Ksar Ghilane

Ksar Ghilane is a small oasis at the eastern edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, the great sand sea, with a warm spring feeding a pool among the palms and dunes running away to the west. Camps of tents cluster around it and it functions as the standard desert overnight from Douz or Tataouine. Less than a kilometre from the palms, in the sand, stands Tisavar, a small Roman frontier fort built to watch the desert approaches.

The landscape

• The spring pool - warm water in a pool among the palms.
• The dune edge - the Grand Erg Oriental beginning immediately west of the oasis.
• Tisavar fort - a Roman frontier post standing in the sand nearby.
• The desert camps - tented accommodation clustered around the oasis.

When to go

October to April is the season; summer heat in the erg is dangerous. Nights in winter are cold. Sandstorms can close the tracks in spring.

Practical notes

Access needs a four-wheel drive and the approach tracks are rough. Camps vary enormously in standard and the cheaper ones are basic. Quad bikes around the oasis are noisy and constant.

Nearby

Douz is northwest, and Tataouine is east.

Key facts