On Tuesday, the 4th of September we flew from Tunis to our third destination – Algiers, the capital of Algeria. We only had one afternoon to explore the city. Our stay was definitely too short but since we hired a personal tour guide, at least we made the most of it. It’s quite amazing how much more you can see and learn if you let a professional guide you.
Things to see and things to do
Due to a canceled flight, we only had a few hours in this scenic city. Our super friendly tour guide picked us up at the airport and he took us straight to the city’s number one attraction – Martyrs’ Memorial. Afterward, we drove to the old city center, where we visited a famous old house, which offers a panoramic view of the city. There we learned about the country’s history and architecture. Next, we took a scenic ride through the center of the city. We passed the renowned Monument of liberty. In the end, we had dinner at a nice restaurant in Algiers’ busiest street.
Where to stay
It was a short night, but the hotel was truly unparalleled. We were staying at one of the fanciest hotels in the city – at the Lamaraz hotel. We told them about our project prior to our arrival and they offered us their most luxurious suite. It blew our minds! The suite had a huge living room, a wonderful bedroom, two big-screen TVs, and two wonderful spa-like bathrooms. The room also offered a spectacular view of the city. In the morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast with a view on the top floor of the building.
Are you planning a trip to Algiers? Here you can get a room in this beautiful city with a 10% discount! 🙂
Budget
This time we asked our tour guide to pick a restaurant and he suggested a middle price range place. A dinner for three costs around 40 EUR. On our way back to the car, we decided to check out the food prices in other restaurants and we realized that we would have saved a lot of money by dining like locals. We didn’t use any public transportation, but we’ve been told that it’s pretty cheap.
We’ve also been told that tourists sometimes have problems withdrawing money from ATMs, so it’s best to have some cash.
The one-day tour of the city with Algeria tours 16 cost 80 EUR, which is a reasonable price considering the fact that the tour guide picked us up at the airport, drove us to the hotel, and took us back to the airport in the morning. Besides, it’s not like we had much of a choice anyway. We had very little time and it would have been impossible to see anything if we were on our own.
Best time to visit
Weather-wise spring and autumn are the best times to visit Algiers or any other parts of Algeria.
Environmental issues
Algeria’s number one environmental concern is the increasing desertification. Soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices is just one of the contributing factors to severe desertification. To stop desertification and to combat the effects of climate change, the African Union began a project called the Great Green Wall. The initiative aims to plant a long and dense wall of trees and vegetation along the northern borders of the Sahara and thus to transform the lives of millions of people. The small amount of water available in Algeria is threatened by regular droughts. Water supplies are not only scarce, but they are also polluted. Pollution of rivers and coastal waters is caused by raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, fertilizer runoff, and other industrial wastewaters.
196XLOVE
We have traveled quite a lot over the years and we have rarely met some unfriendly people. But Algerians seemed to be exceptionally nice. Love was all around us – in many different forms. The city itself seemed to be less polluted than Tunis, however, it was still quite easy to find a place for our 10-minute clean-up.
Honeymoon rating of the visited destinations: ♥♥♥♥♥♡♡♡♡♡
* Note: This is NOT a general rating of the country, it is merely our personal opinion of the mentioned site(s) as honeymoon destinations, based on the level of tourism development, the number and quality of romantic and adventurous activities and sites it offers, and safety. We strongly believe that every country is beautiful in its own way, they may simply be more or less honeymoon oriented/friendly.
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