I spent three days wandering through the desert. Going there without a local guide would be a fool's errand. There's asphalt road only between cities. You can only reach interesting spots by driving through the sand. The guide said they know the area, navigate by the mountains and cardinal directions. Even if a sandstorm hits, we won't get lost.

The nature is absolutely fantastic. It's worth coming here just for that. But there's basically zero infrastructure. It's literally a desert out there. The guide cooked himself, but the conditions are such that if your stomach isn't the strongest, you should prepare yourself. Northern Algerians sometimes complain that they themselves don't always handle that kind of cuisine well :)

Our guide is from the Tuaregs. A very freedom-loving nomadic people. No wonder when you live in the desert and your nearest neighbor is like 20 kilometers away. There's no connection in the desert, yet everyone knows everything about each other. News spreads fast. And neighbors are practically considered family.

Tuareg culture is very different from Arab culture. Lineage is inherited through the female line. Women aren't required to have a strict dress code, but they absolutely must get an education. The guys, on the other hand, can go around uneducated :)

Many Tuareg tribes still live nomadically to this day. There are even cases where people moved to the capital, tried to change their lifestyle, and moved back. Though there are successful examples too.