June 1, TotalAdventure arrived in Tunisia on a train from Anaba ,Algeria. Train service had been recently restored between the two countries after many years suspension. WATCH THE VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE !

To get rhough immigration, we got off the train twice. Once for exiting Algeria, once for entering Tunisia. The border guards were quire friendly. They do not see many Americans on this route. In fact, it seemed I may have been the only non Algerian or Tunisian on the train.

The 200 KM journey takes about 8 hours.

Upon early evening arrival in Tunis, TotalAdventure walked 2 kilometers from Gare de Tunis via Rue de Paris to the comfortable ,faded and very French Hotel Majestic. TotalAdventure travels with only a compact backpack . Mobility is key on adventures like these. One can become a slave to bulky luggage.My rudimentary French is quite helpful in North and West Africa.

The Old City – Al Medina is excellent for exploring meandering alleyways and courtyards. WATCH THE VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE !

Unlike Algeria,Non Muslims are not permitted in Mosques.

What is behind this mysterious carved doorway ?

Carved By Hand.

Behind The Blue Door. Someone opened up as I was taking the photo.

Homes are cool as they are amde of stone. Temperatures in summer go to 40 C , in early June it was around 30.

Sheep being fattened up for the feast of Eid Al Adha. WATCH THE VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE !

About 25 kilometers North of Tunis is the Ancient Roman City of Carthage, overlooking the bight blue Mediterranean Sea.

Just to the Southwest of Sicily, Carthage was a stepping stone for Roman soldiers to North Africa.

Even today, archeologists are uncovering new artifacts ,telling the story of conquest.

While Rome flourished in the South, Northern Europe was still primitive. WATCH THE VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE !

A 2000 Year Old House.

Tunisian Cuisine Is Very Spicy.. Lamb and couscous with harissa is a favorite dish.

The Tunisia Dinar is 3 To The US Dollar. Prices Are Much Lower Than The USA or Western Europe.

From Tunis , TotalAdventure flew Tunisair Express on an ATR-72 for a one hour flight to Malta.

A one hour flight from Tunis, Tunisia on Tunisair Express returned TotalAdventure to the European Union . Malta, 3 islands between Europe and North Africa is truly a crossroads of geography and culture. The islands , only a couple hundred kilometers from the Sahara, have a near desert landscape and climate, though there are some moderate winter rains. The currency is the Euro, but prices are a bit lower than the Continent. The language is a mix of Arabic and Sicilian .Maltese is the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet.

Back In Schengen.

Not long after TotalAdventure checked into the hotel in Sliema, I Ubered to St.Peter’s Pool, a beautiful rocky cove with crashing waves, clear blue water and cliffs for diving SEE THE VIDEO ABOVE.

Three are amazing beaches on all 3 islands The best are remote ,where a hike is also part of the deal. The snorkeling and diving can be experienced in THE VIDEO.

Many Roman style structures in Malta are not necessarily Roman. This is the Malta Stock Exchange, built in the 1870s.

Though close to the shores of the Islamic World, Malta is 99% Catholic. Above is the Church of the Madonna of Lourdes on a mountain above the Gozo Harbour.

Interior Of The Church.

The Gozo Fast Ferry takes 45 minutes from Valletta to Gozo. Unfortunately there is no outdoor space, but it is fast ! One can also board a ferry to Sicily – only 1 hour 45 minutes. By air it’s one hour to Tunis or Tripoli,Libya.

Flying In To Malta.

A Roadside Shrine in Valletta.

A Friday Wedding In Style !

At St.John’s Co-Cathedral.

Commissioned in 1572 by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the conventual church of the Knights of St. John, replacing earlier churches used by the Order.Architect Girolamo (Ġlormu) Cassar, Malta’s leading military engineer, led its Mannerist-style design and oversaw construction between 1573 and 1577, with final touches in 1578 Replaced the Church of St. Lawrence in Vittoriosa as the main worship site for the Order.

Originally simple, the interior was richly redecorated in the 1660s by Grand Master Raphael Cotoner, executed by Mattia Preti and colleagues, aiming to rival Roman churches

Features include illusionistic frescoes, carved gilt walls, and intricate marble tombstone floors commemorating knights

• 1798: French occupation expelled the Knights; church’s status grew.
• 1816: Elevated to co‑cathedral by papal decree, sharing Malta’s episcopal seat with St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina .
• The British era brought attempts to convert it into a Protestant church, but opposition led to its co‑cathedral status being reaffirmed .

• 1798: French occupation expelled the Knights; church’s status grew.
• 1816: Elevated to co‑cathedral by papal decree, sharing Malta’s episcopal seat with St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina .
• The British era brought attempts to convert it into a Protestant church, but opposition led to its co‑cathedral status being reaffirme

• Internally, one of Europe’s finest examples of High Baroque architecture—a lavish contrast to its austere exterior .
• Its floors and walls commemorate centuries of Malta’s Knights, making it both a house of worship and a national memorial .

• Continues to function as a living church, welcoming both worshippers and art-lovers.

Fort St.Elmo , overlooking the entrance to the Port, houses a museum chronicling Malta’s many wars. Above, a bunker overlooking the Mediterranean ready to fire on German and Italian vessels crossing from Sicily.

A captured Nazi Helmet.

Malta has been fighting off invaders from. all sides for thousands of years. Since 1964 they have been a free and sovereign nation.

One cannot leave Malta without savoring the national dish – Rabbit Stew !

Malta, an EU Member, uses the Euro. Currently the Euro is worth US $ 1.18 putting prices on a par with the USA and lower than Northern Europe.

From Malta TotalAdventure returned to Miami via Frankfurt on Lufthansa ending an amazing journey from Miami to Paris to Algeria,Tunisia and Malta.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT THE TOP OF THE ARTICLE !

A Middle Eastern friend posted this beautiful picture on Facebook last week. The European cold snap has now slipped over North Africa, creating this rare snowfall in the Libyan Sahara Desert. Libya has excellent Adventure Travel potential. Any providers in Libya should contact ArcticTropic immediately.

Another traveling ArcticTropic friend, Bill Tubbs, of Bay Head NJ is currently in Morocco. He has taken some great pictures and we’re posting a few of them here. Above are the Medina walls in Essaouira. Essaouira is a fishing port few hundred klicks west of Marrakesh,where the desert meets the cold Atlantic Ocean. In summer it’s a great place to take a break from the 115 degree heat inland. Often the temperature doesn’t go above 70 !

Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah,Ouarzazate.

Driving up the Atlas Mountains.

In the Sahara near the Algerian Border

Morocco is a great adventure paradise because of the close proximity to Europe. Excellent surfing, mountain climbing (even some skiing) trekking the Western Sahara as well as the Rif and High Atlas mountains are all possible within a few days.

The Sahara meets the Mediterranean in this vast nation where Americans were barred for many years. Now, all are free to explore the trackless sand dunes and completely isolated beaches dotted with Roman ruins.

ArcticTropic focuses beyond the obvious Pyramids and Nile attractions, to driving and camel expeditions in the Western Desert.

Algeria – for those who choose not to let negative news reports deter them – is a true adventure paradise.ArcticTropic currently lists two destinations.